My first blog post

My name is Sarah Donnelly and I am a PhD student currently enrolled in GRAD5114-Contemporary Pedagogy. I am looking forward to communicating with my fellow classmates throughout the course of the semester and learning new tips and tools for engagement and inclusion in the classroom. Let’s do this thing!

The name of my blog is written in Hebrew and is pronounced ‘timshel.’ Timshel is one of the themes in the book East of Eden written by John Steinbeck (my favorite novel) and is translated to mean ‘thou mayest.’ I will share a couple excerpts from the book with you to help you understand why I believe this word to be so incredibly important:

“I’ve wanted to tell you this for a long time. I even anticipated your questions and I am well prepared. Any writing which has influenced the thinking and the lives of innumerable people is important. Now, there are many millions in their sects and churches who feel the order, ‘Do thou,’ and throw their weight into obedience. And there are millions more who feel predestination in ‘Thou shalt.’ Nothing they may do can interfere with what will be. But ‘Thou mayest’! Why, that makes a man great, that gives him stature with the gods, for in his weakness and his filth and his murder of his brother he has still the great choice. He can choose his course and fight it through and win….And I feel that a man is a very important thing—maybe more important than a star. This is not theology. I have no bent toward gods. But I have a new love for that glittering instrument, the human soul. It is a lovely and unique thing in the universe. It is always attacked and never destroyed— because ‘Thou mayest.’”

I’m looking forward to the semester and the innumerable future opportunities that we will have, as a family, to learn and grow together. The way is open.

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Source: http://9cover.com/banff-national-park-nature-facebook-cover-7055

GEDI 2017 – Name Stories

What is the story behind your name?

Name: Qualla Jo

Who came up with it: Both my parents I believe, but I suspect my father had the most influence on it.
Meaning, significance and story: My parents named both my brother and I after a person and a place. I am named Qualla after the Qualla Boundary which is the area in which the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians currently lives in western North Carolina. I am a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and Qualla is also where we lived before the Trail of Tears.  Jo is my paternal grandmother’s first name and so I became Qualla Jo.

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