Author: McKenzie Ross

I'm just a mom with a teaching license, raising my kids, and writing for this blog! Someday I hope to be back teaching when they are older, but for now, I'm here and loving it!
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A Group of High Schoolers Set Out to Make Respectful Men in their Community For Generations to Come

“I live in a small, rural town that consists of a population of around 700 people. My school district is a combination of the town I live in along with another neighboring town. Their population only consists of around 500 people. The issue that I have noticed, specifically in our school district, is the decline in respect and courteousness in our young men. I am a senior in high school this year and I constantly hear stories about the way some of the grade school and middle school boys act toward others. I also witness some of these mannerisms in the high school.”

“The solution that the group of us guys has come up with is to start weekly challenges for the grade school students that would last 1-2 months and would bring out the courteous side that all of these young men have. The goals that we have come up with for the month of January are to show politeness (say please and thank you, do not chew with your mouth open, etc.), hold the door for others, and say something kind to a different person each day of the week. Our group has also already scheduled a speaker to come and present to the middle school and high school men. This presentation is called “Man2Man” and showcases the positive impact that young men can make and should play in reducing gender and relationship violence, as well as how to be a leader, and make a positive difference in the community around them. This presentation also describes how men should be encouraged to express their emotions and not feel as if they need to hide the emotions as they are pressured to do so by society.”

“Our goals from this project are to see improvement and growth of leadership and interpersonal skills in young men. Hopefully, long-term these young men will have a better understanding of what it takes to be a good leader and that being a man does not mean that they have to put on a “shell” like society may have trained them.”

“Our group has been meeting with the grade school students every Friday during the month of January to hand out fake mustaches to all of the students who completed the weekly challenge. We also describe the next week’s challenge. I feel that the steps that I take to improve my community have an impact on the world that we should take care of so dearly.”

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Discovering Our Child Was a Sensory Seeker Did Nothing But Positivley Impact Him and Our Family

My son is currently 3.5 years old. From the time he was born, I knew there was something going on that I just couldn’t put my finger on. Was it autism? A learning disability? But how can you even diagnose that at such a young age? You cannot! 

As he got older we discovered his love for music. No… not love. Obsession. 

Spending time outside digging in the dirt wasn’t just our routine, but our essential routine. 

We quickly started acquiring more and more supplies in our house such as swings, slides, crash pads, soft mats, and more. 

At 2 years old our doctor finally gave us the term sensory seeker and suddenly our lives started making more sense! 

When I started my research on a sensory seeker kiddo in a classroom, I found information on adaptive seating in classrooms. And OT time outside of the classroom. Teachers offering pencil toppers for chewing and small, quiet sensory toys to keep inside of their desks. 

But the biggest turning point for our family was when I discovered this little golden nugget of wisdom-

“Learning cannot and will not happen unless all sensory needs have been met.” 

Take out learning and swap it with any verb needed- Eating. Sleeping. Listening. Participating. Reading. Independent play. It all applies. 

Once I started learning more about the different senses in our body, touch, taste, sight, feel, hearing, vestibular, and proprioceptive, and the needs that come with each of them, it started making more sense to us. We were realizing that a lot of the behaviors we were shutting down and trying to stop were actually just him craving the sensory input his body was seeking. Now instead of dismissing his sensory needs, we’ve fully embraced them and used them to our advantage, too! 

Since then, he’s been eating better, sleeping better, playing better, and learning so much more. 

It’s fascinating what we can learn about our children in the way they learn and think and develop! And it’s even more fascinating to see what develops when we allow them the space to do so on their own terms, and not ours. 

We still have a long way to go on this journey for him and for us, and I’m very curious to see how it plays out with school and around peers someday. But for now, we’re loving and embracing this information. 

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Falling in Love Fast and Hard. With Books.

The first chapter book I ever remember being read to me was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I can vividly recall sitting on my dad’s lap in our rocker recliner chair listening to the sound of his voice while he read to me the chapter where Harry and Ron are being chased by the troll through the hallways of the school. The picture in my mind of the scene played out just like a movie, and I hadn’t even seen the movie yet! 

It was at this moment that I knew books held something I wanted to get a hold of. 

I don’t remember the process of learning to read. I’m certain I went through the same motions every kindergartener goes through to get there, by sounding out words and working on phonics and sight words. What I do remember, though, is receiving a letter in the mail a few weeks before 1st grade started from my new teacher. It was so exciting! I asked my mom to read me the letter, I can even remember where exactly in my house I was standing as it all happened. When I tried handing the paper to my mom, she returned it to me and said, “No, you can read it! You know how to read now!” 

I doubted her, but slowly I read the letter my teacher sent, telling me how excited she was for me to join her in her first-grade classroom. She talked about all of the fun activities we would do, the things we were going to learn about, and the books we would read. I was especially excited about the books! 

After finishing the letter, I looked up at my mom with pride in my heart. This was the first time in my life I felt like I had read something. Like, really read and fully comprehended what I had read. This wasn’t a small booklet of CVC and sight words strung together to make up some dinky early reader book. This was me picking up a paper with words and meaning and reading what my teacher wanted to say to me. 

First grade ended up being magical and incredible and just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, we have our very first library day. They sat us down at tables in the library where our sweet librarian told us all about the Dewey Decimal system and reading levels. After our short lesson, we were free to roam the stacks and choose a book to check out and bring home to read. 

I stood in front of those bookshelves that seemed as if they were ten feet tall, completely overwhelmed by the number of options. How was I supposed to pick out the perfect book?! I searched and searched through shelf after shelf, becoming increasingly anxious that I was going to leave the library without a book to show for it. 

I ran to my teacher for help, to which she responded in the most saintly way most first-grade teachers do. 

She led me to a shelf near the back of the stacks and on the second shelf from the top to the far left, she pulled a book. Karen’s Witch by Ann M. Martin. It was the perfect reading level and the perfect genre for me. I started the first chapter as we walked back to the classroom… 

“Hi. I am Karen Brewer. I’m six going on seven years old, and I think I’m very lucky. I’m lucky because I have two families. Most people only have one. But my brother Andrew and I have two.” -Ann M. Martin in Karen’s Witch 

This was the moment my heart swelled with happiness as Karen and I became best friends. 

This was the moment that I knew books were going to mean so much more to me than just words on a page. 

It all started with the safety of being read to by trusted adults. 

It solidified itself as I found meaning behind words and reading. 

And then it really took off when I found a friend in books. 

My love for reading fell fast and hard. I was hooked from such a young age and continued to read all of Karen’s novels, as well as the Harry Potter Series, Charlie Bone, Sideways Stories From Wayside School, The American Girl Series, and more and more and more. 

This isn’t always the case for early readers. In fact, it can be the opposite most times. 

But we as teachers and parents can foster their new experiences with books by helping them find safety, meaning, and friends as they explore the literature that speaks to them. 

When was the first moment you fell in love with books? 

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A Trip to Japan And a Global Learning Experience

Last month I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Japan. This has been a ten-year goal for us to visit and experience the country of Japan, so it was exciting once we were able to make it there finally! We ended up leaving our kids home during our trip, but after only a few days in the country, we quickly agreed that we needed to set a new goal to bring our whole family back in ten years because Japan is incredible!

Here is a quick rundown of what we learned and experienced while we were there, through the eyes of a global learner-

Children independently riding and navigating the train and subway systems in the busiest parts of the city to get to and from school and extracurriculars on their own. 

Family-friendly everything. 

Many school groups out on field trips during the weekend (when they do not have school). All of them were dressed in school uniforms and acting incredibly respectful. 

Everyone having a deep respect and reverence for their cities and communities, working together to keep them clean and tidy. 

As well as students having the same respect and reverence for their schools and spending time cleaning after the school day is over. (Could you imagine that in the U.S.?! That would be incredible!) 

Very safe and clean streets, which make walking and biking very easy and accessible for adults and children alike. 

Respect from everyone in the community for the disabled and elderly or anyone that 

Students attending tutoring sessions in their free time outside of school, not just for extra help, but for extra learning hours. 

One big recurring theme I saw was the respect level for all ages and abilities from all ages and abilities. Learning about the culture and more about the school systems in Japan was so eye-opening to me and influenced how I move forward with my kids and how I view and use the educational system in the United States. 

Have you ever traveled somewhere and had it completely changed your perspective? 

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One Student is Changing the Mental Health Game for High School Athletes

Mental health is important. But what if we take it one step further and focus on mental health for athletes? Obviously, every specific group of people ever to exist can benefit from mental health awareness, but a high school student in New Mexico felt passionate about honing in on something that is important to her. So she set out to make that change. She writes, 

“Growing up in athletics, I’ve observed a high amount of stigma and harm surrounding the mental health of youth athletes in my hometown. Specifically, I’ve had extensive experiences with abusive coaching, toxic environments, and lack of access to mental health resources. I’ve also had many friends who experienced these same issues as they participated in youth athletics. Many coaches, sports organizations, and professionals are ill-informed when it comes to caring for the mental health of youth athletes.”

“My solution is to create a local nonprofit dedicated to prioritizing the mental health of adolescent athletes. This is a need I see in our community and after extensively looking, I don’t feel there are any other organizations doing the work locally (or even nationally) to fill this need.”

“I deserve this scholarship because not only have I researched this topic extensively, but I’ve already put in actionable steps to attain success in this project. I’ve written a 4,000 word thesis concerning the mental health of female athletes and read countless pieces of literature in the field. Additionally, I have met with professionals and designed a website for my project already.”

“Furthermore, this project is a very niche but very necessary one. While there are many organizations that support youth mental health in the U.S., there are little to none that support the mental health of youth athletes. This is despite the fact that research shows how important it is to provide this support for youth athletes.”

We’re cheering on this student not only in her sports but in her advocacy for mental health for her peers as well. 

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“Where’s The Mom?”

We live across the street from our local post office. It’s amazing. 

My oldest child (5 years old) is the type of kid that absolutely needs her independence. She thrives when given opportunities to do things by herself. 

Recently I’ve had several packages to ship off to friends and family, and getting to the post office with three kids in tow can be extremely challenging, even if it’s right across the street! 

So I let my 5-year-old take another independent leap by sending her on the errand for me, by herself. 

With the package addressed and ready to ship, she walks across the street alone, $5 tucked safely in her purse to pay the shipping fees.

She’s been on enough errands with me that she knows what to do. She knows how to wait in line and ask for help at the counter when it’s her turn. She’s pretty good at exchanging money and keeping receipts safe for the travels back home. 

The first time I sent her I watched out of our family room window for the entirety of her visit, just to make sure everything was okay. But as time went on, I trusted her more and more with her abilities and didn’t pace by the window waiting to watch her walk back home. 

One day after coming home from her post office errand, she told me the lady working at the counter asked her where her mom was. I asked my daughter what her response was and she said, “I didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t say anything.”

It got me thinking, what would the correct response be? 

Her mom was right next door. 

Her mom was observing from afar.

Her mom was teaching valuable life lessons. 

Her mom was providing an opportunity for independence. 

Her mom was showing a high level of trust not only for her daughter but also for the postal workers and other patrons in the building. 

I don’t think the worker meant any malice when asking the question. I’m certain after assessing the situation, she realized my daughter was there to run an errand for me and was in no way distressed or neglected. It takes a village to raise a child and our sweet postal worker was only making sure my daughter was okay. 

But we’ve also transitioned into a more stressed and scared society, causing us to be wearier of letting our young kids do things for themselves. 50 years ago no one would have thought to even question her. This pushes me to allocate opportunities for my children to find independence throughout their young lives so that they can grow up to be contributing members of our society. 

By sending them on errands by themselves, within a reasonable distance from our home.

By letting them go into the library alone to return and check out books while I wait outside. 

By picking out and buying their own ingredients and supplies at the grocery store for the cupcakes they’ve been wanting to make. 

“Independence is not a static condition; it is a continuous conquest, and in order to reach not only freedom, but also strength, and the perfecting on one’s powers, it is necessary to follow this path of unremitting toil.”  

-Maria Montessori

Photo by Matheus Bertelli

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We Failed At Achieving 1,000 Hours Outside This Year. But in the End, We Still Won

In December of 2021, I came across an Instagram page called @1000hoursoutside. A mom started the account while living in a townhome without a yard and was set on making a better attempt to focus her time and energy on spending time outside with her family. The whole idea behind the 1,000 hours spent outside came from a study done on screen time in children saying the average child spends about 1,000 hours on screens a year, she was trying to flip the narrative and spend this many hours outside instead. While I dislike blaming screens or writing them off completely, I too have found immense value in spending time outside for myself and my children. 

I started tracking our outside hours come January 1st. My youngest son was born at the beginning of January, so during the first week or so of the year we were not able to clock many hours. But once we were home from the hospital, even he got in on the action at only a few days old! 

One of the benefits of tracking our hours for us was the motivation behind it. If we knew we could add more hours to our tracker app to earn badges and see how far we’ve come, it made it more motivating (especially in the colder months!) to get out a little more. Even spending 20 minutes outside adds up eventually! 

Tracking hours may seem arbitrary, and to some, it may be. To us, it gave us motivation and a starting point to see how far we had come. For example, in the month of January, we spent 22 hours outside, but in February we were able to jump to 24 hours outside for the month! It may have only been a 2-hour difference, but it felt like such a big win to us. By March we were up to 36 hours and in April we spent 82 hours outside!! 

In the end, we didn’t end up getting a full 1,000 hours outside. We finished off the year with around 890 hours. But did we fail? 

If we’re only talking numbers, then yes. 

But did we also win? 

We won more family time. 

We won the development of gross-motor skills. 

We won the time spent being curious over snow hills left over in the spring. 

We won more fresh air. 

We won afternoons with friends at the park. And evenings gathered around a fire roasting hot dogs and marshmallows. 

We won a balmy spring day by the river, and a hot summer’s day lounging out by our camper. 

We may have lost the number game, but in the end, I think we ultimately won. And next year, we’ll shoot for higher. Not to meet a number from a random statistic in a study, but because time spent outside is never wasted. 

You don’t have to read a blog post or Pinterest quote to see the benefits of spending time outside. You just have to get outside and the benefits will show themselves tenfold.