Dear Sue:
As silly as it may sound, over the past couple of years, this little plaque has traveled with me to many places. It seems to always find it's way into my bag. I sometimes only notice that I've brought it along with me after unpacking. I am writing this letter to thank you for giving me a reason to continue being untidy. I am sure my mother appreciates what you've done. In all seriousness, though, this plaque means something to me and I am beginning to understand this something as being your ability to inspire change in students like me.
This past spring, I took a class called "Teaching for Social Justice" at Colby College. It was intended to provide an introduction to the theory and practice of teaching, with a particular focus on social justice. Along with reading the...
Education
To whom it may concern
My name is Melissa. I have been a childcare provider for 15+ years. I have three children of my own and have cared for countless others.
My issue lies in the fact that MANY homes in the State of Michigan rely on Homeowners Association (HOA) or deed restrictions. I currently live in a "Lodimeadow Estates" in Lodi Township, Michigan, in a house that we did not know had deed restrictions.
We were told when we purchased that there was an HOA many years ago but it had been since disbanded and was unenforced. We didn't know better at the time and didn't know to research.
There has been no change in the restrictions since 1977. There is no active HOA. There is no one to report to. When it says we must make requests to an architectural committee who do we go...
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College is a time of change and excitement and anxiousness. Those last few days at home are packed with so many goodbyes and “lasts” and tears that by the time move in comes around you’re already exhausted. But wake up. You don’t want to forget a single moment of those first few days as a freshman for the second time of your life.
You are going to cry. That much is almost guaranteed. Don’t let the fact that there are families standing around and your future floor mates just steps away. Let those tears out because that is the best way to tell your mom, dad, grandparents, and boyfriend/girlfriend that you are going to miss them. Make this the best goodbye you’ll ever have.
Meet your roommate and avoid any quick judgments; they don’t know what to do either. I knew my roommate...
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Hi friends studying abroad,
These past two years we've spent getting to know each other and I mean REALLY getting to know each other. From learning "icebreaker" stuff at orientation (name, where you're from, etc.) to many meals together on campus and off, taking (and commiserating over) classes, pregaming, recruitment, "the sophomore slump" (which is VERY real) and even hospital trips, we did it all together. We have seen each other at our best and worst, and we have grown up from high schoolers to mature young adults. You all know about my extreme FOMO for a night out, let alone a semester abroad.
I really wanted to go abroad because I love to travel, experience new things, eat absurd amounts of food, and learn new languages. (I'm a Spanish major and learned Portuguese here, for...
6,922
Recently, individuals participating in the Explore program at the University of Quebec at Trois Rivières (UQTR) shared with us details concerning events that have taken place on campus.
Students were shown a skit that attempted to raise awareness about sexual assault; instead, it mocked and trivialized a situation of sexual assault and was triggering to some students.
When students brought this to the attention of UQTR administration, they felt that they were met with indifference, and were told that "it is not the university's job to educate people about consent".
This negligence seems to be further manifested in the administration's reporting of sexual assault; they claim there have been none on campus between 2009 and 2013 (http://www.cbc.ca/news/multimedia/interactive-...
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Dear Teacher:
I think it's time I told you why I have been acting out at school and crying sometimes. I think you know that something is wrong, because you keep asking me, "What's the matter?" The reason I haven't told you before is that I can't talk to you in the hallway with all the other kids staring at me — and until now, I didn't feel like I could talk to anybody about it.
I'm worried about my schoolwork. I keep getting in trouble for not doing my homework, and not listening in class. Sometimes I am so scared that I just get mad at everybody. I don't mean to yell. I just feel like everyone is picking on me at home and at aschool.
You see, my dad has a drinking problem. It's called "alcoholism." It means that he can't control his drinking. He comes home some nights really...
4,001
Dear President Susan Herbst,
I write to you today as a UConn student, but more specifically as a UConn woman and feminist. I want to first express my admiration for you as a woman who has made it in a “man’s” world, who has faced the odds and done the seemingly unthinkable; become the first woman president at UConn over the course of its 130-year history. You serve as a shining example that even the most challenging of ceilings can be broken, and you speak to the considerable strides women have made over the last 50 years in academia and the professional world. One of the most vivid memories I have of my admiration for your accomplishments was when Gloria Steinem gave you a standing ovation for your successes, along with a full auditorium of students and faculty, during her speech at...
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Dear girls,
So, sexting. It's not something I ever imagined we'd have to talk about, mainly because it didn't even exist until a few years ago.
We've had plenty of conversations about sex over the years, and now you're both teenagers I never shy away from talking to you about alcohol and using drugs, but this is a new one and although you're probably cringing right now the fact it exists means we need to talk about it.
Children and technology
Child's hands on laptop
91% of UK children live in a household with access to the internet (2012)
62% of children aged 12-15 own a smartphone (2012)
43% of children use the internet in their bedroom (2012)
17.1 hours - the average number of hours 12-15-year-olds spend online each week (2012)
Source: Threat Assessment of Child Sexual...
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Okay, so you've made it to high school. Congratulations. What now? You're probably pretty nervous, with a lot of questions, right?
Will I have classes with my friends? How hard is it to make new friends? Will I get lost? Am I going to enjoy it?
I'll promise you this, you'll enjoy it. I know that for a fact. I also know that you won't get lost, because if you ask someone to help you find a class they won't pull a Mean Girls and take you out to the "back building" to skip gym. You may not have classes with a lot of your friends, but you'll definitely make new ones.
If you'll give me the next few minutes, I'll give you some pretty helpful tips that will make the transition to your high school years a little bit easier. I wish someone would have shared these with me when I was a...
13,524
Dear Mom and Dad of Middle Schoolers,
This week, I'm passing the torch to you. My youngest of four is graduating from middle school. A big ceremony at school, kids dressed in their first formal wear, with mom and dad cheering in the background.
"We made it!"
The transition from childhood to adolescence is a celebration for parents as much as it is for kids. Some of us cheer because our child made it through junior high, somewhat unscathed. Some of us sigh, wearily, because we feel like we've been through World War 3. We hope high school can't be any worse.
Some of us celebrate because we've seen our awkward little ones grow into young men and women, who physically morphed before our eyes. Some of us cry, like me, because it's your last child to leave this momentous phase of...
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