I have spent so much time reading today that all the words have acquired a blurry glow making them indecipherable, even more so if I try to focus. Hmm…could this be a metaphor for graduate life, close reading practices, Derridian deconstruction, or perhaps just a bodily clue telling me it’s time to end the work day?

…I also had a dream that I was a white dragon that turned into a cherry blossom tree…very Kurosawa…

 
Regardless, I have two things to offer for the day. 1)An image from NyTimes arts section that I will call,  Mission statement…


…and second is my proposal for the “Tutor Institute,” a local event attended by a few surrounding universities…should be fun:

Our efforts to be great tutors and teachers are often directed outwards, directing students toward goals that are often not their own. Training and experience help us realize that we must empathize with a given student’s particular level and expectations, pushing them, but not projecting on to them. Unfortunately, little is said about how we are to achieve this kind of empathy.

This brief presentation shifts the focus from student to tutor asking how we can take control of the thoughts, desires and goals we have for our students and maintain the clarity necessary for successful sessions. More specifically, we will explore the connection between breathing, thoughts and empathy through direct practice with techniques.