Month: December 2021

By Nada Jerkovic

It’s a magical time of year. A time of year when we all think about showing the important people in our lives how grateful we are for them. However, around the middle of December, it’s easy to start feeling bogged down. Stress, lack of time, Christmas shopping, decisions, and freezing weather can all stand in the way of finding the vaunted holiday spirit.
When I start feeling like the Grinch, I usually make time to watch some of my favourite video clips or movies – some of which may be familiar to you.

 

I also go back to some of my favourite holiday short stories:

• David Sedaris’ “ Santa Land” Diaries is about the time that the author, in his 30s and out of work, had to suffer the indignities of taking a job as an elf at the Macy’s Santaland in New York City. It never fails to make me laugh.

• Truman Capote’s story “A Christmas Memory” in which the narrator, Buddy, looks back on a particularly beautiful Christmas she spent with his much older cousin is another one of my favourites. Buddy and his cousin have a Christmas ritual in which they bake and then give away fruitcakes to people they barely know. Click here to read the story.

 

Comparing the original version of the song “Do They Know It’s Christmas Time” to more recent ones makes me think about how much the world has changed over the thirty-seven odd years since the song was first released in 1984. But despite all this change, the constants of kindness, empathy and helping others are still ultimately what makes our lives meaningful.

 

When lengthy pre-holiday task lists are calling your name, it is easy to forget that the holidays are a time to spend time with friends and family, to reflect, and slow down before another busy year begins. Nichole Nordman’s beautiful song helps me keep this in mind.

 

By now my inner Grinch experiences a complete change of heart and, just like the Grinch in the story, I am ready to admit, “ I’ve changed my mind! Christmas is a wonderful holiday after all!”

I believe that everyone deserves a book for Christmas! Here are a few books I think important people in my life will enjoy.

• All my friends and family members who are parents would enjoy The Christmas Wish by Lori Evert, a wonderful holiday book with gorgeous photos and a sweet story of giving and helping.

• My friend and her 7-year-old son who announces that “today is the worst day ever” several times a day would laugh their heads off at The Worst Book in the Whole Entire World! by Joey Acker.

• The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires – is the story about a girl and her very best friend, who happens to be a dog. The girl has a wonderful idea. “She is going to make the most MAGNIFICENT thing! But making her magnificent thing is anything but easy, and the girl tries and fails, repeatedly. Eventually, the girl gets really, really mad. She is so mad, in fact, that she quits. But after her dog convinces her to take a walk, she comes back to her project with renewed enthusiasm and manages to get it just right. This funny book offers a perfect example of the rewards of perseverance and creativity. Good for friends with kids!

• The B on Your Thumb: 60 Poems to Boost Reading and Spelling by Colette Hiller – is a collection of rhymes to help children learn reading and spelling tricks. One of the reviews of the book says that it may even be of use to adults. A friend of mine has a daughter who is finding the process of learning to read in grade 1 challenging. She is noticing that her daughter is ready to do about anything to avoid reading at home. This would be a fun book for the two of them.
• 101 Things to Do Instead of Playing on Your Phone by Ilka Heinemann – this is an adult book and a perfect ‘hint’ book for people (myself included) who spend too much time on their phone or in front of the screen. I may decide to give this book to myself as a Christmas gift and New Year’s resolution.
• What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad – is a profoundly moving adult novel that looks at the global refugee crisis through the eyes of a child. Most of my friends would enjoy it. Should one of my New Year’s resolutions be to start a book club?
• Feline Philosophy: Cats and the Meaning of Life by John Grey – on the surface, this book is a playful exploration of what cats might have to teach humans about change, resiliency, and nimbleness, but there is much more to it. (I would love to discuss this book with other people, I should really start a book club or join one…)

 

One of my favourite authors, Neil Gaiman, says, “Books make great gifts because they have whole worlds inside of them. And it’s much cheaper to buy somebody a book than it is to buy them the whole world!”
 

Wishing you all of the Hope, Happiness, Wonder, Joy, and Reading that the Season can bring!
 

By Kiayana (Kiki) Bond, Student at Mount Royal University

Tuesday afternoons, after my university classes, I am an instructor for CanLearn’s Reading Pilots program. When we started working together in September, my student was really struggling with reading and she hated it. Over the last few weeks, I have been amazed at the progress she has made. I nearly burst with pride the day she told me that she now likes reading and now she reads ahead in her assignments because she doesn’t want to stop reading! Her progress is particularly significant to me because I have such clear memories of struggling to read, just like my student.

First Failure

My earliest memory from school was doing a multiplication test. We had ten minutes to answer five questions. The anxiety and panic I felt when everyone else flipped their papers over before me made me sick to my stomach. I cried after that test. My classmates said that the test was easy. That was when I first started noticing I was different, but at least the other students did not know that I did not complete the test. I was the only one who knew I struggled.

But when we started reading aloud, my inabilities were showcased to the whole class. Reading aloud destroyed me as a young student. The anxiety came back every time we had to read aloud. I stumbled through every word, missed all the punctuation, and the worst part was that I never truly understood what I was reading. I remember it felt as if everyone knew I could not read. I concluded that I was just simply bad at reading and math but I also struggled with science and social studies. I never understood what we were doing or what we were learning. I came to the conclusion that I was dumb. I cannot remember when I shrank into myself or how long it lasted. I stopped connecting with other students and with learning. The only person who noticed the change was my mom. Although teachers told my parents I was struggling, no one directed my parents to where I could get help; many insisted that I was just not trying hard enough.

Luckily, my mother knew I was not dumb or lazy and she fought to get me tested, as she knew how hard I tried but never could improve. Testing showed that I have many learning disabilities, such as delay in processing, memory issues, comprehension issues, and performing poorly in math and reading. My teachers were informed that I had these learning disabilities, but many did not or could not provide me with the support I needed. A few did their best to push me to the finish line and they were the people who ensured I kept trying.

My Aunty

My Aunty insisted that I read every day with her and with her support everything started to change. We read a chapter a day. No matter how much I struggled, my Aunty and I read. At the time it was hard work, but it’s a fond memory for me now. I do not know how long I went to her house every day after school or how she taught me, but I remember the day I fell in love with reading; it was not the first book I finished reading but the first book I enjoyed reading. It was a small collection of stories that told the tale of the Deathly Hallows from Harry Potter. I remember I was not able to put it down. I finished the book in record time, and the best part was when I could tell my parents what happened in the book. It was the first time I enjoyed reading and could tell people what happened in a book. That’s when I could not stop reading; I spent my lunch break and recess reading. I would finish soccer practice and read. I would read while eating and read before sleeping. Now I am watching my students experience the same thing. I am doubly thrilled to see the world of reading open for her and to know that the work I am doing with her is like the work my Aunty did with me.

Learning to read made school enjoyable for me. Although finally, I could read ahead of my level, I still struggled with comprehension, science, and math. I worked hard to meet the requirements and instead of being a below-average student, I became an average student, and I was ecstatic to see the improvement. I studied every day, asked for help, did tutoring, focused with my teacher’s aide, triple-checked my work, and never fooled around in the classroom. I understood at a young age that to succeed in my education, I would have to work hard. Still, I spent my high school years working hard to maintain decent grades and I still believed that I was dumb. It was not until university that I realized that I am not dumb.

University For Me

In 2018 I got into the history program at Mount Royal University. I fell in love with this program and met the most amazing professors who worked so hard to accommodate my learning disabilities. Now I’m in the teacher education program and my grades are the highest they have ever been. I fell in love with learning in university, from the atmosphere, the choice of what I learned, and how deeply I wanted to understand this knowledge. It felt like a whole new world was opening up for me. This is when I realized that I wanted to teach. I want to help students like me who are struggling to find their confidence in their learning.

Many people take having education for granted. But for those of us with learning disabilities, it requires alternate ways of learning. Once those are in place we have the power to do what we want in life. Although I still love history and will complete that degree one day, I realized that teaching was something I knew I would love and learn to do well. But to get into the education program meant I had to take an English course to achieve a higher grade and ensure that all my grades were strong. It took long days and nights, lots of coffee, little sleep, and a lot of support. My first year in Education made me realize how much I want to be a teacher. My first teaching job with Reading Pilots has proved to me how much I love teaching.

Two extraordinary women are behind my successful university career. First, my mother fought for me every time a teacher doubted me and fought for me to get the help I needed; she is one of the reasons that I am confident that I have a good brain. Then my Aunty took on the job of teacher without being asked. With no background in educating she did everything she could to ensure my success. I owe these women so much; they forced me to dream bigger; they loved and nurtured me when I struggled. Without them, I would have given up on myself. The two of them have been my top supporters. I love them both so much, and I am so grateful for what they have done and continue to do for me.

Not Alone

I am thankful for all the teachers who told me to keep trying, and I am grateful for the professors who allow me to ask millions of questions and provide the accommodations I need for success. I am thankful for Reading Pilots for giving me the chance to realize my dream more fully. And I am especially thankful that my student is learning to love reading because I know that reading is a key to her future success. I did not get here alone, and now she won’t have to get where she is going alone either.

 

ADHD doesn’t go away, but it can be managed with self-compassion and self-care. This means prioritizing things like sleep, exercise, nutritious food, doing things you enjoy, daily mindfulness and making time for yourself. In this FREE live and interactive webinar, we will talk about Self-Compassion, Self-Care, and Mindfulness for Adult ADHD.

You will learn how to empower yourself to do what you need for self-care.

Participants can expect to receive information in the first half of the session. The second half is devoted to discussion, collaboration amongst participants, and an opportunity to continue discussions and support following the webinar.

The information portion of the webinar is recorded and available on our website.

Date: Thursday, December 16, 2021

Time: 5:00pm-6:30pm

Cost: FREE

Speaker: Catherine Masou, MSc., Registered Psychologist

Support Groups

Are you an adult or a family who is experiencing challenges with ADHD? We invite you to join our bi-weekly support groups!

Every other week we will be available to drop in and receive support on all things ADHD and your emotional well-being.

Be a part of a supportive community of other adults with ADHD. There is no commitment. Come when you want. It’s free, and it’s for a limited time.

Date: Every other Thursday, until mid-January 2022

Time: 5:00 to 6:30 PM

Cost: Free

Facilitator: Laura Godfrey, AAC, ACC, CACP