JumpStart Rice Krispies Treats Day (9/18/23)

It's also Cheeseburger Day! But let’s celebrate the dessert.  Our daughter makes the best Rice Krispies treats (is it ‘Rice Krispies or Krispy Treat?).  Her hack is to mix in MORE mini marshmallows with the cereal so that there are whole marshmallows mixed throughout.  So. Good.

​Quote:  "Identity is not inherent.  It is shaped by circumstance and sensitivity and resistance to self-pity."  -Dorothy West
In my opinion, the key to grabbing onto your life so that you don’t feel like you are constantly in overwhelm mode is to truly understand who you are.

What makes you who you are?

I don’t think anyone knows for sure, and it’s probably completely different for each of us.  Back in the 60’s, my parents believed in nurture over nature - that when they adopted me and then my sister 18 months later, the home they created would determine our outcome, not our genes.  Even though we were besties growing up and still have a good relationship, my sister and I have always been very dissimilar in our identities.

Clearly, Dorothy West (major female author of the Harlem Renaissance) believes the opposite.  It sounds as though in her mind, our identity is defined by how we respond to things - in our resiliency.

I feel as though we treat people as though they are mirrors of ourselves.  We expect things out of them that we would expect from ourselves. We assume they will react to situations, humor, gossip, etc. in the same way that we do.  However, perhaps they way we respond to situations is REALLY tied up in our identity and that each of us is REALLY different from the next.

This week, try this: Stop for a minute and describe yourself.

• What has happened to you in your life that is part of your identity (it’s probably something that had a significant emotional component).
• What are you sensitive to that is part of who you are?  This could be special interests, likes/dislikes, etc.
• What don’t you like about yourself - a physical trait, a personality trait perhaps - that ends up in your self-description?

Educator Resource:  Identity Lesson Plans:Grades K - 2:  “Teach Young Kids About Identity”  This page describes lessons that are for sale, AND has a great list of books to read to your kiddos.  You could absolutely generate your own lesson around the book list and the pictures of her lesson cards.

Grades 3 - 5:  “Discovering My Identity”  In this lesson, students will describe aspects of their identities such as race, gender, ability, religion and more. Then after exploring Marley Dias' Black Girls Books campaign, students will analyze book illustrations and write their own book review noting how characters are similar and different from them.  https://www.learningforjustice.org/classroom-resources/lessons/discovering-my-identity

Secondary:  “Personal Identity Wheel”  The Personal Identity Wheel is a worksheet activity that encourages students to reflect on how they identify outside of social identifiers. The worksheet prompts students to list adjectives they would use to describe themselves, skills they have, favorite books, hobbies, etc. 

Dad Joke:  I was really confused when my printer started playing music.  Turns out the paper was jamming.

We’ve got this!  Last week, I ended by saying that this week, I was going to add another paradigm shift. (Un)fortunately, I can’t remember what I was thinking.  Maybe next week…  We are already half-way through September!  The pelicans have shown up around here on their way to Mexico for the winter.

~Matt