Becoming an Entrepreneur

I graduated from college, why would I need to supplement my income?

So, you have done everything right. Graduated high school with honors, completed college with decent grades, and landed a job in you major before even crossing the stage to receive your bachelor's degree. Yet, 16 years later, you still need to supplement your income. 

This sounds oh so familiar. Especially so among educators. How is it that the most important people in the WORLD are so severely underpaid? 

I will say this, American tends to underpay their teachers more so than any other country. In the European countries, they call their teachers NATION BUILDERS! In America, teachers should be glad they even have a job, right? 

Wrong!!! This is wrong on so many levels. Teachers in America are living paycheck to paycheck. Educating the youth and sending them off into the world armed with skills that should land them a decent salary. Many of my students make more than I will ever imagine being a teacher. If that doesn't suck, I don't know what does. 

As a 10th grade science teacher in Hampton Roads, VA, I make about $10,000 below the national average. Do you know what I could do with an extra $10,000? It would literally change my life! Last year was the first time I have received a raise in years. That was 2%. Now, don't get me wrong, I appreciate every little bit, but I didn't even notice that on my check. It was eaten alive by taxes. 

I go into work EVERY day! When I am well, I got to work. When I am sick, I go to work. I am always at work, yet I stay broke and looking for ways to supplement my "teacher check". When I have discussions with my colleagues, the sentiment is the identical. There is not one teacher that I know of who does not have a side-hustle!!! Whether it is teaching a home-bound student, curriculum writing, tutoring, or even having a part-time job with an employer, all of the teachers that I know are doing something other than relaxing after work and enjoying life. Some are even going back to school to get extra degrees only to end up in more debt to earn an extra $2500. How frustrating is that. 

At work we are run into the ground. From lesson plans, to daily attendance calls and duty schedules, we are busy ALL day. Barely even having time to eat lunch or use the restroom. What gives? Overworked and Underpaid is the slogan that fits our situation best. 

When I think back to all that I could have been, it is very upsetting. The city garbage worker with the same amount of employment time makes an average of $34,420 per year. This is about the same as a new teacher in VA. Now, in no way am I saying their job is easy, but I am saying that teachers deal with a lot more BS on a daily basis. We are teachers, counselors, probation officers, psychologists, parental figures, you name it and we wear that hat! Yet, we make pennies compared to many other professionals. 

So, what is the solution?

After years of struggling to make ends meet, I decided to stop sitting around and complaining about it and do something!! I started my own business. I began making hair bows and bow ties! It wasn't long before I began to branch out to make other things. Eventually, I founded Kustom Kreations by Nikkia. I customize items for customers from t-shirts to tumblers. I have found that not only does it help to supplement my income a bit, it is very soothing. It helps me to release stress. I have also taken up crocheting!! Yes, this black girl is learning how to crochet. 

Hopefully, this will all pay off. I feel that faith without works is dead! This was written and I believe it. We can sit around and complain as much as we want to but, if we don't MOVE, our actions will fall by the wayside. If you are finding yourself in rut financially, figure out what it is that you can do best.....and share it with others. At a cost of course. There is nothing better than a good hustler!!  

Let your anger insight change!!!!

We can be angry about the outcome of the Zimmerman trial, but unless we insight change, time will pass without any variances in the outcome of situations in the everyday lives of black people. This case is not the first to be a slap in our faces, and it surely won't be the last. However, if we make the proper alterations to our being, then we can get the change that we so hope for. 

Racism is real, stronger than ever, and lives deep in the hearts of those who possess it. It is not going anywhere anytime soon, so will we ever be able to live in this country with a lack of fear of being a victim of prejudice and/or injustice?

I want to first ask where racism originates? I mean, what makes a person think of themself as being "higher up" on the human totem pole than someone else simply because of race? Based on my knowledge of human anatomy and physiology, if you remove the epidermal layer of the skin (top layer), we are all the same color! In all actuality, that color just so happens to be WHITE! Have you ever heard the saying, "down to the white meat"? Yes, it's true! 

Americans of color must realize that the forty acres and a mule story, was an uninsured promise. We are not going to recieve any handouts that will empower us as a people. Government assistance is a handout, but is it a handout that will empower anything? No, it puts us in a place of submission. It demeans us. What must we do? 

I charge black America, mainly the lower and middle class, to stand up and take our places in America. No, we didn't ask to be here, but this is all we know. This is all we have. To vote for a black president does nothing if we don't vote locally, and give him the support he needs. We must first of all, educate ourselves. I didn't say to necessarily obtain a college degree, because somewhere in time, we have adopted the belief that a degree is what makes us educated. I was educated before I attended college! College simple heightened my senses, and perfected my knowledge of biology. It taught me nothing about living and succeeding in this world as a black woman. College is NOT for everyone, plus the mess is expensive, but reading is and has always been fundamental. There are so many resources that go unused which can serve as a means to enlighten us. We must become involved in our communities, and do whatever it takes to persuade young people that an education is their way out of most negative situations that they were born into. It leads to careers, success, and accomplishments that we can be proud of . Without it, the rut that our feet are dug into, will forever remain. 

Let your anger, pain, and disgust fuel the movement. It is never too late to make a change, but before we can change anything else (including non-minority opinions of blacks), we must first begin with ourselves. We must teach future generations that working for a living is the ladder to the top of the totem pole. Where did the notion that sitting on our asses all day is an ideal way if living? Answer, when it became so readily and easily accessible. When people were not put on a time limit as far as government assistance, that gave some people a comfort zone. It is perfectly alright to seek assistance when needed (disabled, laid-off, etc.), but to make a living off of it speaks to a person's character. To have babies (that the working class is providing for), and allow them to grow up observing your joy when you get your monthly voucher for rent and food, yet they have seen you at home laid up for the past two weeks makes me angry! When and where did you earn that money? I know.....it was taken from my check. Taken out of MY household. We then end up with a group of non-motivated, lazy young adults who feel they are entitled to a handout. NOTHING IS FREE. It all comes with some type of sacrifice. 

This never-ending cycle of doom and poverty will continue until a change is invoked. Will taking public assistance force people to get out and work for theirs? I work for mine. I cringe at the thought that my daughter was home schooled for preschool because my teacher income was not enough to afford preschool! My husband and I make too much for any government funded head-start program. Thankfully, she is smart and has a support system to assist her. I can't send my baby to preschool, yet I am the teacher who teaches the child whose mom sits at home and cashes out monthly from my paycheck! Her child gets best services, and by the time I get home to my own child, I am running on fumes. What sense does that make?

We must do better. We can't keep blaming the system for all of our woes. We must take the blame for some of the mess we get into. We do rob, steal, and kill! We can't get mad that we have a bad rap, we gave it to ourselves. We put ourselves in situations to be judged and stereotyped. It's sad that we can't express ourselves and show our diversity without being profiled as a certain type of person...a dangerous person.....up to no good. 

Pray you all, and pray hard. It changes things, but the Lord helps he who helps himself. 

We have so much to do, so far to go. Maybe this trial and verdict will serve as a wake up call to our people, not just blacks, all people. I call for unity, teamwork, and a fight for perseverance. Wake up before it's too late. We are no longer moving forward. Some think that because Obama has been elected that he is our saving grace. It means nothing. I have not "come up" nor do I feel any differently as an American citizen since we elected a black man as president. Racism rears its ugly head every time the representatives knock down anything helpful that he tries to pass. The lack of support gives off a heavy hint. Also, I have learned that Obama had not met with the Black Caucus for two years up until a few weeks ago! We are not primary to the issues of America. We have to make ourselves primary in our own minds before we become primary to the country. Black President or NOT!

Wake up and smell the stench of the old, stale coffee that we have been served. It's black.....dark black, like my emotions right now.

Until next time. Be safe people.

KiaWill     

Tough love.....where are you at?

Well, school is out for the summer!!! Woo-hoo!  I am enjoying a well-deserved summer vacation.  Wait....I have children of my own!!!  Two girls. That means, I am temporarily experiencing being a stay-at-home mom.  My second full-time job begins on my last day as a teacher.  Let me first take my hat off to all of the parents who stay at home with children 24-7.  It is NOT easy.  First of all, I am NOT used to feeding my children three meals per day, except for weekends and vacations.  The little one will demand nothing less than three, with snacks in between!! She is the greediest. :) My children demand ALL of my attention. They get bored very easily and for some reason, feel that I am their playmate.  I try to explain to the oldest that her baby sister exists for a purpose.....to be HER playmate! That doesn't seem to get through to her though.  LOL. Despite my dire need to rest and relax, I understand that it is my duty to be there for my children, and give them what they need to be successful in the future. 

There is one main characteristic that shows up in many of my students.....the lack of attention at home. Too many of us depend on other outlets to entertain and educate our babies.  Yes, Sesame Street and Dora can be educational, but they are not enough.  It has also been proven that too much electronic stimuli can hinder children when the time comes for them to display creativity in the classroom.  I witness the damage as I try to teach my students, and unless I display a large amount of creativity, they do not learn efficiently as they should.  They are used to vivid, bright images that move and bounce around.  That, of course, does not describe me!  I am a very fun and enthusiastic teacher, but it can be very difficult to grasp and keep their attention at all times.  I must continuously have their attention being that the pace of the courses can be so strenuous.  I must teach them everything they may see on the tests given at the end of the year.  This task has become more difficult since testing has become the main focus in education, and the worst tool used to gauge whether students have mastered the information.

With this being said, I want to encourage all parents to take an active part of your child's life and most importantly, their EDUCATION.  Without a proper education, they will have a difficult time handling life's lemons.  With an education and strong foundation, lemonade can be squeezed out of those lemons.  Without it....well, there are several paths that lead down treacherous roads that will definitely leave a sour taste in their mouths.  The sad thing is that I have an advanced education, and it is far from easy.  My needs are met and even some of my wants, but as a teacher, I am severely underpaid.  I actually work for the lowest paying districts in my area!!!  I have an undergraduate degree, but make less than some people who have never stepped foot on a college campus!  When will the decision-makers wake up and see that what you pay a person greatly influences the quality of the product expected.  I do my best, but imagine how much better I would perform in the classroom if I knew that I was appreciated and cherished. How much a person is paid, surely expresses how appreciated and cherished an employee really is to a company. 

There has always been a saying, "it takes a village to raise a child". I feel this was true back in the day, and is more so true now.  However, the first experiences that a child receives come from the first hut in that village the they are a part of.....home!  Parents and immediate family are the primary leaders in the initial years of our lives.  I learned all of my morals and values from my parents,grandmother, and older sister, because that is who I lived with.  These are the people who taught me how to do everything that I should have known prior to attending school.  When a child enters kindergarten, they already have a personality that has been molded by their home environment.  I know for a fact that my girls watch me.....they watch me like a hawk.  Their initial impression of how a woman is to carry herself, comes from me.  Their first impressions of how a man should treat them, come from the way their father treats me. 

We must understand and behold the fact that our behaviors and beliefs, are passed down from one generation to the next.  Our children in lower socioeconomic neighborhoods are not necessarily the ones who suffer the most.  In fact, these are your closer knit families.  They may not have the biggest house, nicest car, or cable TV in every room, but they may have the love and support that keep them motivated.  The upper echelon families are more prone to throwing money and material items at their children in place of the quality time that is necessary.  Many of my behaviorally challenged, alternatively educated students are poor, but some are not.  Some of them have two parents in the household who hold down full-time, decent-paying jobs! What went wrong?  That is the magic question.  My honest answer: We are heavily influenced by outside interests.  We are influenced by law.  We are intimidated by the fact that if we use some of the tactics used by our ancestors, that the heavy hand of the law will smack us around.  Although it may be true that I will not physically discipline my children in public, they know from experience that negative behaviors will be checked in the privacy of our HOME!!!!  The fear has navigated us away from being in control of our children.  Sometimes I have to ask, who is the parent?  Why are so many parents afraid of their children?  You wouldn't believe how staggering the number really is.  I am NOT afraid to be the mother that my mother was to me.  She would knock me out first, and think about it later.....if at all.  Most of the time, she would just keep it moving, and continue to converse with me as if nothing even happened (although would still be fuming). LOL. I had the comfort in knowing that my mother did what she did out of love.  That made me who I am today; God-fearing, law-abiding, self-motivated, respectful, and a loving daughter, wife, sister, and mother.  That is what tough love makes out of a child.  Where is the tough love today?  It exists, but not consistently and wide-spread. You will not believe how many of my students walk into school on the first day with about $300 worth of clothing and shoes.  In my house growing up, if you mess up, you get nothing but the bare necessities.  This is not the lesson we are now teaching.  For example, there are parents who know their child is not supposed to bring cell phones to school.  They actually sign a form of agreement upon registering their child for school.  However, when the phone is taken by school authorities, parents break their necks to get to the school to retrieve it.  Check this.....the student is caught with the phone the very next day! Moral taught....the child is above the rules (in real life this translates to the law).  They grow up feeling a sense of entitlement, which they are in no way deserving.   Mama ends up visiting them when they are 20, and a member of the prison system.  So sad.  So avoidable. 

I am no where near being a perfect parent, but whatever my children do in the future, whether good or bad......I have done my part by utilizing those "old school" child-rearing tactics that were used upon my sisters and I.  No excuses. 

KiaWill.....PEACE!!

 

Hi, my name is Nikkia, and I have created this blog to discuss current events going on in education, our communities, and all over the world. 

I have been an alternative educator for over ten years now. Over the past few years, it has become increasingly mentally tiresome.  I have seen many things over the course of my teaching experience.  I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly.  A special group of teachers are needed to tolerate and handle the issues our student population is plagued with. Being an educator has its many downfalls, however, it can be very rewarding at times.  Those rewarding  times, no matter how infrequent, are what keep me coming back year after year. My students depend on me to lead them to success.  Some of them welcome the information and guidance, while some of them don't.  The sad part of it all is that many of my students could care less about their education.  They are living for NOW, and not thinking of the future or the outcome of some of their decisions.  I have had students to come through the alternative school and leave to become very successful students at their base schools, and beyond (college, career, etc.).  They have made me very proud and confident in my abilities to guide in a loving, but stern manner.  However, I have had students to leave my classroom and return to their base schools, only to return to me within a year....sometimes even months or weeks.  Why aren't they learning their lesson? Why is it that I have former students locked up in federal prison convicted of murder, robbery, and drugs? Where is the breakdown? Will there ever be a breakthrough? Why don't they care anymore? There are thousands of questions to be asked, and this blog is going to be this teacher's platform to voice opinions and feelings, using real-time data, without any fear of backlash. -freedom of speech- -no slander-

I have always told the truth. I don't bite my tongue, especially when it comes to the future of our children.  Teaching has become a profession that does not get the praise, respect, and financial support that is required for success.  Government standards and unfamiliar input have taken the fun away from teaching.  My teachers seemed to have so much fun teaching and having in depth discussions about the topics that excited them.  I find myself shortening my open discussions mainly because of the fear of not getting through the SOL's, which are critical to my students and their dreams of obtaining a diploma. Many of my students are the first in their family to even come close to graduating!  That infamous Scope and Sequence, which is much like a road map the teacher uses to guide what he/she should be teaching and when, creates anxiety and takes away the creativeness in lessons.  Creativity is what attracts and keeps their attention. We are dealing with a new generation. We cannot afford to place a burden on the task of expanding our student's minds and imaginations. They are still our future......as of now.......that is so scary! 

Please stay posted.

KiaWill