Honestly, I don’t feel like people are stressed out enough about families and children going hungry next month. I really don’t. Thinking about them cutting SNAP benefits has me sick to my stomach. Do I have SNAP? No. As an adult, I only qualified for food stamps for less than a year when I was a newly single mom.
I only received around $300 a month to help feed myself and my three kids. I worked full-time at an AT&T call center as a customer service representative for $14/hr. My ex-husband paid his child support faithfully and always provided extra if the kids needed something. It still wasn’t enough.
I needed a safety net for the safety net, and thankfully, my ex-husband and my parents filled the gap when all that was left was a couple of packs of ramen noodles and milk for the toddler. In those moments of extreme scarcity, I had privilege. I had parents who loved me enough to shuffle their own bills around or do odd jobs to send me money for food. I had an ex who would rather he struggle than have his kids miss a meal. I had friends who would let us stay with them for a week so they could feed us, and the kids were none the wiser.
Family outing on a sunny day. u200bCourtesy of Kind, Not Nice
Then, I got another job. After 90 days, I got my first raise. I went from $14/hr to $17/hr, which cut my SNAP benefits to around $100. A few months later, I got another raise. I was making a whopping $21/hr, and my SNAP was cut again to $36 a month. It was more of a hassle to renew it than it was helpful, so I never renewed.
Instead, I struggled. My number of children did not decrease, and I worked 40+ hours a week. I lived in a single-wide trailer on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere because that’s all I could afford. My youngest went to live with his dad for a year because I couldn’t afford daycare on top of everything else, and he could enroll him on base. Even that was a privilege.
Children enjoying a sunny day at the beach. u200bCourtesy of Kind, Not Nice
Over 70% of people on SNAP benefits work a job, but not everyone has a village to lean on. Without my village, I would not be where I am. They show up to hold me when my knees want to give out, but other people are trying to get through the weeks with bloodied, throbbing, scabbed knees because there’s no one to catch them when their knees buckle. The majority of single parents don’t plan on becoming single parents. I know I didn’t.
Popping out babies so I could get that fat, nearly nonexistent food stamp money was not on my bingo card of life. I did things the “right way.” I met a boy who was kind. We got married before having kids. I earned a bachelor’s degree. He was military. We raised our kids together, the best we could, for nearly 15 years. I still wound up being a single mom on food stamps, robbing Peter to pay Paul, trying to shield my kids from how poor we actually were.
Children by the lakeside, enjoying a peaceful moment together. u200bCourtesy of Kind, Not Nice
I still got dirty looks from people as I checked out with my SNAP card because I was holding an iPhone and a Coach purse, both of which were older than Jesus’ first pair of sandals, and the purse was a hand-me-down from my sister. People judge because they can’t imagine that it would be them. They’ve convinced themselves that they made the “right” choices in life, so they’re shielded from ever having to experience the consequences of being poor.
They believe poverty is a punishment for poor moral choices instead of a result of capitalistic greed. They believe the billionaires in silk ties that cost more than their mortgage payment telling them that paying more in taxes on their gajillion dollars would cause them hardship over the elderly man in the food bank line. They believe the rich fat cats because, in their mind, only good people reach that level of wealth, when in reality God is in the pauper, not the prince.
Joyful moments: A playful child, fun costumes, and curious exploration. u200bCourtesy of Kind, Not Nice
One thing they emphasized in my social work program was that at any moment, we could be on the other side of the desk needing help. Even with our fancy degrees, we are much closer to being the ones going without meals than the ones looking down from their ivory towers telling us to eat a $300 million ballroom and two private jets.
In a small village in Pwani, a district on Tanzania’s coast, a massive dance party is coming to a close. For the past two hours, locals have paraded through the village streets, singing and beating ngombe drums; now, in a large clearing, a woman named Sheilla motions for everyone to sit facing a large projector screen. A film premiere is about to begin.
It’s an unusual way to kick off a film about gender bias, inequality, early marriage, and other barriers that prevent girls from accessing education in Tanzania. But in Pwani and beyond, local organizations supported by Malala Fund and funded by Pura are finding creative, culturally relevant ways like this one to capture people’s interest.
The film ends and Sheilla, the Communications and Partnership Lead for Media for Development and Advocacy (MEDEA), stands in front of the crowd once again, asking the audience to reflect: What did you think about the film? How did it relate to your own experience? What can we learn?
Sheilla explains that, once the community sees the film, “It brings out conversations within themselves, reflective conversations.” The resonance and immediate action create a ripple effect of change.
MEDEA Screening Audience in Tanzania. Captured by James Roh for Pura
Across Tanzania, gender-based violence often forces adolescent girls out of the classroom. This and other barriers — including child marriage, poverty, conflict, and discrimination — prevent girls from completing their education around the world.
Sheilla and her team are using film and radio programs to address the challenges girls face in their communities. MEDEA’s ultimate goal is to affirm education as a fundamental right for everyone, and to ensure that every member of a community understands how girls’ education contributes to a stronger whole and how to be an ally for their sisters, daughters, granddaughters, friends, nieces, and girlfriends.
Sheilla’s story is one of many that inspired Heart on Fire, a new fragrance from the Pura x Malala Fund Collection that blends the warm, earthy spices of Tanzania with a playful, joyful twist. Here’s how Pura is using scent as a tool to connect the world and inspire action.
A partnership focused on local impact, on a global mission
Pura, a fragrance company that recognizes education as both freedom and a human right, has partnered with Malala Fund since 2022. In order to defend every girl’s right to access and complete 12 years of education, Malala Fund partners with local organizations in countries where the educational barriers are the greatest. They invest in locally-led solutions because they know that those who are closest to the problems are best equipped to solve and build durable solutions, like MEDEA, which works with communities to challenge discrimination against girls and change beliefs about their education.
But local initiatives can thrive and scale more powerfully with global support, which is why Pura is using their own superpower, the power of scent, to connect people around the world with the women and girls in these local communities.
The Pura x Malala Fund Collection incorporates ingredients naturally found in Tanzania, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Brazil: countries where Malala Fund operates to address systemic education barriers. Eight percent of net revenue from the Pura x Malala Fund Collection will be donated to Malala Fund directly, but beyond financial support, the Collection is also a love letter to each unique community, blending notes like lemon, jasmine, cedarwood, and clove to transport people, ignite their senses, and help them draw inspiration and hope from the global movement for girls’ education. Through scent, people can connect to the courage, joy, and tenacity of girls and local leaders, all while uniting in a shared commitment to education: the belief that supporting girls’ rights in one community benefits all of us, everywhere.
You’ve already met Sheilla. Now see how Naiara and Mama Habiba are building unique solutions to ensure every girl can learn freely and dare to dream.
Naiara Leite is reimagining what’s possible in Brazil
Julia with Odara in Brazil. Captured by Luisa Dorr for Pura
In Brazil, where pear trees and coconut plantations cover the Northeastern Coast, girls like ten-year-old Julia experience a different kind of educational barrier than girls in Tanzania. Too often, racial discrimination contributes to high dropout rates among Black, quilombola and Indigenous girls in the country.
“In the logic of Brazilian society, Black people don’t need to study,” says Naiara Leite, Executive Coordinator of Odara, a women-led organization and Malala Fund partner. Bahia, the state where Odara is based, was once one of the largest slave-receiving territories in the Americas, and because of that history, deeply-ingrained, anti-Black prejudice is still widespread. “Our role and the image constructed around us is one of manual labor,” Naiara says.
But education can change that. In 2020, with assistance from a Malala Fund grant, Odara launched its first initiative for improving school completion rates among Black, quilombola, and Indigenous girls: “Ayomidê Odara”. The young girls mentored under the program, including Julia, are known as the Ayomidês. And like the Pura x Malala Fund Collection’s Brazil: Breath of Courage scent, the Ayomidês are fierce, determined, and bursting with energy.
Ayomidês with Odara in Brazil. Captured by Luisa Dorr for Pura
Ayomidês take part in weekly educational sessions where they explore subjects like education and ethnic-racial relations. The girls are encouraged to find their own voices by producing Instagram lives, social media videos, and by participating in public panels. Already, the Ayomidês are rewriting the narrative on what’s possible for Afro-Brazilian girls to achieve. One of the earliest Ayomidês, a young woman named Debora, is now a communications intern. Another former Ayomidê, Francine, works at UNICEF, helping train the next generation of adolescent leaders. And Julia has already set her sights on becoming a math teacher or a model.
“These are generations of Black women who did not have access to a school,” Naiara says. “These are generations of Black women robbed daily of their dreams. And we’re telling them that they could be the generation in their family to write a new story.”
Mama Habiba is reframing the conversation in Nigeria
Centre for Girls' Education, Nigeria. Captured by James Roh for Pura
In Mama Habiba’s home country of Nigeria, the scents of starfruit, ylang ylang and pineapple, all incorporated into the Pura x Malala Collection’s “Nigeria: Hope for Tomorrow,” can be found throughout the vibrant markets. Like these native scents, Mama Habiba says that the Nigerian girls are also bright and passionate, but too often they are forced to leave school long before their potential fully blooms.
“Some of these schools are very far, and there is an issue of quality, too,” Mama Habiba says. “Most parents find out when their children are in school, the girls are not learning. So why allow them to continue?”
When girls drop out of secondary school, marriage is often the alternative. In Nigeria, one in three girls is married before the age of 18. When this happens, girls are unable to fulfill their potential, and their families and communities lose out on the social, health and economic benefits.
Completing secondary school delays marriage, and according to UNESCO, educated girls become women who raise healthier children, lift their families out of poverty and contribute to more peaceful, resilient communities.
Centre for Girls’ Education, Nigeria. Captured by James Roh for Pura
To encourage young girls to stay in school, the Centre for Girls’ Education, a nonprofit in Nigeria founded by Mama Habiba and supported by Malala Fund and Pura, has pioneered an initiative that’s similar to the Ayomidê workshops in Brazil: safe spaces. Here, girls meet regularly to learn literacy, numeracy, and other issues like reproductive health. These safe spaces also provide an opportunity for the girls to role-play and learn to advocate for themselves, develop their self-image, and practice conversations with others about their values, education being one of them. In safe spaces, Mama Habiba says, girls start to understand “who she is, and that she is a girl who has value. She has the right to negotiate with her parents on what she really feels or wants.”
“When girls are educated, they can unlock so many opportunities,” Mama Habiba says. “It will help the economy of the country. It will boost so many opportunities for the country. If they are given the opportunity, I think the sky is not the limit. It is the starting point for every girl.”
From parades, film screenings to safe spaces and educational programs, girls and local leaders are working hard to strengthen the quality, safety and accessibility of education and overcome systemic challenges. They are encouraging courageous behavior and reminding us all that education is freedom.
Experience the Pura x Malala Fund Collection here, and connect with the stories of real girls leading change across the globe.
Generation X occupies an interesting time in history, for those who care to recognize that they actually exist. They were born between 1965 and 1980 and came into this world at an interesting inflection point: women were becoming a larger part of the workplace and divorce was at the highest point in history. This left Gen X to be the least parented generation in recent history.
Gen X was overlooked in their domestic lives and culturally were overshadowed by Baby Boomers with their overpowering nostalgia for Woodstock, The Beatles, and every cultural moment celebrated in Forest Gump. Once Boomer navel-gazing nostalgia began to wane, a much larger and over-parented generation, the Millennials, came on the scene.
“Whereas Boomers were the ‘me generation’ and millennials were the ‘me me me generation,’ Gen X has become the ‘meh’ generation,” Emily Stewart writes at Business Insider. But even if Gen X is a little aloof, that doesn’t mean they aren’t totally rad, awesome, trippindicular, and that it’d be bogus to define them any other way. To explain the unique history of Gen X and why they’re often overlooked, history teacher Lauren Cella created a timeline on TikTok to explain them to her Gen Z students.
A love letter to Gen X from your millennial cousin? Gen X didn’t start the fire, so after this I will just leave them alone because they do not care ? But seriously for a generation that sometimes gets “forgotten” and stuck between the larger boomer or millennial cohorts, the genres they created paved the way for pop culture as we know it. I’m still not sure who let kids watch “The Day After” on TV or play on those hot metal playgrounds, but Gen X survived to tell the tale. Today, the so called “latchkey” kids, born 1965-1980 are actually super involved as parents, aunts, uncles, teachers (or maybe even grandparents)?. Kids today want to say they are “built different” but I think Gen X is the one holding down that title because they grew up tough, they saw too much, they made it out, and they know exactly who they are and wouldn’t have it any other way.✌️ g#genx
In Cella’s video, she divides Gen X into three distinct phases.
Phase 1: 1970s stagflation and changing families
“Gas shortages meant stagflation. So parents either both had to work or maybe they were divorced. So that meant microwave TV dinners and kids that sort of raised themselves,” Cella explains. “There was no parenting blogs, there was no after-school travel sports, emailing. Like, none of that existed. Bored? Go outside.”
Phase 2: The neon ‘80s
“But then came the 1980s, where everything was big and loud. The hair, the bangs, the Reaganomics, mass consumerism (because now we can trade with China). The whole media just exploded,” Cella says. “But now we have TV, we have movies, we have TV, movies, home movies, TV movies, favorite TV movies, music, music, Videos, music, video, television. All these different genres and all these different cliques and all these different ways that you can express yourself.”
Phase 3: 1990s post-Cold War Skepticism
“Gen X sort of comes into the 1990s more sarcastic and skeptical,” Cella continues. “The Cold War ending meant that they rejected the excess of the eighties. And there’s the shift. Grunge, indie, alternative, flannels, Docs [Doc Martins]. At this point, the technology is also exploding, but not like fun home media, but like corporate media. So there’s this resistance to sell-out culture.”
Cella has a theory on why Gen X seems forgotten, and it’s not just because CBS News famously denied its existence. She believes that it comes down to Gen X’s inability to call attention to itself. “So Gen X is a bridge between these two larger, more storied generations. So it’s not necessarily that they get forgotten. They don’t really want the attention. They’re kind of fine to just like, fly under the radar like they always have, because honestly, it’s whatever.”
This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.
Every school has hundreds of kids pass through its doors on a daily basis. Things are bound to get left behind. But what’s really wild (and the bane of many parents’ existence) is that many of those jackets, hats, or—God forbid—a single shoe sit in the school’s lost-and-found bin, doomed to never see the light…
Every school has hundreds of kids pass through its doors on a daily basis. Things are bound to get left behind. But what’s really wild (and the bane of many parents’ existence) is that many of those jackets, hats, or—God forbid—a single shoe sit in the school’s lost-and-found bin, doomed to never see the light of day again.
One group of teachers decided to offer their students a kind—and creative—reminder to grab their forgotten treasures: a good old-fashioned fashion show.
In a now-viral video shared by retired kindergarten teacher Leslie Johnson, we see teachers strut down a makeshift outdoor runway, faces fierce, each sporting at least five or six clothing items on hangers as *NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye” plays in the background. Holy moly, the number of clothing items is truly insane. Is this a year’s worth, or a week?!
The gag is not only hilarious but clearly effective, as we also see quite a few kids running up to reclaim their items. So there’s that.
The video has since been viewed a whopping 3.6 million times, garnering a ton of praise from parents whose kids never bother to look for their missing stuff in a spot specifically for that kind of thing:
“This is the MOST genius thing I have ever seen!! You would think it wouldn’t be that difficult for kids to find their belongings in a lost and found bin, but nope they don’t and then the clothes get shipped down to the nurses office whether wanted or not!!”
“I can relate to this so well.My son within the 4 days of school starting, lost four jackets during winter time.”
“I’ve seen 3 hoodies that look like my son’s and he doesn’t even go to that school! 🥴”
“My son lost two jackets in two days. I love this.”
“I know at least $300 of my hard earned dollars would be on this catwalk.”
On that note, many even suggested that parents—who are the ones earning early gray hairs actually looking for these items—should have attended.
“This needs to be a parent day too cause these kids don’t know their own dang clothes 😂😂😂”
“They need to do this at parent teacher conferences 😂😂”
Tips to help prevent kids from losing stuff…without losing your mind
Listen, kids will be kids, but the tips below might help at least lessen the frequency of things going missing. The key is to actively involve kids in any of these strategies so that they are learning responsibility.
Label everything
This is a tedious one, but very helpful. It might not keep a student from forgetting something, but if another student or teacher can see who the item belongs to, it certainly increases the chance of that item getting back to its proper owner.
Create packing routines
Establish a “pack and check” routine for both morning and afternoon to ensure all items are accounted for before leaving home and school.
Reduce clutter
Limiting the number of items carried to school makes it that much easier to manage.
Color-code subjects
Assign specific colors to subjects to help children quickly identify whether they have the correct notebooks or folders, such as red for science or yellow for math.
Use checklists
Have children write a list of their key belongings that need to leave the house in the morning and return home at the end of the day. This helps them visualize and verify that they have all the necessary items. Ideally, kids will eventually remember what to keep track of and not need the list. But even if they don’t, they’ll at least have tangible tools to keep things organized.
There has been a big shift in the delicate interplay between employers and employees since the COVID-19 pandemic. In pandemic-era America, job seekers had the advantage due to labor shortages caused by early retirements, long COVID, caregiving needs, and generous government relief programs.
There has been an economic shift over the past two years, with unemployment rising due to disruptions in global trade, declines in manufacturing, and the rise of artificial intelligence. That means the pendulum has swung in the other direction, and employers now hold the stronger hand.
How has America’s job market changed?
Popular TikToker Melissa Marcus, a career coach and recruiter, explained in a recent post that the shift between employees and employers means corporations now expect new hires to be ready to work.
“All over my LinkedIn feed, there are job postings now that are like, ‘if you’re looking for a 9-to-5 and you don’t want to be challenged, then this job is not for you,’” Marcus told her followers.
“Corporate America has always done an ebb and flow around this. The minute the job market becomes such that they are in control, the corporate culture starts to fall apart,” Marcus said, noting that this particular trend is “certainly true” in the tech space. “They have moved into this place of ‘We don’t care anymore. If you wanna come work for us, we’re gonna work you harder, we’re gonna pay you less, and you’re gonna love it.’”
This temporary shift toward an unhealthy work environment may prompt some people to rethink their options when considering a career change and focus on workplaces where culture comes first.
If you’re looking for a job and want to be sure the company supports a healthy work-life balance, there are a few ways to approach your search.
You can check out websites that host company reviews, such as Glassdoor and Indeed, where current and former employees give you an inside look at companies. You should take some of these reviews with a grain of salt, because current employees aren’t likely to write negative reviews about where they work. These sites are good for reading the tea leaves of a workplace, or noticing patterns that give you a good idea of what it’s like to work there.
When it comes to the industries where people are happiest, companies with mission-driven work tend to score among the highest in employee satisfaction. A recent survey found that people who work in science and pharmaceuticals report an overall job happiness score of nearly 92%, higher than creative arts and design (84%) and environment and agriculture (81%).
At a time when it’s becoming harder to land a new job, finding a position at a company with a great culture may feel like a luxury. But by looking into the right industries and asking the right questions, you can give yourself the best chance of finding a job that offers satisfying work and treats you with dignity.
All roads might lead to Rome, but what about avenues? Boulevards? Drives? Do all these words essentially mean the same thing? And while we’re on the subject, why do we park on a driveway and drive on a parkway? Why is English so complicated?! In a decidedly uncomplicated two-minute-long Instagram video, a man named Karim,…
All roads might lead to Rome, but what about avenues? Boulevards? Drives? Do all these words essentially mean the same thing? And while we’re on the subject, why do we park on a driveway and drive on a parkway? Why is English so complicated?!
In a decidedly uncomplicated two-minute-long Instagram video, a man named Karim, who frequently posts “fun fact” content, explains, “I know we tend to use roads, streets, boulevard, avenue, all of these things kind of interchangeably, but there are some differences between these things.”
Breaking it down
Mercifully, he breaks down those differences so we don’t have to.
A “road” is a broad, generic term for any pathway that connects two points, found in both rural and suburban areas. Roads are designed to move traffic between locations.
Meanwhile, “streets” are found exclusively in towns or cities and feature buildings and/or sidewalks on both sides. They often accommodate both vehicle traffic and pedestrian activity.
In other words, “roads” connect any two places, while “streets” are part of a city’s infrastructure. For example, you might take a road to travel between cities but drive down a street to find a shop.
Moving on, Karim explained that “avenues” are wider than streets and are typically separated by a median. They often feature trees and landscaping on either side, in addition to buildings. According to Southern Living, avenues also run perpendicular to streets.
“Boulevards” are even wider than avenues and also feature a median, along with more extensive landscaping and formal lighting. While both avenues and boulevards are designed for heavy traffic flow, boulevards often feel more park-like or grand in scale.
Unlike a street, which is grid-like and structured for city life, a “drive” is shaped by the natural topography—such as hills or lakes—and is more commonly found in scenic or residential areas.
Speaking of residential areas…
A “lane” is typically a narrow road that acts as a small residential street, generally lacking shoulders or a median. A “way,” on the other hand, is usually a small side street or a path that connects other streets within neighborhoods.
Both “courts” and “places” refer to roads that lead to a dead end. However, a court typically ends in a round cul-de-sac, whereas a place is straight.
Karim admitted that there were still other terms he could have covered—such as terraces, parkways, and groves—but he did a great job explaining the basics.
And for anyone curious: “terraces” refer to streets situated on elevated ground or along the top of a slope, “parkways” involve multiple lanes and are designed for passenger vehicles and some heavy trucks, and “groves” appear to be courts surrounded by trees.
Viewers react
If you were surprised by just how unexpectedly engrossing all this was, you’re not alone. Here are some of the comments on his video:
“I never knew!!!😃”
“Showing this to my students! Interesting and educational! Keep them coming!”
“Fascinating. I thought they just chose what sounded nice!”
“I wonder how many folks in charge of naming roads these days follow these guidelines.”
And that is certainly something worth noting. Part of our collective confusion almost certainly comes from the fact that many of these terms are used interchangeably—as many viewers have apparently experienced firsthand:
“My residential street, officially, according to the postal service, is a Boulevard, but in reality is not. We don’t like to call it one. When there’s a parked car, you can barely pass if there’s an oncoming car. Definitely not what you described, which I what I think of when the word boulevard is supposed to used.”
“In my town there’s a blvd that is actually only a cut-through road that at one point was [an unnamed] gravel road. Not much of a boulevard 🤣”
Okay, so maybe a little too much poetic license is taken (especially with “boulevard”), but at least we all know something we likely didn’t know before!
Logic puzzles and brain teasers have long been used to challenge our minds and encourage critical thinking. Sometimes the most intriguing puzzles are the ones that seem the simplest. For instance, a teacher in India, Raviraj Master, posted a seemingly simple yet seemingly impossible problem for his students: “Draw a square with three lines.” That’s it. Could they do it?
Student after student came up to the board to make an attempt. One by one, they drew three lines, which of course did not add up to a square. One student cleverly drew three sides of a square with lines and the fourth side with a dotted line. That move demonstrated creative thinking, but it was not the solution.
Finally, a student walked up to the board, drew a square with all four sides, and then drew three lines inside it. That was it. She had drawn a square with three lines. Problem solved.
Thinking critically about wording
The solution is so straightforward that most people miss it. It’s not that it’s hard; it’s that our brains interpret the prompt a certain way and go full speed ahead with that interpretation. It’s an excellent lesson in thinking critically about how something is worded and what is being asked.
For instance, “Draw a square using three lines” would be a totally different ask than “Draw a square with three lines.” Just that one-word difference changes the possible meaning of the prompt. What if the teacher had asked, “Is there another way these words can be interpreted?” Proactively looking at each word to see if it could have a different meaning makes puzzles like this one a little easier.
However, the lesson extends far beyond silly brain teasers. Advertisers, politicians, and others who exploit the power of persuasion sometimes use words in ways that confuse or mislead.
The logical fallacy of equivocation or ambiguity
For instance, let’s look at the logical fallacy of equivocation, also known as the fallacy of ambiguity. Using words that have more than one meaning makes it easy to be vague and leave statements open to interpretation.
In our brain teaser, the word “with” could mean “using,” which is the way most students interpreted it. But “with” can also mean “accompanying,” which is how it’s used in the actual solution.
Politicians use ambiguity a lot. Philosopher Justin D’Ambrosio called it “manipulative under-specification.” Using terms that are open to multiple interpretations gives politicians plausible deniability if you disagree with them. They can simply say they meant something different. Even important concepts like justice, fairness, and democracy are underspecified terms, making it easy for politicians to use them in slogans or soundbites without detailing what they mean.
Ambiguity can be used to manipulate people via the media as well. Sharon Haigler and C. Anneke Snyder’s “Propaganda Techniques in Media” handout at Texas A&M University lists 12 media propaganda techniques. Check out number 10:
“Obfuscation: Intentionally confusing the issue with vague, non-specific language. By avoiding clarity, propagandists create uncertainty and prevent critical analysis. Complex legal jargon or ambiguous statements serve this purpose.”
Understanding ambiguity may help us understand each other
It’s wise to think critically when it comes to wording, whether we’re trying to solve a silly logic puzzle or serious social and political problems. Pay attention to words that are vague. Ask what various definitions or interpretations there might be for ambiguous terms.
On the positive side, staying aware of words with multiple meanings can sometimes help us see where others are coming from. Sometimes disagreements are due to defining a word differently, rather than an actual issue. So many words in our social and political discourse require definitions before we engage. Otherwise, we risk talking past one another rather than meaningfully discussing things with one another.
Amazing what we can learn from a simple brain teaser, isn’t it?
If you teach young children, or have young children in school, you might have heard of the viral “Tattle Phone.”
On TikTok, you’ll find several videos of teachers raving about the product, which they’ve largely purchased on Amazon, for the way it gives students a way to vent while sparing their own sanity.
Not to mention it provides some grade-A entertainment to boot. Because who can resist piping-hot tea like “Micha burped on purpose!” and “Evan has TWO erasers in his pencil pouch!”
But what you may not know is that this trendy product stems from the brainchild of a real educator looking for impactful ways to curb tattling in her own classroom.
Over her 12 years working as a teacher and counselor for transitional kindergarten students through fifth grade, Anais Zavala noticed that “constant tattling” had become a major disruptor to learning. Knowing that kids already associate phones with being listened to, she thought it might be the perfect way to make them feel seen in a structured setting without being so distracting for everyone else.
And thus the original “Tattle Phone” was born in 2023
The idea is pretty simple: students walk up to the phone, which has a small Bluetooth recording device that captures all their complaints. But Zavala didn’t stop there. After all, the intention wasn’t just to “stop kids from speaking,” she tells Upworthy, but to focus on “teaching them how to speak, reflect, and resolve conflicts.”
So, using both her teaching experience and behavioral specialist expertise, Zavala also created a curriculum (available in English and Spanish) that helps educators teach kids to manage conflict and express emotions, also known as Social-Emotional Learning, or SEL.
One example is learning how to identify the “size” of a problem. In the cute graph below, “itty bitty” problems are represented by a bee, “medium” problems by a monkey, and “big” problems by a giraffe. Each category also includes images of possible solutions, such as breathing deeply, talking to an adult, or calling an ambulance.
Measuring the size of a problem. Photo credit: Anais Zavala, used with permission
The reflective aspect became so integral that Zavala eventually renamed and trademarked her device the “Telly Tale Phone,” because she wanted it to feel less about reporting and more about processing what happened. Telling, versus tattling, if you will.
Zavala noticed that not only did the Telly Tale Phone result in fewer classroom interruptions, but students also became more mindful with their tattles. They began pausing to rethink what they wanted to say and often tried to solve problems on their own. Other teachers reported similar results: increased independence, better peer conflict resolution, and reclaimed instructional time.
Unsurprisingly, as Zavala’s Telly Tale Phone began making a splash, similar products started popping up. While Zavala understands that competition is “normal when something meets a real need,” she maintains that what makes the Telly Tale Phone more than a “novelty” item is its structured reflection system. It treats tattling as a learning opportunity rather than something to be squelched entirely.
“Even though more products are coming out, my focus has always been staying true to the educational mission,” she said. “Our focus has always been impact — not just popularity.”
Where to buy your own Telly Tale products
In addition to the Telly Tale Phone, Zavala also sells an adorable Ellie the Telly Elephant stuffie with a similar Bluetooth recording device tucked into its ear, for kiddos who might need something on the softer side.
If you’d like to support Zavala’s small business, you can check out the Telly Tale Phone website here, as well as follow the Telly Tale Phone socials here and here.
Alright, that’s it. We’ve finally had enough in this country. In a move that’s long overdue, we’re finally cracking down on… *checks notes*…basic human kindness?
The orders have come straight from the top. Being nice to people who are different than you is now bad. Creating environments that are welcoming and inclusive of everyone? Also bad. What’s most disturbing is just how far these mandates are trickling down—all the way into our schools.
A 6th grade teacher in Idaho was recently told by school administrators to remove a controversial sign from her classroom. She refused.
An angry elementary school teacher sits in class Canva
Earlier this spring, world civilization teacher Sarah Inama at Lewis and Clark Middle School was told that one of the posters in her class was inappropriate. The school asked her to remove it.
Initially, she complied, but upon reflection and discussion with her husband, decided that it didn’t feel right. She needed to take a stand. So Inama put the poster back up and left it visible for all to see, even after administrators warned her she could lose her job over the noncompliance.
Finally, among growing outcry and threats of termination, Inama decided to resign rather than remove the poster. She bravely decided to stick up for her controversial beliefs, even though she knew her personal opinion may not be popular.
Just wait until you see the outrageous sign. Here it is:
Seriously, that’s it. The sign reads “Everyone Is Welcome Here” and shows hands of different colors. This is the poster that was deemed not appropriate for the public school environment.
The district’s chief academic officer Marcus Myers clarified that, “The political environment ebbs and flows, and what might be controversial now might not have been controversial three, six, nine months ago.”
Inama’s sign was said to have violated the school’s “content neutral” policy, which prohibits any speech or messaging that might reflect personal opinions, religious beliefs, or political ideologies.
What’s hard to believe is that a sign meant to show kids that they are welcome in Inama’s classroom somehow reflects a “personal belief” that the school won’t tolerate. The sign made no mention of religion or LGBTQ+ identities or political ideologies; and it was still deemed too woke. That’s extremely frightening.
Inama received an outpouring of support from the community, but it wasn’t enough to change the district’s mind. After her resignation, she didn’t hold back, sharing her resignation letter with local news.
“This will be my last year teaching in the West Ada School District, and it saddens me to leave under these circumstances,” Inama’s letter begins.
“I cannot align myself nor be complicit with the exclusionary views and decisions of the administration. It is deeply troubling that the people running this district and school have allowed a welcoming and inclusive message for my students to be considered controversial, political, and, worst of all, an opinion.”
“I hope for the sake of the students in your district that you can remember the core values of public education,” she concludes. “To serve all citizens, foster an inclusive and safe learning environment, and protect your staff and students from discriminatory behavior.”
And now, the education system has lost a talented and passionate teacher because of it. But at least Inama hasn’t gone quietly, and with millions of outraged supporters all over the country and now world, we probably haven’t heard the last of this case.
This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.
Have you ever wondered what the real difference is between a master’s degree and a PhD is, but felt like it would be dumb to ask? You’re not alone, and it’s not a dumb question at all. Despite what many might think, a PhD (or doctoral degree) is not a more advanced master’s degree.
“Getting a master’s and a PhD are very different from each other,” she says in a TikTok video. “When someone says, ‘Maybe I should just keep going and get my PhD,’ I kind of immediately know that they don’t really understand the difference.”
“A master’s program is about learning knowledge. A PhD program is about producing knowledge,” Dr. Ari goes on. “In a master’s, you take classes, you complete assessments and assignments, you prove you understand existing research, maybe you write a thesis or do a comprehensive exam. In a PhD, your classes are the easy part. Your real job is to identify a ‘gap’ in the literature. You design a study, you defend it to a bunch of experts, and you contribute something new to your field (theoretically).”
Perhaps the clearest way to explain the difference is through what Dr. Ari says about what each degree asks of the person earning it:
“A master’s program asks, ‘Do you understand what we already know?’ And a PhD asks, ‘Can you expand what humanity already knows about this thing?’”
A PhD program tends to be all-consuming
Dr. Ari also explains the lifestyle difference between the degrees. Master’s degree candidates are generally balancing work and family life along with their program requirements. It’s certainly not easy, but expectations are even higher for PhD candidates.
“PhD program, especially funded ones, really expect you to be all in, all the time,” says Dr. Ari. “Research, conferences, publishing, teaching. It’s a little different for each discipline, but for the most part, it’s the same.”
Most people understand that getting a PhD is harder than getting a master’s degree, but it’s not just simply about there being more or harder classes. It’s really a fundamental difference in what you are doing: consuming knowledge vs. producing it.
People are too binary about credentials. My mental model of a PhD is that it's like having a black belt.
It means you likely trained for years under a particular master, who also had a black belt, and on a certain day you were judged worthy by that master.
Many of us think of the degrees in the U.S. college system as a hierarchy—associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, PhD, in that order. But thinking of them purely as rungs to climb on a ladder is a bit of a misnomer, as it ignores the differences in the degrees’ purposes.
In many cases, you can get a PhD without ever getting a formal master’s degree, just as many people get a bachelor’s without getting a separate associate’s degree first. (And, of course, there are niche advanced degrees, like a J.D. to become a lawyer or an M.D. to become a medical doctor, which have different requirements and purposes than other doctoral degrees.)
A PhD gown usually has three stripes on the sleeve. Photo credit: Canva
Some people pointed out that there are master’s programs that are more research-based, thus more alike in nature to a PhD. However, others who have been through a research master’s and a PhD program said they were still different.
One thing everyone agreed on is that getting a PhD is no joke
