Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1337485
For our full social media directory, see cta.org/social. #OurVoiceOurUnion #WeAreCTA facebook.com/wearecta @WeAreCTA youtube.com/californiateachers @WeAreCTA WeAreCTA U P F R O N T L E T U S K N O W W H A T Y O U T H I N K . We accept signed email and letters; we excerpt user posts from CTA social media platforms and cta.org/educator. Content subject to editing for clarity and space. Photos must have permissions. Opinions expressed by writers are not necessarily those of CTA. Editor@cta.org; #WeAreCTA Inspiring Stories [In the December/January issue] I enjoyed E. Toby Boyd's President 's Message, "Starting 2021 With a Heart Full of Hope," urging us to "make some time for your own renewal, and to replenish yourself spiritually, physically, emotionally." Richard Cohen's article, "Listen With a Warm Heart ," continues the theme of going inward to examine our thoughts and actions and to "lead for- ward," which requires "both an internal and external paradigm shift — from the judgmental to the compassionate, from punishing to healing." A message sorely needed in today 's divided society. The other article which caught my attention, "Putting His- tory Into Context," was on history teacher Don Dumas [one of our 2020-21 Innovators]. What a brave soul, teaching facts about our history at a time when myths pass as facts, and telling the truth often gets the messenger in trouble, even ostracized. Kudos to Don Dumas! Thank you for the inspiring articles. MARTI GUERRA Rancho Santiago CCD Continuing Education Faculty Assn. Thank you for the uplifting "Listen With a Warm Heart." I appreciate this viewpoint during these very challenging days in our profession. I really hope that administrators can take this to heart and understand the teachers are doing their very best to teach students in a brand-new way. Whether in person with masks on, like at my school, or on a Zoom meeting, this is all new. I appreciated Richard Cohen's view on being kind to one another! It's important to have patience and a heart . STEPHANIE BOWEN Mariposa County Teachers Association Marshmallow Now or Later? In a December/January story on helping students with chronic trauma, one segment cites the famous Stanford study in which children were offered one marshmallow now or two if they could wait a period of time. A follow-up to the study found that children who could delay gratification were more successful in life. "Focus on the Future" caught my attention because I had heard about the Stanford marshmallow experiment in college. In fact, I often discussed it with my students. Then I attended a social- emotional learning conference a year ago that changed my thinking. The ability to postpone grat- ification has more to do with experiences the child has had. If they trust adults to keep their promises, they are more likely to feel assured that they rely on the environment. SUZANNE NUT TALL Simi Educators Association Dr. Jill Biden Thanks for the article on the recognition of Dr. Jill Biden as an incoming first lady who happens to be one of us, an educator/NEA member ["Educator in the White House," December/January]. How- ever, in that same piece is the vexing problem of the almost emasculating attempt to deny women their well-deserved intellectual recognition. Long before she became first lady, she was a professor of education. As the foremost education union in the country/world, the least we could do is acknowledge those among us who have reached the pinnacle of our professional pursuit. Referring to her as "First Lady Jill Biden" is, in my view, disrespectful. The appropriate way to refer to her, especially in CTA/NEA publications, should/must be: The First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden. FAITH O. MOWOE, PH.D. Rialto Education Association 3 F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H 2 0 21