I used to think that I was very good at giving advice. I would meet up with friends, we would share our issues, and we would give each other advice about what we should do about our problems. I thought this was what it looked like to be a good friend, but I have recently realized that I may not have been as good a friend as I thought I was.
Continue reading...The Uncomfortable Art of Letting Go
My character traits of tenacity (less flatteringly: stubbornness) and self-reliance have gotten me pretty far. The challenge for me is learning to let go and ask for help.
Continue reading...Self-Pity is the Enemy of Integrity
Self-pity makes us live beyond our values, which makes it difficult for us to live with integrity, and therefore impossible to gain peace and serenity.
Continue reading...I asked ChatGPT to Analyse My Writing
As an educator, I have been watching ChatGPT with great interest. The opportunities for learning from AI are quite boundless, when used effectively.
Continue reading...Living in a Fantasy World Where Dishes Do Themselves
I have never been fond of doing dishes. In fact, I don’t like doing anything that never gets permanently “done”, like making my bed, doing my laundry, cooking, or cleaning.
Continue reading...Staying Open, Humble, and Teachable
Trying to figure out DEIJ in schools is hard work, or rather, complex work, but it is important for all educators to have a very robust understanding of how power, privilege, oppression, and marginalization play out in schools.
Continue reading...Naming Your Feelings
This week, I had one of those days where I couldn’t seem to win. I had two particular encounters on that day that didn’t go my way. In the past, this would have been a very good reason for me to go out and eat fast food, or junk food, or a lot of food, and then go to bed with a stomach that was too full.
Continue reading...Starting with a Vision and a Timeframe, not a Resolution
Many years ago, I decided not to make any New Year’s resolutions because I have a terrible track record for keeping them. This, ironically, is the only resolution that I have ever kept. Recently, I have found a way to achieve the same intended effect as a resolution by going about things quite differently.
Continue reading...Recommended Reading: This is Water
This is a slightly long, but very stimulating read. You can also listen to the original audio. It is David Foster Wallace’s commencement speech to the graduating class at Kenyon College in 2005, and I think it contains a great many elements of capital-T truth.
Continue reading...Wrestling with Authenticity on the Way to Integrity
Being authentic means presenting yourself to the world as you are, and not trying to hide yourself or any aspects of yourself away because you are ashamed, or feel not good enough. Easier said than done!
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