EMPTYING THE BOTTLE

YOUR MIND AWAITS THE REALIZATION OF THE BOTTLE FULL OF NEGATIVE THOUGHTS SITTING IN YOUR BODY. IT AWAITS TO BE EMPTIED.

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Poetry Slam [r e f l e c t i o n]

Over 40 people attended the poetry slam, with over 20 poets - including anonymous submissions. We experienced poetry surrounding all kinds of topics - friendship, feminism, suicide, anxiety, addiction. The amount of people and feeling that filled the small classroom in the small amount of time recess provided was absolutely breathtaking. The amount of courage the poets had was evident as they stood in the front of the class, emotion dripping from their voice. In any other situation, many students, myself included, would be incredibly nervous presenting to the audience we were presented with. Maybe it was the passion they felt regarding the topics, or maybe it was the thought of finally being able to remove the weight from their shoulders, but, despite having only 3 days to prepare, these students shared the confidence of a presenter who had done this 100 times before. The audience, patiently listened to and empathized with the poets. There was absolutely no conversation during the slam, and utmost respect was given to the presenters. Standing on the side, watching the audience as well as the poet, I wish I could’ve found a way to record the reactions of the students listening. Tears were shed as often as grins were cracked. You could see the passion on their faces as they seemed to relate with the poem in a way that was completely different from any other person in the room. We were cut off by the bell, unfortunately, but had we had more time, I am sure that some of the audience members who had no preparation beforehand, would have gotten up to the front of the class and just talked - about their feelings, issues they’re passionate about, how they felt listening to other poetry. I hope, in the future, that I can host more poetry slams on bigger scales - expanding to the entire school, then possibly public places such as the library.

[keepingthebottleempty-blog]

Interactive Bulletin Board [reflection]

The process of thinking and filtering our thoughts can be summarized with a simple analogy by Dr. Wayne Dyer: “When you squeeze an orange, you get orange juice because that’s what’s inside. The very same principle is true about you. When someone squeezes you - puts pressure on you - what comes out is what’s inside. And if you don’t like what’s inside, you can change it by changing your thoughts.” Every day after setting up the bulletin board, I found myself walking by it to see the bottle filling up and rising with notes. I was able to see the reactions of students as they read the instructions on the board and followed them, writing a positive thought on a sticky note and placing it in the bottle. Reading them at the end of the project and seeing the simplicity of the things that made people happy made me happy: “I ate food in class today,” “Someone actually laughed at my pun,” or “I made it into the Davis Chess Team.” I found the bulletin board and the concept of the bottle a very effective way of raising awareness and implementing a positivity practice at the same time. Interactive methods like these attract students, and I hope to carry the concept of the bottle into other projects.

[keepingthebottleempty-blog]

Storytime Session [reflection]

There has never been any question regarding the fact that children, at their innocent ages, are highly impressionable, yet, the most common sentence spoken by a parent is “Do as I say, not as I do.” It’s incredibly annoying that I have heard this sentence a thousand times, but even more that I use it myself when my sister gets on my nerves. On the subject of impressionability, when I walked into the library to begin my storytime session, I found that positivity and acceptance of one another is something that can be taught at any age. As I was guided to the area where I would be reading my story, I saw that in the audience sat, not only children between the ages of 2 and 4, but also their older siblings, parents, and grandparents. I was only expecting to read to the younger children, but found myself discussing the importance of being yourself with children my age and adults older than my grandparents. Every person in the audience actively listened to the story, reacting to each and every page with either applause or laughter or a gasp. They participated in the Q&A afterwards with great enthusiasm, and despite the young age of the little children, they answered the most amount of questions with the most amount of passion. Unfortunately, for privacy reasons, I was unable to take pictures of the Storytime Session, but was incredibly happy with the overall result of the event. The whole experience of contacting the Library Branch Manager to discuss my project and talking to some of the parents about it, although nerve wracking, was exciting, and in the future, I hope to hold more public events like this one.  

[keepingthebottleempty-blog]

Summary of Teacher Interview 3: Mrs. Strong

Teacher Interview 3: Mrs. Strong

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TEACHER INTERVIEW 2: MR. CAMPBELL

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TEACHER INTERVIEW 1: MRS. SAM

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Teacher Interviews [reflection]

Loneliness does not exist between the walls of W.G. Davis Sr. P.S. - the rainbow lockers radiating more than your recommended daily intake of positivity. The flashing grins of the white cement walls and the smooth feel of the brick - our school is old and new at the same time - comfortable yet unpredictable. Anyone to claim that it was just them against the world clearly has never had a conversation with one of the teachers at Davis. And, when I received the chance to, I learned many new things about a subject that holds importance to each and every person. Often, students are under so much pressure at school that they do not see the other side of the situation - that their teachers, most of the time, are doing their best to ensure that stress levels are as minimal as possible. Talking to Mr. Campbell - a former professional athlete - taught me that, even athleticism is not possible without positive mental health. Physical health and mental health can not be compared, yet go hand in hand when it comes to our well-being. Right after this interview, I went to talk to Mrs. Sam - who encourages second chances in the classroom. She stresses the belief that nobody is perfect, however, in order to achieve your best, you need to have more than one opportunity. The interviews ended with a conversation with Mrs. Strong. Being one of her former students, I was very aware of her teaching style, and how much importance the act of reflecting holds in her classroom. We spent a great deal of time discussing the cruciality of focusing on your actions that caused you happiness just as much as the actions that you wish you could change. There is a fine line between dwelling on your mistake and taking it as a learning opportunity, and the act of reflecting helps to ensure that this line is not crossed. Overall, the teacher interviews developed my perspective on mental health - and taught me that there are always people willing to listen - you just need to be willing to talk.

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Teacher Interviews [p l a n]

Seven hours a day, five days a week - children spend more time with their teachers and peers at school than they do with their own parents at home. “You become what you think about most of the time” - a message that had started off as an innocent and pure explanation of the school system - the more you consume a person with education, the more knowledgeable they become - however, like a game of broken telephone, this message distorted as it reached its destination. A place where a child spent so much time quickly became a place with the potential of holding volcanic activity - where the slightest bit of negativity exploded and burned everything in its way, where everything had the capability of doing anything to a child. Now, at any given time, 20% of Canada’s youth is suffering from a mental illness - translating into one in every five children in a classroom. Teachers are in a very unique position when it comes to student mental health. They have the power to ensure a relaxed and positive environment for their students. Fortunately, William G. Davis is home to some of the greatest teachers, who both recognize problems and implement solutions in the classroom. All teachers are the difference between living and living well. Conducting interviews with some teachers in the school will provide me with information as to what these teachers are doing to ensure mental well being among their students, as well as what they wish to do in the future.

Mrs. Strong [prefers to have a written interview]

*Mrs. Sam [video interview]

Mr. Campbell [video interview]

*originally supposed to be Mr. Hurlbut [edit made April 21st]

[charleighwrites-deactivated2019]

that’s the only way to beat life at its own game, one heavy foot in front of another, even when you feel weighed down by a 10 ton truck.

- charleigh aleyna. (via charleighwrites)

[onlinecounsellingcollege]

Always defend your right to heal at your own pace. You are taking your time. You are allowed to take your time.

Unknown (via onlinecounsellingcollege

[sheisrecovering]

NOT EVERY DAY HAS TO BE PRODUCTIVE.

[the-essence-of-freedom]

the sun will rise, and we will try again.

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Interactive Bulletin Board [p l a n]

Community Addressed: Students of William G. Davis

“Don’t keep it bottled up.” The main reason for the amount of neglect our mental health faces on a daily basis is the amount of negative energy that constantly clouds our thoughts. As humans, our mind naturally travels towards the adversities of a situation, despite whatever good things may have happened as well. This tendency is an understandable survival technique, however, it has begun to take over in unnecessary situations, where little is at stake. Studies show that our thoughts can determine reality based on the various ways our mind processes feelings, making negative thinking an incredibly detrimental practice. One of the many goals of my Community Project is to encourage positive thinking, eventually altering the brain to automatically focus on the positive instead of the negative. It is guaranteed to take time, but will greatly impact our mental health. To start implementing this practice, I will create a mental health bulletin board.

The centerpiece of the display will be an empty bottle, beside which sticky notes and a pen will be placed. Students that are passing by will be asked to, on a sticky note, write one thing that made them happy that day, and then place the note in the bottle. The act of writing the event down will serve as a reminder of the positive in their day, and as they continue the practice, honoring the positive will eventually become habit. This bulletin board also connects to my ongoing metaphor of filling the bottle inside us with things of happiness rather than sadness and anger. The bottle will be surrounded with various images and posters, including focus placed on the message “Mental health is just as important as physical health.”

[keepingthebottleempty-blog]

Poetry Slam [p l a n]

Community Addressed: Students of William G. Davis

Poetry - noun - a quality of beauty and intensity of emotion

Hundreds of issues surround our world today, filling our news channels, our social medias, our lives. Poverty, Global Warming, Racism, Gender Inequality. We often find ourselves consumed with all the negativity in the world - all that we relate to and want to speak out about, but instead carry as weight on our shoulders because we are afraid of the criticism we may receive. We do not see that there are thousands of others who rely on our voices to be heard, and instead we suppress our desire to use our voices. Negativity impacts our mental health more than we know to think. We shouldn’t remain voiceless to our problems, nor to our happiness. We should express ourselves, the things we wish to talk about - good or bad. Poetry, is another form of self-expression that allows us to empty the negativity in our bottle. A poetry slam is where poets from all over come to share their poetry with anybody who wishes to listen. We will hold a poetry slam to encourage self-expression. 

[keepingthebottleempty-blog]

Mural [plan]

Community Addressed: William G. Davis Sr. P.S.

To further encourage self-expression through my Community Project, I will work towards getting the creation of an in-school mural approved. Heavy student participation will be required in the creation of this piece of art; students will trace their hands on a piece of construction paper, on which they will then write something they feel to be positive about their school environment. Once all the hands are collected, they will then be put together creatively in the shape of a tree in the library hallway. This process will require the assistance of many people in order to become a grand establishment in the central area, thus attracting the attention of many staff members and students, promoting self-expression and positivity. [This idea has to be approved by *Mr. Myer]

The Mural is inspired by the following image: 

[keepingthebottleempty-blog]

Storytime Session [p l a n]

Community Addressed: The Public Library

The prevention and acceptance of mental illnesses can be implemented at a young age by teaching children of the importance of peer acceptance and one’s right to be different. I will hold a storytime session at my local library - encouraging the children (ages 4-8) of the community to come - and read the picture book “Red: A Crayon’s Story” by Michael Hall. This book is about a blue crayon who suffers an identity crisis after being labelled “red.” It will teach students about being themselves and accepting others for who they are. It will also give them some insight on the labelling of people, and how labels are often used to put people down and tell them what they should be. When the children learn that everybody is born differently and come with unique talents, it will teach them to be more accepting towards others and themselves. Implementing self-love and acceptance at a young age is beneficial in order for children to grow up with high self esteems and healthy mindsets, preventing negative thoughts from further developing into mental illnesses. This book also teaches one to be accepting of people with mental disorders. In today’s society, people are quick to overlook things, telling a depressed person to do something they like (such as horseback riding,) in order to overcome their depression. The problem is that depression is a serious condition - a chemical imbalance that you can see is wrong through a brain scan - one that can not be fixed with a couple hours of doing something you enjoy. When children learn the importance of accepting people like them who are different, they can grow up in a generation that encourages positive mindsets. Again, this positivity can lead to the prevention of mental illnesses.

POST-STORYTIME DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Why did everyone think that everyone thought that Blue was actually Red? Predicted Answer: “Because his label said Red.”

Do you think that if Blue tried hard enough, he could become Red? Predicted Answer: “No, because he is Blue, not Red.”

*ask for name of one of the children in audience* Just like that, do you think if I tried hard enough, I could become *name of child*? Predicted Answer: “No.”

What do you think the author is trying to teach us through this book? Predicted Answers: “That you should be yourself.” “That you shouldn’t listen to others,” “That you should be kind.”

Yes, you should be yourself - and you should be happy with who you are. You should also let everybody else be who they are - instead of telling them to be Red, let them be Blue. Did you like the book?

[keepingthebottleempty-blog]

The Monster Experiment [reflection]

The Monster Experiment was a means of finding the different anxieties of students - the center of the thoughts that fill their bottles. The drawings that were created immediately after the project was introduced, as predicted, were of stereotypical monsters. A character from a horror film, an axe murderer, a giant spider with fangs - these types of monsters remained a staple between the drawings of students of all ages in the room. However, after discussing the meaning of the term “monster,” the artwork that emerged was unique to each child. A lot of them were abstract, yet somehow those belonging to children of the same age group loosely managed to follow a similar theme. The sixth graders predominantly drew of fears that surrounded them while in public - including being teased/bullied, being abandoned, the feeling of loneliness, and general social anxiety. These anxieties are understandable in this age group - these children have just entered middle school - a land of the unknown. Their current school environment has been depicted as a place of fear by the media, where children older than them should be avoided at all costs. As all sixth graders do over the world, these students fear having their reputation tarnished. These drawings depict fears that we feel when others are around, however, the drawings of the older children display fears that we feel when no one else is around. The art included images of fear itself, the feeling of constant anxiety, and tears, possibly hinting at how overwhelming our feelings can be on a daily basis. Other drawings followed the concept of failure, along with a black hole. The fear of failure can stem from the current amount of preparation these children are undergoing for the future - including high school applications and course selections. Meanwhile, the causes of the fear of constant anxiety and fear itself, along with other feelings, are more difficult to grasp because of how abstract they are. It is true that as people get older, their fears become more intense and serious - as does life when adulthood begins to creep in. Today, high school students suffer from the same levels of anxiety as insane asylum patients did in the 1950s. A possible reason for these anxieties could be the current situation of the world, and thoughts on what is to come. Children today are more aware than ever of the world around them - the current political status, climate change, university admission and tuition, supporting their parents - and, as they attempt to make a difference for themselves, a toll is taken on their mental health. After conducting and analysing the results of the Monster Experiment, I have thought a lot about my own anxieties and fears, and instead of letting this stress affect me negatively, I have decided to channel it into something positive - such as choosing to advocate for the issue. When Grade 8 comes to an end, I wish to extend the lifespan of this Community Project into high school, and possibly after, to raise awareness for mental health issues.