Author Archives: Nancy Chick

2013 Top 10

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Nancy Chick

I just realized this will be my last entry for 2013.* As my social media feeds fill up with Top 10 Lists, I thought I’d pause at the end of the year and offer my own.  Since my blog is … Continue reading →

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Difficult Discussions

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Nancy Chick

Several recent campus conversations have focused on facilitating difficult discussions with students in and out of class.  I’ve long taught multicultural American literature and women’s studies courses, so I appreciate how hard it is to effectively navigate these moments. As … Continue reading →

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Inspiration, Creativity, & New Ideas

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Nancy Chick

In “The Science of Inspiration” (2013), Eric Ravenscraft highlights the neuroscientific view of inspiration, epiphanies, and “‘a-ha’ moments”: “When you make a new connection between two ideas, it’s not just a metaphor. Your brain is literally restructuring itself to accommodate … Continue reading →

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Gratitude Journals

Posted on November 27, 2013 by Nancy Chick

It’s the Thanksgiving break on campuses in the United States, and I’m recovering from another surgery, so this week’s post will be brief.  I’ve been enjoying the daily “I’m thankful for…” posts by many of my Facebook Friends this month.  … Continue reading →

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Labyrinths & Learning

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Nancy Chick

I’ve been reading everything I find about mindfulness, but I’m eager for more evidence-based work on its effects on learning in the college classroom.  As my previous posts indicate, recent years have seen a lot of scientific research (especially in … Continue reading →

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Reading Like Bruce Lee

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Nancy Chick

I teach literature. My students read a lot, and I want them to read well—closely, carefully, attentively. I’ve always heard that the best readers were read to when they were young and then read voraciously when they were growing up.  … Continue reading →

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How It Works, IV

Posted on November 6, 2013 by Nancy Chick

This is the fourth and final post about how mindfulness works, or the documented effects and how they occur.  The first was about attention regulation, the second body awareness, the third emotional regulation, and now a different perspective of the … Continue reading →

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How It Works, III

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Nancy Chick

This is the third of four posts about how mindfulness works, or the documented effects and how they occur.  The first was about attention regulation, the second body awareness, and now we turn to emotional regulation. A man riding a … Continue reading →

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How It Works, II

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Nancy Chick

This is the second of four posts about how mindfulness works, or the documented effects and how they occur.  Last week was devoted to attention regulation; this week explores the increased body awareness, the ability to notice small, subtle changes … Continue reading →

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How It Works, I

Posted on October 17, 2013 by Nancy Chick

My recent posts have been focused on issues of stress, mostly because I’ve seen the effects on my own life and worry about colleagues, students, and friends. Some of you have asked me to clarify how mindfulness works: what it … Continue reading →

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