Nathan Branson
Whatever you read here is a way for me to hash out ideas until I can talk about them in real-time with whoever is willing to join in.
Three Fears I Faced While Leading at My Church
On Uncovering My Weaknesses as a Leader (and Finding Methods to Grow Stronger)
Fears about my life naturally arise at 5am on a Thursday morning that are near impossible to get rid of. Fears don’t keep me awake at night, they prevent me from going back to sleep------especially when it comes to an upcoming deadline.
This experience is more common when I am responsible for an event, a project or something where I . . .
The Downsides to Online Classes That First Year College Students Are Unaware Of
But Online Classes Are Easier than Face to Face Classes, Right?
I first taught an online class in January 2013. I had just accepted a full-time position at a community college and my supervisor told me I’d be teaching online classes. While I had to turn in everything online during graduate school, I’d never taken an online course during undergrad or graduate. With that, it was entrusted to me to find a . . .
An Ode to Tim Keller
The Man Who Used Footnotes and Mentored Me Through My Thirties
It is time to give credit where credit is due. I have many ways that I am thankful for the New York pastor Tim Keller. Keller died on May 18th 2023 in a battle with stomach cancer. I consider Keller to be my mentor who kept me on the right path through my late twenties and throughout my thirties. This is my tribute to a man who helped me . . .
Why Do Students Have to Write So Many Essays in College?
A Few Reasons Why The University System Depends so Heavily on Writing
Students often ask me “Why do we have to write so many essays in college?” Or another way to say it is “Why do I have to take this writing class if I am going to be a nurse? Writing does not relate to nursing whatsoever.”
I want to go over a few reasons why students have to write essays, specifically research essays, in their . . .
Posted in: community collegewriting tips
The Family Gathering Habit that Made Me an Extrovert
I Had a Good Childhood (Part 2)
"Don't wait on other people to speak to you first. Speak to others first."----My Grandmother, Thelma Darr
I have been told that I am an extrovert. I took a test recently called "16Personalities" which identified me as an extrovert. I’m not a big fan of labels, so I normally push back and question the terms of . . .
Posted in: hospitalitymemoryreunion
I Had a Good Childhood: My Entrance into the Adult Work World at 15 Years Old (Part 1)
On the Pleasures of Manual Labor
“More and more, we take for granted that work must be destitute of pleasure. More and more, we assume that if we want to be pleased we must wait until evening, or the weekend, or vacation, or retirement.” ---Wendell Berry
In June of 2020, I woke up from a dream crying. In this dream I went back in time to Branson’s Auto where I . . .
Training Students to be Creative Participants Rather than Detached Observers (Part 2)
An Argument for the Creative Writing Workshop
In my previous blog entry, I argued that the mood of literary studies today produces students who have a sharp critical eye, yet unintentionally can produce students who have an unhealthy cynicism. Literature teachers must train their students to be critical readers. Living in America in the 21st century means we are immersed in a consumer . . .
Posted in: critical thinkingstorytellingwriting tips
