Open note to girls: you are beautiful, you are enough.

This post is dedicated to the most beautiful girls that I know: Lexi, Riley, Caroline, Micah, Abbey, Maddie, Kaylee, Meredith, Lexxi, Athena, Taylor, Emma, Hope, Sophie, Lauren, and the young team Anastasis girls that these wonderful ladies set the stage for.

 

String bean, Toothpick, Twiggy, Slim, Skinny, Bones, Chicken Legs. This is how I was known growing up. More often than not, these “nicknames” were used in place of my actual name. I hated it.

When I was in elementary school, the names didn’t bother me so much. I didn’t really associate them with myself so they didn’t hurt my feelings. I really only heard these names once a year during our PE physical. For some reason someone came up with the brilliant idea to have our height and weight measured in PE class each year. We would all line up against the wall and one by one be told our weight and height while a PE assistant scribbled down our weight on a piece of paper that would be sent home. One by one we walked up, either elated or embarrassed by our height (in elementary school, height rules). Then came the weight. I don’t think any of us really knew what the “ideal” weight was. I don’t remember being embarrassed by the number called out. It wasn’t until they pulled me aside and told me that I was “under weight” and SHOULD weigh more, and that they would send a note home to my parents that I was embarrassed. But, it was one day a year that happened along with eye tests and was always soon forgotten. It was the first time I remember feeling different from the other kids. Like maybe there was something wrong with me.

Cut to middle school where the name of the game is blending in and looking like everyone else. The names started to hurt. It was this constant reminder that there was something “wrong” with me. That I was different. In middle school different is equated with bad. It was the first time that I really began to feel self-conscious about the way that I looked. I was skinny and on the tallish side for how slender I was, mostly I was trapped in the body of Peter Pan. Couple that with the joys of puberty…disastrous. This is the time that you begin to care what others think of you and unfortunately, it comes at the same time as your body is at it’s most awkward.

I started to break out regularly and even though I took care to wash my face twice a day and use products that should have cleared my skin, I always had a break out somewhere on my face. In health class we all got assigned a “disease” to research and report on. As the teacher was calling out assignments, I heard my name, “Kelly, you will do acne.” The boy next to me leaned over laughing, “You know why you got assigned that right? It’s because you always have zits everywhere.” Devastating. When I looked in the mirror, all I saw was my bony shoulders, my skinny chicken legs, and the pimples on my face. I felt ugly.

This feeling of not being enough followed me into the high school years. The breakouts started to get under control, but I was still as skinny as ever. At 5’4 I finished high school weighing 90 lbs. This wasn’t for lack of eating. I have an insane sweet tooth and ice cream and milk shakes were part of my regular diet. No matter what or how much I ate, nothing seemed to change my weight. I know, most of you are shaking your head right now sarcastically thinking, “poor Kelly, she could eat ANYTHING and not gain weight…we feel so bad.” I’ve heard that throughout my life too. I never got asked out on a date in high school, never had a boyfriend. My friends seemed to get asked out regularly. Another reminder that something was wrong with me.

In college I was pulled aside by multiple professors and RA’s who wanted to talk to me about “my anorexia.” It’s hard to convince someone who thinks they know you that they don’t actually know you. It took a doctor’s note documenting that I was at a healthy weight, for me, to get them to stop hounding me. This didn’t stop random old ladies from approaching me and grabbing my arm while they told me that I needed to eat more and take care of myself. It also didn’t stop the rude comments random guys would call out at me, “good Lord, eat something!” Different felt ugly. It sent the message over and over, “you are not enough.”

This post isn’t really about my weight. It’s actually a post about beauty.

When I was young, I thought that beauty was something that was unattainable because I didn’t look like the “popular girls.” I had this picture in my mind of what beauty was: being just curvy enough, perfectly made up face, long silky hair, long legs, perfect wardrobe, perfect smile, pouty lips, tan.

Imagine my shock when I learned that none of this is what makes you beautiful. It took a long time to learn this truth. My definition began to shift when I was in college and lived in a house full of girls. I had beautiful roommates. Attractive in every sense of the word; yet the longer I lived with them, the more I heard their insecurities about their looks. I was baffled. How could these beautiful girls look in the mirror and believe they were ugly? Perception is an interesting thing. We assume that people see the same things we see, that they perceive us the same way that we do. This is rarely the case.

My husband was my first boyfriend. He saw beauty that I couldn’t see. He helped reshape my perception. My wonderful friends and roommates had a big hand in this as well. I began to realize that we really don’t see ourselves the way that others do. Our perceptions are often not accurate representations.

Beauty is so much more than what we see in the mirror. It’s sad that we reduce it so much and beat ourselves up about it. I can’t tell you the number of girls I’ve taught that come to me in tears because they don’t feel like they are enough. Not pretty enough, not smart enough, not athletic enough, not funny enough. Not enough.

Without exception, every single one of these girls was unequivocally MORE THAN ENOUGH. They are beautiful. They are smart, and funny, and engaging. It breaks my heart to see their tears, to see the insecurity that they carry, to realize that they don’t see themselves the way that the rest of us see them.

They look to makeup, revealing clothes, unhealthy relationships, snap chat, ask FM to tell them they are beautiful.

So girls, with everything above as a backdrop, this is my message for you:

You are beautiful.

Yes, you.

You are enough.

Yes, you.

When we look at you, we see beauty. It’s not the makeup you put on. It’s not the tan. It’s not the perfect hair. It’s not the perfect weight or height (as if there is such a thing).

You are beautiful because you are brave, you don’t hesitate to leap in and take big risks.

You are beautiful because you put passion into the work you do and when you share it, we can’t help but be captivated by the same magic.

You are beautiful because of the work you do in the service of joy.

You are beautiful because you have a laugh that pulls everyone else into the fun.

You are beautiful because of the way your eyes widen with compassion when you see someone hurting, right before you jump in to help.

You are beautiful because you have a generous nature that you share freely.

You are beautiful because you have a great sense of humor that instantly puts everyone at ease.

You are beautiful because you make everyone a friend.

You are beautiful because of the way you join in silliness, especially when your peers won’t join in.

You are beautiful because your awkwardness is endearing.

You are beautiful. We all see it. We want you to see it.

You are beautiful.

I hope that when you feel like you aren’t enough, you will call and let me change your perception. Sometimes, people will cross your path that don’t deserve you. But that doesn’t matter in the long run, you are beautiful because of the way you keep sharing your gifts with the rest of us who do see the immense beauty.

I hope that when you look in the mirror, you see what we see. The beauty that you are.

 

I’ve become passionate about self-image over the years. Perspective can do that for you. I want every single girl, young woman, and woman to recognize the beauty that they are. To see what the rest of us see. I want them to be secure in who they are and the way that they look (especially without makeup). I want them to know that they are enough. It’s why I love the message of Rodan + Fields. It’s why I’m hosting a virtual party on Thursday. It’s the reason I hope you will join me Thursday and then take a makeup free selfie on Friday with the hashtag #rfnaked. Show the girls in your life that it isn’t the makeup that makes a woman beautiful…the added bonus is that for every #rfnaked makeup free selfie posted, Rodan + Fields will donate $1 to education. If you missed the details about the virtual party, check it out here and make sure to join us!

 

TED-Ed: Lessons (videos) worth sharing

What it is: I have long been a TED talk fan, so much so that I started a lunch group at my previous school called TED Talk Tuesdays where teachers could gather over lunch, watch TED Talks and discuss it’s implication on education.  TED has a brand new education site that I am excited about.  TED-ed is a collection of educational video lessons that have been animated.  These lessons can be used as a supplement in any classroom.  Each video on the TED-ed site has an associated lesson, a Quick Quiz with multiple choice comprehension questions, Think which asks questions to help students think more critically about what they have watched, and Dig Deeper which helps students to explore the topic further.  In addition to the videos, TED-ed gives educators the ability to “flip” videos.  You can use, tweak, or completely re-do any lesson that is featured on TED-Ed, or even create lessons from scratch based on any video from YouTube.  You can re-title a lesson to fit your classroom, add context, questions and follow-up suggestions, and create a custom URL for your video lesson.  You can even track your student’s progress to see who has viewed the assigned video, the number of questions they attempted, the answers they provided, and the answers they got correct.

How to integrate TED-Ed into the classroom:  TED-Ed is a fantastic new resource for the classroom.  The videos can be used for flip teaching.  Flip teaching changes up the classroom model.  Normally students come to school to get instruction and do their practice work at home as homework.  In a flipped teaching model, the instruction is watched at home as “homework” and the practice happens in the classroom where students can receive teacher support.  This means that the focus in the classroom is on higher-order thinking and learning skills instead of on instruction.  How novel. 🙂 Student can come to class ready for deeper inquiry, critical thinking, discussion with classmates, collaboration and get more personalized attention from the teacher.  You maximize classroom time by “going home” with the students.

Video is a great medium for learning because it allows students to learn at their own pace and gives them the ability to replay as many times as they need to.  Visuals are always useful when learning something new, video is a great medium because of the way that it helps enhance understanding through the use of visuals. 

Videos are searchable by those that have been featured, those that are part of a series or by subject.  Students can learn about the arts, business/economics, design/engineering/technology, health, literature/language, math, psychology, science/technology, and social studies.  The library will continue to grow as teachers flip the videos and TED-ed adds content from educators around the world.

The videos are great in a flipped classroom model but can also be used within the classroom.  Videos can be watched and discussed as a whole-class or put on classroom computers as a learning center.  When I taught second grade, I made sure that I had time individually with my students each week.  In the mornings, my students worked on groups with “tub work” to make this time possible with individual students.  These videos would make a great “second teacher” in a blended learning classroom where students could continue their learning while you work with students individually. 

Tips: Remember, if you don’t find a video that meets your classroom needs, you can always flip any video you find on YouTube!

Please leave a comment and share how you are using TED-ed in  your classroom!

Be the Beat: Interactive heart and virtual CPR simulation

What it is:  The American Heart Association has a new set of heart interactives on their site, Be the Beat.  On Be the Beat, students can explore the heart, view a healthy vs unhealthy heart and perform virtual CPR during a cardiac arrest.  The interactives have extremely life-like graphics and can be manipulated to view the heart under a variety of circumstances.  Students can speed up heart rate or adjust layers of the heart.  The CPR simulation is excellent.  It leads students through a scenario where a friend collapses.  It is up to students to decide how to administer CPR and use an AED to help the friend.

How to integrate Be the Beat into the classroom: Be the Beat is very well done.  I’m impressed with the level of information, the interactive graphics and the ability to manipulate how the heart is reacting.  Be the Beat would be a great site for students to visit when learning about the heart.  This could be as part of a science class, health or PE class.

On the interactive whiteboard or projector-connected computer, students can take turns adjusting and manipulating what is happening to the heart.  As they take their turn, they can play “scientist” and describe what is happening to the rest of the class with the help of the captions on Be the Beat.  The CPR interactive would be a great whole-class activity.  As a class, students can make decisions about what to do to help their friend who has gone into cardiac arrest.  They can take turns calling for help, administering CPR and using the AED.

Be the Beat would make a fantastic hands-on center on classroom computers as students are learning about the heart.  Students can stop by the center and explore the different areas of the heart.  Assign each student to study a different area of the heart so that they can take turns explaining the functions to each other.

Tips: The American Heart Association has a whole new program where students can learn to save a life in the School Challenge.  Learn more about it here.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Be the Beat in  your classroom!

Edible Schoolyard Project and Truck Farms

What it is:  There are some things that I think should be essential to every school experience.  Some place where kids can sink their hands down into the earth and have a part in growing something is one of those essentials.  Edible Schoolyard is an incredible site with a goal to bring children into a positive relationship with food by connecting it with nature and culture.  The great part: good health is the outcome.  The Edible Schoolyard Project shares a food curriculum for schools around the world to put into practice.  I share their dream of making an “edible education” as part of the core of every school in the country.  I love that Edible Schoolyard wants to provide every student with a free nutritious lunch and interactive experiences in the classroom, kitchen and garden…transforming the health and values of every child.

So…what exactly does the Edible Schoolyard project do?

  • Maps the grassroots efforts of edible education programs around the United States.
  • Gathers and shares lessons and best practices of school gardens, kitchens, and lunch programs.
  • Documents 15 years of Edible Schoolyards.
  • Trains educators at the Edible Schoolyard Academy.
How to integrate Edible Schoolyard Project into the classroom:  The Edible Schoolyard Project has some excellent lessons, tips, guidance, and encouragement for starting an Edible Schoolyard Project at your own school.  The great thing about the resource collection on Edible Schoolyard Project is that it has been created by educators.  The lesson plans aren’t just focused on food, they are all tied in to a variety of disciplines…you know, like it happens in real life.
There is something so human and important about growing food.  It is something that we have separated ourselves from and as a result, we are happy to stuff ourselves with a combination of chemicals and additives.  I have taught students who truly didn’t know that potatoes grew.  Seriously.
At Anastasis, we are working to start our own Edible Schoolyard Project.  Our challenge: we lease space from a church. There is no little piece of land that we can call our own.  We don’t let anything stop us at Anastasis, we just have to be more creative.  In the past few weeks our students have been composting in 56 2-liter bottles.  It can be stinky…but the kids are learning so much about decomposition!  My next plan for our own little edible school yard project:
Truck Farm.  I learned about Truck Farms from a way cool little restaurant here in Colorado called Beatrice and Woodsley.  They take advantage of Truck Farms for some of their produce.  Brilliant idea.  A truck farm is an old pick up truck whose bed has been retrofitted as a container garden.  The result: fresh produce that is mobile.  SO great for a school that puts everything on wheels!  While it isn’t exactly like getting your hands into a plot of land, students will be able to have their own little kitchen garden that they can grow.
****As a side note, if anyone has an old pickup they would like to donate to Anastasis or help funding this project, please let me know!
Tips:  Explore the Movement is a section on the Edible Schoolyard Project where those in the US can find others in their state to network with.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Edible Schoolyard Project in  your classroom!

Game for Science

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What it is: Game for Science has to be one of the coolest virtual worlds for kids.  This virtual world is dedicated to getting kids excited about science and technology.  Students can explore various virtual islands where they will learn about health, aeronautics, genomics, environment, engineering and more.  Students can learn more about science careers, what scientists do, play games, learn interesting facts, and explore science photos and videos.  Students can play the Game for Science as a tourist without registering, or they can register for an account (this requires an email address with confirmation).  This is an outstanding way for kids to get excited about science and technology.  As students travel through the virtual world, they can collect neurons (smart stars) by answering questions and playing games.  The neurons can be used to purchase items for their avatar.

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How to integrate Game for Science into the classroom: Game for Science is a great way to introduce new science topics or areas of science.  The virtual world will capture interest and keep students wanting to learn more about each topic.  If you teach younger students (without email addresses), visit the virtual world as a class on the interactive whiteboard or the projector.  Give each student a turn to direct the journey through Game for Science.  The rest of the class can jot down observations in a science notebook that can be used in later learning and experiments.  Students who can read independently can visit the site individually on classroom computers as a science center or in a computer lab setting.  Older students can register for an account and earn neuron points for their characters.  This is a fun site for students just to explore and interact with; however, for use in the classroom, you can direct students to specific islands to study.  For example, as you begin a unit on the environment, students can visit the corresponding island.  Game for Science makes for a great jumping off point that will grab students attention and interest in the subject they will be learning about.

Tips: There is a chat feature on the registered version of Game for Science, this allows students to interact as they discover new islands and talk science.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Game for Science in your classroom.

The Potato Story

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What it is: The Potato Story is a great interactive from the UK that teaches students about food (specifically the potato) and how it gets from field to fork.  The story focuses on how the potato is grown and harvested and it’s journey from the farm to the table where kids eat it.  It also teaches the nutritional values of the potato and the part they play in a balanced diet.  The interactive for kids is spectacular, but the accompanying resources for teachers is truly incredible.  The first lesson of the Potato Story is the life cycle of the plant.  Each lesson comes with instructions for the teacher, the interactive portion for the student, additional educational weblinks, and pdf worksheets, quizzes, and printable lesson.  The second lesson is a simulation where students can grow their own potatoes and learn about healthy root systems and plant needs.  The third lesson teaches about plant growth and the plant life cycle.  The final lesson is all about making healthy eating choices and nutrition.

How to integrate The Potato Story into the classroom: The Potato Story is a fantastic interactive that takes students on a journey of the food they eat.  Students learn about plant life cycles, necessary elements for growing a plant, and nutrition.  The Potato Story interactives are perfect as a center in a science class, completing individually in a lab setting, or completing as a class with an interactive whiteboard.

Tips: Be sure not to skip the teacher section on this site, there are SO many great ideas and extension activities included.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using The Potato Story in your classroom.


Stretch Break for Kids

What it is:  As computers and one to one environments become more prevalent in schools, it is important to remember proper ergonomics.  Stretch Break is a free software that is downloadable for both Mac and PC platforms.  The software is designed to help prevent computer related strain injuries by reminding students to take breaks while using the computer.  Every 30 minutes the software asks students if they would like to stretch.  Full animated figures lead students through simple stretches.  Then the software returns students to the task they were working on.  Teachers can designate how long to wait between stretch sessions and how many stretches to lead students through in a session.  Stretch Break for Kids was designed by a team of health care professionals.  The stretches focus on the neck, arms, hands, back, legs, and wrists.  The software also includes some important eye exercises.  There are 20 stretches total, many that focus on prevention of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

How to integrate Stretch Break for Kids into the classroom:  Stretch Break for Kids is a must for every computer lab.  Any time that students are using a lab computer they should be reminded of proper ergonomics and learn how to properly stretch for health.  Load Stretch Break for Kids on classroom computers and even on the computer that is connected with the Interactive Whiteboard.  Throughout the day (you determine how often and how long) set Stretch Break to pop up and encourage students to stretch as a class.  Even if they aren’t working at the computer all day, these stretches will help them get some blood flowing and release tension that can build up while they are doing their school work.  This is a great one to download to your own computer, you need to be reminded to stretch too! 

 

Tips:   Stretch Break for Kids contains Ergo hints for healthier computing in addition to the stretches.  Spend some time teaching your kids healthy computing habits, as technology becomes more and more available in the classroom, these healthy habits become more important.  The free Stretch Break for Kids software is network compatible.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Stretch Break for Kids in your classroom.

Simple Science

What it is:  Simple Science is a collection of informative science music videos for use in the elementary classroom.  The videos can be used to reinforce science learning objective and science concepts.  The videos can be watched from the website for free or purchased on DVD.  Simple Science video topics include: adapting, micro organisms, forces, changes, dissolving, how we see, changing circuits, keeping healthy, life cycles (flowers), gasses, water cycle, sun, earth, moon, changing sounds, moving and growing, habitats, keeping warm, solids vs. liquids, plants, friction, teeth, circuits and conductors, materials, rocks and soil, magnets and springs, light and shadows, air, atoms, DNA, Earth, electricity, insects, and magnetism.  The format reminds me of School House Rock.  Lyrics for all songs can be downloaded for students to follow along.

How to integrate Simple Science into the classroom:   Simple Science videos are perfect for introducing or reinforcing science concepts.  The songs and videos break down science concepts so they are easy to understand.  Use Simple Science with a projector for whole class instruction or set up a science center on classroom computers where students can stop by and watch the videos.

 

Tips: The Simple Science website did not work for me using the Opera browser. I was successful with the links using Firefox.

 

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Simple Science  in your classroom.

Health Detective

 

What it is: Health Detective is an interactive game developed by Kaiser Permanente that teaches kids how to make healthy choices. The premiss of the game is an outbreak of unhealthy habits hitting too many kids. The kids get ‘secret’ training on how to eat right an exercise. Students can investigate fun games like whack a snack, soccer, and zap the TV. Students and teachers can also print out classified clues on ways to be healthy.

How to integrate Health Detective into your classroom: This is a fun, motivating way to learn about making healthy exercise and eating choices. In the one computer classroom, set up the Health Detective as a center for students to visit during science/health class. In the computer lab setting each student can play individually (about 20min. game). If you have access to a projector, this would be a fun whole class experience.

Tips: Teachers can print out healthy habits “classified clues” to send home with students.