Storytime

Mid-February 2022, 11:15 am EST, I booted up my computer, turned on Zoom, and the virtual doorbell started ringing as my 12 year old middle students started piling in.  The excited buzz of their weekends slowly started to come alive.  I welcomed all, asked each student behind every little screen about their day.  I came across a black screen where Kinsley*, the creative soul, snowboarder, trend setter, mini renaissance girl, always bubbling with something to share and talk about, camera on, open face, ready to smile or laugh, enthusiastic energy was. 

“Kinsley, you alright?” I asked.

Radio Silence…

“Kinsley?”

A little shaky voice answered: “I’m sorry Mister Chris, I’m not showing my face today because life is lifin’ right now.”

“Life is lifin’?”

“Yuuuuup.  Life is lifin’ ”.

“I get it Kinsely.  I get it.  It’s okay.  Keep your camera off.”

“Let’s give Kinsely some love, y’all.”

And with that one little poetic, profound sentence my little 12 year old student south of the Mason-Dixon line brilliantly summed up how everyone was, is, and will be back-dating from March 2020 to this moment (insert time counter).

Kinsley made me smile and then laugh actually out loud later as I thought about her honest words and realized that my little student behind the no-video electronic curtain put out there to her teacher and classmates exactly how she was feeling.  With that sentence she gave us the opportunity to respond by giving her the space she needed, time for empathy and for us to reflect as well as to where we were in the space, time, life continuum.

Numbers from a CDC February 2023 report

· 3 in 5 teen girls felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021.  

·  Thirty percent of teen girls seriously considered suicide.

·  18% experienced sexual violence.

· More than 1 in 4 girls reported they seriously considered attempting suicide in 2021.

· More than 1 in 10 girls reported they attempted suicide in 2021.

How to help our girls?

Mistofer Christopher is a Virtual Middle School Teacher, who is also the author of the children’s book, app, and sing-a-long song, “Talk About The Monster”, a children’s story that shows the journey of a little girl facing and overcoming her anxiety and fear.

*Names have been changed.

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