Although my title indicates a possible reference to a Nickelback song, this post is about much more than music. It’s about the power of photos. Photos are keepsakes. My sister has more than 100 scrapbooks of photos in her house, chronicling her life, her children’s lives – and every person she has ever come into contact with. My photos, while valuable to me, sit in a big box in my basement, patiently waiting for my organized sister to take on the project. Photos tell a story. Photos bring back memories. Photos encourage us to reflect and think critically about life. Reflection and critical thinking are at the core of my English Composition class this semester, which is why the first assignment of the semester asks my students to choose a photograph and write a brief narrative story either detailing what is happening in the photo, a memory that it stirs, or a reflection triggered from the photo. I’m one of “those” teachers that strongly believes that if I’m going to ask my students do something, I should, too. So, my visual reflection assignment follows: Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Category: Blog
If the Shoe Fits
My work as a freelance writer gives me the opportunity to meet interesting and insightful people. Whether I am having a conversation with the average “Joe,” interviewing an event organizer, or talking with experts in various fields, the people become more than just sources – they become very human during an interview. Even though as a journalist my job is to stay objective, there is something personal about each interview I conduct. The information this person is sharing usually contains personal experiences, feelings, beliefs, and advice. Almost always after an interview, I reflect and compare my personal experiences and try and put myself in the subject’s shoes. Today, the shoes fit, but at the same time, the shoes made me uncomfortable – comparable to the perfect looking shoe in a narrow fit when I need wide-toed shoes. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
To-Do List Irony
With the start of a new school year, the tasks I must complete on a daily basis have been overloading my brain. As much as I try, I’m not an organized person. I struggle to remember birthdays, deadlines, and even lunch money for my kiddos, but have forgotten all three just this week. In an effort to calm the stress and guilt of forgetting what I need to do, I sat down and created a to-do list. This list was much too long and overwhelming, so I divided it into three lists – one for my tasks at work/school, one for my freelance work, and one for home. Shortly after I finished the lists, I developed a strong hate for the memo pad of chores. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
What I Love Most About Teaching
Never in a million years did I ever think I would find myself in the teaching field. In third grade, I swore I was going to be a court reporter. In eighth grade, I was going to be the next Joan Jett. In high school, I wanted to pursue a career in music. At the onset of college, it was accounting, then music marketing, then public relations, then business, and ultimately, journalism. I had big dreams to get OUT of school, not to stay in it. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
The Perfect Woman
Is there such a thing as the perfect woman? This occurred to me during a bedtime talk with my 9-year old son. He mentioned that he couldn’t wait for college because “there is a time and place for everything,” he said, “and that’s college.” Curious by what he thought happened in college, he informed me that he would meet his perfect woman there. What came next is what disturbed me the most. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Money is the Root of All Evil
We have a saying in our house when it comes to money – “Mom is ‘el broko.” It’s not necessarily true all the time, but it helps my children understand that mom is not made of money, nor do we have a money tree growing in the backyard. Like most, my kids are expensive. They are not greedy kids, nor do they beg me for something in every store, but they cost me a pretty penny. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Fatty Choices, Fatty Patterns
Even though I’ve fought weight gain since I can remember, my kids have not. I know parents that are rail thin, yet their kids are overweight. I’m not a doctor and I don’t pretend to be one. But, I am an observer and I do notice trends, habits, and behaviors of people, including myself. So, when I read of studies about how childhood obesity is completely genetic, I get angry. Obesity, beyond medical conditions, is primarily a result of behaviors and choices. If you eat French fries on a regular basis, you will gain weight. If you consume three doughnuts for breakfast each day, more than likely, you will gain weight. We make the choice whether or not to eat healthy and our kids follow suit. Read more at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Guess Who? Race Card Not an Issue
I can’t stand confrontation or even controversy. So while listening to a talk radio show this morning, it was a natural move for me to switch the station when a caller began to argue with the DJ about the “race card.” Apparently, the caller was offended when the DJ changed his tone/accent when impersonating an Asian man and the DJ was put out (to say the least) that the caller insisted on “playing the race card.” I can’t stand to listen to people argue in public, much less on air, so I quickly switched to another channel. It was an interesting argument, though, and one that made me think about how much our society has changed, yet has still stayed the same. When I was a child, my younger sister and I loved the game “Guess Who?” It was a guessing game where each player had a plastic card rack of people with differentiating features and a primary card. The object of the game was to guess the other player’s person by asking yes or no questions. The “people” ranged from older curly-haired black females, young white males with hats to Asian females sporting glasses and balding French males. Twenty years ago, when we played this game often, our questions focused primarily on race – Is your person white? Is your person black? – and then dwindled to accessories. Is your person wearing a scarf? Does your person have a yellow hat? Interestingly enough, though, when I pulled out this game a few weeks ago for my own two children to play, the questions were quite different. Does your person have a surfer haircut? Does your person have a big nose? Is your person smiling? Does your person have dimples? What I noticed was that my kids didn’t pay much attention to race at all while playing the game. Not once did they pull the “race card.” Not once did they question skin color or ethnic styles. It was comforting to see through my kids’ play that race was not a source of controversy and that I’ve raised them to look beyond skin color and notice the special qualities of each individual. By no means, do I think that racial discrimination is not still predominantly causing injustice in this society, but for one moment, it was nice to forget the confrontation and see that my kids did not even acknowledge the “race card.” I was proud of their growth and maturity, until my son said, “Does your person have a big butt?” Yes, we still have some things to work on … - Shannon Philpott Blog Entry: Aug. 11, 2009 © Shannon Philpott, 2009. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Shannon Philpott and shannonphilpott.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
My Love/Hate Relationship with Running
I love running, yet I hate running. We have this love/hate relationship – the type of relationship with days when I want to embrace it at times and then other days, when I want to just call it quits and kick it to the curb. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Five Things Every Student Journalist Should Do … Now
Student journalists are busy people. Beyond tending to class work, outside jobs, and attempting to have somewhat of a social life, they spend their days brainstorming story ideas, writing stories, gathering video and photos, laying out pages, and managing ethical dilemmas. They work tirelessly to produce fair, accurate, and balanced coverage of campus communities while also trying to inform and entertain readers. As a college media adviser, my job is to provide the resources and training needed, guide and counsel students, and even serve as a sounding board when the pressure is leading to burnout. Read more at http://www.shannonphilpott.com
Shannon Philpott-Sanders 