Something Footloose Taught Me

In the popular ‘80s film (and one of my personal favorites), Footloose, Kevin Bacon portrays a character named Ren McCormack. When Ren arrives in a small town, he’s shocked to discover that the local Reverend has outlawed rock and roll music and dancing. Ray decides to shake things up by gathering with a small group of some of the towns local teens, including the Reverend’s daughter, and together they embark on a journey to embrace their right to listen to the music they want and dance as they please. Although I’m a millennial and this film came out before I was born, I have to say I can understand Ren McCormack’s plight and respect what he did. He went into a small town and brought change. The Reverend and many of the townspeople weren’t on board with Ren’s desire to change things and they probably felt threated by his desire and influence to bring dancing and rock and roll back into town. Although he was threatened, pushed around, and opposed, he was able to create the change he wanted to see. Dude even used scripture to plead his case. And he won. If you want to create any kind of change, make an impact, or start a movement, you can. I gleaned this lesson from something as entertaining as an old ‘80s film called Footloose. So what are you waiting for? By the way, if you haven’t seen Footloose, you’re missing out. It’s awesome.

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