It's easy to get depressed or downtrodden in the wake of a natural disaster. But the only way to move on is to hold your head up and keep pushing forward.
Hurricane Irma, in conjunction with Hurricane Harvey, caused billions of dollars in damages. Lives have been lost, and people have lost their homes. Families have lost everything they have on this earth.
One teacher, Jon Mundorf, in Gainesville, Florida, asked his young students to write six words about the disaster that tore through their state.
When asked what he was expecting from the exercise, Jon told LittleThings, "We wrote these stories as a warm-up activity our first day back from the hurricane days. Emotions are so crucial to cognition, and I needed to address how they were feeling before we got back into academics.
"Because our students come from so many different communities, I knew they were going to experience the storm in different ways. I wanted students to tell their own story, but I also wanted them to hear other stories, especially the ones that differed from theirs.
"The activity also gave me an opportunity to identify students and families who may be in need of additional support as a result of the hurricane. "
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If you’re looking to help the victims of the recent hurricanes, consider donating to the Red Cross, or take a look at these eight ways you can lend a hand.
Left Thumbnail Photo: Getty Images / Spencer Platt
Jon teaches at P.K. Yonge DRS, a school to which students commute from more than 30 surrounding rural towns.
His 7th grade students represent all of Florida's racial and income demographics.
This exercise was a great way to open his students' eyes to others' experiences with the hurricane.
Many of the stories showed messages of hope.
They also showed a lot of heart and willpower to persevere.
Others highlighted how some students are well aware of the material loss and possible financial struggle their families now face.
The most important part of this exercise was to bring the kids together and help them realize that we are all in this together.
The kids in Jon's class and at PK Yonge certainly know that they're part of one community, and that they have a support system in times of need.
What do you think of this exercise?
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