Month: February 2021

“But I slowly came to realize that self-criticism – despite being socially sanctioned – was not at all helpful, and in fact only made things worse.”

One of my English 1 students recently said, “I hate myself when I write essays.” Another student turned to her and said, “I thought I was the only one who did that.” Negative self-talk is very common among my students, so I’ve been looking for research on alternative strategies.  I’m … Read More

“In reality, Stoicism is not about suppressing or hiding emotion – rather, it is about . . . keeping in mind what is and what is not under our control, focusing our efforts on the former and not wasting them on the later.”

In the last year, so many things have happened to us as a result of COVID-19 that it’s easy to feel powerless.  I’m drawn to a philosophy that counters that feeling. Stoics recommend that instead of spending our energy railing against things we can’t control – like the virus—we spend … Read More

“We must accustom ourselves to talking without orating, and to writing without achieving Paradise Lost.”

It’s clear to me that times like these – frigid temperatures, fights in Washington, and February flatness — call for help from William Stafford. Why?  He is a poet who knows what to do when times are hard. Press on, I think he’d say. He is known for … Read More