Category: Youth and Teens

A True ‘Honouring’ Tradition

Don't take life too seriously; no one makes it out alive.Elbert Hubbard Our first child graduated yesterday. It was a big moment for many reasons, one being that it was a year we doubted whether him graduating was even a possibility. But, despite mental health, ADHD, and an addiction, he made it. Hell, I'm proud. … Continue reading A True ‘Honouring’ Tradition →

Cubism and The Risk of Vulnerability: Part 2

Sometimes the bravest and most important thing you can do is just show up.Brene Brown In a previous post, I shared my deep dive into professional risk-taking when I decided to introduce visual art into the classroom for the first time in twenty-four years as an educator. This is part of the transformation personal awakening … Continue reading Cubism and The Risk of Vulnerability: Part 2 →

Tribes Trail: Building Community In Our Classroom

A healthy social life is found only when, in the mirror of each soul, the whole community finds its reflection, and when, in the whole community, the virtue of each one is living.Rudolf Steiner Three weeks into our school year and I am experiencing some of the most beautiful and memorable moments as an educator … Continue reading Tribes Trail: Building Community In Our Classroom →

What #Teens Want Us To Know About #SexEducation (and waiting for us to ask)

Parents are not sex education experts just because they are parents. ~Pepper Schwartz With our second teen hanging out with a regular female friend, we feel as though we entering into the 'fire in the hole!' phase of his pubescent maturation. Our family continues to have healthy, open, honest, and at times, uncomfortable conversations. You … Continue reading What #Teens Want Us To Know About #SexEducation (and waiting for us to ask) →

This Is Us (with Grade 9, baby)

Middle school is exactly what it sounds like. A mixed-up mess of nothing, and yet everything at the same time.   ~Julia Remillard I couldn't help myself. Cue the music... https://youtu.be/IOLl-8ZqMZw All That Is Old Is...Still Old In my twenty-two plus years in British Columbia public education as both teacher and administrator one thing has become … Continue reading This Is Us (with Grade 9, baby) →

Parenting A Teenager? Try This One

When your children are teenagers, it's important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you.   ~Nora Ephron Close family and friends will know that I say often this: My teenager has been, far away, the greatest teacher in my life. I have learned more about myself as a parent, … Continue reading Parenting A Teenager? Try This One →

Social Media, Teens, and Moderation

I recently shared this infographic courtesy of Common Sense Media with my class...and an interesting discussion occurred. When I asked if there were any surprises in these results the only overwhelming outlier was that the given value of 46% of parents worrying too much about their youth's social media was "too high". When we explored … Continue reading Social Media, Teens, and Moderation →

Gender, Sex, and the Classroom

Last week, our middle school students engaged in the first of a four-part (I know you're probably saying that four is not enough) workshop with our trained adolescent sexual health educator with a focus on SOGI education. The facilitator opened the class by addressing anonymous student questions submitted the previous week. In a nervously anticipatory … Continue reading Gender, Sex, and the Classroom →

In Praise of the Teenager

For the most part, the modern teenager really gets a bad rap. Totally. Despite the gun control efforts led by Parkland secondary school shooting survivors in the United States, to young activists like Patricia Manubay and Ziad Ahmed, most adolescents are often viewed of being disrespectful, emotional-charged, self-indulgent, narcissistic, and a wee bit egocentric. But … Continue reading In Praise of the Teenager →