Dear Buffy the Vampire Slayer…

When I was 11 I wrote a fan letter to Sarah Michelle Gellar. To my surprise, I got a response. At the time I was obsessed with her show Buffy the Vampire Slayer and wanted to let her know how much I loved it. Looking back, writing a letter with anticipation of getting a response was naïve but I believed something would happen if I did, so I went for it. (Imagine what would happen for you if you possessed that kind of faith as an adult.) Even more surprising was the fact that my parents let me watch the show. I was raised Christian and remember a church member at the time referring to the show as “demonic”, but if my parents didn’t have a problem with me watching it, I was unbothered. At the time, I thought there was no one cooler than a butt kicking teenager who fought vampires, went to high school, and had close friends. Buffy Summers was awesome. I can’t remember exactly what I wrote in the letter, but I do remember how excited I was to see a letter from California waiting for me when I got home from school. With excitement, I ripped open the sealed envelope and there was an autographed photo of Sarah Michelle Gellar that read, Best Wishes xoxo. I thought I was the coolest kid ever. I took the autographed photo to school, showed all my friends and teachers, and was told that it probably wasn’t really hers, but as an eager 5^th grader, it was real to me. As a kid, I can’t think of a cooler fan moment than getting the kind of response I did. Although I no longer have the photo, it’s a fond fan girl memory I’ll never forget.

A Year Of Being Ghosted

Ghosting: the practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication. I’ve been ghosted by every guy I’ve met within the past two years. About six to be exact. · The first guy pursued me and then got shady whenever I asked him about what he did for a living and where he lived. When he started dodging and avoiding questions, wouldn’t initiate dates, and slowly stopped keeping in touch with me altogether, eventually, all communication ceased. · The second guy was someone I met through a family member. He was super cool, very smart, handsome, and funny, but didn’t want to be in a relationship and acted like he didn’t want to be seen with me publicly. When we had plans to meet for an outing, he didn’t show up, and then texted me about a week later with an apology. We chilled at my place a few times, had a few phone conversations, and exchanged occasional texts, but eventually he stopped responding to me

Teacher Table Talk: When Parents Attack

As an English teacher, a core belief I’ve held close since the beginning of my career has been the importance of relationship building. I believe that if great relationships between teachers, students, and parents are established at the beginning of the school year, everything else will fall into place. Authentically modeling, practicing, and establishing mutually respectful and professional relationships within my classroom has been the bridge for effective communication, solid classroom management, and creating a safe and effective learning environment that fits each of my student’s needs. And though I’ve seen and experienced the benefits of great relationship building, unfortunately, there have been times when some students and parents have not been receptive or interested in my efforts to establish connections that would best serve all parties involved. I’ve also noticed and shared spaces with other educators, school counselors, and administrators who’ve experienced the same. And

How To Respond To A Nasty Email

Technology has made many people bold, rude, and incredibly messy. Often to the point where some may hide behind words they’ve typed instead of verbally communicating a message they want to convey. Such can be the case when it comes to sending emails. Ah, emails. You know what they are. Electronic messages that can be quickly drafted, sent, and misinterpreted (because you can’t always interpret tones or emotions through them). Which is why it’s key to know how to respond to nasty emails if they should ever come your way – especially in the workplace. As a working professional, there have been plenty of times when a coworker or superior sent an email my way that was petty, mad disrespectful, and unprofessional. And before I learned how to properly utilize email etiquette, my first instinct would always be to clap back. I just felt the need to respond and to communicate that I wouldn’t allow anyone, no matter who they were, to disrespect me. And while I haven’t taken things too far

Making Waves