I haven’t written in almost an entire year. Here’s a brief explanation of what’s kept me away, my plans moving forward, our annual holiday card, and a very exciting announcement.
Category: Personal Posts
I don’t know if this post is as much of a “happy New Year!” as much as it is an “OMG, we survived.” 2020 wasn’t exactly the year any of us planned on, and let’s be honest… 2021 is going to have its own challenges. Still, here are some positives from my 2020 journey and, more importantly, my goals and intentions for the year ahead.
I haven’t written anything about teaching in a long time. I had a lot to focus on the last few months, and sharing teacher content was the furthest thing from my mind. In fact, the last teacher post in my drafts is about how I grade and lesson plan during the day to leave by 4pm. That seems like a lifetime ago. This year was hard. And the pandemic wasn’t even the hardest part.
The most patriotic thing one can do is to look at their country and see its flaws and consider how we can help it do better. The more I educate myself and come to terms with this nation’s past and understand its present, the more I realize how deeply imperfect this country is, and the more I realize that the only way for all of us to move forward is to have an open mind and heart, a lot of empathy, and an earnest desire to do better. I’ve done a lot of thinking and growing, and now, I guess I’m asking America to do the same. Because, as it turns out, this is what it means to be patriotic.
I know that the phrase “white privilege” can be triggering for a lot of white folks, but we have to be better. That requires acknowledging and understanding our privilege. It requires setting aside egos and feelings. It requires listening and learning how to be an ally, not just doing what we think it means to be one. It requires unlearning. It requires hearing from the voices that are too often unheard. So instead of another white perspective on allyship, I want to give you a list of sources to help you understand what it means to be actively anti-racist.
Happy 2020! When I reflected on 2019, I realized what a great year it was. I really enjoyed reflecting on the year behind me and setting goals for the year ahead. Thank you for being a part of my adventure and sharing it all with me!
In college, I was given a memoir assignment. I recently lost my mom and wasn’t sure I was ready to write about her. Ultimately, I chose to, and it was a cathartic experience and I’m glad I did it. I would like to share that story with you now.
Believing women is not about ignoring evidence or being blind to the facts. Believing women means believing that sexual violence and harassment happens more often than we acknowledge. It means believing that women’s stories are worth listening to and looking into. It means believing our society has a problem and listening to those most affected. Believing women is our best hope to protect the women and girls we love.
I know a lot of women my age experience the feeling that they’re losing their friends to wife life and motherhood. If you are one of the women who feel this way, perhaps you experience occasional resentment toward your newlywed or first-time mom friends or the men and children taking your partner in crime away from you. Or worse, maybe you’re afraid because you feel like you’re falling behind.
I feel the pressure too, and I think it’s normal and natural, but this burden — the feelings of loss, resentment, despair, and general panic — doesn’t have to weigh us down.
In college and our various programs, we are given SO much advice; however the following are tips and tricks that I didn’t pick up in college, but through my own experiences and with the guidance of my amazing veteran teacher friends and colleagues. Once I figured these things out, I was able to have a life outside of planning and grading. I even often received the compliment that I seemed “too calm and organized for a first year.” Whoa!
Karissa Anne Creative 