Aimee and Tess Blog Post

Although I won't be researching writing in letter form, I find letter writing to be extremely useful in the healing process. I recently discovered that writing a letter to one of my overwhelming emotions (e.g. worry) actually helped me acknowledge it through personifying it and ultimately gain compassion towards it. Writing this letter allowed me to restructure my relationship with my worry in a way that helped me regain power in that situation--I didn't feel so helpless anymore. I was able to get out of bed and start my day with a more positive outlook. No matter to whom or what you address a letter, there is something in the direct communication that opens space for your transformation with that entity.

I really enjoyed Aimee's chosen article, "Writing Memoir and Writing for Therapy." This piece spoke to a lot of my own questions I have for my research paper. What exactly can a professor do to draw a line between therapy and writing? But in reality, this fear-driven separation doesn't give a fair portrayal of what counseling actually does. Both therapy and writing to heal have a process that involves confession, yes, but more importantly, the restructuring of thought processes surrounding trauma. DaPra describes this process when she says that "while the initial writing—the first draft—may provide a cathartic effect, the lasting benefit comes from seeing the problem in a new light—the organizing, editing, and structuring of a piece of writing."

Both therapy and writing have the potential to be ineffective. "The point is, that isn’t the fault of the subject. Poorly run group therapy, where members do nothing more than complain about the same problems over and over again, doesn’t make people better, either; in fact, it can make them much worse, by reinforcing negative thought patterns. But both writers of memoir and those in therapy must reflect thoughtfully on their stories."

Emotional Intelligence: Lauren, Charlotte, and Karen

The articles our class has shared so far have been surprisingly attention-grabbing. Many of them I found relevant to my own research in teaching emotional literacy and the problems in how we teach our kids through public education. I also found a lot of their articles to be relevant to issues our campus has been facing. I particularly appreciated the article "Should White Men Stop Writing?" because as a white person, I've often struggled with figuring out how to join the conversation on racial injustice without taking a space that isn't mine to occupy and without silencing voices of POC any further. Even though white men cannot possibly account for the stories of POC, he can talk about his experience with his whiteness. Tim Wise, a white author on racial injustice in America, once said that he never thought he had any experience with race until he realized his whiteness is his experience with race. It's a lack of obstacles and assumptions. It's a place of privilege that allowed him to remain blissfully unaware for a notable amount of his upbringing.

I also really enjoyed Charlotte's "Empathy and emotional intelligence" article because I found it to be closely linked to my own research. It's interesting how Konstantikaki and Ioannidou argue that all eight forms of intelligence should be given an opportunity for exploration by students. I know a lot of alternative schools, such as Waldorf schools, strongly emphasize the interdisciplinary way of teaching that intertwines different forms of intelligence. 

Allie and Kirsten Response

I found the three articles that Allie and Kirsten chose to be both intriguing and informative. Kirsten's article, "Can Emotional Intelligence be Taught?",  was especially interesting because it built upon my own research for my paper about teaching writing and healing in the classroom. I have no trouble believing that mental and emotional well-being strongly impact one's ability to succeed academically. Teaching emotional intelligence in a kindergarten setting has shown clear benefits to the students despite their young age, because emotional intelligence is crucial at every stage of development. Kahn was able to present studies that not only proved the positive effects of creating room for emotional development in the classroom, but also provided tangible ways it can be done

Allie's topic for research particularly resonated with me because gender binaries are often implicitly reinforced in academia, and can lead to harmful effects on students. I believe that challenging social norms in a classroom is an excellent way to both encourage critical thinking and to also encourage a space for reflection on ways it impacts students on an individual/personal level. Despite the Buzzed being extremely entertaining, it also makes a strong point on how prevalent gender roles are taught to us, especially in our consumer-driven society that sells products geared towards each gender.

Overall, I think both Allie and Kirsten have chosen topics that offer a lot of insight into how we teach younger generations and ways we can encourage a space for healing through academia.