Social Reintegration Series with Alani Staples

For more than the past year, we've told kids that being close to each other is dangerous- literally. Now, it's time to start reintegrating back to school, sports, and other activities, but it's not as smooth or as seamless as you might think. There's a lot going on.

On top of that, kids today are growing up in a world of ubiquitous cellphone usage and screens- face to face socialization has been on a decline for years. There's a lot for concern. The primary way teenagers grow is through healthy peer relationships. They learn about themselves and how the world works and what's most important in life as they journey together, shoulder to shoulder, face to face. But when a lot of kids are carrying heightened anxiety about being together, and fewer kids in general have adept social skills, it's time to rethink how we support kids in building relationships. So welcome to our limited podcast series on Social Reintegration, where we interview educators and practitioners to discover best practices and common sense tools for anyone who has a kid in their life.

Welcome to the YouSchool.

ABOUT ALANI STAPLES

Currently serving as Director of Student Support at Lakeway Christian Schools in East Tennessee, Alani Staples has worked in youth services for 17 years. During this time, she has served in several capacities, including Outreach Program Director, Clinical Supervisor, and School Counseling Director. With an undergraduate degree from University of Richmond and Master of Education in School Counseling from Liberty University, Alani is passionate about empowering students and supporting families. Alani’s professional experience has allowed her to celebrate the joy of witnessing youth discover their full potential, specifically as it relates to academic success, overcoming hardships, developing healthy relational skills, and achieving their post-secondary goals. A native of Roanoke, VA, Alani and her husband Curtis, enjoy mentoring youth by supporting them to passionately pursue their interests and becoming impactful leaders with meaningful lives. Her love for giving back to the community has afforded her the opportunity to work with multiple school districts and faith-based organizations as a youth advocate, spokesperson, and founder of youth performing art programs throughout southwest Virginia. There are a series of questions that are crucial for every young person to answer in order for them to be fully prepared to make the best decisions for their future- but they rarely get the chance to even think about them.

A FREE RESOURCE

One of the most frequent questions we ask kids is about their professional goals- what do you want to be when you grow up. It's an interesting question, for sure, but rarely is it actually helpful.

Typically, it just creates anxiety and more confusion- not clarity and confidence like we hope. So what's a better way to help them? We put together a free mini-course for students called When you Get Older. It's a few simple reflection exercises that guides them to consider Who they want to be someday, not just what they want to do for work. It's a much, much more helpful starting point, and a conversation that can be started in the course but continue for years to come. It's super simple to get started-- and free, did I mention that? Just click this link, share it with your kid, and we'll take it from there.

 

MORE RESOURCES

Here are some additional resources that could be helpful for families and educators:

Emotion Sensation Feeling Wheel https://lindsaybraman.com/emotion-sensation-feeling-wheel/

Emotional Development Guide for Kids https://www.onoursleeves.org/mental-wellness-tools-guides/emotional-development