It was my first day working in a new school. The children were not familiar with me neither were the staff. I knew that I needed to prove myself show what kind of results I can generate from my performance and earn my keep in this new work environment. I introduced myself to one of my colleagues. She showed me around the school and introduced me to some of the teachers. The vice principal approached me and told me the I will have three girls in grade 1 that I will be working with. I was somewhat caught off guard because I have never worked with girls before only boys. I headed off to the classroom that I will be working in and I met the teacher. I introduced myself to the teacher that I would be working with. She was friendly and welcoming but at the same time she was apprehensive about me. I knew she was the kind of teacher that you needed to earn her respect and show that you can add value to her classroom and her students. I waiting in the classroom on my own waiting the arrival of the students. I looked outside the classroom window and saw all the students filtering out of the schools buses. Some of the students seemed excited about their first of school some of them seemed very nervous and apprehensive and were very anxious knowing that they would have to detach themselves from Mom and Dad. I heard the noise of footsteps and chattering as the students came through the hallways. The teacher then walked in the classroom with three little girls by her side. The girls then spotted me in the classroom and just starred at me. The teacher then said "Girls I would like you to introduce you to Mr. Logan." They just starred at me with blank nervous looks on their faces. I then said "Hello girls nice to me you, are you excited about your first day of school?" They again did not say anything and just walked to their seats. I tried not take their reaction to me personally and realized that it was the first day of school and they were probably really nervous. During the first week of school I managed to make a connection with two of the girls. I asked them questions about themselves and used playful humor to get them to laugh and they slowly started to associate me with positive emotions and they began to connect with me. They ask for my help during class time. They would run toward me for attention outside in the playground during recess and lunch, and would get excited to see me at the beginning of a school day. However the 3rd little girl was a different story. She was not as emotionally connected to me as the other two girls. She was a very "hard to warm up to new people" kind of a person. She was on the autism spectrum which made it harder for her to adapt to new social situations. I spoke with her parents and her parents informed me that it takes time, consistency and humor for her to connect. It would just take her longer then most children make a connection. During recess and lunch outside in the playground she had a habit of standing against the school wall which is what other children have to do when they are in trouble. She was not in trouble she was just very shy and withdrawn and did not know or was uncomfortable engaging with other children. I tried many times over and over again encouraging in a calm manner to go and play with her friend she would have the same response every time "No thanks, I don't want to." I did not pressure her to play because that would cause her to withdraw even more and would cause any kind of connection she had with me to fall apart. One day I was observing her from across the playground and suddenly I thought of an idea to draw her into playing with her peers. I waited at my post in the playground for other children to initiate some form of play with me which they eventually did. Once we all started playing a tag game together I very intentionally moved the game closer and closer to the withdrawn girl against the wall. I moved the game to a point where we were playing tag right in front of her so it was impossible for her not to see us playing. I then whispered to one of the other girls as she was "it" "Hey, you see that girl standing against the wall?" she responded "Yes I see her Mr. Logan." "Go and tag her." I said. She complied and ran to the wall and tagged her. The girl against the wall who's name was Alexa was very caught of guard and froze up. She did not know how to respond after being tagged. I stood back and watched as the other girls were cheering her on and encouraging her to play. A very small smile began to form on her face and she started to move forward and began to chase the other girls. The other girls were laughing and cheering her on and the more they did that the more comfortable Alexa and she began to run full speed trying to tag the other girls. Her face was beaming. I watched from afar and made myself fall into the background and let the girls play on their own. I was very proud of the girls for being friendly and welcoming to Alexa. I was especially proud of Alexa for finally being comfortable enough to play with her peers. As the girls ran passed me Alexa ran to me and tagged me laughing and giggling and ran away. She turned around to face me her face beaming and said "Nah, Nah come and tag me Mr. Logan!" I ran to chase her and she laughed and ran. A connection with Alexa was finally cemented. It took time, consistency, and patience but she finally connected with her classmates and with me. From this connection she was was able to progress, socially, and emotionally and academically.
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The Lost Art of Mentorship
I once heard my generation be called the Lost Boys Generation. Men struggling to find a proper mentor or guide to help point them in the right direction of where they should go in life. I was in the same boat. I had an idea of the kind of man that I wanted to become I just didn't know how to get there. Looking around the men in my world that were in the position to mentor me and put me on the right path I realized that they didn't not have the skill set or the desire to be an effective leader and mentor. So I needed to search. I needed to search the media, film, and hollywood for someone that really represented the man that wanted to grow into. I was 16 years old and I dreaded that time of day when I would hear the keys jingle in the key hole and the door would open and their he would be staring a whole right through me. He would say the same thing everyday. "Did you walk the dogs and do your homework?" In the most unwelcoming cold voice that he can muster. That would be the extent of what he would say to me everyday. He would remain silent and not speak to me or my mother at dinner. Even when the dogs snuggled up to him looking for affection he would get frustrated and tell them "Screw off!" When dinner was over he would remain silent and then isolate himself in his bedroom the rest of the night. That was basically the relationship dynamic that I had with my step father. I wish we had a better bond. However another part of me did not want that because I knew he was not a man that I can admire, look up to, or be mentored by. He was just not built to be a mentor. His children from his previous marriage said the same thing about him, he was not the father they needed him to be. As I looked around in other parts of my life there were not a lot of men that had mentor qualities. However during that period of my life it did not seem like a huge issue, it just seemed normal to me not having fatherly guidance. When I was young I was an extremely impressionable child. I knew what I looked up to in men and what I imagined myself to be and I was consciously and subconsciously emulating their behavior and vibe. As I have aged into my 30's I have come to gain a different perspective on mentorship. I always used to think that mentorship dynamic was natural human dynamic but I have come to realize that some people are not born to be mentors or mentored. In our hunter gather past it was the standard dynamic between parents and their children, especially fathers and son. When the young boy finally reach an age where the father felt that he had what it took to be taken on hunt with the other men, the father would mentor the young in hunting strategy and tactics. Nowadays men are too busy playing videogames or glued to their phone to either bother teaching their children anything. From the dynamic that I had with my step father I knew that he was not the man to guide me through life's challenges. In 2005 our relationship fell apart and he left the home. I struggling for a few years to find meaning and purpose for myself. In 2008 I joined the Army hoping to find some sense of purpose and guidance that I needed. For a while in the Army and did find it and the army was a great experience but the fire for it slowly burnt out. It was not quite what I was searching for. A couple years later at a pro wrestling event in 2012 which I was wrestling in. I was the first match on the show. I finished my very short five minute match. After the show wrestlers gave the kids a chance to meet them and photos taken with their favorite wrestlers. I kept my distance with this because I did not think anyone would be interested in my performance on the show. I was a newbie still learning the ropes of pro wrestling. I was at the coffee bar buying a coffee. While I was paying the cashier and felt a tug on pants from behind me. I turned around looked down and saw a small boy no older then 5 looking up at me. His eyes were wide and he had a huge smile on his face. I looked up and saw his father. His father looked at me and said. "My son loved you tonight you were his favorite wrestler". I was stunned and could not really believe what I was hearing. Me? I thought. "But I was terrible?" I said to the father laughing while I said it. The father laughed to "Yes, you were terrible but something you did made a connection with my son." The young boy asked if he can have my autograph. I did not think I was worthy enough to be giving children autographs at a wrestling show but I did it anyway because I saw the happiness that it brought this boy. Before he left the young boy gave me a hug and said "Thank you, you were my favorite wrestler tonight". The boy left with his father. I was emotionally hung up on that moment for about a week. It amazed me how you can have an impact on someone life and not even realize your doing it. Even if it was a very brief moment that interaction meant the world to me. It made me realize that being a positive role model and or being viewed as a male mentor is really important to me and from that moment on I new this was something I need to build upon prioritize and make my life's works as being a role model/mentor. People in the world that value money the most are the ones that have grown up in poverty because they never had money and they know its worth. I know the value and the importance of being a male role model and mentor because I never had it. From what I have seen and experienced it has become a lost art form. Most people these days are all consumed with themselves and focused and what they are generating or not generating into their own lives. True mentorship comes from a genuine desire to improve the lives of a younger generation. Not for ego or acknowledgement but from contributing to make the world a better place then they found it.
By Logan Rider3 years ago in Humans
How do trees and green spaces enhance our health?
Trees enhance life in a multitude of ways. They combat climate change by reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. They muffle sound pollution and reduce air pollution, drawing in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. When rain pours from the skies, trees decrease stormwater runoff, preventing flooding and soil erosion. They also provide valuable habitats to support biodiversity in insects, birds, and other animals, and microorganisms. The list goes on.
By Jahangir Alam5 days ago in Humans
We'z Walking on a Path Ruled By Numbers
This road has felt endless, yet limited; every step tracked. Inching away along this path, I feel trapped. Confined. Left to this narrow passage that may one day amount to something greater. Time is not a concept. Only distance. From start to finish, I laugh and cry and attempt to convince myself that this is worth it. I cannot stray. I must keep going. Every step etched, is a step taken, is measured as more than before. I cannot even recall how I got here. Maybe I don’t even really exist. Just another tick marking off a perceived presence. Of what though? I am just another line drawn. Nothing more, nothing less.
By Oneg In The Arctic3 days ago in Fiction
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