Hi and welcome, Sarah. I really enjoy the energetic joyful voice in your intro! I'm a lover of language, too; I just wish I had worked harder to become fluent in anything, so I applaud your efforts. :)

I may just do that. Right now, I'm playing with a review of Craig Alanson’s Expeditionary Force: Columbus Day, which is also narrated by R.C. Bray. I swear that guy could make just about anything entertaining.

Yeah, the ritualism is weird for me. I've had several folks tell me they find comfort in the rituals and actually sought out churches that are more traditionally structured. To each their own, I suppose.

That thoughtful community is what I've been missing for so long. It's nice to catch a glimpse of the possibility again.

Thanks for the support. :) It was hard at first to overcome the ingrained guilt of not drilling Christianity into my daughters from day one, but I think they'll be stronger and healthier because of it.

I've started the Kingkiller series but haven't made it far yet--I keep getting sidetracked by the reading I have to do for work.

Thanks :)

I enjoyed your article, especially since I tend to get overwhelmed by my goals pretty often. Could you provide an example of what you mean by "negative goals"?

Great article. The fact that children are treated as commodities and afforded almost no choice or agency in their learning is perhaps the most disturbing facet of the public education system for me.

Agreed. Each semester, I find myself trying to "deprogram" many of my students who are fresh out of high school. They spend so long drilling for standardized tests that they struggle to develop

I'd be interested in reading it. It's a topic that deserves serious discussion and consideration.

Thanks for reading! Your comment reminds me of a great talk given by Sir Ken Robinson that I stumbled across several years ago. I sometimes play this video for my freshman to start a discussion. Robinson

Thanks! I'd definitely be interested in seeing more teaching philosophies.

What a roller coaster ride this is! I'm so creeped out, and I like it.

Thanks much! We need all the help we can get.

Thanks for reading! I do sometimes think I'm in direct conflict with the apparent principles of the system in which I work, but I've got hope for a paradigm shift.

Thanks, I'm happy to be here!

It used to take me what felt like forever to fall asleep--not for any real reason, it was just that way things were ever since I was quite young. These days I find turning on an audio book and setting

I came here from your welcome on my intro post, and it looks like I owe you a welcome right back! I enjoyed your post as well, so I'm glad I found it. :)

Wow, this is a seriously scary thought. I teach at a 2-year college in the US, and academic honesty/integrity seems to be something that a lot of academics pay lip-service to but don't necessarily work