Pheriphal Neuropathy

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/peripheral-neuropathy/symptoms-causes/syc-20352061

Overview

Peripheral neuropathy, a result of damage to the nerves located outside of the brain and spinal cord (peripheral nerves), often causes weakness, numbness, and pain, usually in the hands and feet. It can also affect other areas and body functions including digestion, urination, and circulation.

Your peripheral nervous system sends information from your brain and spinal cord (central nervous system) to the rest of your body. The peripheral nerves also send sensory information to the central nervous system.

Peripheral neuropathy can result from traumatic injuries, infections, metabolic problems, inherited causes, and exposure to toxins. One of the most common causes is diabetes.

People with peripheral neuropathy generally describe the pain as stabbing, burning or tingling. In many cases, symptoms improve, especially if caused by a treatable condition. Medications can reduce the pain of peripheral neuropathy.

Products & Services

• Book: Mayo Clinic Guide to Pain Relief

Symptoms

Every nerve in your peripheral system has a specific function, so symptoms depend on the type of nerves affected. Nerves are classified into:

• Sensory nerves that receive sensation, such as temperature, pain, vibration or touch, from the skin
• Motor nerves that control muscle movement
• Autonomic nerves that control functions such as blood pressure, perspiration, heart rate, digestion, and bladder function

Signs and symptoms of peripheral neuropathy might include:

• Gradual onset of numbness, prickling or tingling in your feet or hands, which can spread upward into your legs and arms
• Sharp, jabbing, throbbing or burning pain
• Extreme sensitivity to touch
• Pain during activities that shouldn’t cause pain, such as pain in your feet when putting weight on them or when they’re under a blanket
• Lack of coordination and falling
• Muscle weakness
• Feeling as if you’re wearing gloves or socks when you’re not
• Paralysis if motor nerves are affected

If autonomic nerves are affected, signs and symptoms might include:

• Heat intolerance
• Excessive sweating or not being able to sweat
• Bowel, bladder, or digestive problems
• Drops in blood pressure, causing dizziness or lightheadedness

Peripheral neuropathy can affect one nerve (mononeuropathy), two or more nerves in different areas (multiple mononeuropathy), or many nerves (polyneuropathy). Carpal tunnel syndrome is an example of mononeuropathy. Most people with peripheral neuropathy have polyneuropathy.

When to see a doctor

Seek medical care right away if you notice unusual tingling, weakness or pain in your hands or feet. Early diagnosis and treatment offer the best chance for controlling your symptoms and preventing further damage to your peripheral nerves.

10 Signs You May Be Suffering from Nerve Pain

By Dr. Bussell – March 21, 2017

https://lluh.org/services/neuropathic-therapy-center/blog/10-signs-you-may-be-suffering-nerve-pain

Where does it hurt?

Your arms, hands, legs or feet? Is your entire body suffering from a stabbing, throbbing or numbness that even the simple act of walking becomes like an everyday chore?

If so, this pain you are feeling is known as neuropathy pain, which is nerve pain as the result of a lack of blood flow to the heart. This can cause certain parts of the body to feel discomfort and pressure making every day activities such as standing, balancing or picking up a spoon near impossible.

But don’t worry, you’re not alone.

Nerve pain is common in most diabetic and chemotherapy patients, as well as individuals suffering from a broken ankle or foot. Let’s take a moment to look at some of the more common signs to neuropathy pain.  Ask yourself do I have one or all of these pain symptoms?

1. Numbness or tingling in feet and hands
2. Loss of balance and falling
3. Throbbing and sharp pain
4. Extreme sensitivity to touch
5. Dropping things with your hands
6. Muscle weakness
7. Heavy feeling in arms and legs
8. Dramatic drop in blood pressure
9. Difficulty digesting
10. Excessive sweating

If you answered yes to one or all of these, you may be experiencing nerve pain. Recognizing this is the first step to getting the help you need.

So, how can you treat nerve pain?

For starters, a healthy diet and active lifestyle can contribute greatly to easing every day pain. Secondly, rest easy knowing there is a team ready and able to assist you at our new neurovascular clinic opening May 2017. It is here where our Intraneural Facilitation or INF™ treatment will be able to improve blood flow and reduce discomfort with three unique hold positions.

Trust me when I say this will be a game changer in pain relief.

Imagine getting up each morning, standing on your own and walking outside without any pain. That’s what I like to call a success.

Are you ready to experience a pain-free life?

Take the Next Step

If you’re suffering from nerve pain, our Neuropathic Therapy Center may be able to help using a breakthrough physical therapy treatment called Intraneural Facilitation or INF.™ For more information and to schedule an evaluation, call 909-558-6799 or request information online.

By Dr. Bussell – March 21, 2017

Where does it hurt?

Your arms, hands, legs or feet? Is your entire body suffering from a stabbing, throbbing or numbness that even the simple act of walking becomes like an everyday chore?

If so, this pain you are feeling is known as neuropathy pain, which is nerve pain as the result of a lack of blood flow to the heart. This can cause certain parts of the body to feel discomfort and pressure making every day activities such as standing, balancing or picking up a spoon near impossible.

But don’t worry, you’re not alone.

Nerve pain is common in most diabetic and chemotherapy patients, as well as individuals suffering from a broken ankle or foot. Let’s take a moment to look at some of the more common signs to neuropathy pain.  Ask yourself do I have one or all of these pain symptoms?

1. Numbness or tingling in feet and hands
2. Loss of balance and falling
3. Throbbing and sharp pain
4. Extreme sensitivity to touch
5. Dropping things with your hands
6. Muscle weakness
7. Heavy feeling in arms and legs
8. Dramatic drop in blood pressure
9. Difficulty digesting
10. Excessive sweating

If you answered yes to one or all of these, you may be experiencing nerve pain. Recognizing this is the first step to getting the help you need.

So, how can you treat nerve pain?

For starters, a healthy diet and active lifestyle can contribute greatly to easing every day pain. Secondly, rest easy knowing there is a team ready and able to assist you at our new neurovascular clinic opening May 2017. It is here where our Intraneural Facilitation or INF™ treatment will be able to improve blood flow and reduce discomfort with three unique hold positions.

Trust me when I say this will be a game changer in pain relief.

Imagine getting up each morning, standing on your own and walking outside without any pain. That’s what I like to call a success.

Are you ready to experience a pain-free life?

Take the Next Step

If you’re suffering from nerve pain, our Neuropathic Therapy Center may be able to help using a breakthrough physical therapy treatment called Intraneural Facilitation or INF.™ For more information and to schedule an evaluation, call 909-558-6799 or request information online.

By Dr. Bussell – March 21, 2017

Where does it hurt?

Your arms, hands, legs or feet? Is your entire body suffering from a stabbing, throbbing or numbness that even the simple act of walking becomes like an everyday chore?

If so, this pain you are feeling is known as neuropathy pain, which is nerve pain as the result of a lack of blood flow to the heart. This can cause certain parts of the body to feel discomfort and pressure making every day activities such as standing, balancing or picking up a spoon near impossible.

But don’t worry, you’re not alone.

Nerve pain is common in most diabetic and chemotherapy patients, as well as individuals suffering from a broken ankle or foot. Let’s take a moment to look at some of the more common signs to neuropathy pain.  Ask yourself do I have one or all of these pain symptoms?

1. Numbness or tingling in feet and hands
2. Loss of balance and falling
3. Throbbing and sharp pain
4. Extreme sensitivity to touch
5. Dropping things with your hands
6. Muscle weakness
7. Heavy feeling in arms and legs
8. Dramatic drop in blood pressure
9. Difficulty digesting
10. Excessive sweating

If you answered yes to one or all of these, you may be experiencing nerve pain. Recognizing this is the first step to getting the help you need.

So, how can you treat nerve pain?

For starters, a healthy diet and active lifestyle can contribute greatly to easing every day pain. Secondly, rest easy knowing there is a team ready and able to assist you at our new neurovascular clinic opening May 2017. It is here where our Intraneural Facilitation or INF™ treatment will be able to improve blood flow and reduce discomfort with three unique hold positions.

Trust me when I say this will be a game changer in pain relief.

Imagine getting up each morning, standing on your own and walking outside without any pain. That’s what I like to call a success.

Are you ready to experience a pain-free life?

Take the Next Step

If you’re suffering from nerve pain, our Neuropathic Therapy Center may be able to help using a breakthrough physical therapy treatment called Intraneural Facilitation or INF.™ For more information and to schedule an evaluation, call 909-558-6799 or request information online.

END

Appitite & Anxiety Out of Control

My Psychiatrist doctor took me off all other psych medications except Abilify and Effexor XR. Soon, I was anxious and depressed or manic. I am going through drug withdrawals. My PCP increased the dosage on other medications to compensate. They make me sleepy, and if I resist, I am a hungry eating machine, like eating a whole bag of sugar-free cookies in one day. This is Not good. I feel out of control and later ashamed and guilty.

Currently, I’m still feeling out of sync with my increased eating but have switched to fruit instead of cookies; it’s still calories that I don’t need. My sweet grandson shared a dozen of his squishy steeming animals to help with my anxiety attacks. I’m going to reach out to my psychiatrist before our appointment date. I can’t continue this way and sabotage my weight loss; as it is, I’ve gained 13 pounds this month.

Anxiety attacks can be from a mild sense of feeling overwhelmed. Something like needing to get lunches made for school children and noticing that the sink is nearly full of dishes again or the floor needs to be mopped (again) can cause anxiety. (Breathe Kat). Listening to someone complain about “not being able to” find their shoes, car keys, wallet, or having their shirt on backward can send me over the edge into a full-blown panic attack. By this time the sitting and deep breathing techniques have stopped helping. but I continue it anyway

The impulse to lash out at someone is hard to squelch; it isn’t anyone’s fault that I am feeling this way. Talking to myself and getting up and working on the above tasks does help redirect my impulses, I begin to calm down and make it a while or perhaps all day without another episode. Because of the panic attacks, I am exhausted and have to rest to regain my equilibrium and attitude of happiness.

END

Mayo Clinic Symptoms

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/panic-attacks/symptoms-causes/syc-20376021

Panic attacks typically begin suddenly, without warning. They can strike at any time — when you’re driving a car, at the mall, sound asleep or in the middle of a business meeting. You may have occasional panic attacks, or they may occur frequently.

Panic attacks have many variations, but symptoms usually peak within minutes. You may feel fatigued and worn out after a panic attack subsides.

Panic attacks typically include some of these signs or symptoms:

Sense of impending doom or danger
Fear of loss of control or death
Rapid, pounding heart rate
Sweating
Trembling or shaking
Shortness of breath or tightness in your throat
Chills
Hot flashes
Nausea
Abdominal cramping
Chest pain
Headache
Dizziness, lightheadedness or faintness
Numbness or tingling sensation
Feeling of unreality or detachment
One of the worst things about panic attacks is the intense fear that you’ll have another one. You may fear having panic attacks so much that you avoid certain situations where they may occur.

When to see a doctor
If you have panic attack symptoms, seek medical help as soon as possible. Panic attacks, while intensely uncomfortable, are not dangerous. But panic attacks are hard to manage on your own, and they may get worse without treatment.

Panic attack symptoms can also resemble symptoms of other serious health problems, such as a heart attack, so it’s important to get evaluated by your primary care provider if you aren’t sure what’s causing your symptoms.

Epilepsy- I’m too busy for you!

Having Epilepsy is a kick in the emotional gut. I have several types of epilepsy that are not controllable, and I have family issues. When  I spent time in the hospital July 18-21st, 2022, I went back to the ER on the 29th for cluster seizures; I had 15 between the doctor’s office and in the ER and three more at home.  Since then I have had multiple seizures that are partial, crying seizures, and eye seizures. Initially, the hospital thought I had a mild TIA Stroke that’s why all the testing. The hospital performed a Catscan, an MRI of my brain, an sonogram for Carotid Artery, Liver, Pancreas, Kidneys, and Echocardiogram of the heart. I have a tumor on the kidney and breast, no problem. And of course the lovely repeated blood test for my Diabetes with urine tests.

Now on to the emotional toll. My husband is so frustrated! He is helpless to prevent or stop my seizures, all he can do is watch me go through them. In his frustration he tells me to “snap out of it” he thinks I can stop it or control them. It hurts his male ego of being my protector and in his way of handling seizures; he gives me the silent and avoidance treatment which breaks my heart.  All I can do is try to minimize the triggers that may cause them. One support person is my younger daughter. She has researched many forms of epilepsy and understands how it affects people.

I have discovered that talking really loud in an emotional setting (yelling at me) or loud noises/sound can startle me, eye blinking or rapid strobe/flashing lights, waggling finger or stemming, and other causes of anxiety can bring on a partial seizure. Also, enjoying myself at a party or in a conversation with someone I like can bring on a “fast and furious (20 sec) seizure also.

See The Epilepsy Foundation website for more information. There are medications that work to stop them before or after they occur most of the time but no cure. Some people have said that having a seizure are selective attention-seeking moment.  As if the person having a seizure is actually doing it purposefully. There are enough hypochondriacs in life or those who seek attention from a medical crisis. However, I’m neither. I have too much living to do and it is irritating to me. Epilepsy- I’m too busy for you!

.

Nerve Pain Occurrences During Intimacy & Nerve Pain & Migraine Symptoms

*Note: if you are overly sensitive to discussions on intimacy issues, STOP reading the following article. *

For decades, I have had severe pain in my feet and headaches while my husband and I are intimate. Pain is preventing an organism from occurring and we must stop the process.

I have spoken to my primary physician about this occurrence, and he had never heard of such a thing and thought I should talk to my therapist. I spoke to my psychiatrist regarding the matter, and she told me it could be a trauma reaction to my childhood; my pedophilic father’s sexual behavior toward my sister and me. So I talked about it in my trauma therapy sessions, still had the pain, and recommended that I speak to my primary care physician. (Around and around it goes).

When I went to my Neurologist for Epilepsy and nerve pain in my neck and head after having an auto-accident with a whiplash injury. We discussed my face feeling tingly and my lips going numb, and severe headaches, before and after seizures and at other times not related to the partial seizures the results after an intensive hospital stay with a battery of tests is Migraines. . We also talked about pseudo seizures’ effects on the body.

I just happened to mention to her that I was having sharp pains in my feet when my husband and I are intimate. After some tests, she diagnosed me with “a nerve pain reaction.” They are in my feet, face, neck, and head, and are all related to each other as Nerve Pain responses to stimuli “it has a scientific medical name.” It was not tension headaches or psychiatric responses to trauma, after all. She put me on medications to try out. I am lucky because a couple of them working with each other worked out for me most of the time. I still get migraine headaches.

If you find that you are having nerve pain, speak to your doctors about it. Maybe you can get relief too. Take charge of your life and be an advocate for yourself. Although we are in our early 60s, I feel we are too young to give up on intimacy because of a health issue.

Thank you for reading my blog post. Kat Challis, July 03, 2022

END

Mayo Clinic on Migraine

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/migraine-headache/symptoms-causes/syc-20360201#:~:text=A%20migraine%20is%20a%20headache,sensitivity%20to%20light%20and%20sound.

A migraine is a headache that can cause severe throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation, usually on one side of the head. It’s often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. Migraine attacks can last for hours to days, and the pain can be so severe that it interferes with your daily activities. For some people, a warning symptom known as an aura occurs before or with the headache. An aura can include visual disturbances, such as flashes of light or blind spots, or other disturbances, such as tingling on one side of the face or in an arm or leg and difficulty speaking.

Migraines, which affect children and teenagers as well as adults, can progress through four stages: prodrome, aura, attack and post-drome. Not everyone who has migraines goes through all stages.

Prodrome
One or two days before a migraine, you might notice subtle changes that warn of an upcoming migraine, including:

Constipation
Mood changes, from depression to euphoria
Food cravings
Neck stiffness
Increased urination
Fluid retention
Frequent yawning

Attack
A migraine usually lasts from 4 to 72 hours if untreated. How often migraines occur varies from person to person. Migraines might occur rarely or strike several times a month.

During a migraine, you might have:

The pain is usually on one side of your head, but often on both sides
Pain that throbs or pulses
Sensitivity to light, sound, and sometimes smell and touch
Nausea and vomiting

Post-drome

After a migraine attack, you might feel drained, confused, and washed out for up to a day. Some people report feeling elated. The sudden head movement might bring on the pain again briefly.

When to see a doctor
Migraines are often undiagnosed and untreated. If you regularly have signs and symptoms of migraine, keep a record of your attacks and how you treated them. Then make an appointment with your doctor to discuss your headaches.

Even if you have a history of headaches, see your doctor if the pattern changes or your headaches suddenly feel different.

See your doctor immediately or go to the emergency room if you have any of the following signs and symptoms, which could indicate a more serious medical problem:

An abrupt, severe headache like a thunderclap
Headache with fever, stiff neck, confusion, seizures, double vision, numbness or weakness in any part of the body, which could be a sign of a stroke
Headache after a head injury
A chronic headache that is worse after coughing, exertion, straining or a sudden movement
New headache pain after age 50

The peripheral nervous system
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/peripheral-neuropathy/

The peripheral nervous system is the network of nerves that lie outside the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord).

It includes different types of nerves with their own specific functions, including:

sensory nerves – responsible for transmitting sensations, such as pain and touch
motor nerves – responsible for controlling muscles
autonomic nerves – responsible for regulating automatic functions of the body, such as blood pressure and bladder function
Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy
The main symptoms of peripheral neuropathy can include:

numbness and tingling in the feet or hands
burning, stabbing or shooting pain in affected areas
loss of balance and co-ordination
muscle weakness, especially in the feet
These symptoms are usually constant, but may come and go.

When to see a GP
It’s important to see your GP if you experience the early symptoms of peripheral neuropathy.

These include:

pain, tingling or loss of sensation in the feet
loss of balance or weakness
a cut or ulcer on your foot that’s not getting better
It’s also recommended that people at highest risk of peripheral neuropathy, such as people with diabetes, have regular check-ups.

A GP will ask about your symptoms and may arrange some tests to help identify the underlying cause.

You may be referred to hospital to see a neurologist, a specialist in health problems affecting the nervous system.

Generally, the sooner peripheral neuropathy is diagnosed, the better the chance of limiting the damage and preventing further complications.

Find out more about diagnosing peripheral neuropathy

The Man I Married

My man; Robert A Challis, is a man of honor. If he gives you his word that he will do something; pay a debt to you, give you something in barter, or just generosity, you can take it to the bank. He will go without if necessary to fulfill his promise to you. He has sacrificed our income through social security to see that he honors his commitment to the contractors again as his honor dictates; even though most contractors do not honor their word to him. He is a man of courage and valor. He realizes that life can be tricky but rises to the challenges thrown his way.

He puts his family first but only in God’s presence as he is a man of faith. He recognizes that we are finite in our time of living and tries to leave his contribution to his family one of morals, decency, and kindness. He loves his family– from his brothers, and sister, to his wife, children, and grandchildren- they are all of importance to him.

He is a man of principle. He will not lie to you, nor does he accept a liar’s presence in his home. He does not fight unless his home or family are threatened; then he uses the justice system and/or other means necessary. He believes in and supports our USA Constitution and the Bill of Rights. He respects our First Responders including police, military, and fire officers.

I am proud of my man, Robert A Challis, and the legacy that he will leave behind, instilled in our children and grandchildren, the goodness of living, the joy of serving our Lord, and the love of having worthy people in his life. I cherish the man I married, going on 45 years on August 19th, 2022.

Covid Vaccine: Not As Good As Experts Claim- A Cautionary Tale

My 11 year old grandson had the Covid-19 vaccine shot yesterday (3/28/22) at his Pulmonologist’s Covid vaccine came up. My daughter agreed to have it given to my grandson; it was touted as being safe and recommended for children.

The nurse gave my grandson the vaccine, within the 20 minute window he broke out in hives and started having increasing trouble breathing. The doctor came in listened to his lungs and treated him for the symptoms of Asthma, they monitored him for 30 minutes and sent him on his way.

Approximately 2 hours later, his breathing became really labored, and he was itching intensely and my daughter consulted the pediatrician via phone. She told my daughter to get him to Children’s Emergency now.

So she did. They took him in immediately. 4 hours later he is released to go home with instructions to take Benadryl every 6 hours for the next 48 hours. He had a serious reaction to the Covid vaccine. This morning, 10 hours later, he is breathing fine but still itching from the hives.

Unfortunately for my family—

My husband, younger daughter, and very healthy son-in-law (married to my elder daughter) each took the Covid vaccine last year. They all had various negative reactions to the vaccine. My husbands was blamed on COPD. My daughters was blamed on Asthma. My son-in-law, was healthy and developed the heart damage issues, forever now.

Now, I am not a conspiracy theorists or nay-sayer. All the adults in my family have Master’s + degree’s in my family, so were not stupid or over-reacting for the sake of attention. But, four people of different ages and nationalities; son-in-law is Chinese; grandpa, younger daughter, and her son are all Caucasian, it makes one wonder what is going on with the vaccine that is touted as safe by the scientific medical community.

We have had others in my primary family who have been vaccinated and had flu like symptoms last year for a day or two and were just fine, but have reverse “flu like” symptoms is still a negative reaction. Whether you are in favor or not in favor of the vaccine is immaterial to me. I just want to give you this information as a cautionary tale.

A view of Homeless Children

Runaways: For whatever set of reasons, some children have become homeless in America. Some are children who run away from home thinking they will be better off not living with their parents or guardians. Some children are born in hospitals only to live on the streets. They may live their entire life as a nomadic person, their parents staying one step ahead of local child protective services.

In the moment of anger, a child may say they are going to run away from home, and eventually, some do. These children grow up quickly, their childhood is stripped from them. They become prey to older children and adults. They in turn learn how to survive the brutality of living and existing on the streets. You may see people with stolen shopping carts or backpacks with their possessions – they are the “rich” ones. Mainly any possessions that runaways have are quickly taken from them by predators soon after leaving the protection of the home.

Shelter: If they are lucky, they might be able to get in line at a homeless shelter daily for the night sleeping arrangement, many do not. Pictures of people who live in state government purchased tents cities and having port-a-potties and one meal a day is a temporary condition that changes like the wind of administrations and state facilities do not guarantee safety. The remaining people like on East Lancaster a population center for the homeless sleep on the streets. They sleep with newspaper or cardboard in their clothes as most street burning bins are prohibited.

Cleanliness: Bathing opportunities are mostly non-existent as they are not welcomed into businesses to clean up themselves, and when they do get the opportunity they are putting back on their dirty, and stinking clothes. Clothing is another issue. Seasons in Texas roll into each other with hot – freezing- then warm days, rain, or wind or shine. They depend on charities to give them clothes donated by other people. A lot of the charities like goodwill charge a fee for the clothing. The truly free clothes closets limit how many changes (usually two) that a person can have per month or just a one-time annual service.

Survival: It is a fact that continual deprivation of basic privileges of food, water, shelter, and protection from the elements breaks the psychological and sociological soul of a person. Many become users of illegal drugs or illegal users of someone else’s stolen prescription drugs. Drugs are easy to come by if you are willing to break the laws of society or allow your body to be used by others. Many people have forms of mental illness like PDST as a result of being on the streets. Free counselors are few in number. Free psychiatrists and prescribed medications are almost non-existent. Medications for psychological treatments can cost thousands of dollars monthly; a cost that most people can not afford.

Medical: Free clinics are hesitant to prescribe mental health medications or any requested medication. They mainly cover colds, flues, and injuries. Lice are considered a social issue, therefore, not a disease. Most people with mental health issues do not think they have a problem or that they need a treatment plan.

Harassment: People call in complaints on the homeless for just being on their property or near them. Usually, a police officer will come out and “shakedown” the homeless person looking for illegal contraband on their body and in their backpack or shopping cart. They are just doing their job. Most officers have cards with numbers to an outreach program for the homeless where they might be able to find shelter and food-bearing in mind they can use a phone somewhere.

In memory of Jerimiah Nicholson, my nephew, in 2021, was beaten and stabbed to death on the streets. He wanted to explore America and experience life by seeing what was out there.

Article by: Kat Challis

Responsible Pet Ownership

I have had dogs since 1983 when I quit my Real Estate Management job and gave up renting and became a homeowner for the very first time. We had a wonderful cat named Boots and a beautiful Flex head Labrador Retriever dog named Angel. My two daughters would grow up with Angel and Boots to their natural deaths. Our heart was big and we would get other rescue dogs and cats to live out their appointed times by God.

Taking Care of Pets

(Dog, cat, rabbit, lizard, snake, rodent, pig, horse, llama, or any other animal pet)

It is more than feeding, watering, grooming, exercising, giving medical attention to, playing, and housing an animal. It is sharing your heart with them. When they are sick and when they are well, and when they die.

When you no longer want the pet for whatever reason. It is kind to re-home them if you can find a welcoming place. It is NOT kind or loving to drop them off in the country, lake, or urban setting. Your pet has to fend for itself to find food and water and a safe place to sleep. They feel betrayed by someone they love (humans). Often your unwanted pet will starve to death or join a pack of other animals in the same predicament. They can become vicious and attack humans and other animals.

When re-homing doesn’t happen, the humane way of getting rid of an unwanted pet is to take them to a Human Shelter with a NO Kill Policy. If that is unavailable to you then a regular shelter that kills humanly after so many days is better than abandonment. They have gone to “live on a farm” are the unofficial words of saying they have not been adopted and were killed at the shelter.

Photo by Arvind shakya on Pexels.com

Love your pet by being kind to them while they are under your protection and care.

Schizophrenia in Childhood

The Problems with Social Service Providers

When Jan 13th, 2022 rolls around- less than a month, my grandson runs out of mental health services at Cooks Hospital.

In the state of Texas, there are no facilities and very few if any general or family practice Psychiatry that will treat teenage children who have schizophrenia and Autism. Most doctors skip 13 to 15 years of age. We have been trying to locate a doctor in the DFW area for two months. Finding a Psychotherapist is just as difficult.

It is h heartbreaking for single parents and grandparents of such a child. It seems that any services that we utilize have more roadblocks than help. MHMR is unproductive among potential patients to be serviced. They claim they will help with resources but they do not actually find any, but they do encourage the family to do the research themselves.

Cook’s children age out at 12 years. The Psychiatrist they have to not see children outside of the hospital setting. Pecan Valley services will continue writing the prescription for three months while the social worker and parent/guardians search for another Psychiatrist.

What is it like having a child with schizophrenia?

Does a child with schizophrenia hear voices inside their head? It is not like an external conversation with dialogue with two or three people in a discussion. Imagine a hundred people talking all at once carrying on a conversation with different topics. I can reference it to a sphere where lines of voices cross each other and intersect each other like a basket weave.

As a patient during a recent hospital stay, I was taken off my psychiatric medications for thirty-eight hours. It wasn’t a good decision on the doctor’s part or on me- the patient’s behalf. Paranoid thinking came on in full force, The voices would not stop. The hallucinations were intermittent. The faulty logic or stinking thinking was rampant.

For a child not understanding what is happening to them it is very frightening. They do not know that what is going on inside their brain is a chemically based misfire of the synapse. All they want is for it to stop. Aggression or Anger usually shows its ugly head or deep depression- either way, the voices do not stop or the cacophony of sounds. People talking externally only adds to the chaos.

The schizophrenic is not faking symptoms for attention-seeking. They do not want to be different from the normal non-schizophrenic brain. They do not want the behavior repercussions. They do not like themselves.

Where do we go from here?

We have already established a need for the 13 to 16, year market. We need to get child-psychiatrist on board with a program geared towards helping these severely Autistic children with Mental Health issues. We need an in-patient facility to accommodate said, children. We need outpatient programs with individual, family, and peer counseling available. We need medication management doctors. We need advocates for these children who are lost in an overwhelming broken system of medical care.

Author, Kat Challis 12/17/2021

cards 06/18

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

My cards

Jesus Promise

When we moved in to our home on July 3rd, 2018 the rose bush was twigs that were not trimmed and did not produce flowers. We trimmed it lower to the ground and fed it regularly. I need to trim it again when it stops budding.

shirt card

owlish friendly

owlish friendly inside

bright flowers inside

love birds

mother’s day

unicorn

unicorn inside

Mother’s “Worthy” Day

Our children can be worthy of earthly praise on their own merits, on this Earth. Their actions speak louder than anything they say, they can break a heart, crush a spirit, kill a dream. They can also build encouragement, bolster freedom, endure their child’s heart aches, and give them moral and spiritual tools to battle todays’ world of issues with boldness and confidence.

It is difficult to be a strong single or married mother of children add their disabilities’ to the mix and some days and its seems impossible to continue but for the children’s sake life does go on, how it is done is up to you.

Recently, an issue came up whereas the curiosity of children must be answered with honesty and diplomacy while giving enough information to satisfy the child not shock them. Parents must be prepared for their moral values and spiritual believer’s to be summed up on the spot and at an age appropriate level.

Topics range from Christmas, Easter, Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy, etc. and why did you lie to me. Then go into why do we look different from the other gender (girls vs. boys), where do babies come from to how do they get into mommy’s stomach. Then you move into sexual interest and drug interest and a host of other issues. So be prepared don’t brush your children’s concerns off.

Given the basics of life decisions that are peppered every day teaching our children to be healthy decent human being’s is worthy of praise and recognition. With Mother’s Day coming around the corner, make your mom’s feel special. Whether its drawing a picture with you and her with an I Love You, a purchased or hand-made gift, a sentimental card that comes from the heart and not necessarily based on a need.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mom’. Mommy, and Mother’s– you are worthy of your children’s recognition and praise. And your children being too young is no excuse for them to honor their mother with acknowledgment and a heart felt “Thank you”.

Musings about Life Decision’s

In the midst of uncertainty, God is always there for me.

In my Ladies Life group today the subject of Baptism came up today. In fact it was part of Gods commandment. I was baptized when I was 10-12 years old, when my whole family’s was baptized as a group. I’m not 100% certain that I knew what it meant at the time. God has given me enlightenment over the past 45 years. He has enriched my soul in truth and in love. I have not been the model Christian, I have sinned, and I have been mentality ill, but always accountable for the choices I made. Jesus has been there every step of the way.

I’m sure you have already read about my suicide decision the silence and the final choice I made. You see God has already know about my decisions in life; whether I turn right or turn left the scenario’s play out through our self will. I don’t think my life would have been a contented life if I didn’t have Jesus in it as a forefront.

You know about my biological father ‘s death. Father was a miserable man. He was Bipolar and untreated. The nursing home he was in was despicable and smelled of urine and feces when one opened the door, but he was finically indigent and it was all he could afford. He was ready to die and welcomed it. During his life he was a mean person who served himself and thought and done evil things to others most of the time, then he would flip a switch mentality and be the best, sweetest person imaginable.

He played the guitar and and sang many hymens and popular music back in the day. He even had a band. But, his wife, my step mother and siblings did not support him in his efforts. Not one person save myself turned out for the prelude music concert at the Lyons Park event. I felt compassion for all of the band members. One man in particular, who killed himself a month later.

Whether we are mean or gentle God allows us to have free will. Here lately there has been too much meanness in our lives due to racism or determent that riots are needed. Our pastor said that we are living in a Babylon time of self-destruction and self-importance. I do not think he is wrong after listening to the news. I fear for the Christians citizens in the world. There is hate towards them and sadly even some among them towards non-believers. We must pray with a favor for God to anoint us and bring those ungodly an opportunity to come to know him. The song about God leaving the 99 Christians to go after the 1 unbeliever is potent and tells us where to begin in humility and with thanksgiving in our heart.

My Emergency Room Ordeal

Emergency Room

I have come home from an excellent eight days stay in the hospital only to find myself in the Emergency Room (ER) the following day with my injured leg. I was trying to get up from a gliding recliner when the injury occurred. My kneecap was at at 90 degrees to my 40 degrees right leg angle and locked up. My daughter Kassidey and my dear husband Robert thought the kneecap would pierce the skin any moment so they call for emergency medical and I was transported to the hospital by ambulance. The paramedics from the fire department and ambulance service said in their opinion that my knee was dislocated. Robert & Kassidey agreed that an emergency doctor was needed.

Robert had tried yanking on my leg to pull it straight, the paramedics had tested the strength by checking on the degree of angle and if it would move. They also put my leg in a blow-up cast that would become rigid around the injury.

Praise God, when I finally arrived at the hospital; driven over every pot hole in Texas, I was dropped out of the ambulance. No kidding, the ambulance and hospital workers pulled the gurney and I fell down -gurney and all- I screamed from the pain and surprise.

Inside the E.R. things were to become worse. The doctor came and looked at my leg. I told him that I had been due for orthopedic surgery that day but my doctor had backed out because of my epilepsy diagnosis. So the doctor got hateful with me and told me they didn’t have any orthopedic doctors on staff and asked what I wanted him to do. I told him he could stop the pain for one thing. He told me my leg was straight and the kneecap was in normal position that I didn’t have a dislocated knee and I misdiagnosed myself and wasted their time. But, I surmised that when the hospital staff dropped the gurney at an angle when they got me out of the ambulance my knee shook loose and the leg and returned to its normal position. Glory be to God.

Five hours later, the doctor came in and Kassidey was there waiting on him. The nurse had told him I was faking seizure’s. I had just spent a week in their hospital trying different medications to get the seizures under control. Kassidey told him flatly that his nurses need to go back to school and learn Neurology before they diagnose a patient on outdated information. And then, share that information with other nurses and technicians. But, I surmised that when the hospital staff dropped the gurney at an angle when they got me out of the ambulance my knee shook loose and returned to its normal position. Glory be to God.

What are a partial (focal) seizure? It happens when unusual electrical activity affects a small area of the brain. When the seizure does not affect awareness, it is known as a simple partial seizure. Simple partial seizures can be: Motor – affecting the muscles of the body. Sensory – affecting the senses. Most of the symptoms associated with simple partial seizure are internal and only noticed by the person having the seizure. These symptoms may include: changes in how something might taste, feel, look, or sound. Distorted vision of items around you or of your own body.

Types of Generalized-Onset Seizures:

1. Absence Seizures (“Petit Mal Seizures”) , Myoclonic seizures., Tonic and Atonic Seizures (“Drop Attacks”) Tonic, Clonic and Tonic-Clonic (Formerly called Grand Mal) Seizures. I happen to be in the ATONIC/CLONIC Seizure arena.
2. She (me) had a ligament medical complaint when the paramedics saw her. She didn’t appreciate me being dismissed so rudely by him just because the injury became less critical. She (me) didn’t come to the hospital ER because of not receiving surgery.
3. The doctor dismissed me by talking over me to Kassidey, telling her his observations and then said I would be discharged after a soft foam with metal straits would be bound on my leg to keep it straight and help prevent additional injury.

An hour and quarter hours later, I was released from the hospital. I was never so happy to leave a hospital ER than at that moment. I know ER is for injured or sick people; I was injured. But, just because you are injured or sick does not negate human kindness and dignity, it’s a two-way street. The doctor dismissing my injury, the nurse misdiagnosing me, the length of time waiting for the doctor to re-arrive and rend his verdict was all disrespected of my time and suffering.

I know ER’s are busy and understaffed, so are teachers, police, and engineers at critical life safety jobs, etc. If you are too tired to show the respect everyone deserves then you need to find a different job. I have had wonderful experiences in an ER prior to this when everyone did their job efficiently.

Faith in Forgiveness

Kat Challis 1/18/2021

Forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves. Jesus tells us to forgive our neighbors and ourselves.

Why is it so important that we learn how to forgive? Blame, Shame, Guilt, Condemnation… are all prompted by our moral compass. I believe that when Satan comes knocking in our subconscious and conscious, we have a choice to answer him with a negative “you’re not welcome here” and let God take care of the rest of it. Our moral compass allows us to take ownership, responsibility, of our mistakes (sin), endurance during condemnation, and finally acceptance of God’s grace (forgiveness).

Forgiveness has a two fold effect. First we have to forgive whom ever wronged us or that we wronged them and release the anger that blame and shame casts on our soul. There is a saying, “you can choose to forgive, but you don’t have to forget.” I was told by Pastor Hernon, a dear and godly man, that “God says that when we ask for forgiveness and receive it, that our sin is cast into a lake of fire (sulfur)/forgetfulness and remembered no more.” So, “make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” Colossians 3:13 (NTL)

• Matthew 6:14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.
• Matthew 6:15 (NLT) But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. 
• Nehemiah 9:17 (NLT) But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them,

Faith allows us to forgive. Faith in God, faith in Jesus the Christ our Lord, and faith in the Holy Spirit. Being a believer in the power of the Trinity does not make you a fanatical zealot. Rather it frees your soul to believe and accept God into your life and receive the glory of mercy and richness of life.

Acts of the Apostles 26:18 (NLT) … to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’

Good-bye 2020

What a magnificent world that we live as the end of the year 2020 comes to a close. It has been the most difficult year for many people. Covid-19 came to the populaces attention and meant death to the venerable in our society., the elderly. children, and adults’ with compromised immune systems. I usually do not write political pieces, but refer to paragraph 5.What a magnificent world that we live as the end of the year 2020 comes to a close. It has been the most difficult year for many people. Covid-19 came to the populaces attention and meant death to the venerable in our society. the elderly., children, and adults’ with compromised immune systems. I usually do not write political pieces, but refer to paragraph 5.

Wearing masks came in as a suggestion or law in some states, as the country reeled in discovery of what caused it and whom to blame for it. Protesters could destroy property and hurt people- all without wearing a mask. But they population could not go to church or attend a political rally in support of the President of the United States, without social distancing of 6 feet apart and dunnage of a facial mask.

We were shocked that Oregon passed a “tattle-tale” type of law that governs how many people can meet in a persons home or place of business with imprisonment and levy of fines of those caught breaking the law. Neighbor’s are encouraged to report their neighbors for the good of the masses. Doesn’t that remind one of Adolf Hitler’s party regime.

We were appalled by the suggestions of voter fraud. So many bad things occurred during the counting of votes to scream out “CROOKED” to even the Democrats. We were angry at the suggestion of the Nation Gun Ownership Registration, whereas all gun owners have to declare there guns to the state and be further more forced to surrender their guns or guns firing pins.

When good people do not do anything to contest the regime then they will reap what is sewn (Tyranny/Socialism) . This is paraphrased, but still true. I am very concerned about the future state of our nation. President elect Biden’s party is frightening and his Vice-President elect Harris, is even more so as she plans to take over the Presidency from Biden.

America needs to wake up and smell the burnt aroma of the WWII past involvement of the over-throe of a country from within its own borders. Socialism is one step away from Communisms. I am concerned about what country my grandchildren have inherited from us voters of the 2020 elections. I want to be able to teach my grandchildren the Freedoms that the Bill of Rights guarantee’s and the Constitution upholds that I grew up with.

I want a world of finical stability with steady growth of the economy, industries and good quality healthcare and educational opportunities. It would be nice to have a Free Public University Education for All, however, if this happens socialism in the form of higher taxation would occur- after all, there are no free-rides, the tax-payers have to pick up the ticket. Having had to pay for my husbands two-colleges and my currently paying my Masters Degree at UTPB university, the temptation to want to seek reimbursements is quiet appealing. The added benefit is a PhD. degree that would be offered if the tuition bill proposal passed Congress.

2021 is around the next corner. The Supreme Court will decided who won the votes in the Presidential Polls. I am rooting for Trump- don’t hate me! I’d rather go with someone I know than break ground with someone I don’t know. Either way, 2021 is a year of awakenings for all of us American’s no matter whom we voted for. I just hope people realize that God is in control, and that I pray evil will be warded off regardless of any political affiliation.

The End,

KAT

Disappointed Not Bitterness

Living with disappointment can be challenging. Yet, half of the voters will be disappointed that their candidate will not be the winner in this 2020 Presidential Election.  Our voting process is what defines America from other countries. We have FREEDOM to Disagree or Agree with our political party without FEAR of reprisals or government impunity.

I was speaking to my aunt tonight and she is voting for the other guy. She had reasons that sounded logical to her, and I have my reasons for whom I like. The beauty is that we can both like our candidates and be in the right.

Being human, I had to curb my desire to “educate” her and tell my side of the story of the pro’s and con’s of her choice and my choice.  Life is strange sometimes and we can get heated in a New York minute when it comes to religion and politics; so it’s best not to even go there.

I have friends that voted for the other guy—and they are still my friend. God gave us a great country to live in. It is full of potential. We have a responsibility to leave our world in a little bit better condition for having lived. Whether it is exercising our RIGHT to Vote or Speak our mind, we should do so with wise judgments.  I may be the one disappointed, but I won’t be BITTER! God is in control no matter who wins or loses, His goodness is relevant and will be exercised in any administration.  We all have a sober choice to make and that is to not allow disappointment to ruin our attitude and define our altitude.  KAT

Black cloud, silver lining

I have had a black cloud hanging over my head for 34 months. We have had little disasters erupting seemingly on top of each other. Health. Wealth. Success. Failure. Are all platitudes to comfort the brokenness of mankind.

You really don’t know how prepared you are for a crisis until you are in the middle of it.

Circumstance keeps lobbying for victory and utter ruins. I can not throw in the towel and run. I am made of sterner stuff.

I pray for wisdom once I am scaling the walls and wonder if I have been foolish. Perhaps I should look away from the horizon as one might do when trudging one foot in front of the other.

The silver lining is being alive. No conditions or qualifiers. Just survival for its sake or is it?

Contrary to popular beliefs life is supportable and can be dignified if only one seeks it so.

The marginal disasters keep reigning their foolish countenance as the black clouds dissipate only to scurry back again.

21st Century Entrepreneurial Literacy

21st Century Entrepreneurial Literacy
Kathy Challis
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin



Abstract

Students can become successful entrepreneurs during their middle years of development.

“According to research identified that leading programs for entrepreneurs education in the United States are Network for Teaching Entreprenueir (NFTE), Young Entrepreneurs, and the Kauffman Foundations program. Youth Venture targets students above age 12. In the United States, programs lack intervention at a younger age, but they exist worldwide.”  In the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), non-cognitive and innovative skills are assessed. Giving more opportunities for entrepreneurs to create more job markets and job positions.             Furthermore, children as young as age 4 can be taught the value of the economic and free-market system that we enjoy in the USA, Teaching children as early as 9-12 years old/3^rd grade can be productive in determining their successes in school and as a future entrepreneurial or employee.

 Keywords:  21^st-century,  ESSA, behaviorist, cognitive psychology, constructivism, social constructivism, experiential learning, multiple intelligence, situated learning theory, a community of practice, entrepreneurial literacy  It is contended that children need to start early as

Contents

Abstract 2

Entrepreneur: 10

Entrepreneurial mindset 11

Cultural mindset 11

Employer perspective………………………………………………………………………………………. 13

·      Initiative & Self-Reliance. 14

·      Flexibility & Adaptability. 14

·      Communication & Collaboration. 14

·      Creativity & Innovation. 14

·      Critical Thinking & Problem Solving. 14

·      Future Orientation. 15

·      Opportunity Recognition. 15

·      Comfort with Risk. 15

Entrepreneurial culture. 17

NFTE’s  Activities to Teach Entrepreneurship: 17

References. 20

Acronyms. 21

What is entrepreneurial literacy? How can entrepreneurial literacy be taught in K-12 and post-secondary educational facilities? Before the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), there was growing interest in identifying and measuring critical “noncognitive” skills, such as grit, conscientiousness, goal orientation, punctuality, ethics, efficacy, and others. Entrepreneurial Literacy is at the forefront of 21^st-century education preparation.  Critical thinking and problem-solving skills are essential to continued business development for the future generation of workers

. 66% of all new jobs haven’t even been invented yet, but with new technologies and innovations, our children need to be prepared to tap into the potential markets and opportunities. These are the theories that lead up to the 21^st– century goals: behaviorist, cognitive psychology, constructivism, social constructivism, experiential learning, multiple intelligence, situated learning theory, a community of practice.” 

The hypothesis statement.is presented in this paper as Students can become successful entrepreneurs during their middle 9-12 years of development “A seminal 2004 study of U.S. entrepreneurs, for example, analyzed their impressions of the relative importance of the Big Five personality traits – openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism – which psychologists believe are at the core of every individual’s personality.”  (Westwood 2017).

“Bill J. Bonnstetter, Chairman of Target Training International, researched more than 17,000 working adults, including “serial” entrepreneurs, and concluded that, “in contrast to ephemeral notions that entrepreneurial success comes as a result of perfect timing meeting brilliant ideas in a cosmic moment of alignment, [my] research indicates [that] entrepreneurially successful people are successful for a reason—that many of them highly display certain personal skills.” He further argued that the attributes of entrepreneurs, including goal orientation and interpersonal skills “are not inherent.” Rather, he wrote, “They can be learned and developed, especially early in life, and further honed throughout an entrepreneur’s career.” (Bonnstetter .)

The theoretical framework is the Engagement Theory. Engaged readers are intrinsically motivated, mentally active, and social.  Students that are more receptive to the entrepreneurial mindset have engagement theory qualities.  In recent years,  the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) has been working to fill this gap by developing and testing the Entrepreneurial Mindset Index (EMI)—a tool to measure attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs associated with being an entrepreneur. (NFTE 2018)

            With life-long learning and strategic training, students can become entrepreneurial or have an entrepreneurial mindset.  I am entrepreneurial. At age 26 yrs, I started a successful business called Unlimited Software Company that later merged with BobKat Computer Consultants. I operated the company for 13 years, then sold it to relocate to Texas. I mention this experience for a reason. When I was a child my parents had odd jobs as their secondary employment source. It was normal for me to watch them start with nothing; just an idea and that week’s paycheck, and form a company. Some companies had long life while others fizzled and burned out. I can write effective business plans easily and am very creative.

Engaged readers are more likely to succeed at starting a business or writing a business plan than unengaged readers. There is a strong correlation between non-critical thinking skills; accepting things at face value (low level of thought).  and the higher cognitive thinking skills, in areas such as self-control, interpersonal problem-solving, and critical reasoning. The opposite of critical thinking would be unimaginative, evidence-driven, limited, and impoverished thinking that leads to the same old expected solutions: Critical thinking doesn’t always cross over to include imaginative or resourceful thinking..(Thinking Writing,2012).

 Entrepreneurial in the teaching world. The hypothesis, “Students can become successful entrepreneurs during their middle years of development,“ is supported by the following conditions. Students as young as four years can be taught economic skills such as money management and free enterprise in their classrooms, though higher order of reasoning occurs at about 9-10  years of age, (third grade) whereas students can learn how to add to their bank account or save a portion of their earned monies for different purposes.

These middle years 9-12, can be fertile ground for inquisitive minds to germinate. Soft skills or non-cognitive skills such as being a team player, negotiating, prioritizing, problem-solving, and ethics, to name a few should be taught along with STEM classes (History, Mathematics, English, Science). We must ask ourselves, “What is entrepreneurial literacy? And How can entrepreneurial literacy be taught in K-12 and post-secondary educational facilities?” TO answer these questions we must first define theories associated with learning. The Office of Learning and Teaching (herein: OLT,2014) outlines them as follows: presents these theories of learning. “Learning theories develop hypotheses that describe how this process takes place. The scientific study of learning started in earnest at the dawn of the 20th century. The major concepts and theories of learning include behaviorist theories, cognitive psychology, constructivism, social constructivism, experiential learning, multiple intelligence, and situated learning theory and community of practice.” (The Office of Learning and Teaching 2014)

Behaviorism 

“Skinner, another influential behaviorist, proposed his variant of behaviorism called “operant conditioning”. In his view, rewarding the right parts of the more complex behavior reinforces it, and encourages its recurrence. Therefore, reinforcers control the occurrence of the desired partial behaviors. The basic idea of behaviorism is that learning consists of a change in behavior due to the acquisition, reinforcement, and application of associations between stimuli from the environment and observable responses of the individual. Behaviorists are interested in measurable changes in behavior.” (The Office of Learning and Teaching 2014)

Cognitive Psychology 

“In cognitive psychology, learning is understood as the acquisition of knowledge: the learner is an information-processor who absorbs information, undertakes cognitive operations on it, and stocks it in memory. Therefore, its preferred methods of instruction are lecturing and reading textbooks; and, at its most extreme, the learner is a passive recipient of knowledge by the teacher.) (The Office of Learning and Teaching 2014)

Constructivism 

“Learners are therefore viewed as sense-makers, not simply recording given information but interpreting it. This view of learning led to the shift from the “knowledge-acquisition” to the “knowledge-construction” metaphor. While there are different versions of constructivism, Jean Piaget and Jerome Bruner, what is found in common is the learner-centered approach whereby the teacher becomes a cognitive guide of learner’s learning and not a knowledge transmitter”. (McLoad, S. 2019)

Social learning theory 

“A well-known social learning theory has been developed by Albert Bandura, who works within both cognitive and behavioral frameworks that embrace attention, memory, and motivation. His theory of learning suggests that people learn within a social context and that learning is facilitated through concepts such as modeling, observational learning, and imitation. Bandura put forward a “reciprocal determinism” that holds the view that a person’s behavior, environment, and personal qualities all reciprocally influence each other.”  (The Office of Learning and Teaching 2010).  

Socio-constructivism 

“The essence of this criticism was that the information-processing constructivism saw cognition and learning as processes occurring within the mind in isolation from the surroundings and interact with it. Knowledge was considered as self-sufficient and independent of the contexts in which it finds itself. In the new view, cognition and learning are understood as interactions between the individual and a situation; knowledge is considered as situated and is a product of the activity, context, and culture in which it is formed and utilized. This gave way to a new metaphor for learning as “participation” and “social negotiation”. (The Office of Learning and Teaching 2010)

Experiential learning  

“Carl Rogers is an influential proponent of these theories, suggesting that experiential learning is “self-initiated learning” as people have a natural inclination to learn; and that they learn when they are fully involved in the learning process. Rogers put forward the following insight: (1) “learning can only be facilitated: we cannot teach another person directly”, (2) “learners become more rigid under threat”, (3) “significant learning occurs in an environment where threat to the learner is reduced to a minimum”, (4) “learning is most likely to occur and to last when it is self-initiated.” ((The Office of Learning and Teaching 2010) 

Multiple intelligences 

Gardner argues that every person’s level of intelligence consists of many distinct “intelligence”. This intelligence includes (1) logical-mathematical, (2) linguistic, (3) spatial, (4) musical, (5) bodily-kinesthetic, (6) interpersonal, and (7) intrapersonal.” (The Office of Learning and Teaching 2010)

Situated learning theory and community of practice

“They are developed by Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger. Situated learning theory recognizes that there is no learning which is not situated, and emphasizes the relational and negotiated character of knowledge and learning as well as the engaged nature of learning activity for the individuals involved.” (The Office of Learning and Teaching 2014) 

21st-century learning or skills 

“The current discussion about 21st-century skills leads classrooms and other learning environments to encourage the development of core subject knowledge as well as new media literacies, critical and systems thinking, interpersonal and self-directional skills. One main learning method that supports the learning of such skills and knowledge is group learning or thematic projects, which involves an inquiry-based collaborative work that addresses real-world issues and questions.” (The Office of Learning and Teaching 2014)

Entrepreneur:

            Dr. Robert Hisrich at Kent State University described an entrepreneur as “someone who demonstrates initiative and creative thinking [and] can organize social and economic mechanisms to turn resources and situations to practical account and accepts risk and failure” (Hisrich, R.D.1990)

Entrepreneurial mindset

            An entrepreneurial mindset refers to a specific state of mind that steers human conduct toward entrepreneurial activities and outcomes. Individuals with entrepreneurial mindsets are often drawn to opportunities, innovation, and new value creation (Lexicon, n.d.). “Furthermore, an entrepreneurial mindset is a set of skills that enable people to identify and make the most of opportunities, overcome and learn from setbacks, and succeed in a variety of settings. Research shows that an entrepreneurial mindset is valued by employers, boosts educational attainment and performance, and is crucial for creating new businesses.” (NFTE white paper 2018)

 

Cultural mindset

This study defines culture as the behaviors beliefs, mindset, and values within specific community groups. An entrepreneurial culture is the principles, values, and mindset within [the] framework of the entrepreneur’s business practices. The definition of an entrepreneurial culture aligns with Ernst & Young’s definition (2015, p. 6): “Entrepreneurial culture is not just about starting a startup. It is about culture, mindset, values, principles, etc.,” and it stems from the entrepreneurial mindset.” (Aigerim Mukhambetova, Asa Maria Camnert and Ariane Williams) [A Design Approach to Teaching an Entrepreneurial Mindset]

A collaborative approach can help build communication and team-building skills, encourage students to accept each other, and approach, validate, and engage with the material more effectively (Johnson et al., 1981; Steiner and Posch, 2006).

Teachers in particular understand and accept that 66% of all new jobs will be created/ invented by 2045, and society will need entrepreneurs to see it through. (Dept. of Labor Job Statistics, 2019) and therefore the  Entrepreneurial mindset is formed. An entrepreneurial mindset refers to a specific state of mind that steers human conduct toward entrepreneurial activities and outcomes. Individuals with entrepreneurial mindsets are often drawn to opportunities, innovation, and new value creation (Lexicon, n.d.). “Furthermore, an entrepreneurial mindset is a set of skills that enable people to identify and make the most of opportunities, overcome and learn from setbacks, and succeed in a variety of settings. Research shows that an entrepreneurial mindset is valued by employers, boosts educational attainment and performance, and is crucial for creating new businesses.” (Mukhambetova Camnert, et al.2019)

“For example, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) defines the following as key: core subjects (e.g. English, math, geography, history, civics) and 21st-century themes (global awareness, civic literacy, health literacy, environmental literacy, financial, business and entrepreneurial literacy); learning and innovation skills (creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, communication and collaboration); information, media and technology skills (e.g. ICT literacy, media literacy); and life and career skills (flexibility and adaptability, initiative and self-direction, social and cross-cultural skills,” (The Office of Learning and Teaching 2014)  

Non-cognitive skills can be taught an example is the “Year Up program, which provides low-income youth with internships and training, has demonstrated that young people can learn noncognitive skills like time management, teamwork, problem-solving, and conflict resolution, and that these attributes, in turn, positively impact their experiences in the labor market.”  (NFTE white paper, 2017)

“If the job of [a] school is to prepare students for college and career, then it is essential for educators to teach entrepreneurship. According to Millennial Branding, a Gen-Y Research & Management Consulting Firm, one in three employers seek entrepreneurial experience in its hires” (Dawson, 2017)

The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) notes that “An extensive body of literature suggest[s] that entrepreneurial skills such as creative problem solving and collaboration are important for academic success.” In other words, even for students who never want to launch a startup, entrepreneurial education is beneficial. When students hone their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, they prepare for college, career, and 21st-century success.

The Problem we have in hiring youthful entrepreneurs are as follows:

• Youth are not prepared to seize the opportunities of the 21st century.
• New businesses account for nearly all net new job creation and almost 20% of gross job creation. [Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, 2015]
• Entrepreneurs age 20-34 have been on the decline, down from 34.3% of all new entrepreneurs in the 1997 Kauffman Index to 25% in the 2016 index.
• 71 million youth are unemployed. [International Labour Organization]
• 1 in 3 U.S. employers seeks entrepreneurial experience in its hires. Millennial Branding]
(Aigerim Mukhambetova, Asa Camnert, et al.)

The Solution = Mindset: Success starts here. Teaching entrepreneurship changes mindset. The following are a list of non-cognitive skills that are used every day by entrepreneurs. Our Entrepreneurial Mindset Index (EMI) measures eight core domains that we have identified, through our own research and that of others, as critical to becoming entrepreneurial.

• Initiative & Self-Reliance

The power to take ownership of a project without input or guidance and work through obstacles independently.

• Flexibility & Adaptability

The ability and willingness to change actions and plans to overcome present and future challenges.

• Communication & Collaboration

The ability to clearly express ideas to an intended audience, including persuading others to work towards a common goal.

• Creativity & Innovation

The ability to think of ideas and create solutions to problems without clearly defined structures.

• Critical Thinking & Problem Solving

The capacity to apply higher-level, process-oriented thinking, consider an issue from a range of possible perspectives and use that reasoning to make decisions.

• Future Orientation

An optimistic disposition with a focus on obtaining the skills and knowledge required to transition into a career.

• Opportunity Recognition

The practice of seeing and experiencing problems as opportunities to create solutions.

The capacity to move forward with a decision despite inevitable uncertainty and challenges.(NFTE-EY Research Brief, 2019)  “Under the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), states are now required to build into their accountability systems at least one additional measure of school quality and student performance, beyond traditional academic outcomes.” (NFTE-whitepaper 2017).

LEARNINGS FROM NFTE’S ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET INDEX

“To help more students, in the U.S. and around the globe, develop an entrepreneurial mindset, policymakers, funders, and education leaders should consider the following strategies:

 • Incorporate entrepreneurship into mainstream education. A focus on entrepreneurial skills should not be unique to career and technical education or business education programs. Teaching these skills can and should be built into mainstream classrooms and curricula. There are currently a number of efforts in Europe, Asia, and elsewhere to make entrepreneurship education mandatory for young people. It will be important to evaluate the implementation and impact of these initiatives and apply lessons learned to the development of new entrepreneurship education efforts around the world

• Redefine entrepreneurship as a fundamental part of the learning process. The evidence is clear: Entrepreneurial skills are valuable in many spheres. Entrepreneurship is not just about owning a business, but about developing a suite of practical skills that can help people set and achieve goals, overcome and learn from setbacks, and maximize opportunities, throughout their lives

 • Bring entrepreneurs into the classroom. One way to help students learn entrepreneurial skills is to expose them to experienced, successful entrepreneurs. Policymakers should support mentoring programs and innovative partnerships that bring entrepreneurs into the classroom.

• Build entrepreneurial skills into accountability systems. As policymakers rethink the skills that schools and systems will be held accountable for imparting, the entrepreneurial mindset should be part of the conversation, with the understanding that specific Entrepreneurship is not just about owning a business, but about developing a suite of practical skills that can help people set and achieve goals, overcome and learn from setbacks, and maximize opportunities, throughout their lives. performance benchmarks should only be considered based on further research and evaluation of methods for teaching and measuring entrepreneurial mindset

. • Invest in relevant and rigorous research.. More research is needed to crystalize the links between entrepreneurial mindset and other important outcomes—and to identify the most effective practices and tools for helping students develop entrepreneurial skills.” 

• Individuals with entrepreneurial mindsets are often drawn to opportunities, innovation, and new value creation (Lexicon, n.d.). For this analysis, an entrepreneurial mindset is defined according to the Entrepreneurial Mindset Index by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) and consists of the following traits:

• Opportunity recognition

• Comfort with risk

• Creativity and innovation

• Future orientation

• Flexibility and adaptability

• Initiative and self-reliance

• Critical thinking and problem solving

• Communication and collaboration

Entrepreneurial culture.

This study defines culture as the behaviors that cultivate innovative thinking outside of the box.

NFTE’s  Activities to Teach Entrepreneurship:

1. Turn class participation in speaking events.

Instead of standard class discussions, give students a chance to practice public speaking. Teachers can make this shift by integrating Ignite Talks or pop-up debates. These work in any subject area. With these activities, kids feel positive pressure as they speak to an audience. Entrepreneurs do this when pitching to investors or speaking to customers.

 2. Introduce project-based learning (PBL).

When entrepreneurs launch a startup, they often begin by attempting to solve a narrowly defined problem. For example, companies like Uber and Lyft solve a transportation problem by facilitating immediate access to reliable car rides, so that people can travel more cheaply and conveniently. Teachers can launch a PBL initiative that empowers students to define real-world problems and create solutions for those problems.

Buck Institute for Education (BIE), an organization that supports PBL in schools, describes this process as a way for students to “gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge.” ( Encouraging Future Innovation, n.d.)

3. Integrate high-quality, nonfiction texts into the curriculum.

By bringing in relevant, contemporary material to the classroom, teachers can engage students with the issues they care about. Students can research a cause that matters to them.

For example, let’s imagine that your students read five articles throughout the semester about environmental issues. Next, ask students to vote on the issue that feels most important to them. Go further by helping students reach out to experts in the field. Lastly, help students organize a fundraising or volunteering activity that helps students to make an impact in this area outside of the classroom.

 4. Work with authentic tools and platforms.

With the proliferation of 1:1 device, there is a flood of communication and classroom tools geared towards students. But these tools, which often have a narrow use case confined to the classroom, shelter students from the authentic digital world.

“Free sites like WordPress, SoundCloud, YouTube, GoFundMe, and Instagram, however, are used by entrepreneurs to establish platforms and grow audiences. By using these same tools in a lesson or project, students can practice the same methods that modern entrepreneurs use to share their work with the world. Of course, mind your district policies and consider student age when using these tools

Not many students will launch a startup from their classroom. But with the right mindset and a few well-chosen strategies, teachers can help students develop the skills they need to succeed in our increasingly entrepreneurial world. Rooted in Social Cognitive Career Theory, the Entrepreneurship Education Project data initiative is the largest, most comprehensive study of students across the globe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Brandstaetter,1997:160 New Entrepreneurial Traits: Cattell’s 16PE, to 16PA and situational characteristics P.128. https://books.google.com/books?id=135_AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA128&lpg=PA128&dq=Brandstaetter,1997),+for+extraversion&source=bl&ots=GNNml9-PR5&sig=ACfU3U2aJ-lRack3XnYYIGak8NXg3lfeRg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiM98rTwabqAhXUGc0KHTV1BIcQ6AEwAHoECAcQAQ#v=onepage&q=Brandstaetter%2C1997)%2C%20for%20extraversion&f=false 

Caliendo, M., Fossen, F. & Kritikos, A.S. Personality characteristics and the decisions to become and stay self-employed. Small Bus Econ 42, 787–814 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-013-9514-8 (Herrmann, 1989) Viewed June 15, 2020

Dawson, Gerard, Ideas & Best Practices:  How to Teach Entrepreneurship to Students, December 15, 2017. Reviewed June 15, 2020. https://blog.thinkcerca.com/how-to-teach-entrepreneurship-to-students

Entrepreneurial Mindset Resources, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship: What is an Entrepreneurial Mindset? Reviewed June 17, 2020, https://www.nfte.com/entrepreneurial-mindset/

Gautam, Manish Kumar, Entrepreneurship Education: Concept, Characteristics, and Implications for Teacher Education March 2015. Reviewed June 16, 2020.  http://knowledgecommissionarchive.nic.in/downloads/documents/NKC_Entrepreneurship.pdf”

Gold, Thomas, and  Rodriguez, Sophia. MEASURING ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET IN YOUTH: LEARNINGS FROM NFTE’S ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET INDEX. Nov. 2018. Reviewed June 16, 2020. http://www.nfte.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/NFTE-Whitepaper-Measuring-Entrepreneurial-Mindset-in-Youth-November-2018.pdf

Howell, Ryan, and Donnelly, Grant, 2012 Journal of Economic Psychology 33(6):1129-1142 Project: The Big Five personality traits, material values, and financial well-being of self-described money managers review June 15, 2020. DOI: 10.1016/j.joep.2012.08.001

The Impact of Entrepreneurship Education: Introducing the Entrepreneurship Education Project. Retrieved  Jun 17, 2020, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264679239

International Bureau of Education, (n.d.) Most influential theories of learning Retrieved June 15, 2020, http://www.ibe.unesco.org/en/geqaf/annexes/technical-notes/most-influential-theories-learning

(Jackson.1994,conscientiousness) International Journal of Development and Sustainability  ISSN: 2186-8662 – http://www.isdsnet.com/ijds Volume 7 Number 10 (2018): Pages 2385-2402 ISDS Article ID: IJDS18041303 (1) (PDF) Entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial behavior. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330006170_Entrepreneurial_self-efficacy_and_entrepreneurial_behavior [accessed Jun 15 2020].

McLoad, S. (2019). Constructivism as a theory for teaching and learning Teaching of Psychology. Psychology Learning & Teaching, 18(2), 212-217. doi:10.1177/1475725719835385

Mukhambetova, Aigerim.  Camnert, Åsa Maria,  Williams, Ariane, Design Management A Design Approach to Teaching an Entrepreneurial Mindset First published:08 December 2019   https://doi.org/10.1111/dmj.12053

NFTE Blog (2019). “Want young people to succeed in work and life? Lead with entrepreneurial skills and mindset.” https://www.nfte.com/world-youth-skills-day-young-people-succeed-in-life-and-work-with-entrepreneurial-skills-and-mindset/

NFTE-EY Research Brief (2019). “Supporting the next generation: The entrepreneurial mindset and the future of work.” https://www.nfte.com/

NFTE white paper (2018). “Measuring Entrepreneurial Mindset in Youth: Learnings from NFTE’s Entrepreneurial Mindset Index.” http://www.nfte.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/NFTE-Whitepaper-Measuring-Entrepreneurial-Mindset-in-Youth-November-2018.pdf

NFTE white paper (2017) On Ramp to Opportunity https://www.nfte.com/entrepreneurial-mindset/

(NFTE)  Entrepreneurial Mindset https://www.nfte.com/entrepreneurial-mindset/The Office of Learning and Teaching, 2014. Department of Education and Training; OECD, 2010. Most Influential Theories of Learning, http://www.ibe.unesco.org/en/geqaf/annexes/technical-notes/most-influential-theories-learning  

The Office of Learning and Teaching, 2004. Melbourne: Department of Education and Training; OECD, 2010. Nature of Learning, Paris: Author; http://www.p21.org/

Office of Disability: Encouraging Future Innovation: Youth Entrepreneurship Education (n.d.)- Employment Policy – United States Department of Labor, Reviewed June 15, 2020.  https://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/entrepreneurship.htm

Prokopowicz, Dariusz, Business Administration: Entrepreneurial Skills – Science topic Reviewed June 15, 2020, https://www.researchgate.net/topic/Entrepreneurial-Skills

Thinking Writing.” Non-Critical and Critical Approaches | Thinking Writing, University of London Queen Mary, 2012, www.thinkingwriting.qmul.ac.uk/non-aritical/critical#:~:text=Non%2Dcritical%20approach.,is%20not%20treated%20as%20contestable.

Westwood, R. (2017, January 10). The Traits Entrepreneurs Need To Succeed. Retrieved from Management Decision, Vol. 42 Iss 2 pp. 243 – 258 https://www.forbes.com/sites/ryanwestwood/2017/01/09/the-traits-entrepreneurs-need-to-succeed/.

Acronyms

Buck Institute for Education (BIE)

Entrepreneurial Mindset Index (EMI)

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE)