Articles and news stories are constantly pushing me to consider something new, broaden my perspective, or change the way I look at an issue. My husband likes to joke that my brain explodes with something new on a daily basis. These articles – and the brain explosions that result from them – are so beneficial for me that I wanted to create a place where I could share them, in case you might want to read them, too. Learn more about Things that Made My Brain Explode – and see past posts – here. 

Here’s a recent batch of Things that Made my Brain Explode:

• This is not an over-dramatization. It is a reality. March For Our Lives PSA Shows What American Children Are Learning in School.
• “I thought that achieving a lot meant people in power, especially those who had racist or sexist views, would listen to me. Take me seriously. Believe in what I had to say. Now, I could make change from within, because I was part of the club, right? Not quite.” Another excellent piece from Teen Vogue: I Tried to Fight Racism by Being a “Model Minority” — and Then It Backfired.
• “If you looked at the media right now, you’d see that four very nice white men are running for president.” Why Female Presidential Candidates Are Still Overlooked.

• Instagram Is Experimenting With Hiding Likes, Which Would Make It Much Harder to Be an Influencer. Instagram is actively considering the pressure and validation culture playing out on its platform. “We want our users to focus on what you share, not how many likes your posts get.” This is a fascinating idea. I can’t wait to see how it plays out.

• Virginia Men’s Basketball Will Not Go to the White House. “You cannot put Donald Trump and the word Charlottesville together again,” he said. “He failed us that day.’“

• How misuse of the 40 Book Challenge Made My Kid Hate Reading and Why (& How) I Pushed Back.
• I loved this interview with Kyle Lukoff about the process and care that he used to create his recent picture book, When Aidan Became a Brother: When Kyle wrote Aidan: Process and the Trans Child Narrative.

• How Did James Holzhauer Turn ‘Jeopardy!’ Into His Own A.T.M.? We Asked Him. Spoiler alert: He spends a lot of time in the childrens’ section of his public library.

• “What are the consequences of [that] closure when it comes to books about ongoing social movements? Isn’t there always more to the story? Or is the struggle for justice over?” The Struggle Continues: How the Endings of Children’s Literature Create False Narratives of Social Movements. I love the idea of starting with the author’s note to build context before diving into the story. I can’t wait to try it.
• Carrie Ann Inaba Gets Emotional Discussing Her Struggles with Autoimmune Condition: ‘I Feel Shame’.
• “Guns and safety aren’t synonymous for us”: Some black Texans fear plans to arm more teachers. Horrifying.
• “Our public school children are 50% people of color, but our teachers are 80% white. So there are a lot of misunderstandings. And quite often that leads to students being unfairly punished, and and sent into the juvenile justice system at an alarming rate. Because Black and brown students and students with disabilities are being pushed out. And I think a lot of that has to do with not having teachers that are culturally competent in front of them. And that means teachers that pretty much look like them and understand their experiences.” ‘My Kids Are In Survival Mode’: A Chat With 2019’s Teacher Of The Year. Wow, wow, wow.

• 2nd grade teacher reveals her salary in a Facebook post — then a stranger filled her classroom with supplies. Teachers should not need wealthy strangers to meet the baseline requirements for educating, feeding, and caring for children. I do not find this sweet. I do not find this inspiring. It is disgusting to me that this is how our schools get funded. And insane that we consider this a feel-good story.

• What does Transgender even mean? GLAD YOU ASKED.