These are 3 things I try to practice daily, and I can promise that they really do make every day better: 1. Surround yourself with inspiring people Find friends who have great ideas and make you want to be better (watch How to find and do work you love: Scott Dinsmore at TEDxGoldenGatePark). 2. Learn…
Do your students know what their life goals are? At least once during the semester- normally during the beginning or middle of the term- I have my students do some sort of activity to evaluate why they’re really here in college, or more generally, what they want out of life. This semester I created an…
For some reason I can’t shake this question: What will they remember 10 years from now? I met a fellow adjunct instructor at the beginning of this term, and we’ve met up in the campus adjunct office quite a bit. This seasoned instructor mentioned to me that, realistically, most students won’t remember what they learned…
Olympia LePoint may be my new hero. Her talk about fear and overcoming it is pretty amazing: ‘Reprogramming your brain to overcome fear: Olympia LePoint at TEDxPCC’ When I stumbled upon this TED talk, I instantly knew I needed to show it in my Fundamentals of Speech class. The biggest problem students have in my…
On Saturday, my husband and I went to the 2014 Central Florida Veg Fest here in Orlando with some friends, and it was quite the experience. I’m not a vegan or vegetarian, but there was something for everyone. The Veg Fest had food trucks, juice stands, an aquaponic farm exhibit, organic t-shirts for sale, and…
I’ve had to say this to myself quite a bit in life, and it’s become enough of a mantra that I rarely find myself in a negative state of mind anymore. I tend to use these 2 simple words to help friends and loved ones who have done amazing things in life, but like all…
Naturally, the title of this TED talk by Kristen Hadeed peaked my interest. I couldn’t have found a better video to watch while sipping a cup of tea on a Thursday afternoon. For the past few days I’ve been obsessed with the idea that the 10-year old you knows what’s best for the soul; it…
I’m a late adopter when it comes to new technology. But something I like about my job is that it encourages me to use new technology when it feels right for me. I’ve slowly become accustom to different Learning Management Systems and how to manage online courses. The most recent thing I learned was how…
I’m a pretty patient person when it comes to dealing with people, but I’m extremely impatient when it comes to day-to-day activities. I want to get things accomplished as quickly and effectively as possible. I’m talking about (and have a solution for!) something the majority of people can relate to: the daily work commute. I…
This past weekend I took a break from grading papers (for the most part) to add a little more simplicity to my life, and to slow down. Friday night I was exhausted from a grueling- but worthwhile- week of classes, so my husband and I just opted to grab dinner and take a long walk…