By Jennifer Ward I love learning. Anyone who knows me will tell you, “Jenn will always be a student.” But I also juggle a lot. I teach two subjects full-time. I’m a part-time graduate student. I write. I volunteer. I am always looking for freelance writing and editing gigs. Believe it or not, I can…
Category: Education
My Five Favorite TED Talks of All Time
By Jennifer Ward 1. Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are In this TED Talk, Amy Cuddy gives insight into our body language and communication. She discusses her own path and how she arrived at where she is today. This is my most-watched TED Talk of all time. “Fake it ’til you become it.”…
Three Books Every Educator Should Read
By Jennifer Ward For the past decade, teaching has been my life. My Brooklyn public school classroom is like a second home to me. I’m sure most teachers feel the same. I spend a lot of time there because my students are an important part of my life, and I love teaching. Over the years,…
Changing Careers: To Leave or Not to Leave
By Jennifer Ward “One day, or day one. You decide.” – Paulo Coelho Life is full of exciting moments, and changing careers is definitely one of them. But somewhere between that decisive moment and the first day of a new job, awareness starts to settle in – this major shift is also scary. Eventually, there’s…
My New Year’s Resolutions
by Jennifer Ward New Year’s resolutions have been around for ages. According to history.com, about 4,000 years ago, the ancient Babylonians are said to have been the first group of people to make New Year’s resolutions. I’m sure, though, back then, it didn’t look the way it does today. The ancient Babylonians weren’t promising themselves…
Dreams, Stories, and Publication
by Jennifer Ward I have some exciting news to share! About a month ago, I received the message that my essay, “The Courage to Rekindle a Dream,” would be published in The Penman Review. And, sure enough, on December 23rd, it was on their front page! I cannot begin to describe how I feel…
The Value of an English Degree: On Making the Most of an Education
by Jennifer Ward “Education is one thing no one can take away from you.” Elin Nordegren Many of us who were English majors might have heard: “Well, I guess you could always teach,” or “Are you sure a degree in English is worth it?” While I was an undergraduate student in my twenties, I…