Lee Wind, M.Ed. Speaker Visits

We all know stereotypes are a bad thing, yet we carry them around with us, silent but enormous weights that limit our ideas of what is possible for others... and for ourselves.

Lee creates a safe space to explore:

•  The impact of bullying and why it's so important to Smash Stereotypes

•  Stereotypes are not just about THEM, but about US.

•  The four ways to Smash Stereotypes:

1. Media

2. Personal Experience

3. Books

4. Writing

•  The Mythic nature of our culture

•  Stereotype Breakdown: TEAM EXERCISE - Stereotypes surround us

Women, Men, Gay Men, Lesbians, Bisexuals, Latinos, Asians, Blacks, Jews, Fat People, Disabled, Southerners, Northerners, Foreigners, Tall people, Short people, Poor, Rich, Democrats, Republicans, Mormons, Muslims, Armenians, French, Candadians, Mexicans, Private School students, Public School Students, Home Schooled, Atheists, Left-handed, Blondes...   and on and on and on.

•  The power to create new mythologies

•  Ways to attack stereotypes through writing, with examples from your school library

•  Identity Cluster:  INDIVIDUAL WRITING EXERCISE

•  Your Mission:  INDIVIDUAL WRITING EXERCISE

•  Your New Fairy Tale Myth:  INDIVIDUAL WRITING EXERICSE

•  Call To Action Challenge:  Apply these Stereotype-Destroying Powers to your life

•  Bullying and how we can stop it

•  Ritual Smashing of the Stereotypes!

•  "It Gets Better" because we can all MAKE it better!

 

HANDS-ON

In teams, students articulate the invisible stereotypes that surround us all and hold us back.  They literally post them up on the walls of the classroom. After their first independent writing exercise where they get to use their new smashing stereotypes skills, we physically cross out the statements they’ve just proven false!



PERSONAL

Four different writing exercises challenge students to dig deep.

EMPOWERING

The climactic moment of the workshop is when students rip down the giant post-it notes of all those stereotypes on the walls of the classroom and stomp on them.  This physicalizes their new power to not just be aware of the stereotypes they might have held and that they face in their lives, but to SMASH them!

How do I get Lee to come speak to my school or group?

SMASHING STEREOTYPES WORKSHOPS REFERENCES

Emily Sears Vaughn, MFCT, School Counselor, Marlborough School, Los Angeles, California

Mary Fauvre, Ph.D., Director, Brentwood School Lower Division, Brentwood School, Brentwood, California

Donnie Todd, M.A., Counseling, East Campus; Chair, Human Development, Upper Division, Social Psychology, Upper Division, Brentwood School, Brentwood, California

Emily Elson, M.A., Human Development Teacher, Brentwood Upper Division, Brentwood, California

Laura Stahoski, M.S.W., L.C.S.W., Lower Division Counselor, Brentwood School, Brentwood, California

Susan Hardisty, B.S., Sixth Grade Teacher and Math Specialist, Brentwood Lower Division, Brentwood, California

Jessica Lusk, M.A., Sixth Grade Teacher, Brentwood Lower Division, Brentwood, California



"I liked seeing all the different stereotypes and then writing a story to disprove them."                                                                                       - Brentwood 9th grade Student, Brentwood, California

"We can all find similarities in each other no matter what category we fit into."                                                                                                       - Brentwood 6th grade Student, Brentwood, California

"When we smashed the yellow sheets of paper I felt that we were physically getting rid of all the stereotypes.  I have never done anything like that before and it felt liberating."                                                      - Brentwood 9th grade Student, Brentwood, California

"I thought the presentation was great because it gave the students a lot of important ideas to think about, and it also allowed them to actively engage with the subject-matter so as to stir their own thoughts on the issue of stereotypes.  Also, I like that it gave them a model of someone who was gay and comfortable with himself and proud to be who he is."  -Emily Elson, M.A., Human Development Teacher, Brentwood Upper Division, Brentwood, California

"Lee created a powerful, safe space for our Sixth Grade students to reflect on stereotypes and the detrimental impact of bullying.  These are tough topics to address, and Lee presents them in an engaging and open manner.  What I really loved about his format is that students are inspired to "be the change" needed to make our world a kinder place.  A phenomenal workshop!"                                                                            - Jessica Lusk, M.A., Sixth Grade Teacher, Brentwood Lower Division