Articles and Presentations
"Are you counting the days yet?" I've gotten used to this daily refrain from inquisitive colleagues since I announced my retirement after 27 years with the district. When I hear it, I smile back, dreaming of leisurely coffee over the weekday Los Angeles Times while a new poodle sits at my feet, gently tapping his tail to the beat of Vivaldi on the stereo . . . Sure, I'm counting the days! Yet, something strange happened after my formal announcement . . .
(California Educator magazine, June/July 2018, "Your Voice" column)
Monday, six o'clock a.m. My lone car in the dimly-lit parking lot. An uncommon silence on the damp blacktop. Invisible bird chatter emanating from the motionless sycamore trees dwarfing the upper-grade bungalows. A yapping mutt standing in the strewn yard of a house behind the school's chain-link fence.These are the moments when the stir of life's details collides with what lies ahead of me. . .
(California Educator magazine, September 2016, "Your Voice" column)
A growing number of teachers in Southern California is using the breathing and relaxation techniques known as "mindfulness" to help their students focus on their studies. . . Sixth-graders from Madison Elementary in Anaheim just walked in from lunch and a fast-paced recess. There was a lock-down drill earlier in the day. They are now sitting as teacher Leslie Young helps them quiet their bodies to open up their minds . . .
(Radio Podcast, KPCC-FM 89.3, January 17, 2017)
List of Presentations
- Secrets of the fulfilled teacher. Paper and workshop presented at the Orange County Department of Education Social-Emotional Learning Speaker Series, Costa Mesa, CA; Magnolia School District and Fairmont Private Schools All-Staff Development Days (2019, 2020)
- How to continue to find meaning in the teaching profession. Paper and workshop presented at the California Teachers Association (CTA) New Educators Conference, San Francisco and Irvine, CA (2017, 2018).
- My journey as a public school teacher: How I remained committed, stayed engaged & found meaning in my career. Keynote address at the California Council of Teacher Education Annual Conference, Lives of Teachers Special Interest Group, San Diego, CA (2016).
- Veteran K-12 public school teachers. Paper and poster sessions presented at the California Council of Teacher Education Annual Conference, San Diego, CA (2013-2017).
- LGBTQ teachers & students: Looking at the past, present, and future (with Dr. Laurie Hansen, Cal State Fullerton). Paper presented at the California Teachers Association (CTA) Good Teaching Conference, Garden Grove, CA (2016).
- Coming out from the shadows: A history of LGBT educators in the United States. Paper presented at the Claremont Graduate University Research Conference, Claremont, CA (2014).