Amazon is running out of stock of my new book, Trauma Doesn't Stop at the School Door. Ebook is available. Both ebook and paperback are available now at publisher, Teacher College Press. https://lnkd.in/eCgEc8J (and ebook is discounted). The book is all about creating trauma responsive institutions, something we need now more than ever -- sadly. I am teaching a course on this very topic at Rutgers Graduate School of Social Work. It is July 31, 2020 on Zoom from 9:30 -- 12:30. Enrollment open to non-social workers. Book will be available for enrolled participants at a discount. Consider enrolling. Concrete strategies for creating institutions that can help our students, our clients, our workers. Learn about trauma responsive toolboxes. Fee is reasonable. Sign up below. Easy registration. https://lnkd.in/e2udmHk …see more

Trauma Doesn't Stop at the School Door: Strategies and Solutions for Educators PreK-College explores how educational institutions have failed to recognize and effectively address the symptoms of trauma in students of all ages. Book Features • Focuses on trauma within the early childhood–adult educational pipeline. • Added chapter on trauma surrounding COVID-19 and school closings • Affects of trauma associated with Kobe Bryant passing • Explains how trauma is often cumulative, with recent traumatic events often triggering a revival of traumatic symptomology from decades ago. • Provides clarifications of currently used terms and scoring systems and offers new and alternative approaches to identifying and remediating trauma. • Includes visual images to augment the descriptions in the text. Website: https://lnkd.in/eaWQeJ6 …see more

Worthy read. Watch for piece I am writing on small colleges in the time of Covid. It will reference Degrees of Freedom in some detail.

The Land O’Lakes controversy has left me puzzled. The female image was done by a Native American artist. And what product had a Native American woman front and center — and not in a demeaning way? Except ..... here’s what I recall as a teenager lo those many years ago that made me cringe and I thought that was why the image was removed. If you bent the box (empty) a certain way, the woman’s knees became her breasts and she was sitting there with nothing covering her breasts. Yipes. Hadn’t the company realized that little and not so little boys were making a sexual display and a mockery of a Native American woman on their box? Then decades later, when the image was to be removed, I thought: “Finally, someone smart knew about the knees/breasts swap and they are fixing it at ling last.” Frankly it could have been corrected by a slight change in her clothing and she did not need to be removed. She did need to stop being the fantasy of young boys. Back then, seeing breasts was a big deal — kind of like Playboy or Penthouse, neither of which seem needed with the Internet and the 60’s .... Was I dreaming this? Chime in. Why is no one mentioning it? Just google and there are stories and even demonstrations. Why has this been ignored? Or pushed under proverbial rug? …see more

Very pleased to share that Wrinkles Doesn't Like Social Distancing, an online video book for children that is available for free, has been viewed over 3000 times -- counting musical version and non-musical versions (link attached). Wrinkles does want email and kids can send him letters and images. I am collecting them for him and reading the letters to him. WrinklesGetsIt@yahoo.com We still need this resource. Please use it, share it, forward it, enjoy it. Let’s get to 6000 views by May 30th.... social distancing will not have disappeared by then!!!! https://lnkd.in/dz3JjmD. …see more

I just wrote a piece on how to reopen schools and colleges post-pandemic. I offer up 3 trauma-responsive changes. None cost money; they cost sweat equity, thought, creativity, reallocation of resources, new approaches, change. Well, the first comment suggests: how expensive? How difficult? How cost inefficient? Now here's the point: folks can't see change as good. But, in this instance, the world has changed and going back to the status quo ante is a falsity. And anyone who does not recognize that placement tests and standardized tests post-pandemic and mandated upon reopening is really misunderstanding toxic stress, isolation, fear responses, ANS responses and the realities of a threat like COVID-19. Yes, these are all triggers for trauma. Here's the link and here's my hope: those of you who are leaders need to help your workers and employees see the value of change, the need for change and the importance of change after a global traumatic event. It will take work -- not money necessarily. https://lnkd.in/etTxsS6 If ever there were a time for change, it is now. The door is wide open. Walk through. …see more

Here is a story for children about social distancing. Read it to and with them. Print it out for them. Hope to have it out as an ebook soon. Enjoy in this tough time.

It is raining hard in DC. Cleaning the city perhaps? On all levels. Anyhow, what a day to read and snuggle. I was reminded yet again about the power of reading and the emotions it can evoke -- whether in adults or children. Reading can literally touch your heart -- so can words. I just finished Delia Owens moving story, Where the Crawdads Sing. Kya, the protagonist, learns to read late in her childhood and remarks after reading a poem something to this effect, "Who knew words could carry such power?". I raise this for two reasons today. Words have power, both positive and negative. We relish the positive words and the enormous power evoked in us through them. But, we also have negative and discriminatory words and hurtful words (oft-times said in times of anger or in bullying or in a show of power). These words have power too. I'd suggest we look more carefully at all our words, starting with our leaders and political candidates and politicians. We need to be careful. Words aren't just letters strung together. Repeat: words are not just letters strung together. They can hurt like weapons, causing psychic injury, and they can make one's heart leap with joy. Seems the latter is way preferable by any measure. …see more

Here at PRSA with my colleague Chris Messina-Boyer. We’re speaking about how PR folks can get their leaders to trust them. That’s critically important as trust is the gateway to authenticity and in a crisis situation (as well as all other situations), that matters. We have a series of strategies, one of which is: PR folks should read what the leader has written — voice, style, tone, feel. It all matters. …see more

I think we get scared to speak up and out when we are wronged. It is especially hard for those who are young or not in power. Think about women harassed or students punished. I recently had someone tell blatant lies about me in writing in an email chain. At first I thought silence was the answer. Folks who matter know the truth. There are risks to speaking up. But, I think lying and false accusations must stop. So, I wrote the offender and defined libel and demanded an apology and I copied others who were included. I even copied someone, asking that the offender be “tamed.” Sad that I had to do that in the first place. But, I think we need to stop those who blame others wrongly, who tell falsehoods and don’t own their own actions and accompanying outcomes. At the end of the day, I still believe that those who do wrong to others will get their comeuppance. In the meanwhile, I am guided by my conscience, integrity and the fact that I can and should role model. Complaining isn’t the answer. Speak up ... silence is not golden when one is libeled or slandered. …see more

Thought this piece might be of interest this Memorial Day. Time to answer some pressing questions to help our Veterans. We can and we should do that.

Please read this piece again and again. And, for the teachers out there, please get to know your students. It will help and make an enormous difference. And, in workplaces, we often do not know the stresses and strains felt and experienced by employees. Before punishing or humiliating someone who is late or non-performing, consider asking: WHY. That all important question and listening to the answer can help people in immeasurable ways. …see more

As the sun rises (and last night my book group read Love and Ruin about one of Hemingway's wives), I was struck yet again by the impact all the ranting and teasing and anger and even laughter will have on students and people within organizations. As leaders, we have to be keenly aware of the reactions and disagreements that will ensue, the deep personal issues that will arise and the division among (former) friends Leaders have their hands full in determining how to handle all this in the workplace and in schools, colleges and universities. It is a topic on which I will be writing when the saga reaches some sort of endpoint -- like a vote up or down. It is too fluid a situation to write now. But the issues will not cease their effect on people all over our nation. In the meanwhile, watch out for each other. This is a hard time for many --- even those with whom we disagree are struggling. …see more

This is getting ridiculous. I now really do have a complex. No one has bid on me. Take me home and do good -- help kids get books and save #giraffe from #extinction. I'm a good doobie. I'm even on book cover. https://lnkd.in/e-yktvP Auction ends Aug. 5 at noon. …see more

Ponder how 2 talk to and teach kids about money. It isn't just about numbers. Anything but.....Consider understanding one's own money language as a first step. https://lnkd.in/ec_xF5d #personalfinance #education #money #step

So, I got a gift giraffe puzzle and factual info is way way wrong. And % of proceeds from the puzzle go to @NationalZoo in DC. As to conservation status, the box says: "least concern." Yipes. Not true at all. Giraffe face extinction. Facts are wrong; it matters. We need to save #giraffe. Box is below.  See for yourself. It needs to be changed. We can't perpetuate false news. Giraffe need us.  And we need their survival.  How can we get facts right --- on this and everything else?  Help. …see more

We are having a heat wave.  And we have summer melt and slide for kids who move backward in terms of skills over the summer months. Unacceptable really.   This is true for reading and I want to offer a solution.  JOKES. Yes, really.  OK, I just co-authored a children's joke book related to giraffes (who face extinction by the by).  Joke writing, joke telling and joke reading all build skills with a laugh2learn approach.  They involve word play and word use and creativity and puns and common phrases.  Jokes are not as easy to write and tell as they appear.   There is a guide on the website www.ladylucysquest.com and the book is Lady Lucy's Laugh Giraffe Journey.  Available @BNBuzz and @Northshire.com. Both ship for free. Amazon is apparently out of stock.   I will be writing a longer piece on this topic  and have even thought of offering a joke camp for kids in the DC area --- to improve their skills. …see more

See recent article posted on the Laura Ingraham comments that were both wrong and lacked empathy.  And, her apology was likely worse.  Basically, she got trapped by her own words.  She needs to use this vacation (pre-planned? ha-ha) to reflect.

Working across the educational pipeline is key -- otherwise we are passing the blame. See Breakaway Learners @TCPress which discusses this in much greater detail.

Watch for Part II of article by Marc Wine on disaster relief and block chain and telemedicine. Forthcoming in BBN Times. Surely we can do better than what we have done to date.  And, Part II of this article demonstrates how we can do that -- NOW! …see more