Got You Time? Clearing Mental Clutter for Growth

Credit: iStock.com/nalinratphi
Credit: iStock.com/nalinratphi

I have a brown wicker chair on my back porch. It is nestled in a little nook, shaded by the overhang of my roof and the foliage of Douglas firs and oaks. My neighbor’s water features, two little fountains and streams, gently murmur. One they lovingly call Bird Song Falls. A thicket of blackberries edges the green below me, the undulating shades of grass, mixed in with patches of verdant moss, fed, nurtured, and instigated by the wet Oregon winters. When I sit out there, the ills of the world seem to fade away. I hear the birds in the dell up slope. I leave my computer, phone, and tablet inside. I do not own a smartwatch. There is the occasional sound of a dog or child in the distance, but more often, the hoot of an owl or the wind sweeping through. This is my space. This is my time. Do you have you time?


To continue reading, you must be a Teaching Professor Subscriber. Please log in or sign up for full access.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles

I have two loves: teaching and learning. Although I love them for different reasons, I’ve been passionate about...
In a 2023 article published in The Hill, Sarah Eaton, an associate professor of education at the University...
Educators play a pivotal role in shaping students’ academic journeys, and their impact in the classroom extends far...
There are a myriad of answers to this seemingly simple question. Grading probably comes to mind for many...
Fears of disingenuous work, fraudulent and stolen information, and theft of intellectual property have been swirling around education...
Students often struggle academically due to an inability to organize their lives around achievable goals. Students beyond early...

Are you signed up for free weekly Teaching Professor updates?

You'll get notified of the newest articles.

The Teaching Professor Conference 2024

June 7-9, 2024 • New Orleans

Connect with Fellow Educators at The Teaching Professor Conference!