Unanswerable Questions

Questions can come a place of curiosity, of genuinely wanting to know. Asking a person, or especially a child, can be a form of validation, affirming both. “I am interested in you and your answers. You matter to me.” These are the sorts of questions that I believe, perhaps with undue optimism, can bridge difference…

Stories and Histories: Journeys and Meaning

When I taught history, I sought conversations with students at the end of the semester about the course. What mattered to them? What would they remember, if anything, in the semester or years to come? Learning outcomes assessment evaluations and summary grades are valuable, but there’s nothing like an open-ended conversation with a student. It is often…