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Whole Foods got caught overcharging customers, but that's just part of the problem with food costs.

The harsh fact of the matter is that food is becoming less affordable for low-income families.

For years, people have debated whether or not it's worth shelling out extra cash for organic produce.

It's one of those topics where reasonable people can disagree, and whether or not someone should or shouldn't go organic is something best left to the individual consumer.

 

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.

That said, there's some disturbing news coming from produce-land, and it's nothing to do with GMOs or processed foods. It has to do with mislabeling — possibly intentionally.

According to the New York Daily News, NY-area Whole Foods might have been ripping you off — more than you even knew.

People jokingly call Whole Foods "Whole Paycheck" for its perceived priceyness, but according to reporting from the Daily News, their local chains have been overcharging customers for at least the past five years, usually by mislabeling the weight of products.

 

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.

 Examples of violations included chicken tenders that were overpriced by $4.85, coconut shrimp that was $14.84 over its actual cost, and a vegetable platter that came in at $6.15 too expensive — all because the item weight didn't match up.

As most shoppers don't bring their own scale to the store (and probably aren't able to guess weight down to the nearest tenth of a pound), this isn't even one of those situations where it's fair to suggest "buyer beware."

But let's talk about a bigger issue: Lower-income Americans are having a harder time putting food on the table.

According to a report from the USDA, households in the bottom 20% of income earners were spending on average 36% of their income on food.

 

And just as frightening, the cost of food is rising faster than the rest of the economy. That is, over the past five years, the cost of food has risen by more than 10%, outpacing the average change of a little more than 8%.

 

It's not just food, either. The price of college, child care, and vehicle maintenance have climbed steadily over the past decade relative to other items while things like toys and electronics have gotten more affordable. In other words, the things we need to survive ("the basics") are getting less affordable, and without these, it's a huge challenge to pull oneself out of poverty.

We mat not have the power to single-handedly change the economy, but there are things we can do to help the hungry.

 1. Fight for a higher minimum wage.

If prices are on the rise, at the very least wages need to rise as well. If the bottom 20% of earners can make just a bit more, they won't be as squeezed when it comes to deciding whether or not they can afford to eat healthy (and in the long run, avoid some potential medical bills) or not.

 2. End food deserts.

 Food deserts are low-income communities with low access to grocery stores. By opening affordable, healthy, community-run grocery options, food deserts can be fought, making for healthier and more financially sound residents.

 3. Spread the word.

Possibly the most important thing any of us can do is to help spread the word about the food-related challenges facing low-income Americans. Sometimes their stories get lost in discussions about politics, and we hear about increasing restrictions on how SNAP (food stamps) funds can be spent. It's important to remember that the people in need of SNAP assistance are actual people and far more than pawns in some political game.

Because while Whole Foods is overcharging customers on shrimp (and YES, they could just go to Trader Joe's or somewhere cheaper), it's important to remember that this is indicative of a larger problem. Healthy food and fresh produce and the option to go organic or not should be one that all people have access to regardless of income.

    From Your Site Articles
    Parenting

    Yet another school district shifts to 4-day week and parents are sounding off

    So...when are we getting the matching 4-day work week?

    Unsplash

    Students working; an empty classroom.

    When talking with other parents I know, it's hard not to sound like a grumpy old man when we get around to discussing school schedules: "Am I the only one who feels like kids have so many days off? I never got that many days off when I was a kid! And I had to go work in the coal mine after, too!" I know what I sound like, but I just can't help it.

    In Georgia where I live, we have a shorter summer break than some other parts of the country. But my kids have the entire week of Thanksgiving off, a week in September, two whole weeks at Christmas, a whole week off in February, and a weeklong spring break. They have asynchronous days (during which they complete assignments at home, which usually takes about 30 minutes) about once a month, and they have two or three half-day weeks throughout the year. Quite honestly, it feels like they're never in school for very long before they get another break, which makes it tough to get in a rhythm with work and career goals. Plus, we're constantly arranging day camps and other childcare options for all the time off. After a quick search, I can confirm I'm not losing my mind: American kids have fewer school days than most other major countries.

     school's out, school days, school week, work week, schedules Schools Out Fun GIF by Pen Pals  Giphy  

    So, it caught my attention in a major way when I read that Whitney Independent School District in Texas recently decided to enact a four-day week heading into the 2025 school year. That makes it one of dozens of school districts in Texas to make the change and over 900 nationally.

    The thought of having the kids home from school EVERY Friday or Monday makes me want to break out in stress hives, but this four-day school week movement isn't designed to give parents a headache. It's meant to lure teachers back to work.

    Yes, teachers are leaving the profession in droves and young graduates don't seem eager to replace them. Why? For starters, the pay is bad—but that's just the beginning. Teachers are burnt out, undermined and criticized relentlessly, held hostage by standardized testing, and more. It can be a grueling, demoralizing, and thankless job. The love and passion they have for shaping the youth of tomorrow can only take you so far when you feel like you're constantly getting the short end of the stick.

    School districts want to pay their teachers more, in theory, but their hands are often tied. So, they're getting creative to recruit the next generation of teachers into their schools—starting with an extra day off for planning, catch-up, or family time every week.

    Teachers in four-day districts often love the new schedule. Kids love it (obviously). It's the parents who, as a whole, aren't super thrilled.

     school, kids, teachers, instruction time, classes, schedule Class in session Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash  

    So far, the data shows that the truncated schedule perk is working. In these districts, job applications for teachers are up, retirements are down, and teachers are reporting better mental well-being. That's great news!

    But these positive developments may be coming at the price of the working parents in the communities. Most early adopters of the four-day week have been rural communities with a high prevalence of stay-at-home parents. As the idea starts to take hold in other parts of the country, it's getting more pushback. Discussions on Reddit, Facebook, and other social media platforms are overrun with debate on how this is all going to shake up. Some parents, to be fair, like the idea! If they stay-at-home or have a lot of flexibility, they see it as an opportunity for more family time. But many are feeling anxious. Here's what's got those parents worried:

    The effect on students' achievement is still unclear.

    The execution of the four-day week varies from district to district. Some schools extend the length of each of the four days, making the total instructional time the same. That makes for a really long day, and some teachers say the students are tired and more unruly by the late afternoon. Some districts are just going with less instruction time overall, which has parents concerned that their kids might fall behind.

    Four-day school weeks put parents in a childcare bind.

    Having two working parents is becoming more common and necessary with the high cost of living. I know, I know—"school isn't daycare!" But it is the safe, reliable, and educational place we send our kids while we we work.

    Families with money and resources may be able to enroll their kids in more academics, extracurriculars, sports, or childcare, but a lot of normal families won't be able to afford that cost. Some schools running a four-day week offer a paid childcare option for the day off, but that's an added expense and for families with multiple kids in the school system, it's just not possible.

    This will inevitably end with some kids getting way more screentime.

    With most parents still working five-day weeks, and the cost of extra activities or childcare too high, a lot of kids are going to end up sitting around on the couch with their iPad on those days off. I'm no expert, and I'm certainly not against screentime, but adding another several hours of it to a child's week seems less than ideal.

    Of course there are other options other than paid childcare and iPads. There are play dates, there's getting help from family and friends. All of these options are an enormous amount of work to arrange for parents who are already at capacity.

    Working four days is definitely a win for teachers that makes the job more appealing. But it doesn't address the systemic issues that are driving them to quit, retire early, or give up their dreams of teaching all together.

     teachers, stress, education, work, job Season 3 Running GIF by The Simpsons  Giphy  

    A Commissioner of Education from Missouri calls truncated schedules a "band-aid solution with diminishing returns." Having an extra planning day won't stop teachers from getting scapegoated by politicians or held to impossible curriculum standards, it won't keep them from having to buy their own supplies or deal with ever-worsening student behavior.

    Some teachers and other experts have suggested having a modified five-day school week, where one of the days gets set aside as a teacher planning day while students are still on-site participating in clubs, music, art—you know, all the stuff that's been getting cut in recent years. Something like that could work in some places.

    As a dad, I don't mind the idea of my busy kids having an extra day off to unwind, pursue hobbies, see friends, catch up on projects, or spend time as a family. And I'm also very much in favor of anything that takes pressure off of overworked teachers. But until we adopt a four-day work week as the standard, the four-day school week is always going to feel a little out of place.

    This article originally appeared in February. It has been updated.

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    Joy

    History teacher brilliantly explains how 'Yankee Doodle' is America's first 'diss track remix'

    Even if you know the story, this is worth a watch.

    @laurencella/Instagram

    Lauren Cella does a an incredibly fun deep dive into 'Yankee Doodle.'

    Some teachers really know how to resonate with their students, and Lauren Cella is certainly one of them. Her Gen Z-ified history lessons—with all the lingo, fashion nods, and pop culture references the kids seem to be into these days—connect present audiences to the past in a way that feels fun, fresh, and surprisingly relatable.

    Case in point? One of her latest videos discussing the lesser known history behind a tune we all know: “Yankee Doodle Dandy.”

    “Lock in for a deep dive, bestie,” Cella wrote in her caption, clearly aware of her audience from the get-go. In the clip, she does indeed go on a delightful deep dive into why this well known song is, as she puts it, “literally a diss track remix.”

    If you have no idea why Cella might say this, get ready to be educated and entertained. And even if you are familiar with this moment from American history, we can guarantee you’ve never heard it told quite this way.

     american history, gen z, history teacher, cool history, gen z slang, history And the award for best teacher goes to…@laurencella/Instagram

    "Yankee," Cella explains, is derived from the Dutch world “Janke,” which translates to John, Johnny, Johnathan, etc.—all common Dutch names. During this time (1664), the Dutch occupied New England, or New Amsterdam, as it was called then. The term eventually became derogatory slang for Dutch settlers (aka Americans) who lived there by the other European countries trying to take over the land.

    Flash forward about a hundred years to 1754, and “France wants to get in on this colonization game, cause they were always kinda like Britney versus Christina,” Cella says. By this time, France has teamed up with the Indigenous tribes looking to fight against England—hence it being called the French and Indian War—while England has teamed up with the Americans, aka the Yankees.

    Xtina Christina GIFfrom Xtina GIFs
     

    However, the English consider themselves superior and more refined than their American colleagues, and they write an “entire diss track about them,” titled, “Yankee Doodle.” If you’re wondering about “Doodle,” that came from the German word “dödel,” meaning “idiot.”

    “It literally means ‘American Idiot!’ Shout-out to all my elder emo Green Day fans” Cella exclaims. She adds that the English ridiculed the Americans for being “country bumpkins,” joking that they couldn’t even ride actual horses into battle, but had to opt for ponies instead. Sick burn.

     american history, gen z, history teacher, cool history, gen z slang, history No matter the era, you don't wanna be an American idiot.  media2.giphy.com  

    So what about the “stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni” bit? Cella admits that this part can be confusing, until you understand the shift that was happening with the young people of the time through fashion, and the adults (aka the aristocracy) who just didn’t get it. Yep, this dynamic is present in every era, it seems.

    During this period, young Englishmen would have their “euro summer,” as Cella put it, where they'd go about exploring the cultures of surrounding countries—eating macaroni in Italy one day, trying on giant wigs in France the next day, and so on. To be in the “macaroni fashion club” was to be cool and edgy, sort of like a “hipster,” Cella notes.


     american history, gen z, history teacher, cool history, gen z slang, history Gender fluid fashion has been a form of rebellion in many era, it seems. Wikimedia 

    Of course, the closest thing these low-class American Yankees could get to this status would be to stick a lame feather in their hat and simply call it "macaroni," the English thought. With friends like these, who needs enemies?

    By the end of the (very expensive) French and Indian war, England and the Yankees went from frenemies to actual enemies, after England tried to impose taxes on America for “defending” them from France. The American Revolution was America's way of saying “We are never ever ever getting back together,” says Cella.

    We Are Never Ever Ever Getting Back Together GIFfrom Never GIFs
     

    Cut to America’s victory during the Revolutionary War, when England surrenders at the battle of Yorktown, and George Washington has a band play this very song as the defeated English troops are being escorted out.

    “It’s kind of like we Uno-reversed the narrative, and turned ‘Yankee Doodle’ into a flex,” Cella concludes. Class dismissed.

    There's just so much to love here. One, it’s cool to see how reclaiming words to take back power is so deeply ingrained in the human psyche. We see this even today, with words like “queer,” “nerd,” “Black,” and even “b*tch” and “sl*t,” (though of course those last two still carry a heavy connotation for some). And two, you gotta hand it to Cella’s delivery, which actually brought this history lesson to life. All great history teachers have the ability to do this in their own way, and Cella has undoubtedly found hers.

    No wonder the video got wonderful comments, even from fellow educators:

    “I can’t get enough of your videos! I teach American Revolution and 13 Colonies and while I knew the gist of Yankee Doodle being an original diss on colonists, I didn’t know the whole scope of it until now. Amazing explanation that I’ll share with my students!”

    “You are amazing !!!!! Teaching this language arts teacher some history in an incredibly fun way !!!!!”

    “Great job! I taught American History and Constitution to 8th graders for many years and even I learned a new things!👏👏👏”

    Of course, Cella doesn’t just Gen Z-ify American history. She’s also covered the Russian Revolution (Tzar Nicholas’ “flop era”), the beginnings of World War I (when Germany tried to prove it wasn’t just a “mid” empire) and more. Her videos might be geared towards a specific generation, but honestly, they’re a delight for all age groups.

    Follow Cella on Instagram to uncover even more gems.

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    Kids

    A 6-yr-old's art teacher said she did her painting 'wrong'. Professional artists disagreed.

    Someone is wrong in this story, but it's not the 6-year-old.

    Gemma Leighton/Twitter
    A 6-yr-old's art teacher said she did her painting 'wrong' and the responses are just great

    The impulse and ability to create art is one of the highlights of being human. It's a key quality that sets us apart from the animal world, one that makes life more meaningful and enjoyable. While there are artistic skills that make it easier for people to bring their imaginations into the visible, tangible world, art doesn't abide by any hard and fast rules. Especially kids' art. Especially young kids' art.

    There is no right or wrong in art, only expression and interpretation. That's the beauty of it. Unlike working with numbers and spreadsheets and data, there is no correct answer and no one way to arrive at the proper destination. As the famous quote from Dead Poet's Society goes, "Medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for."

    That's why one mom was furious when her 6-year-old's art teacher told the girl her painting was "wrong."

    Gemma Leighton, mother of 6-year-old Edie, shared her daughter's painting on Twitter with a request for support. Edie created the painting in an after school art club, and her art teacher told her she did it wrong.

    "You can't do art wrong!" wrote Leighton. "She was so upset as art is her favourite thing to do."


     

    Now, we don't know exactly what the teacher said to Edie, or why, but if a 6-year-old comes home upset and feeling like there's something wrong with their art, the teacher did something wrong. Full stop. Six-year-olds are just beginning to learn about technique, and encouragement is the most vital thing a teacher can offer a budding artist.

    The internet rightfully pounced to Edie's defense, and the responses are incredibly heartwarming.

    Many people shared how hurt they were as children when a teacher told them something was wrong with their art—and that they were wrong. Knowing that grown-ups had experienced the same kinds of unnecessary criticism as kids and realized that it was wrong can help Edie feel confident that her painting is not "wrong."

    Others pointed out the famous artists that her painting reminded them of. Seeing how her own painting reflects some of the style and color choices of professional artists can help Edie see the spark of genius in her own artwork.

     

    Songwriter Kimya Dawson, most famous for her songs in the movie Juno, shared that a middle school English teacher had told her to stop writing poems because they were "too juvenile."

    "I never stopped though and making rhyming poems has been my career for over 20 years!" Dawson wrote in a Reply. "Your painting is perfect! Keep it up! Don't worry what anyone else thinks."

    Professional artists chimed in with words of encouragement, pointing out that Edie's use of perspective and expressionism were quite impressive for her age.

    "The only 'wrong' is not making art that speaks from your heart," wrote an artist who goes by @Artsy on Twitter. "When she expresses her passion, her vision of her world, her personal reactions to what she sees and feels, she'll never be 'wrong.'"

    Now that's how it's done! Experts say that not just general encouragement, but pointing out specific things in a child's work that are the building blocks of art and literacy are key to building their self-esteem. In fact, the creative process in and of itself is great at building a child's self-esteem! It allows them to practice independence and feel immense pride at their finished product, no matter what anyone thinks it looks like. Really the only way to turn art into a negative thing for a child is to criticize it.

    Even KISS guitarist Paul Stanley offered Edie words of encouragement.

     art, artists, kids, children, kids art, imagination, play, creativity, self-esteem, education, teachers, parents, moms Judging technique can come later. Way later. For now, just let kids create.  Photo by Bahar Ghiasi on Unsplash  

    "Your art is AWESOME!!!" he wrote.

    "There is no such thing as doing art 'wrong.' There are only teachers who are wrong!!! Your art shows amazing freedom and spirit. How can that be 'wrong'?!?! Keep doing EXACTLY what you are doing. I LOVE it!!!"

     

    Imagine being a heartbroken 6-year-old who has been told by a teacher that her art was wrong, and then seeing a flood of thousands of supportive comments from people who looked at the same piece of art and told you what they loved about it. This is how social media should be used. To lift people up, to encourage and inspire, to share beauty and creativity.

    After the outpouring, Leighton created a new Twitter account called Edie's Art for people to share kids' artwork, and gracious, it's a delight to peruse.

    There's nothing more pure, more colorful, more full of life than art that came from a child's imagination. They may not have the technical skills to perfectly create what they envision in their minds or what they're looking at for inspiration, but that's part of what makes it so beautiful. They aren't self-conscious enough yet to hold back, and their art comes from a place of confidence and acceptance of their own abilities—that is, until some adult comes along and squashes their artistic spirit.

     

    One of my favorite things as a parent has been watching my kids' artistic expressions evolve as they've grown, and I've loved their artwork at every stage. And not just because I'm their mom, but because kid creations are the best reminder of how natural the human impulse to create really is, and how beautiful it is when we share that impulse without fear or doubt.

    As for Edie, she didn't let that early criticism keep her down. The original story happened about four years ago, and today Evie continues to pursue art. Her mom still occasionally shares the odd piece or two on Twitter/X, and even posted a fun stop-motion video Evie created using one of her stuffed animals. Clearly, her creative spirit could not be suppressed so easily.

    "Edie is now immersed in the digital art world and still creates wonderful things every day Keep creating little artists," her mom shared in a recent update on X.

    Keep painting, Edie, and all you kiddos out there. Don't let one person's opinion—even a teacher's—hold you back.

    This article originally appeared four years ago. It has been updated.

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    Women's Health

    Women may blame their pillow for having a stiff neck. Study shows it could be hormonal.

    Perimenopause strikes again.

    Photo credit: Canva

    Women may blame their pillow for a stiff neck, it could be hormones

    Waking up with a stiff neck or a tension headache is a pain...literally. For some women, it seems like a never ending cycle of searching for a new pillow. They walk out of the store confident they've found the perfect pillow only to wake up with a stiff neck or tension headache days later–rinse and repeat. If this sounds familiar and you're over the age of 35, your pillow may not be to blame at all.

    As women of a certain age wonder what's going on with their necks while they sleep, researchers say the problem is likely hormonal. Menopause is no secret. While the word was once whispered to close confidants or replaced with the phrase "the change" (as if women were becoming vampires), conversations happen openly now. Because of this shift, women feel more prepared for the process to occur...when they're over 50...but many people are finding out "the change" starts happening years before menopause.

     perimenopause; stiff neck; best pillow; pillow for stiff neck; menopause; women and stiff neck; tension headaches Struggling with hot flashes, woman tries to keep cool.Photo credit: Canva

    This process is called perimenopause, which is essentially pre-menopause, and the process can start as early as 35 and last up to a decade. Of course, genetics, health, and other biological factors determine how early the perimenopause stage starts for a woman, but it always starts the same–declining hormones. According to researchers, hormones control a lot of what's going on in someone's body, so any influx or reduction of these chemicals can have negative effects (including musculoskeletal performance).

    "Both estrogen and testosterone are present in males and females. Both hormones contribute to the wellbeing of skeletal muscle and bone in men and women, and there is evidence that the loss of sex hormones is associated with the age-related decline in bone and skeletal muscle mass," Marybeth Brown writes in the article "Skeletal muscle and bone: effect of sex steroids and aging" for the journal Advances in Physiology Education.

     perimenopause; stiff neck; best pillow; pillow for stiff neck; menopause; women and stiff neck; tension headaches Woman experiences back pain at home.Photo credit: Canva

    It's those decreases in sex hormones that researchers say may be a contributing factor to perimenopausal women's musculoskeletal issues—which would include a stiff neck. While currently researchers aren't specifically looking at the link between declining hormones and stiff neck isolated from the rest of the musculoskeletal system, declining hormones explains why these aches, pains, and injuries happen.

    The Menopause Society, a nonprofit that empowers healthcare professionals with evidenced-based resources says, “Hormonal fluctuations during perimenopause and menopause can cause muscle tension. This tension can manifest in various body parts, with the neck being a common area.”

    Recently, a woman sought answers to her stiff neck in a menopause group, saying, "I've seen a lot of blanket talk, but not much about pillows. I get night sweats and also lately I've had some neck pain that is unrelated to perimenopause (I think). I want a better pillow than I have, but it needs to be able to get washed from all the sweating. What works for you? And how do you wash it? Memory foam? Shredded...latex? or is it just plain shredded foam? Wool? Buckwheat husks? Something else?"

     perimenopause; stiff neck; best pillow; pillow for stiff neck; menopause; women and stiff neck; tension headaches Waking up with a sore neck.Photo credit: Canva

    Much to the woman's surprise, she was flooded with comments from other women sharing they are also experiencing a stiff neck no matter what type of pillow they use. While several women shared their favorite type of pillow (memory foam seems to be the winner), others commiserated or were happy they weren't alone in the struggle.

    One woman responded, "Just saw this post. Glad I did. My neck has been killing me over the last 3 months. I've bought so many pillows. Right now the shredded memory foam seems to be ok right now. Then I decided to do a quick search about neck pain and perimenopause....I'm pretty sure I have every symptom under the moon.... Currently on STD because of perimenopause is absolutely debilitating for me. Neck pain is a common symptom during perimenopause and menopause, often linked to declining estrogen levels and their impact on joint health and muscle function. This can manifest as aches, stiffness, and even frozen shoulder."

     perimenopause; stiff neck; best pillow; pillow for stiff neck; menopause; women and stiff neck; tension headaches Office worker stretching to relieve back pain.Photo credit: Canva

    Researchers Nkechinyere Chidi-Ogbolu and Keith Baar explain in their article "Effect of Estrogen on Musculoskeletal Performance and Injury Risk" in the journal Frontiers in Physiology, "Consistent with a role for estrogen in regulating musculoskeletal function, menstruating women suffer more ACL ruptures than men and menopause is characterized by increased risk of musculoskeletal injury, accelerated bone and muscle wasting, and decreased sensitivity to anabolic stimuli. To counteract many of the negative aspects of menopause, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been used to reduce muscle and bone loss, and restore muscle protein balance."

    So if you've been struggling with neck pain and are over the age of 35, have ruled out injury or another cause by your doctor, it just might be hormones. There's no stopping a decline in your natural hormone levels as you age, but there may be things that can help when working with your physician. In the meantime, here's to restful nights and a good memory foam pillow.

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    Teachers

    She asked her 3rd graders to design custom Squishmallows. Then she brought each one to life.

    One by one, Ms. Zhou sewed 27 unique plushies herself, each complete with a hidden heart.

    Courtesy of @inspo_by_jess/Instagram

    Ms. Zhou brought each of her students' Squishmallow designs to life in her free time.

    As a teacher, Jess Zhou knows that lessons are not confined to academic curricula or instruction. Kids are always learning, and the interactions and experiences they have with teachers help them grow and gain confidence in their abilities far beyond the classroom.

    That's one reason why Ms. Zhou took advantage of the time after the school day ended, as her third graders were waiting to be picked up, to create a unique experience for her students. Zhou asked them to create a custom Squishmallow (a popular plushie that have been all the rage), and then, one by one, she brought each of their designs to life by sewing them herself. It took the better part of the year, but every student got to take home a Squishmallow they'd personally designed.

     

    Zhou shared with Upworthy how the project came about:

    "I have been making custom graduation gifts for students over the years, but it was a lot of cramming to do it within the last month of school, so I decided to create one a week this year and document the process. I was inspired to use the Squishmallow shape because I noticed students were talking about how they liked to collect Squishmallow plushies.

    Back in October 2024, I gave students a blank page and asked them to design their own Squishmallow character and describe their personality traits. They didn't know at the time that their designs would come to life as plushies. I did most of the sewing on weekends and used scrap fabric I had accumulated over the years to make the plushies.

    It was definitely a big surprise when the first Squishmallow emerged out of the box, and each student got an adoption ceremony where their design was revealed in front of the whole class, and each student got to put a felt heart inside their plushie before it was sewn shut (akin to a build-a-bear experience). They also got to sign an adoption certificate. All 27 plushies came to life by the end of the year!"

    "This project in particular was about empowering students as designers," Zhou tells Upworthy. "Students got to appreciate each step of the design process, and students got to see their work as masterpieces rather than just assignments."

    Zhou says the kids are now excited to design other things as well. "I want students to develop real-world skills that will set them up for later-life success," she says, sharing that she has also taught her young students about voting, taxes, and AI literacy.

    Part of the project was also repairing the Squishmallows if they break. They went to "the hospital" if that happened, and Zhou fixed whatever wounds they had, from missing eyeballs to torn seams.

    Zhou also demonstrated thoughtfulness and generosity for her students when another teacher reached out after seeing one of her videos and asked if she knew where to find a wedding Squishmallow. The teacher was a Squishmallow collector and was preparing for her own wedding, so Zhou created bride and groom Squishmallows for her based on designs from that teacher's students.

     

    Zhou teaches in Los Angeles and shared that the last school year was a tough transition for the students as their previous school site was shut down and two schools were combined. "This was a big change for students because they had to get used to the new school and make new friends," Zhou says, "so the plushies created a special bonding experience because it brought the students together and allowed them to make core memories at the new school."

    In fact, she says that two of her students had created similar designs for their plushies, which can sometimes cause tension as the students accuse one another of copying. "But after the adoption ceremonies, these girls told me that they collaborated on their designs and that their characters were 'sisters,'" says Zhou. "These girls had come from different schools in 2nd grade, and after working together on many school projects, they became good friends in 3rd grade. After school, I was walking home when I heard tapping on the bus window, and the girls gestured towards their plushies, which were seated next to each other on the bus! It was a really sweet moment that they wanted to make sure I saw."

    Check out how cool and diverse the kids' designs were:

     squishmallow designs, teacher creates custom squishmallows, squishmallows, toys, teaching, kids Like very student, every Squishmallow is unique.Image courtesy of Jess Zhou

     

    So many teachers go above and beyond the call of duty to give their students an education that goes far beyond academics, and Ms. Zhou is a prime example. This next school year, she will be moving up to middle school to teach STEM, and surely those students will benefit from her creativity and dedication as much as her younger students have. We wish you the best in your new position, Ms. Zhou!

     students, teacher, squishmallows Ms. Zhou with some of her students and their custom squishmallowsPhoto courtesy of Jess Zhou

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