Hey, y'all.
I've enjoyed catching up on the blog posts from the past couple of weeks, especially the one about Great Grandpa Consier. Our family's history is fascinating! Thanks for sharing it!!
Things are going pretty good here in GA. Two weeks ago, my friend Melissa came for a visit. She's getting married in January, and I'm her matron of honor. We did some hiking, sight-seeing, and eating. It felt like a little vacation for me. I hope it did for her, too.
The past two weekends (now that Trent has his weekends free), Trent and I have gone running in Kennesaw Mountain Park. It's quite lovely, whether it's 70 degrees and sunny (last Sunday) or 50 degrees, windy, and cloudy (today). Trent's shoulder is healing up so quickly, and he's really enjoying getting back into a fitness routine. He's taken up running, and he's talking about doing a triathlon next summer with me. Could be fun. :)
We're also planning some weekend trips to see the Southeast. Next weekend, we're off to Birmingham and maybe Montgomery. In November, we're thinking about Savannah. Yay!
Work's going good for me. Busy but good. I'm taking on some new responsibilities ... I think I'll be stepping up to co-edit an international journal on young adult literature with my colleague, and I'm working on a multi-million dollar federal grant to partner with PreK-12 schools in high needs areas to develop an urban emphasis and professional development school for KSU.
I'm also learning to deal with challenges from students when I present material on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) issues. I've worked with conservative students before (they're usually open to hearing other perspectives and willing to ask questions), but this semester I ran into open opposition, in spite of all the research (which my students read and discussed) that reveals that LGBTQ students are disproportionately marginalized in our public schools and that 60% of them report feeling unsafe -- because of the (mis)treatment they receive from their peers ... and teachers and administrators!! It's not a religious issue; it's a civil rights issue. And national teachers' organizations (NCTE and NEA) support the inclusion of LGBTQ issues in teacher preparation programs. Most of my students see the need for enhanced education and information on LGBTQ issues, but a few (whose religious beliefs sometimes pervade into their thoughts about how they should treat their students) disagree. Anyway, I'm learning a lot. I'll have to write about it some day ... actually, I've already started writing about it in my teaching journal.
Speaking of writing, I submitted an article to a national journal on Thursday ... I'd been working on it since August, writing toward the call for manuscripts, and I'd kind of let my writing slip the past couple of weeks, so I had to put in some long hours this week in order to make the deadline. I made it though, and I feel pretty good about the final product ("From Pre-Service Teacher to Trusted Adult: Using Young Adult Literature Book Clubs to Scatter Light on Sexual Orientation and Gender Variance"). We'll see if the editors and reviewers agree. :-)
I hope you all are doing well. I love ya!
Getting physical
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Training sessions have been going really well these past few weeks. I
swim, lift, and run on my own (or with the masters swim team) during the
week, and o...
12 years ago
4 comments:
As usual, you are a very busy gal. It is nice that you and Trent have planned some get-aways. They sound like fun. Tom and Carol went to Savannah a few years ago, and I think they really liked that area.
It sounds like you are working hard on your writing. I hope your article will be published. You are a very disciplined woman. You are also a pioneer and a civil rights activist. I am surprised that as an activist, you have not confronted opposition before now. All people should be treated with respect. I think that everyone could agree with that.
I am curious about what inspired you to become an activist. Sometime, I hope you will write about it on the blog.
Your work sounds interesting, challenging, stimulating etc. It sounds like you are in the right place at the right time. Your grandparents and great-grandparents would be fascinated to see you accomplish so much, so quickly. They did not have the same expectations for themselves. For women in particular, there were fewer opportunities in the early 1900's.
I am glad Trent is healing quickly. Take care. We love you, too.
You go woman! It is great that you are pushing the envelope, maybe a few buttons too. It is healthy for people to step outside their personal boxes sometimes and examine different lifestyles. I hope you will broaden their viewpoints and give them pause about how they will deal with students or parents of students who don't fall into what they consider acceptable lifestyles. I would imagine you will be published. You are an outstanding writer. You lead a fascinating and challenging life, thank you for sharing it with your kin. I am glad that you are going to explore your part of the country. You will gain valuable information, you can be a cultural anthropologist while enjoying the sights, activities and tastes of the region.
Damn you're good!!....love ya,
mom
Thanks, everyone! I appreciate your encouragement, and, Honor, I will have to respond to your question about my inspiration some time soon. I should write about it in my journal ... I'm sure it will make its way onto the blog, and it might make its way into my articles as well. Thanks for suggesting that! Love you!
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