I am autistic. You may also use neurodivergent or neurodiverse. I will not accept 'person with autism' or 'Aspergian' as descriptors. The latter is unacceptable because of the man—a Nazi collaborator who selected the children he deemed physiologically acceptable to protect within his study while the others were sent to die. In regards to the … Continue reading Journey Towards Wisdom: Narrative Shards That Have Impacted My Life
Author: Limbic Noodle
No Is Not Enough by Naomi Klein – A Review
In No Logo (2000) Naomi Klein confronted the issue of multinational corporations undermining democracy. She followed-up this book with The Shock Doctrine (2008), a groundbreaking book about how major social shocks are used to push through neoliberal economic agendas. As the world reeled in the wake of Donald Trump’s 2016 election, Naomi Klein dived back … Continue reading No Is Not Enough by Naomi Klein – A Review
Give Yourself Permission Not to Mark
The following is a reflection upon Episode 121: How to Streamline Assessment and Spend Less Time Grading, a podcast by Angela Watson. Procrastination about grading has been a consistent part of my life as an educator. Too many of my weekends are spent feeling guilty about the pile of marking I should have forced myself … Continue reading Give Yourself Permission Not to Mark
Trauma-Informed Teaching – Trauma Inducing Classrooms
Not having effective strategies to cope with the trauma I encountered in my classrooms has impacted my teaching career more than any other issue I have faced. In 2005 Rice and Groves defined trauma as "...an exceptional experience in which powerful and dangerous events overwhelm a person’s capacity to cope." "Trauma is real." … Continue reading Trauma-Informed Teaching – Trauma Inducing Classrooms
Imposter Syndrome – As a Teacher – As a Human Being
Recently I began to listen to Angela Watson's podcast, Truth for Teachers. Each episode I listened to had valuable information and advice, but Episode 114: Seven Ways Teachers Can Push Past Imposter Syndrome was the one that made the most significant connections to my own experiences. Many people have experienced moments where they felt like a fraud. I … Continue reading Imposter Syndrome – As a Teacher – As a Human Being
To Eat from a Stranger’s Hands – “The Bite of the Mango”
Mariatu Kamara was a young girl living in one of the poorest countries of the world when war broke out. Although she lost her hands to the violence in Sierra Leone, the cultural lessons she learned early in life helped give her the resilience to carry on with life when many people would have given … Continue reading To Eat from a Stranger’s Hands – “The Bite of the Mango”
Indian Horse: Inter-generational Trauma and Resilience
I wrote this as a sample essay for my students, and I liked it so much I decided to share it. The formatting isn't perfect, but you'll get the drift. As the building block of our bodies, DNA has been thought to be permanent and unalterable. Recent studies have revealed this not to be the … Continue reading Indian Horse: Inter-generational Trauma and Resilience
Trail of Lightning: The Importance of Indigenous Representation in Literature
I wrote this review as a sample for my students. I liked it so much, I decided to share it with all of you. The question of who should be telling certain stories is being discussed throughout the creative world. One might understand how people who've always had unencumbered freedom to pursue telling any story … Continue reading Trail of Lightning: The Importance of Indigenous Representation in Literature
Autism: It’s My Identity, Not My Issue
Watching the movie "Milk" the other night, I was struck by a scene where Harvey Milk told the man who eventually murdered him that the things he fought for were not political "issues" he used to draw attention from the public. The things he fought for were personal, but also reflective of the needs of … Continue reading Autism: It’s My Identity, Not My Issue
Taboos
I wrote this at the request of my students but then had someone reject it for the intended purpose. The reason they gave the students was, "...in our culture, we don't believe in stealing from the dead..." (Private) I think you will find that the person obviously missed the point. My grandfather was a man … Continue reading Taboos
