When the Class Hits a Wall: Lessons in True Empathy and Advocacy

Show Summary

In this episode, Kim and Jenny return for an honest, insightful check-in on navigating life’s unexpected hurdles, setting boundaries, and choosing joy through difficult seasons. Jenny opens up about her recent experiences supporting her participant, Luna, in an environment that lacked accessibility and proper accommodations for hearing-impaired adults. The duo reflects on the difference between being overly critical and operating out of deep empathy, highlighting how true advocacy means stepping up when systems fall short.

Kim shares updates on her creative birthday prep, personal life, and returning to the workforce, while both hosts reflect on neurodivergence, breaking generational cycles, and finding clarity after turbulent times.

Show Notes

• Episode Kick-Off & Listener Shoutouts: Reflecting on last week’s vulnerable episode and feedback.
• Living with Mental Illness & Neurodivergence: Embracing diagnoses, masking anxiety, and shifting perceptions as adults.
• The Reality of Ineffective Inclusion: Jenny shares her frustration with a disability course lacking basic accommodations (captions, visuals, or active listening) for deaf participants.
• What is a Roger Pen? Discovering assistive hearing technology and the emotional weight of invisible disabilities.
• Standing Up & Walking Out: Jenny's participant triumphant moment of self-advocacy against poor teaching and unfair criticism.
• Breaking Generational Cycles: Parental reflections, processing childhood trauma, and choosing better for the next generation.
• Wrapping Up: Back-to-school routines, upcoming breaks, and choosing joy in the quiet after the storm.