What could be more delightful than pulling out your most hilarious, festive, and downright ugly holiday sweater? That's how we kick off today's podcast, with a nostalgic trip down Ugly Sweater Day lane. We unwrap the origins of this absurd yet endearing tradition and even share a few of our own cringeworthy sweater thoughts and ideas.
But this holiday isn't just about the laughs; it's about the sense of community and the spirit of giving. We reflect on personal traditions, the joy of the holiday season, and the heartwarming ways we contribute to our communities during the most wonderful time of the year.
Switching from the garish to the gracious, we usher in a heartfelt discussion on the essence of kindness. With host Barb Beck, Andrew shares his experiences and thoughts on the profound impact of small acts of kindness.
As a community of listeners, we're not just here for the chuckles; we're here to inspire and uplift each other. So, I encourage you to sprinkle a little kindness in your world - it can make a world of difference. As we wrap up, remember that each of us holds the power to make the holiday season a little brighter for others. As always, thank you for being part of this journey and remember, no act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
Barbara Beck is the host of the FAST 15 Podcast. She is a highly dedicated Disability Advocate and Special Education Consultant specializing in IEP Transition Services. Barbara has an extensive background as a special education teacher spanning nearly 30 years. She has dedicated her career to empowering transition-age youth and fostering positive post-school outcomes.
Barbara's expertise lies in providing comprehensive support and guidance to students with disabilities, ensuring their successful transition from school to adult life. She possesses a deep understanding of secondary services and possesses the skills to develop tailored strategies that maximize individual potential.
For more information and resources on special education school-to-adulthood transition planning and independent living, visit www.mykeyplans.com. Join us on social media for updates, behind-the-scenes content, and discussions about special education, inclusion, and disability advocacy. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn and use #IEPLaunchpadPodcast to join the conversation. Thank you for tuning in to the IEP Launchpad Podcast! 🎧🎙️#IDD #teaching #specialed #specialneeds #InclusionMatters #DisabilityAdvocacy #EmpowerVoices #edtech, #education #edtech, #teachers
What could be more delightful than pulling out your most hilarious, festive, and downright ugly holiday sweater? That's how we kick off today's podcast, with a nostalgic trip down Ugly Sweater Day lane. We unwrap the origins of this absurd yet endearing tradition and even share a few of our own cringeworthy sweater thoughts and ideas.
But this holiday isn't just about the laughs; it's about the sense of community and the spirit of giving. We reflect on personal traditions, the joy of the holiday season, and the heartwarming ways we contribute to our communities during the most wonderful time of the year.
Switching from the garish to the gracious, we usher in a heartfelt discussion on the essence of kindness. With host Barb Beck, Andrew shares his experiences and thoughts on the profound impact of small acts of kindness.
As a community of listeners, we're not just here for the chuckles; we're here to inspire and uplift each other. So, I encourage you to sprinkle a little kindness in your world - it can make a world of difference. As we wrap up, remember that each of us holds the power to make the holiday season a little brighter for others. As always, thank you for being part of this journey and remember, no act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
Barbara Beck is the host of the FAST 15 Podcast. She is a highly dedicated Disability Advocate and Special Education Consultant specializing in IEP Transition Services. Barbara has an extensive background as a special education teacher spanning nearly 30 years. She has dedicated her career to empowering transition-age youth and fostering positive post-school outcomes.
Barbara's expertise lies in providing comprehensive support and guidance to students with disabilities, ensuring their successful transition from school to adult life. She possesses a deep understanding of secondary services and possesses the skills to develop tailored strategies that maximize individual potential.
For more information and resources on special education school-to-adulthood transition planning and independent living, visit www.mykeyplans.com. Join us on social media for updates, behind-the-scenes content, and discussions about special education, inclusion, and disability advocacy. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn and use #IEPLaunchpadPodcast to join the conversation. Thank you for tuning in to the IEP Launchpad Podcast! 🎧🎙️#IDD #teaching #specialed #specialneeds #InclusionMatters #DisabilityAdvocacy #EmpowerVoices #edtech, #education #edtech, #teachers
Speaker 1:
Hi, bryce and Koa, happy Friday. This is Friday the 15th, and that means it's Ugly Sweater Day, and so I wanted to find out from you, bryce. I know you wrote a script about Ugly Sweater Day. You're doing a video about it. Do you have any idea what people do?
Speaker 2:
It celebrates the joy of wearing intentionally garish and un-attractive sweaters.
Speaker 1:
Okay, I actually was in Fred Meyer the other day. It's a large grocery store in the Seattle area and they have this Ugly Sweater table, a whole bunch of them, and they have I think it was like a llama and have you ever seen like those llamas, really tall neck and it had a scarf around it. I'm like what the heck is up with that. So that was funny. I know it that a lot of schools, people in different classes, people like to wear ugly sweaters to school, but also to the workplace. So if you're at work, you might see people wearing ugly sweaters. Hey, we're celebrating that today. Anything else you want to add about your Ugly Sweater research that you did for your video?
Speaker 2:
That it takes place every Friday in December of each year. The third Friday right, so the 15th.
Speaker 1:
That's right. So this is the 15th, the third week, and when did it start? Do you know when this whole thing started?
Speaker 2:
It's early 2000s.
Speaker 1:
Okay, that's right. Are you going to participate?
Speaker 2:
Probably not, no you don't have an Ugly Sweater. They're too itchy To me.
Speaker 1:
Yes, sweaters can be really itchy. A lot of people have sensory issues and don't like sweaters like that. And even if you're not sensitive to different fields of fabric, sweaters can be difficult for everybody.
Speaker 3:
Plus, they're ugly Plus they're so ugly.
Speaker 1:
They can be, but intentionally they're trying to be ugly. How much would you pay for an ugly sweater that you wear once a year? Koa.
Speaker 3:
No Clio.
Speaker 1:
Price.
Speaker 2:
It depends on what design it is, but probably the lowest would be $25.
Speaker 1:
Okay, that's the lowest average To me. That's the highest I'd pay. What's the most you'd pay for an ugly sweater?
Speaker 2:
I wouldn't picture myself wearing ugly sweater, but $100 probably. I've never bought one before, so I know not sure I got you.
Speaker 1:
I got you. Happy Ugly Sweater Day to everybody out there. And then we also want to just celebrate the fact that it's a community building time and it's a season of giving gifts, and there are so many inherent gifts that I know you all have just the gifts that you bring to your friends and to your family and to the classrooms that you're in. There's giving actual gifts, but there's also gifts that you have, like Koa, I know you have real gifts and being friendly and funny and smart and yet you're just really witty and caring of other people. So those are some gifts that you have just in the type of person that you are. And, bryce, I would say the same thing about you what are some things during this holiday season that both of you want to experience or just do to build community or just participate with other people? Or are there some things that come to mind?
Speaker 2:
My whole goal is this holiday is to give back to the people in need.
Speaker 1:
I love that. Such a great thing to do. There are opportunities for volunteering at different places, and what's one thing that you could do? To volunteer your time or give back to the community.
Speaker 2:
I could donate to charity, or I could help homeless people on the side of the road. That's amazing.
Speaker 1:
I was thinking about doing that too. There's a school district locally that has an opportunity to give gifts to students and young adults who are struggling with being homeless, not having a place to live. Maybe they are struggling with resources and don't have the opportunity to buy gifts for their own family, and so there's a website where and we will actually link this into the show notes there's a place where you can find different people to give to in the school district and see what they might want and then sign up to give that thing. So I know one of my friends is going out and doing some shopping specifically for that this weekend and going to be able to really bless other people and give gifts to people who really do need it.
Speaker 3:
We do this nativity scene for a tradition though, for my family at wise, though my side-wise and that's a community-building thing that you do.
Speaker 1:
How?
Speaker 3:
to invite people and help them feel the spirit of Christmas. We try to dress up. To make us look like a nativity, though, but so, and then we add songs to make it look nativity wise.
Speaker 1:
You make it look and sound really like you're celebrating the holidays that way and how fun and festive. I love it Very cool. I can picture that. Will you share some pictures later, OK, after you actually do that Anything else? Bryce or Koa.
Speaker 2:
I forgot to add on that during Thanksgiving I actually did help people in need, like homeless people. I did give them blankets and stuff for 15.
Speaker 1:
Oh, wow. And who did you do that with?
Speaker 2:
With my parents. It was the first time.
Speaker 1:
And that was a family thing that you did together On Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
Very cool. I would like to do that next Thanksgiving. So thank you for that sharing about your experience and thank you for your time today. Thanks for sharing the gift of your voice with us. All right, all right, we're switching gears to Darian and Andrew so good to see you, too and we're celebrating the holidays, really celebrating community and so I wanted to hear from both of you about your traditions, what you like to do, how you give gifts and how you celebrate, so that our listeners get some ideas from your perspective living life independently and becoming a young adult out there doing your thing.
Speaker 5:
I definitely make sure to plan ahead during the holidays and I always think about the joy that I can gain out of doing that. If there's anything that I like over the holidays, it's not so much as receiving. I think the main thing I want to receive is just the results of giving and people's lives changed or the lives uplifted.
Speaker 1:
And it's just incredible because and that's You're really good at encouraging people and giving gifts and seeing what other people enjoy and matching that with the gifts that we give them. I think there are two different types of gifts that I'm thinking of. It's gifts that you have just as far as your personality, your skills, abilities, interests that you can give to other people, like the gift of encouragement, right, or, andrew, the gift of sensitivity and being warm and caring about other people. That's one gift that I see in you that comes out a lot, and so during this holiday season, your specific gift of caring or your specific gift of encouragement, you can think of ways to help the community around you, whether it's your family, your school, your community at work or wherever. And what are some traditions that you have, andrew, that you like to do during the holidays?
Speaker 4:
I would like to do more volunteering and stuff. I've never done that.
Speaker 1:
What type of volunteering would you want to do? Just charity stuff? Okay, yeah, I know during the holidays there are a lot of opportunities to give gifts anonymously. Maybe there are some lists of people or young adults in schools who don't have a lot of resources. Maybe they are struggling with homelessness, and just the holiday season can be so difficult for people. And so finding ways I love that you want to find ways to volunteer and help out, that's really good. A food bank or a secret elf kind of thing? Yeah, what comes?
Speaker 5:
to mind for you, Darian, and that's what the whole point is about these traditions. It's also about love right Love and caring, and support and compassion. And during this holiday season we can do just that, and when we give and we give with all our heart, knowing what will bring joy to people's eyes that is what counts. And so when we're able to do that, we make sure we plan ahead, we make sure for the occasion right, and then Christmas comes and we're ready. And that's what we need to do more of make plans to change lives and do it ahead of time, so that way they're even more mind-blowing.
Speaker 1:
It makes me think of the lights of Christmas. We have lights on our houses, we have lights on our trees, we have lights that we gather around a Christmas tree lighting, but the real light in the holiday season is really the light that we bring to other people.
Speaker 5:
It's incredible. The light that we bring to other people is just uplifting. It just brings light, and that's what we wanna do, is we want to bring light to people's lives. If they're in a dark place, we can take them out of that dark place.
Speaker 1:
There are a lot of people struggling with mental health and depression, anxiety, those types of things, and when you can do things like you're saying, andrew, to volunteer and help out, to find ways to get outside yourself and see where you can be helpful for the community around you, I think that brings light not just to the person that you're giving, but it really brings light to you as well, and this winter season can be really dark, yeah, yeah it can be, and do you experience any sort of difficulty in the winter months, with very limited light, it seems?
Speaker 4:
like yes, I get really depressed sometimes.
Speaker 1:
I just want to sleep I do too and trying to get outside and do things, plan some events where you're giving to others and not just wanting to receive all the time.
Speaker 5:
And that's what I've always felt is that it's not even during the holidays. I'm just always wanting to give to people the best way that I can. And because people matter to me, this society matters to me, the world matters to me. Every single person matters. They're part of the reason why I am who I am today People I'm spending some rounded by and people who have helped me to go into who I am. It's literally because of them, and my strength comes from the community. I want to give that back to them.
Speaker 1:
And a lot of our teachers are. A lot of our listeners are teachers and special education specifically, but in general, people in schools who want to experience the same types of things that you have. There are teachers that you can give gifts to. There are different gifts that we can celebrate, not just physical gifts, but giving the gift of attention, even just listening to somebody. That's a gift that you can give right, Go ahead.
Speaker 5:
Definitely. I want to say that lending a listening ear definitely counts the most, because there's nothing that nobody would want more than to be heard, to be seen and to be understood. That is the most important thing you must remember, and it's the most greatest gift we can give to someone is our understanding and our listening ears.
Speaker 1:
That's right, and I think, as for me, as a teacher, I want to know my students really well and sometimes I get so busy and don't feel like I have a lot of time to give, but when I start to really listen to students or listen to my coworkers when you listen to your coworkers or, andrew, when you're listening to family members or people in the community, it really makes a difference when you build relationships by simply listening to them. And thank you for sharing those ideas with me. Is there anything else that you want to share with our listeners?
Speaker 5:
I will say this keep being the ray of light that you guys are, even during the, even during tough times where there are ups and downs, remember to keep your spirits lifted. You can do that. It all requires mindset Right. And that is what each and every one of you are capable of. That's true, so make sure to remember to keep your eyes facing up and not down, looking down at the ground, cause that's easy for many of us to do throughout these times that have happened, especially with COVID.
Speaker 1:
Yeah.
Speaker 5:
And just everything has changed. I'm sure for a lot of people. But remember, even through the ups and downs, you're still in this.
Speaker 1:
I love that you said keep your eyes up from the ground. I also think keep your eyes up from your screen on your phone. Oh, thank you or any other thing that distracts us from seeing the people around us which is the community that we want to build and pour into. Thank, you I think we can get so lost in ourselves and our own thing and not be even this so I found that right.
Speaker 5:
That's, that's me 24 seven, where I try and engage with people or try to talk with people, and then they're either looking down at their phone or they're looking, or they're distracted by something, or, yeah, they're wrapped up in themselves or whatever. And here's in him, here's where things get interesting. They later on turn around and ask hey Darian, why are you so quiet? And I'm like I'm not.
Speaker 1:
I'm not.
Speaker 5:
I've disengaged because you disengaged, so I'm just like I've moved on and yeah, how about that Andrew?
Speaker 4:
A lot of people aren't took talk now, which is really annoying to me, but I'm on social media a lot too, but sometimes it's like people get so upset at each other and sometimes I like, when I'm about to get in an argument with someone online over like a political thing or something, I just stop and be like this is not. I'm not going to change his mind. He's not going to change my mind, so I'm just going to let this go.
Speaker 1:
That's wonderful. I think that's a really mature thing to decide, make a decision that you're not going to enter into that or continue the conversation in a negative way. And I heard something this week from I was a statistic somehow in from our classrooms where I'm working and there was a survey of students and the amount of time that's spent on TikTok is. I think the average was like five hours a day. I don't even spend five hours.
Speaker 5:
We lose touch with reality so easily. We just never know it, and it's just we, you know. We get so wrapped up in ourselves, like I said before, and it's just easy to miss things around us. Opportunities pass us by and we don't even know it and we're so clouded and sometimes we can become isolated.
Speaker 1:
Andrew, anything else you want to share?
Speaker 4:
Just be nice to each other, I guess.
Speaker 1:
Yes, as simple as that.
Speaker 5:
Kindness matters, kindness matters.
Speaker 1:
Be nice to each other, and I want to do that for you too, and I want to do that for the rest of the buddies and for our community of listeners. Thank you so much for your time with me today. I love hearing from you, thank you. Thank you for being part of my community, and we'll catch up with everyone on the next time.