I have been teaching in the English Department at BMCC for about six years now, and a bit longer at CCNY. I grew up loving the magical art of storytelling, and I want to keep up to date with what excites our students now. This is a different era when people rarely curl up with a book. I want to empower our students with the knowledge that their ideas matter, and that they have everything they need to share their ideas as part of larger discussions and on larger platforms.
I’m looking forward to visiting my family and friends in England this winter, and I’m happy that I can participate in this workshop from there. I’m also looking forward to spending time with my two-year-old granddaughter when I’m back in New York. Also, I’m writing and illustrating my first children’s book, and I hope to finish it before the semester begins.
Currently, I’m reading some books on parenting and family issues. Two books I am currently digesting are “How to Raise Successful People,” by Esther Wojcicki, and “It Didn’t Start With You,” by Mark Wolynn. I’m also reading some short stories in search of new conversation starters for my upcoming classes. This morning I read ‘The Most Important Day,” by Helen Keller. I love the way it describes how the network of language helps us connect with each other. I recently read and love this personal essay by a colleague, Brendan Costello, describing how he navigated becoming disabled: “What the Blind Lost.”
I’m looking forward to learning more about how to make meaningful connections in our classrooms, how to honor the struggles students have in their lives outside of class, and how to become a better listener, who doesn’t only hear, but feels the perspective of the speaker.
