Tag Archives: Self-reflection

The Daycare: One Month

We’ve had our son in daycare for a month now and I must admit things have been much better than we could have imagined. Our fears of leaving the care of our son in someone else’s hands has not completely gone away but we are quite comfortable and confident in the staff at our daycare (even if we still think we’d be doing a better job ourselves). That said, the experience has been a positive one for both our son and his parents. This marks the one month reflection of a difficult decision. One month ago we were worried about … Continue reading →

The Proof of Love

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!!! Normally my wife and I avoid this holiday like the plague. It is far too sickeningly sweet and filled with faux intentions and proclamations for us to put a great deal of effort into the day itself. This Valentine’s Day, though, we decided to have a good time at home, with each other, and not be too concerned about the hustle and bustle of restaurants, shopping centers, and other items covered in paper red or glossy pink hearts. We realized that we had what I’ll call a “proof of love” built into our day already. What … Continue reading →

Taking Chances – Teaching Beyond the Text

One of the strange things about being a full-time graduate student and a part-time college instructor is that you’re really not hired to “create” content as much as follow a set of guidelines already laid out before your time… lessons passed down from generations of other student/teachers that you mildly modify to suit your teaching taste, particular students, etc… Something strange happens, though, when you feel like deviating from this design. There is a fear. There is a danger. There is (gasp!) no extra pay or assurance of future employment. There’s also a lot of extra work. The most difficult … Continue reading →

The Gift of Self-Entertainment

When I was younger I was sometimes bored. Somehow I imagine this happens to lots of kids but it certainly felt like it was only me who was afflicted at the time. Strangely, I credit many of my successes and talents to these periods of boredness. I can juggle; balance 6ft. ladders (and other objects) on my chin; perform a variety of wonderful coin; card, rope, and other magic tricks; and compose spreadsheets; deal with software issues; and probably some other things I’ve forgotten along the way. The point is this: boredom can be a motivator. Imagine my joy, then, … Continue reading →

Self Reflection as Self Motivation

If I haven’t said so before: I’m a Ph.D. student. One of the things I study is playwriting (writing for the theatre). My instructor recently gave a wonderful final assignment. Our final paper was a guided self-assessment of our work in the field of playwriting over the past 4 months. While I’ve been accustomed to lengthy well documented and researched papers in graduate school I found this one of the most difficult, enjoyable, and learning filled papers I’ve ever written. Do you ever stop for long enough to actually assess what you’ve accomplished in a given set of time? Many … Continue reading →

Are You Still Working on Your Goals?

It is nearly the halfway point for the year. At this point I usually take a few minutes and step back to see my progress on my yearly goals. I have not actually sat down and looked at my goals yet, but I am pretty sure that I am not quite on track with most of them. Okay, so I really tossed them out the window a few months ago. I have my reasons—a new baby, my oldest son’s illness and just adjusting to all the changes in my life. However, this does not mean that I am giving up … Continue reading →

Journal Writing

One of my most therapeutic activities is writing in my journal. I try to make time each week to write in my journal. It is a time when I reflect back on my week, and all that has happened. It is also a time when I can express all of my feelings that I have kept inside all week. As I express my feelings, I can often see other sides to the situations that I am in. We are counseled to keep journals. I don’t think that we are supposed to keep journals and then never let anyone read them. … Continue reading →