Every fall semester for the past 10 years I have taught a social welfare policy course. This is a course where social work majors and occasionally some social justice minors take a dive into a broad array of policy topics. This is a class where we discuss so many policy topics (child welfare, housing, food andContinue reading “Creatively applied learning”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Longest semester ever.
Woof. This is feeling like the longest semester ever. It has been feeling like that for several weeks now. A few weeks ago I broke a bone in my right foot. Boot life doesn’t lend itself well to campus life, even on a relatively compact campus. This past week I have had bronchitis…still have it.Continue reading “Longest semester ever.”
The Call: Podcasts in Teaching
Just as I dropped my daughter off at dance class this morning, I heard the beginning of This American Life. I rarely feel compelled to listen to an entire podcast episode, (of any podcast), often listening a bit and then reading the transcript if I want to finish the story. It is more efficient andContinue reading “The Call: Podcasts in Teaching”
My 20th year of teaching: Embracing my anti-hero’s journey
Last night I was trying to settle down for sleep, which is always challenging the night before the semester starts. I was tossing and turning, and then it hit me: I was about to embark on my 20th year of full- time teaching. Earlier yesterday I read a post by my friend David Hutchens, whoContinue reading “My 20th year of teaching: Embracing my anti-hero’s journey”
Resources for understanding and teaching about poverty (part 1)
The anniversary of Robert Kennedy’s death was yesterday (June 6). He said “as long as there is plenty, poverty is evil”. He was assassinated in 1968, just two months and two days after the assassination of Dr. King. Both of these men at their death were committed to eradicating poverty in the US, and partContinue reading “Resources for understanding and teaching about poverty (part 1)”
24 people a minute: Teaching about intimate partner violence
I read a memoir recently called Goodbye, Sweet Girl: A Story of Domestic Violence and Survival by Kelly Sundberg. I hope to use it in the spring 2024 semester when teaching an interdisciplinary learning course on Trauma Studies, but if I hadn’t already missed the deadline for book orders for fall 2023, I would probablyContinue reading “24 people a minute: Teaching about intimate partner violence”
Books are…the most patient of teachers: My top picks
One of the things we talk about in social work is the necessity of lifelong learning. When I think about all the knowledge I have now, versus when I graduated with my undergrad degree in social work, I would be in poor shape indeed without additional learning. Most of this has come in the formContinue reading “Books are…the most patient of teachers: My top picks”
Basics of engaging with elected officials
For most years I have been teaching social work students, I have taught policy classes. There is an expectation of political engagement for social workers, and this aspect of our Code of Ethics is something I teach within the first week of policy class. But political engagement is something that is (should be) for everyone.Continue reading “Basics of engaging with elected officials”
Same song, different verse: Resources for teaching about gun violence
In prior posts, I have written about the issue of gun violence before, most recently here https://teachingbeloved.com/2022/02/05/remembering-deebony/ Yesterday in Nashville, the city where I live, there was a school shooting. Three children died. Three adult school staff. And the shooter was killed by police. I wrote some about this from a personal perspective yesterday here:Continue reading “Same song, different verse: Resources for teaching about gun violence”
Secondary traumatic stress and burnout, part 2
In the most recent post, I shared some resources I use when teaching students about secondary traumatic stress (STS). STS results when social workers, teachers, nurses, doctors, police officers and others in helping professions begin to experience symptoms of trauma because of the stories they hear from their clients/patients/students. Helping professionals may also experience STSContinue reading “Secondary traumatic stress and burnout, part 2”
Teaching (toward) the Beloved Community 