Editorials

09/17/15

The Comparison Game: Where’s the Line?

How do we know where we stand in the world?

Well that’s a lofty question, how about we start with food. How do you gauge a meal at a restaurant? You compare it to the most delicious dishes you have had, think about the worst ones, and decide where it falls.

Comparing is natural, comparing is normal, and comparing is even necessary to understand your placements in life.

Did you know that things you learn in school actually come back to prove their relevance? Oh, learning is a beautiful thing. In a communications course I took in college, I learned about social comparison theory; this theory states that we compare ourselves to others in order to know how we’re doing if there is no objective means of evaluation. We do this by comparing upwards and downwards of where we stand, which has positive implications and negative effects.

09/9/15

Q & A With Lindsay

I am so excited to announce, that It’s Simply Lindsay was nominated for the Sisterhood of the World Blogging Award – thanks to Alexis from A Blissful Haven for including me in this for a fun Q & A with me. You can also check out my 10 blogging nominees below of bloggers I love (and think you will, too!).

Blogger Rules:

• Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back to their site.
• Put the award logo on your blog
• Answer the 10 questions the blogger has sent you.
• Nominate 10 bloggers and notify them

Readers, if you have any questions you’d like me to answer or topics you want me to cover, let me know!

08/13/15

No Teasing Zone

As I was modifying my classroom rules tonight in preparation for the first day of class on Monday, I’m slightly conflicted. While I’ve always strived to make my high school classroom a completely positive, focused, kind, and challenging environment, when you’re dynamically engaging with twenty-some personalities of teenagers, there’s bound to be deviation. In fact, regardless of age, it’s unrealistic to think you can have a 100% productive and respectful conversation in any group. I work in an incredible school that emphasizes college prep and independent thinkers. Although I teach British Literature, I take our school mission to heart and constantly push myself to learn how I can incorporate these values into my class. Instead of stagnantly remaining in the text and historical era of what I’m teaching, I look at the universal themes and see how they apply to issues we face today.

I love to discuss controversial topics; this gives me an opportunity to teach students how to discuss with passion and confidence while having an open mind and learning to actively listen to others. As we discuss these topics, emotions can get in the way or productivity, and people can react fervently without thinking.