Author Archives: rglw

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About rglw

Sociologist mom writes for work and for pleasure.

Where I write and what I think about it

Posted on July 15, 2014 by rglw

I write…. …in blank documents that exist only on a computer screen. …in slim, Moleskine notebooks full of creamy, unlined pages. …in the Twitter composition window under the watchful eye of the character counter, ticking off every precious letter, space … Continue reading →

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Everybody’s free to wear [organic] sunscreen

Posted on July 11, 2014 by rglw

When a friend casually mentioned the Environmental Working Group’s sunscreen report to me in passing, I should have nodded, smiled, and moved on. Instead, I asked her to share it with me. Like any curious parent, upon clicking open the report, I did … Continue reading →

Posted in everyday life, family, kids, lessons learned, parenthood, personal, summer, weather | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Fringe benefits of parenting

Posted on June 30, 2014 by rglw

If I would make a pros and cons list for parenting (and I would never actually do such a thing), I would be able to amply populate both columns. And it would be easy to focus on the negative things happening on … Continue reading →

Posted in community, everyday life, family, kids, motherhood, parenthood, personal, summer | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Summertime with my academic babies….

Posted on June 21, 2014 by rglw

It was a really good week. Some highlights: strawberry picking, blue skies, homemade shortcakes, playtime in the yard, swimming at the pool, and the first CSA delivery of the year. Some low moments: 2 sick days, plenty of bickering, a few … Continue reading →

Posted in academia, blogging, community, everyday life, family, kids, lessons learned, motherhood, summer, what professors do, women, work, writing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

In summer….

Posted on June 17, 2014 by rglw

I was getting really tired of people asking me if I had the “summer off.” Over a year ago, I ranted about academia and vacation time. Spoiler alert: there is none. It’s not that there is no vacation time. During the school year, I … Continue reading →

Posted in everyday life, family, guilty pleasures, kids, lessons learned, motherhood, parenthood, personal, summer, vacation, writing | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Open letter to our village on the last day of preschool

Posted on June 12, 2014 by rglw

Dear village, We did it. We made it through another year of “school” with our kiddos. The last week has been full of “lasts” for our oldest. Last community Shabbat gathering, Star Night (preschool graduation but not), last dance class of … Continue reading →

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Simple, delightful things

Posted on June 5, 2014 by rglw

We have so many harried days, and we almost never pause to consider the simple little moments in a day of otherwise, unremarkable events. Today, I was thankful for these few lovely, blessed moments: A no-rush morning: Our preschool was closed today, so we … Continue reading →

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When lice lessons are life lessons

Posted on May 28, 2014 by rglw

As parents of young kids, my husband and I have had it pretty easy. We have weathered our fair share of stormy tantrums and sleepless nights. But save the occasional ear infection, runny nose or low-grade fever, serious illnesses have … Continue reading →

Posted in everyday life, family, health, kids, lessons learned, parenthood, personal | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

What teaching taught me: 2013-2014 edition

Posted on May 23, 2014 by rglw

I posted my final grades in haste over a week ago, and save a few student emails about those grades, I am finished with the 2013-2014 school year. The year was a blur. The work goes from a high-speed car … Continue reading →

Posted in academia, blogging, everyday life, family, higher education, lessons learned, personal, productivity, research, sociology, students, teaching, what professors do, work, writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The social construction of grades

Posted on May 21, 2014 by rglw

At least once a semester I tell my students that grades do not matter. When I tell them that grades don’t matter, I am typically a little huffy about it. I recognize that it is a tough pill to swallow when we’re taught that … Continue reading →

Posted in academia, higher education, lessons learned, students, teaching, work | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment