Believing Impossible Things
Back in 2010, I reflected on a quote in Alice in Wonderland that reminded me to use this unprecedented time in my life to believe impossible things. Back then, before books, before public speaking, before anything that’s part of my life now, I wrote this: I remembered lines from Lewis Carroll’s characters this morning about […]
Hold Fast to Him
In Joshua 22, we read Joshua’s best counsel for the tribes returning to their homes after working hard to help their fellow Israelites cross into the Promised Land. He tells them this: “But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk […]
Intellectually Flexible
Today I thought about another professional skill: intellectual flexibility. I’m learning how important it is to consider other ways of doing things, other ways of communicating, and other ways of helping people learn. When I feel stuck or overwhelmed, a great question I might ask is this: What would an intellectually flexible person do? How […]
It Went Well! Remote Teaching and Me
A Calm Heart
I’ve been learning to abandon all plans and keep reasonable expectations. I’ve pared down to essentials as we practice social distancing. We’re all just home. We’re all just doing our work, but this time, it’s via online platforms. As I prepare for my first online class in a few moments, I take a deep breath […]
A Little Outdoor Time
Sometimes we let Louie outside to smells the smells and see the sights. He loves sitting on the warm pavement to bask in the sun.
Since We’ve Never Been This Way Before
For the past few days, I’ve been thinking about a powerful image in Joshua 3 as a metaphor for how to behave and how to think during the COVID-19 changes to our daily life. Joshua 3 provides an account of the Israelites moving into unknown territory, apparently by way of the Jordan river. Joshua writes […]
Asking Myself: What’s the Most Loving Thing
I recommended the cancelation of a speaking event next week because I couldn’t imagine asking people to gather when COVID-19 remains such a threat. I asked myself, “What’s the most loving thing to do?” It was to cancel. The most loving thing is to keep people safe. Asking myself this question helped with this decision. […]
Preparing for Social Distancing
It’s been chaotic but also so informative as I learn about our community’s measures to avoid the spread of COVID-19. Mostly, I consider social distancing and what it means to connect better virtually. I consider the infinite value of an authentic online written voice. I consider how to teach students to express themselves well in […]
On This Day: Penn State Moves to Online Teaching and Schools Cancel Class for the Next Week to Avoid COVID-19 Outbreak
What a whirlwind of a day! Amid the COVID-19 outbreaks and a rapidly changing situation regarding confirmed cases in the US, Penn State cancels all residential classes and encourages everyone to stay off campus–at least until April. At the same time, I learn that our school district has canceled classes next week. It’s a time […]