Adra Young's Blog, page 8
August 7, 2011
Reading & Rhythm on the RiverFront in Detroit
Yesterday was one amazing day in Detroit, Michigan. I had an opportunity to be a featured author at the Reading & Rhythm on the River Front in Detroit Michigan. I honestly thought that the parents and the kiddies would not show due to rain. Not only did they show. The children showed out!
They got a chance to stand on the stage and act as rock stars. It's amazing to see how the children ranging from the ages three to five are simply fearless when it comes to performing in front of crowds. Oh what a great time I had simply watching them.
Tonya Allen of the Skillman Foundation read first and I came right after reading one of my favorite child hood classics titled Green Eggs and Ham. By the end of the story just about every kid in the audience chanted in unison "Sam I Am." Serving as a featured author for the 2011 Reading on the RiverFront series was one of the highlights of my summer.
August 4, 2011
I Promised to Keep Everyone Posted With the 2011 Socialization Skills Program at the Detroit Impact Center
Greetings everyone,
For the record, I would like everyone to know that my first session with my young adults at the Detroit Impact Center was July 13th. That session consisted of six young ladies and our topic of conversation was simply coping with abandonment issues. Let me just say that this session resulted to the young ladies releasing a lot of emotional baggage. By the end of this session, everyone felt a sense of relief. There was more information that I wanted to provide indepth however, due to being tired, I touched the wrong button on this word press site which resulted to me deleting the entire blog on session one.
Our most recent session took place on August 3, 2011. To my surprise, two young men had joined our group of six young ladies. Our social dynamic for this week pertained to coping with grief. Once again, I am happy to announce that the young men partook in the dialogue. Each young adult shared their own personal experiences in relation to dealing with grief. Unfortunately, everyone had lost a loved one in either a violent situation or tragic incident.
We talked about some appropriate ways of dealing with grief. One student mentioned that she danced her sadness away. One of my male students confidently stated that acceptance help him get passed the pain of losing his brother and knowing now that he's in a better place due to drowning. By the end of this session, what every student seemed to agree on was that grieving is okay and normal for anyone just as long as it does not become too excessive.
July 7, 2011
Loving and Enjoying the Summer
Hello good people! I hope that everyone's summer is going fantastic. I know you all were probably wondering where is your favorite educator, tween, and teen author? As you all know my Summer vacation started June 18th. Although I have been off for several weeks, I have been one busy bee.
From placing the finishing touches on my third book, to attending business conferences, I have been a serious mission to build and expand my brand. Last year I had the opportunity to serve as the Socialization Skills provider for the Detroit Impact Center located in Detroit, Michigan. It gives me pleasure to announce that I will assume this position once again effective July 13th. 2011. Just as I did last year, I will post a weekly blog on the weekly sessions that take place with the youngsters. I had the opportunity to meet some of them today . We are all looking forward to next Wednesday. Last year the students enjoyed the program. I can only hope that the students I serve this summer will complete the Socialization Skills program feeling the same way.
July 2, 2011
May 27, 2011
When Is Enough Enough In Relation To Student State And National Assessments?
Hello Everyone. Adra Young here once again. I'd like to start this blog off by wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable Memorial Holiday Weekend. I'm not sure how many of my fans read my blog are closer to my age range or not? I state this only to see how many individuals remember how many national or state test they took in those quote on quote "Good Old Days?" At the tender age of 10, I believe it was only two for me at that time.
Well times have changed as well as the number of times a student takes a standardized and or norm referenced examination. This year, I along with the teachers in my school district were mandated to provide one state test and four assessments that would represent as our overall state national percentage. In fact, I just finished up with the last portion of the fourth assessment today with my students. Providing these test can be very stressful as an educator. It is however a part of my proceedings as a teacher so I do what I am mandated to do. What I do not and will ever refuse to agree with is the pressure these type of test put on our students.
During testing time yesterday, one of my students started crying. Out of concern, I asked the student what was wrong. There response was that they were simply tired of testing. After getting the student to calm down, I motivated them to complete the entire examination . This student by the was not diagnosed or faced any reading or learning challenges. They were simply just tired.
After the students left for that day, I thought to myself, if our kids are feeling overwhelmed about these multiple assessments at the ages of 11 and 12 than where will their stress levels be at by the time they are 17 and 18 about to enter into the next phases of their lives? I simply don't think that it's necessary to assess a youngster four and five times a year. What sincere validity is it really serving?
May 23, 2011
My All Male Sixth Grade Class Today At the Toledo Zoo
Hello Everyone. Adra Young here again. As we all know, we are getting close to the end of the school year. Around this time, schools offer fun and exciting things for students to participate in. Today I along with my all male sixth grade class had the opportunity to attend the Toledo zoo in Toledo, Ohio.
Rushing as I usually do, I forgot my snacks for the trip. As my boys sat down and ate their lunch today they noticed, I did not have anything to eat. Oh how my boys took great care of me. They gave me cookies, chips, and one amazing deli style turkey sandwich. Afterwards, we begin our tour of the zoo.
Despite the limited time restraint we were on, we saw many beautiful animals and creatures. I let the boys lead the way as they guided me to penguins, polar bears, and sleeping tigers. They had the opportunity to take pictures of seals, and one beautiful multicolored crocodile. I think I might have upset them once I stated how the crocodile would make one beautiful purse and a gorgeous pair of sandals for me. The boys gave me one disgruntled look which resulted to me laughing to the point of me holding my stomach.
Laughter did not stop at this point. I guess it's mating season because my boys also got a chance to see the monkey's and turtles having intercourse. Once they got pass the point of shock from witnessing these occurrences, I treated everyone to an ice-cream cone. I really appreciated the fact that they fed me a great lunch today. By the time we ate our ice-cream, our time at being at the zoo was coming to an end. We got a chance to see the elephant and headed back to the bus.
My boys indicated that they had a ball. Some of them had indicated that this was thier first time ever attending a zoo. Today was a memorable occasion not just for my boys, but for me as well.
May 11, 2011
My Mother's Day Gift
Hello Everyone. I know you are probably thinking, where has your favorite educator, tweens, and teens author been lately? My response is simply, I've been very busy. I hope that all the mom's had one great Mothers Day. I had a great Mothers Day even the despite the fact that I am not biologically a mom as of yet.
On Friday, two days before Mothers Day, I got two amazing surprises from two of my students. The first surprise was given to me directly after we completed our spelling test. One of my young ladies gave me the prettiest paper carnation flower that had the scent of a very sweet fragrance. She had made it in art class. As she approached me with it, I asked her who was it was for? This student simply said it was for me and that I was her mother too. Instantly, I felt the tears feeling up in my eyes. Immediately I turned to face the opposite direction of my class so that my students could not see me crying. I was use to receiving birthday and cards for the holidays. I had never received a mother's day gift before.
The second surprise came from a rather rebellious kid who had finally come to the realization that in order for her to succeed in my class would take team effort, work and cooperation from the both of us. After picking my students up from lunch this day, she looked at me and said, "Miss Young, you're my mom you know that!" I tell you when she said it, I almost passed out on the cafeteria floor due to being in shock.
After school had let out that day, I had come to one very important realization. The students even the ones that we least expect appreciate the efforts that we as teachers provide to ensure educational success. They appreciate the love, compassion, and the concern that we have for their well-being as little people simply trying to find their own way.
April 11, 2011
We Must Lead The Way
Good Morning everyone. It's Adra Young your favorite tween, teen, and young adult author shedding light on information that needs to be shared regarding our young people today. Several weeks ago, I along with my business partner authoress Tracie E. Christian were invited to present to the students attending Inkster High School in Michigan. Together as a team, we were instructed to provide knowledge on preparation for college, and life after high school.
All of the students were amazing and very respectful. Out of all the groups, none amazed us more than our very last group of the day. This group consisted of all females ranging from the ages of 15 and up. When we entered the room, everyone seemed to be grouped together with individuals they already knew. As we conducted an oral survey with the young ladies, Tracie and I made a quick discovery. Although the young ladies all attended school together, no one ever spoke or tried to make conversation, or friends with anyone else outside of their grades.
Tracie and I divided the entire class into eighth groups. Each group contained one grade level ranging from ninth through the twelfth. Every individual from that group regardless of their grade level was provided the opportunity to share anything about themselves they wanted to. At first no one really wanted to talk. By the end of this session, the challenge was getting everyone not to talk as much.
Everyone left that day knowing something about another student they probably would've never spoke to ever had we not provided this session. Some even exchanged phone numbers with one another. The students in addition thanked us and provided hugs to us at the end. In today's world, it's important that we teach our youth the importance of getting out of your comfort zone. Activities such as this one listed above can provide youngsters with the courage and self esteem to do many other great things in the future.
April 3, 2011
Keep Your Hands To Yourself
Just last week I instructed two of my males students to not touch one another. The response from one of my male students was, “Ms Young, were boys, what do you expect? Boys are rough.” As I processed what this young man had said, I understood exactly what he meant by his statement. Young men do like to play rough. Which brings me back to my reason for writing this blog. Often students start off rough housing and in the beginning, it’s fun. Suddenly, the fun turns into one hostile and unfortunately a situation where individuals end up hurt. Friends who started off just playing are no longer friends anymore due to taking the rough house playing to the next level.
Currently there are two young ladies who use to be relatively close friends in my all female sixth grade class. On several occasions, I had warned the two about keeping their hands to themselves. Their response to me was that this is how they played with one another. Having to deal with the fact that my all males class hit each other for the fun of it, I especially expressed my bias on how I really felt about young ladies passing hits. Just last week, the situation got totally out of hand and both your ladies were expelled from school. Their friendship, is now officially a part of the past.
My words of advice to youngsters is simply just don’t do it. Real friends in my opinion do not need to ever get physical. Young ladies should find creative ways to play with one another and so should young men. Our youth today apparently have not been taught how to play with one another correctly.
Adra Young: Author of The Everyday Living of Children & Teens Monologue Series
http:// twitter.com/ardannyl
http:// facebook.com/ardannyl
http:// www.linked.com/pub/adra-young/3/671/651
My third book “The Misfits is coming the Fall of 2011
Keep Your Hands To Yourself
Hello everyone, it's Adra Young your favorite Tween and Teen author. Today I want to talk to you about the importance of students keeping their hands to theirselves. Often, not only do I catch my all male class passing licks from time to time, I've witnessed my all female class doing the same thing as well.
Just last week I instructed two of my males students to not touch one another. The response from one of my male students was, "Ms Young, were boys, what do you expect? Boys are rough." As I processed what this young man had said, I understood exactly what he meant by his statement. Young men do like to play rough. Which brings me back to my reason for writing this blog. Often students start off rough housing and in the beginning, it's fun. Suddenly, the fun turns into one hostile and unfortunately a situation where individuals end up hurt. Friends who started off just playing are no longer friends anymore due to taking the rough house playing to the next level.
Currently there are two young ladies who use to be relatively close friends in my all female sixth grade class. On several occasions, I had warned the two about keeping their hands to themselves. Their response to me was that this is how they played with one another. Having to deal with the fact that my all males class hit each other for the fun of it, I especially expressed my bias on how I really felt about young ladies passing hits. Just last week, the situation got totally out of hand and both your ladies were expelled from school. Their friendship, is now officially a part of the past.
My words of advice to youngsters is simply just don't do it. Real friends in my opinion do not need to ever get physical. Young ladies should find creative ways to play with one another and so should young men. Our youth today apparently have not been taught how to play with one another correctly.
Adra Young: Author of The Everyday Living of Children & Teens Monologue Series
http:// twitter.com/ardannyl
http:// facebook.com/ardannyl
http:// www.linked.com/pub/adra-young/3/671/651
My third book "The Misfits is coming the Fall of 2011
