The week before last we focused on empowering women between MLK day and the Denver Women's March. Last week we hit the other side of the spectrum and focused on my students who identify with masculine energy. I feel that in this class it can sometimes be challenging for the boys to express how they feel, whether that be with their mentee/mentor, with the class, or even in writing. Getting in touch with their emotions has been an uphill battle so before getting into the curriculum I wanted to lay a foundation of empowerment for girls, boys, everyone in between, and even for anyone who does not identify with either gender.
I did this by showing a 30 minute episode of a show I found called We Are Man Enough. On this show is a panel of self-identified men who eat dinner while discussing issues related to the current and traditional idea of masculinity. They discuss what it means to be a "real man" vs. a "good man" and as the episodes progress, they discuss issues with body image, mental health, the pressure to display aggression outwardly, and continued subjection of women or sexual violence and other forms of abuse. It is a well rounded panel of straight, gay, transgender, white, black, and brown men of all ages who contribute to the conversation, it is super raw and definitely engaging! The discussions that we had around gender roles, the media, and our environment was really telling considering their own ideas of masculinity and femininity. We talked about why showing emotions can be seen as being weak or giving away power as a male and how it can be quite the opposite for women- empowering. We discussed how we can change that narrative and related it to past and upcoming lessons (Apple Pie, Belief Systems). It was a great segue into this week's lesson as well.
Episode one (PG) can be found here:
http://www.wearemanenough.com/
P.S- Prince EA is one the panel! He is the inspirational spoken word poet on youtube who is shown for a lot of our lessons.
Our week 2 of guided meditation went amazing, more students are becoming comfortable with meditating in the traditional way - sitting facing up with hands resting on their thighs, straight spine, and eyes closed. We meditated on emotional and physical healing which talked us through picturing the painful area and imagining it becoming lighter, releasing toxic negative tension with each exhale, and eventually healing itself.
Healing meditation script found here:
http://www.innerhealthstudio.com/healing-relaxation.html
Until next week,
Ms. Castro
Monday, January 29, 2018
Monday, January 22, 2018
Getting Into ~The Groove~ & Pressing the Reset Button
What a wild few weeks it has been already! Last week my students and I worked hard to recruit mentees and mentors to fill in the gaps that were created by the inevitable roster changes. It was the number one stress of my week but in being scrappy and resourceful, I found success by reaching out to counselors, social workers, clubs, ACHS via flyers and simply by word of mouth.
It is Monday the 22nd now and it is safe to say that all of my rosters are evened up! There is not a single Mentor left without a Mentee or vise versa, a few groups of 3 but I have strong mentors who were happy to take on the challenge. Due to us trying to solidify our partners for the year/interviewing that has been happening each block, we have been holding off the start up of the curriculum and re-introducing what this program really and truly means and can offer them. We broke down the acronym belonging to Youth Empowerment Support Services and discussed what youth empowerment can look like, both inside and outside of the classroom. We watched clips from an inspiring film called Hidden Figures and how the women of color in the movie overcame adversity with leadership, patience, perseverance, motivation, and strength. We related the film to Martin Luther King (which was the Monday of last week) and how he empowered others, and the courage and struggle that came along with his motivation to create a more equal world where justice reigned and where actions/laws were made out of fairness, love, and understanding. We related it to the lessons we have done in this class and the lessons that are to come- Why are we in here? Why did I choose you to be a part of this class? What have I received from this class and/or What am I looking forward to taking away from this social-emotional curriculum and from mentoring? We talked about resetting our brains and hearts for the new year with a revitalized outlook driven by what each of us ultimately wants out of life - love, health, happiness, and success.
We took this resetting button moment to learn something new - meditation. For the first time I lead a guided meditation with each class at the end of the week. For a lot of students, it was the first time they had ever done this. For anyone who is reading who would like to know where I got the meditation script for yourself or your class, the link I used can be found here: http://www.innerhealthstudio.com/meditation-scripts.html We decided that we are going to meditate for 10 minutes at the end of each Fam Friday in the future, we will choose a different topic to meditate on each week. I was so shocked at the number of students who gave positive feedback about how it felt, I even had two of them come back at lunch to try another one. Turns out, thinking about not thinking at all is hard, ha! But so rewarding to feel centered and present in this life.
P.S - Still absolutely LOVING my classroom! Here is a full panorama of our new magical space. Making it feel like home is improving with each passing day, so thankful for this opportunity and the loved ones in my life who donated to fund my classroom decor and supplies.
Be well everyone,
Ms. Castro
It is Monday the 22nd now and it is safe to say that all of my rosters are evened up! There is not a single Mentor left without a Mentee or vise versa, a few groups of 3 but I have strong mentors who were happy to take on the challenge. Due to us trying to solidify our partners for the year/interviewing that has been happening each block, we have been holding off the start up of the curriculum and re-introducing what this program really and truly means and can offer them. We broke down the acronym belonging to Youth Empowerment Support Services and discussed what youth empowerment can look like, both inside and outside of the classroom. We watched clips from an inspiring film called Hidden Figures and how the women of color in the movie overcame adversity with leadership, patience, perseverance, motivation, and strength. We related the film to Martin Luther King (which was the Monday of last week) and how he empowered others, and the courage and struggle that came along with his motivation to create a more equal world where justice reigned and where actions/laws were made out of fairness, love, and understanding. We related it to the lessons we have done in this class and the lessons that are to come- Why are we in here? Why did I choose you to be a part of this class? What have I received from this class and/or What am I looking forward to taking away from this social-emotional curriculum and from mentoring? We talked about resetting our brains and hearts for the new year with a revitalized outlook driven by what each of us ultimately wants out of life - love, health, happiness, and success.
We took this resetting button moment to learn something new - meditation. For the first time I lead a guided meditation with each class at the end of the week. For a lot of students, it was the first time they had ever done this. For anyone who is reading who would like to know where I got the meditation script for yourself or your class, the link I used can be found here: http://www.innerhealthstudio.com/meditation-scripts.html We decided that we are going to meditate for 10 minutes at the end of each Fam Friday in the future, we will choose a different topic to meditate on each week. I was so shocked at the number of students who gave positive feedback about how it felt, I even had two of them come back at lunch to try another one. Turns out, thinking about not thinking at all is hard, ha! But so rewarding to feel centered and present in this life.
P.S - Still absolutely LOVING my classroom! Here is a full panorama of our new magical space. Making it feel like home is improving with each passing day, so thankful for this opportunity and the loved ones in my life who donated to fund my classroom decor and supplies.
Be well everyone,
Ms. Castro
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
NEW YEAR, NEW ROOM!
The year is off to a GREAT start! Words can't describe how happy we are to finally have a home in Adams City, no more rolling the contents of my entire classroom on a tiny cart!!! The school now has a place for the misfits and the marginalized, the boys, girls and every individual in between. The gay, straight, black, white, younger, older, introverted, extroverted. A safe space for social-emotional learning to flourish through leadership and relationship building. We could not be more happy and excited as this gives us the opportunity to take the YESS program to the next level!
Over the past week, I have been working on re-introducing what Youth Empowerment looks like and can offer. I gained a lot of new students and lost a handful as well, but we are doing our best to bounce back and recruit as a team. I am working with the counselors every day and I've been surprised by all of the students approaching me in my off time to join the program because of positive word of mouth my students are spreading. I have been putting in the work to get organized in a short amount of time and make our space feel like home, working from sun up to sun down getting all my ducks in a row. I can't believe how lucky we got with a space away from all the noisy chaos in the school. A space with windows lining an entire wall! We have an in-room bathroom, fridge, and office. Even some more computer stations and moving white boards! I can even arrange my desks how I want to! This is a privilege I will never take for granted, it fuels my fire to create an anxiety-free room of love. I can't wait to get my rosters solidified and the curriculum up and running!
Last week we were also lucky enough to have a familiar face, Angel Trujillo-Gomez, who is a ACHS alumni and a first generation college attendee. It was such a treat, highlight, and perfect way to begin the motivation of the year by having her come speak about her current experience and journey regarding continued educational success. My students had many questions answered and some anxieties relieved, she was able to speak so eloquently on the differences and the transitional experience related to the road from Adams City to College - it was so special to hear for both the students and myself- they had the opportunity to see themselves in her. It was inspiring to say the least.
P.S - With the new space, I now have a room for the GSA club to meet which is in the process of getting assembled, WAHOO!
Happy 2018 everyone,
Ms. Castro
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