3 months living with Benedictine and Trappist monks – what could go wrong? Years back, in the early-after 9/11 era, I lived with Roman Catholic monks at Benedictine and Trappist monasteries from Canada, to South Carolina, to Massachusetts, to California. I started off the journey with a few weeks at an Ashram in Pennsylvania and finished it at a Buddhist…
Tag: Teaching
IMPACT
The past year, in my life as a professor, I asked myself daily before I walked into each class what my goal was. That kept it real for me. It helped me to get out of my own way, forget my to-do lists, and set the tone for each session. The goal, always, was to engage my students, share knowledge,…
Writing Tips for Professionals
Writing is a part of our everyday lives from early on. We write during our scholastic careers—narrative essays, creative endeavors, research papers, and academic arguments—and we keep on writing as we delve into our professional careers, in the form of resumes and cover letters, and on to corporate and/or creative proposals. Not to mention emails, texts, white papers, and presentations.…
Advice to College Students: Be Awesome!
Some tips to help you to uncover your fearless, amazing, and aspiring self. Laugh, smile, have fun. Take all that life has to offer you with a sense of humor and an open heart. Life won’t always be fun, but that doesn’t mean it’s all struggle and strife, either. Your attitude will guide how you react to the various situations…
Everyday is a Good Day
At 85 years old, my father reads the Wall Street Journal cover-to-cover daily, sometimes devoting hours a day to perusing through it. He cuts out articles for me weekly: editorials on sports, education, books he supposes I will want to read; commentaries on entrepreneurs, and companies that I have worked with, or for. To me, the articles signify his interest…
The Guide to Common Grammar Crimes and Tips to Solve Them
As an undergraduate, I had an English professor that insisted that grammar was critical to content. He didn’t care how great an idea or concept in a paper was if the grammar was off. “People notice the details,” he said. “You wouldn’t wear an impeccable suit and not comb your hair.” So I suppose that’s when my commitment to grammar…
The Woman on the Bus: a tribute to my mentors
Lee K. Abbot, the author and professor, was one of my most favorite writing teachers. He had a human element to him both inside and outside of the classroom. He was a man’s man, but also a sensitive soul, who was not afraid of letting his students experience his blend of stern and soft. Most importantly, he was not afraid…
Why I Teach
When I am not immersed in my corporate career, I teach college-level composition, literature, and creative writing courses, and have done so for the past 11 years. I take it seriously. Teaching is an opportunity for me to be innovative – one has to be to get twenty-five or so 18 to 22 year olds excited and invested at 8…