Handling the Hot Thoughts: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Writing

Although I am a professional writer and educator, writing does not always come easy for me. When I am facing a bad case of writer’s block, I rely on a psychotherapy technique I learned from a therapist: cognitive behavioral therapy.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy developed by Dr. Aaron Beck in the 1960’s (Greenberger & Padesky, 1995). This therapy treats stress, depression, and anxiety by helping a person to identify and challenge their negative thoughts (Greenberger & Padesky, 1995). With practice, CBT can help a person to automatically identify negative thinking and turn thoughts from negative to positive.

Note: This blog provides just a summary of CBT, but you can find more information on the topic from Greenberger and Padesky’s book Mind Over Mood (1995). Before I jump into using CBT for writing anxiety, please know I am not trained in any kind of therapy or mental health care. These are just tips I have found to be helpful when I’m battling my own writing anxieties.

Step 1: Identify your situation and mood (Greenberger & Padesky, 1995)

The first step in using CBT for writing is to identify the situation and how you are feeling (Greenberger & Padesky, 1995). For example: Last week I was struggling to write a work assignment that asked for my personal opinion. In this example, the situation was a work assignment, and I felt nervous and insecure about providing my personal opinion. Because of these feelings, I found myself procrastinating on the assignment.

Other examples of situation and mood may include:

• You’re writing a major assessment for a course and you have no idea where to start. You pored over research, but you are putting off writing because you feel overwhelmed.

• You’re almost done with an annotated bibliography. The annotations and entries are done, but now you are stuck on the introduction. You’re feeling anxious about finishing this assignment because it is worth such a large percentage of your course grade.

Step 2: Identify your automatic thoughts and the hot thought (Greenberger & Padesky, 1995)

As you are identifying your situation and mood, where do you find your thoughts going? For my work assignment, my automatic thoughts included: “I will have to turn this assignment in late. My coworkers will be upset with me. Everyone will think I am terrible at my job.” Yikes! My thoughts went to a pretty extreme place. In my automatic thoughts, “Everyone will think I am terrible at my job” is definitely the hottest or scariest thought.  

Using the same situations and moods as above, here are some examples of automatic and hot thoughts:

• “I have no idea how to start this paper, because I am not good at writing. Hot thought: Whatever I turn in will be terrible.”

• “I have no idea what to write for this introduction. What if I finish this assignment and I get a terrible grade? Hot thought: If I get a terrible grade, my overall course grade will drop.”

Step 3: Identify evidence that does not support the hot thought, and instead, develop an alternative thought (Greenberger & Padesky, 1995)

I could have let my automatic thoughts continue to spiral, but I was able to stop and counter my negative thinking by looking for evidence to support my hot thought. Did I have any proof that my coworkers thought I was terrible? My coworkers had always been very supportive of my work. They had given me praise and encouragement on many projects. There was no evidence to support my hot thought. I had never turned in an assignment late before, and I knew I could still make the deadline because I had performed this kind of task in the past! My alternative thought or my positive, rational idea was, “I might have to ask for an extension, but I have to try first.”

Here are some examples of looking for evidence that does not support hot thoughts and alternative thoughts:

• I have never turned in a terrible paper before. While I may have done poorly on some writing assignments in the past, I was able to revise my writing and learn from the experience. Alternative Thought: I am confident in all the research I have done. I can freewrite my first draft and then get help from the Writing Center.

• So far I have not received a bad grade in this class. In fact, my instructor has been happy with my writing. Alternative thought: I may be stuck now, but I will begin by outlining my introduction. If I am still struggling with writer’s block, I will reach out to my instructor for feedback.

Ultimately, CBT is about addressing the negative thoughts that hold us back, and turning them into positive thoughts that move us forward. By working through this process, we have to slow down and rationalize our worst fears. More often than not, these fears are unfounded. With time and practice, applying CBT to your writing anxieties may happen automatically. 

Reference

Greenberger, D., & Padesky, C. A. (1995). Mind over mood. New York, NY: The Guilford Press. 

Tasha Sookochoff is a writing instructor in the Walden University Writing Center. Along with earning degrees from the University of Wisconsin, Stout and Depaul University, Tasha has written documentation for the U.S. House of Representatives that increases government transparency, blogged for DePaul University, copy-edited the Journal of Second Language Writing, tutored immigrants and refugees at literacy centers, and taught academic writing to college students.

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Thursday Thoughts: Old Hat

Happy Thursday from the Walden University Writing Center.  This week, our Thursday Thoughts post will focus on your writing habits and how your writing process is impacted by your creativity.

We have all heard that creativity is a muscle. You can stretch it and flex it to improve your creativity, just like bulking up at the gym. Since you use your creativity to brainstorm for, outline, and begin writing your papers, consider flexing your creativity before, during, and after the writing process. This will be your creativity workout. A writing assignment presents a problem that you can answer with creative problem solving. You do this every week with your discussion posts, and you can do it, too, with your longer assignments.

Flex your creativity for your next writing assignment. 

When I am given a writing assignment, I tend to think about my writing process as a mathematical equation. My main topic is A. My subtopics are B., C., D., and my conclusion is E. If I correctly add up A through D, my paper will be successful, and E., my concluding paragraph, will wrap everything up neatly.

To flex my creativity as I approach a new assignment, I might ask myself new questions inspired by thinking critically about my topic. These questions might include:

• What information can I present to my readers that they will not have known before reading my paper? How can I captivate my readers while still maintaining academic tone?
• What ideas do I want to end my paper with? Is a standard "A. B. C. outline" the best way for me to get there? Is there a way I might outline my text differently to lead to this conclusion?
• What ideas do I want to discuss in depth in my paper? How will these areas of depth impact other areas of my text, and how can I balance this depth?

As I ask myself some questions to spark my creative muscles, I will likely find new outlets and ideas that do not follow my usual writing process, and this is good. It is good because it will allow me to enliven my writing and approach topics from different perspectives. And what's even better is that the more I stretch my creative muscles, the more accustomed I'll become to adjusting my writing process versus sticking to the same old hat. 

What other ideas do you have to stretch your creative muscles and improve your writing process?

  

The Walden University Writing Center provides information and assistance to students with services like live chat, webinars, course visits, paper reviews, podcasts, modules, and the Writing Center's webpages. The Writing Center supports students through all stages of their writing process and develops the writer as well as the writing.

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Student Spotlight: Lisa Whiteaker, Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership

The Walden University Writing Center is privileged to work with talented students. In the Student Spotlight Series, we aim to support incredible work our students do, both in and out of the classroom. The goal of the Student Spotlight Series is to provide the Walden community with a place to build bridges and make connections by developing shared understanding of the diverse and varied student journey. Students share stories about their writing process, their efforts towards social change, and their motivations for pursuing higher education. We ask questions, and students generously answer.

This Student Spotlight features Lisa Whiteaker, student of the The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership. 

How would you describe your personality to someone just meeting you?

People often initially describe me as being a sweet, kind person. Upon further inspection, I am also organized, meticulous, and goal-oriented. There are aspects of my personality that people are generally surprised about. I am quiet and sometimes shy, but I love fast cars, the color red, and Bon Jovi!

What are you passionate about? What are your hobbies?

As a teacher, I am passionate about education and making an impact in the lives of children. I love learning  more so I can apply my knowledge to help a child learn. I am passionate about learning. I have always been a reader and hope I can teach my students to love learning as well. 

Here is Lisa in her backyard!

I live in Wyoming and, as such, I enjoy the mountains and the beauty of nature. I also love to bake. My favorite cookbook is The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show cookbook. I highly recommend this cookbook! The recipes for Strawberry Cream Cake and Classic Brownies are absolutely delicious. I love to spend time with my two children and my husband. We enjoy going to the park, watching movies, and reading together.

What is your educational background? 

My educational background is a combination of many experiences. I grew up in Wyoming, but moved to Kansas after graduation to be near my mom. In 1998, I completed one semester at Emporia State University. Then I attended a small Bible college for a few years in Missouri. After a long break from college, and after moving back to Wyoming with my husband and children, I went back to school at the age of 30 years old. I attended our local junior college, Casper College, to begin to finish up my degree. After Casper College, I transferred to the University of Wyoming at Casper. I really enjoyed every step of my journey and am thankful for all the teachers who made deposits in my life. My story shows that it is never too late to go back and pick up where you left off. It is never too late to make a decision to gain more education to better your life. 

How do you fuel yourself during the writing process?

I am not sure if anyone else feels this way, but, for me, the writing process is laborious. There is a definite cyclical process to writing, and I often feel as though I am slugging my way through it. I have found, though, the more time I invest in the process of collecting and organizing my thoughts and systematically relaying my ideas in my rough draft, the less time I have to invest in revising. To make it through the stages of writing, I definitely need something to keep me going. To fuel myself during the writing process, I turn to coffee, ice tea, and the occasional piece of dark chocolate. Also, gathering more information through academic journals and my own personal resource books fuels me. These sources help me to connect all the new information I have acquired with my own personal experiences, tying the entire writing process together.

What inspires you to write?

Currently, deadlines and due dates are my inspiration to write! Beyond what I must complete for the classes I am taking, I truly believe that becoming a proficient writer is an important life skill. Being able to communicate with others through words is a universal means of connecting. This in and of itself is inspiring to me.

What is one Writing Center service you would recommend to new students? 

The Writing Center service I would recommend to new students is having your paper reviewed. At first, it took me awhile to get my paper written long enough in advance that I could have time to have my paper reviewed. Once I got into the flow, it has not been difficult to get my papers finished in time for a review. I would strongly recommend that new students use this valuable resource. I would also recommend choosing one specific person to review your papers. It helps to have the same person looking over your writing because they can give you specific feedback on how you are growing as a writer.

Have you encountered any challenges while at Walden and how did you overcome those challenges? 

Someone once told me, “The process is part of the promise.” Challenges are a part of the process. I have taken this to mean that each valley and mountain I encounter along my journey is part of what makes me who I am. Each experience in my life gives me a skill or understanding that I can later share with others. There have definitely been challenges while I have been pursuing my master’s degree, and I have relied on my family, colleagues where I work, and colleagues in my classes to help give me the strength to get me through to the next phase. I have also relied on myself and I always remember that sometimes the best things in life are those which are difficult to obtain.

What does social change mean to you? How have you worked toward social change in your personal/professional life? 

Part of what drew me to Walden University was the strong view on positive social change, as this has always been important to me in my personal life. To me, being an agent of positive social change means making a difference in someone else’s life for the better. It means giving part of what I have or know to make the way more equitable or easier for someone else. My husband and I have always been people who have given to others. Though the ways in which we have given may be small, they were significant to those who were the recipients. My favorite quote is from The Little Princess by Francis H. Burnett. In the story, Sara, the main character, has lost everything she held dear. It was at this point she declared, “If nature has made you for a giver, your hands are born open, and so is your heart; and though there may be times when your hands are empty, your heart is always full, and you can give things out of that—warm things, kind things, sweet things….”

This has always been my mantra and it guides me daily as I interact with and come across people who need a friend and a helping hand.

The Walden Writing Center provides information and assistance to students with services like live chat, webinars, course visits, paper reviews, podcasts, modules, and the writing center webpages. Through these services they provide students assistance with APA, scholarly writing, and help students gain skills and confidence to enhance their scholarly work.

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Student Spotlight: Heather Graham, College of Health Sciences

The Walden University Writing Center is privileged to work with talented students. In the Student Spotlight Series, we aim to support incredible work our students do, both in and out of the classroom. The goal of the Student Spotlight Series is to provide the Walden community with a place to build bridges and make connections by developing shared understanding of the diverse and varied student journey. Students share stories about their writing process, their efforts towards social change, and their motivations for pursuing higher education. We ask questions, and students generously answer.

This Student Spotlight features Heather Graham, student of the College of Health Sciences.

Why did you choose Walden? What drew you to pursue a degree at Walden?

I chose Walden because I was moving overseas. My husband is in the Air Force and stationed in the United Kingdom. I needed a school that could work with my living situation. Also the school offers a military discount and accepts the use of the Post 9-11 GI Bill. Living overseas has been difficult at times when trying to communicate with my teachers, however, they have all been wonderful in accommodating my needs.

Heather and her husband during their travels.

What are you passionate about? What are your hobbies?

I am passionate about helping others. I became a nurse for that reason. I am also passionate about my family, they mean everything to me. Soon my husband and I will be expanding ours in June. Hobbies, well before moving to the United Kingdom, I lived in Alaska. My hobbies included snowboarding, fishing, hunting, camping, and hiking. Mostly all the outdoors adventures. Since moving, my new hobbies include seeing the world! Since living in England I have traveled to Greece, Italy, Spain, France, Austria, Germany, Scotland, and Ireland. I look forward to seeing all that I can while living here. My husband and I also continue to snowboard, now our hobby is to ride all the European mountain ranges. So far we have completed Solden in Austria and Alpspitze and Zugspitze in Germany.

Heather and her husband on a ski trip

How have you created a community around yourself in your program? What do you do to interact with your classmates and colleagues?

After my first semester I learned that there were Facebook groups for each course I was enrolled in where students communicate with each other to help with the struggles we have in classes. We help each other by making assignments more clear or give ideas when we struggle with writing a paper. Some of the classmates I have personally friended on Facebook and we will talk about school and life. It is nice to communicate with others and relate to others in the program.

What are your strengths in writing? What are your greatest challenges?

Since using the writing center, I feel I have developed a strength in the flow of my papers. I have made improvements with my use of commas, semicolons, and colons. I still have a challenge with using passive voice, however, the writing center has been helping me identify and correct my errors. They give me samples and resources to help develop my writing skills.

What is one Writing Center service you would recommend to new students?

I highly recommend using the writing center to have your papers reviewed. I had been out of school for about 5 years and it was rough getting back into it. I had forgotten how to write in APA format and struggled with a few things. The people at the writing center would critique my papers and help give me pointers and resources to be a more developed writer.

How would you describe your personality to someone just meeting you?

Sometimes shy at first, but then very outgoing and friendly. I am an honest person and that can either make or break a friendship it seems. I like people to be open and honest with me and to tell me the truth. This has made it difficult moving to another country. I can be very blunt and honest, but I don’t mean harm. I look at it as constructive criticism. I want people to tell me the truth, even if they don’t think I would like it. However, once someone takes the time to get to know me, I can be the best friend they will know. I am loyal and care about my friends, and I will always have their backs.

How do you hope to apply the work you have done as a student to the work you will do after graduating?
If I have to write up policies or procedures for my nursing, I hope to use what I have learned to portray myself as a professional and produce professional work. I can use this experience to help me complete research and present it in a way that will be easily understood by others. 

Heather on the steps of an ancient monument.

The Walden Writing Center provides information and assistance to students with services like live chat, webinars, course visits, paper reviews, podcasts, modules, and the writing center webpages. Through these services they provide students assistance with APA, scholarly writing, and help students gain skills and confidence to enhance their scholarly work.

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Student Spotlight: Lilly Abdulrohman Mohamed, College of Management and Technology

The Walden University Writing Center is privileged to work with talented students. In the Student Spotlight Series, we aim to support incredible work our students do, both in and out of the classroom. The goal of the Student Spotlight Series is to provide the Walden community with a place to build bridges and make connections by developing shared understanding of the diverse and varied student journey. Students share stories about their writing process, their efforts towards social change, and their motivations for pursuing higher education. We ask questions, and students generously answer.

This Student Spotlight features Lilly Abdulrohman Mohamed, student of the College of Management and Technology.

What prompted you to pursue your Doctor of Business Administration degree at Walden?

Pursuing a doctoral degree has always been a dream of mine. However, once I started working after obtaining my master’s degree, it started to seem like a far-fetched goal as a result of the busy work schedule I faced. Luckily, as I was exploring online doctoral study options, I discovered Walden University. The proposed study plan, faculty, and flexibility offered by the program at Walden finally enabled me to leap into my dream of obtaining a doctoral degree.

What are you planning to research and write about for your doctoral study project, and what do you anticipate are the social change impacts of your study for yourself and others?

I am planning to write about the relationship between leadership and innovation. I believe that leadership has the power to introduce positive organizational effects, such as increased innovation. Therefore, through understanding the type of leadership that is conducive to positive organizational factors, it is possible to introduce positive social impacts. Furthermore, I currently find myself in a leadership position as Deputy CEO of at my place of employment. Therefore, I am looking for ways to enhance my ability to positively influence people through my leadership. One of my long term goals is to become an entrepreneur. Therefore, leadership and innovation are highly relevant to me.

Lilly, smiling

How do you hope to apply the work you’ve done as a student to the work you will do after graduating?

I plan to apply the lessons I obtain on leadership to alter my personal management style to result in a positive workplace environment. In addition, I hope to elevate the performance of the company I work for by enhancing the level of innovation through the use of leadership. I am inspired by social initiatives that target wealth creation for low-income communities, and I am interested in initiatives that introduce employment and entrepreneurship opportunities to help communities sustain themselves financially. This connects to the work I do because the company I work for targets job creation and equality of representation of women in the workplace. In addition, my organization train employees to ensure that their employment prospects and earning potential are improved. My education at Walden is enabling me to obtain an in-depth understanding of the importance of introducing a social mission into all of the activities we engage in.

What successes have you had at Walden so far, and how have you overcome challenges you’ve faced?

So far at Walden, I have been able to develop my APA and academic writing skills. In addition, I have been able to perform well in my classes through the guidance and feedback I have received from the faculty at Walden. However, one of the main challenges I have faced is my work and travel schedule. Although it can still be difficult to manage my time efficiently, I have developed this skill a great deal. I am now able to pre-plan and identify how to adjust my schedule to meet my deadlines. Additionally, some of the countries I have visited for work often have internet restrictions, meaning that my access to the student portal and myPASS has been cut off. However, my faculty and the Writing Center have been extremely cooperative, enabling me to continue my program and receive support.

You started using the Writing Center almost immediately when you started your DBA program. What drew you to using the Writing Center, and what Writing Center resources have you found the most beneficial?

I was drawn to the Writing Center initially as I was unfamiliar with APA guidelines and requirements. Once I started booking appointments with a writing instructor through myPASS, the reviews I received revealed the benefits of gathering more information on academic writing. I have benefited from paper reviews by finding my academic voice and focusing on forming my thesis statement. Some of the most useful lessons I have learned are proofreading strategies, building an APA complaint reference section, forming strong thesis and topic sentences, and using the MEAL plan for paragraph formation. The Writing Center has helped me and continues to help me strengthen my academic writing skills. In addition, I continue to learn and expand my knowledge base on APA guidelines.

How do you find the time to make appointments each week, and what additional resources would you recommend to your fellow students?

I have continued to frequent paper review appointments with the Writing Center from the first time I experienced them at Walden. I found that the instructors, through the paper reviews, offered feedback that was immensely beneficial to me. Therefore, that has motivated me to keep making appointments week after week. In addition to paper reviews, I often utilize Grammarly and it helps me to go through the notes provided on the Writing Center’s grammar webpages. I recommend that my fellow students use the Writing Center’s paper review services and Grammarly to receive writing support.

Keep tuning into the blog to read more posts in our Student Spotlight Series, and consider using our paper review services and Grammarly to support your writing, as Lilly kindly suggested here.

The Walden Writing Center provides information and assistance to students with services like live chat, webinars, course visits, paper reviews, podcasts, modules, and the writing center webpages. Through these services they provide students assistance with APA, scholarly writing, and help students gain skills and confidence to enhance their scholarly work.

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AWA Student Spotlight: Leah Marie Silverman

The Writing Center’s Administrative Writing Assistants (AWAs) are at the front line of the writingsupport@waldenu.edu inbox, performing necessary tasks to make the Writing Center run smoothly. Writing Center AWAs are an integral part of the Writing Center as they communicate regularly with students. But, the AWAs are also Walden students, and thus integral to Walden University itself. That’s why we’d like to share some of their stories of academic success, professional accomplishment, social change work, and advice for other Walden students. In this spotlight series, we show our appreciation for all their hard work so that others can be inspired by their stories as well.   

Today's spotlight is on Leah Silverman,

a  student in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences  

Leah Silverman is currently seeking her PhD in Public Policy and Administration. Having completed her coursework, and awaiting approval of her prospectus, she will be working on her dissertation soon. Leah’s moved around the United States since she was a child. While she lives in the Mid-Atlantic region now, she’s lived in the South, Midwest, New England, and the Intermountain West. One thing Leah learned from living in various places across the U.S. is that a person “can find great landscapes, great people, and great food wherever you go.”

We asked Leah to share about her AWA work, tips for students reaching out the Writing Center writingsupport@waldenu.eduinbox, Writing Center resources she uses and values, and how she, as a student, balances life, work, family, and or other responsibilities. Here are her responses:

Walden University Writing Center (WUWC): What do you enjoy about your Administrative Writing Assistance (AWA) work? 

Leah Silverman (LS): I’m so excited about helping other students succeed at Walden. I have had the best experience as a Walden student, and I love giving back to this community.  Getting answers to writing and APA questions may be a small part of students’ experience at Walden, but I hope to provide the information they need to be successful in their academic progress.

WUWC:  What are the most common questions you find in the writingsupport@waldenu.eduin box and what advice / feedback do you provide regarding this question?

LS: Many of the questions I see are related to correctly citing unusual sources. Sometimes a source doesn’t quite fit the template the APA manual provides. Sometimes a reference must be pieced together with different components from multiple templates. The advice I give to students in these circumstances is to remember the purpose the references list serves: guiding your reader back to the source in the most direct, accessible way. Often, putting that into perspective makes it clear how best to cite an otherwise confusing source.

WUWC: What Walden resources have you used and how have they benefited you?

LS: I am very fond of all Walden’s webinars.  Of course, the Writing Center has a huge collection of webinars that focus on everything from brainstorming tips to APA guidelinesto paraphrasingand more. As well, the Library, the Career Center, the Academic Skills Center, all have amazing webinars.  Walden has an amazing student support system, and I’ve found the webinars key to accessing all of that information.

WUWC: How do you, as a student, balance life, work, family, and or other responsibilities?

Leah's family

LS: I’m a big fan of my day planner.  I do best when I schedule time in blocks so that I can categorize my responsibilities.  If I allow one hour for housework, then I do as much laundry as I can in that hour, but when time is up, time is up.  If I have scheduled two hours to dissertation research, then I do as much as I can in those two hours, and then I call it quits and move on to the next thing. Admittedly, some days just don’t go according to plan (especially with children who are not concerned with my schedule), and I’ve learned to let it go and try again tomorrow.

Thanks, Leah! We at the Writing Center are lucky to have such a dedicated colleague—you are a true asset to us as part of our Writing Center support team, and we know that students appreciate your work as well.  

The Walden Writing Center provides information and assistance to students with services like live chat, webinars, course visits, paper reviews, podcasts, modules, and the writing center webpages. Through these services they provide students assistance with APA, scholarly writing, and help students gain skills and confidence to enhance their scholarly work. Students can email WritingSupport@waldenu.edu and expect a reply from one of our expert AWAs. 

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Student Spotlight: Shaima Alraiy, College of Social and Behavior Science

The Walden University Writing Center is privileged to work with talented students. In the Student Spotlight Series, the WUWC aims to support incredible work our students do, both in and out of the classroom. The goal of the Student Spotlight Series is to provide the Walden community with a place to build bridges and make connections by developing shared understanding of the diverse and varied student journey. Students share stories about their writing process, their efforts towards social change, and their motivations for pursuing higher education. We ask questions, and students generously answer.

This Student Spotlight features Shaima Alraiy, student of the College of Social and Behavior Science.

What are some of the most useful lessons you've learned through paper reviews?

The paper review was a huge learning experience for me. The feedback I received from the Writing Center was significantly constructive and valuable.   It helped me better understand the use of the APA Style in a practical way through the suggestions and examples provided by the Writing Center Instructors. In some of my courses, I received minimal feedback from instructors but that was compensated by the feedback I received from the paper reviews. Through the feedback I received from the Writing Center, I was guided on how to find answers to my questions by always referring to the prompt of the assignment or discussion post. The suggestions of enhancing structure and using more formal and suitable words enhanced my language substantially. I have to admit that what I learned through the Writing Center paper review did not only enhance my work at Walden but also my writing for my work.

What does social change mean to you?

To start talking about social change, I would like to share an excerpt from my first discussion post in my current PhD program. "You changed my life." That was an honest statement an 11-year-old boy said to me in the closing ceremony of a project called "from Child to Child" that I was coordinating in sponsorship by UNICEF in 2006. That phrase made me speechless with no words to respond back. That phrase was ringing in my mind non-stop for a long time until it made me realize its meaning and the achievement behind it. I have not seen that child again, but I can never forget his words and smiling face. He made me realize that I can be of help, and I can be a change agent. He drafted my first rough goal in life which is to help children, who I believe are both current citizens and future leaders.

That was an introduction that I wrote in my first discussion post in my first course in this Ph.D. program. Social change, which is the main goal in all I do, is also the motive, which made me select Walden University. The reminder of social change in most of the assignments and discussion posts throughout the various courses made it part of my thinking and actions. As for my understanding of the meaning of social change, I do believe there is always a motive and a reason for a person to be a social change agent. That motive is what directs the person towards a goal that contributes to social change. The meaning of social change for me is what we do as individuals, groups, and organizations to create change that yields to positive social outcomes. 

Shaima is on the far right of this photo, wearing a black scarf

What social issues have you observed in your community, and how have you advocated for positive social change?

Children and women are the most vulnerable groups, who are mostly dealt with as secondary citizens in the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) region. The person I’ve become and what I achieved so far as a Middle Eastern woman is what I consider a great accomplishment. Going against the norms to achieve noble goals to contribute to social change was a struggle in a conservative society such as Yemen and the MENA region in general. However, I was able to harvest the fruits of my work when I saw the youth I supported come out of their shells and speak for themselves. With my determination and passion for change, I led national campaigns and programs contributing to the welfare and protection of children and young people.

I contributed to social change through the children/youth empowerment network that I initiated with my colleagues in Yemen, which I consider my life project. Some colleagues and I started this network with 4 teachers and 10 school students. We trained them on essential life skills and designing and managing community-service projects. The impact of this project was tremendous on the community and the youth as well. The outcomes of this project made me and my colleagues decide to continue and expand the project. Now the network operates in ten cities with around 1500 youth and 600 teachers who work in community-services projects to support their communities. My colleagues and I (trainers, field coordinators, and mentors) are volunteers who made this network one of the biggest in the country. Some of these young people were selected to present their experience in international conferences and won in some other international competitions. I always see the youth transform when they go through an experience in which they design and lead initiatives themselves and contribute to social change. It is rewarding when some of these young people meet us and say “you changed our lives”!

What challenges have you encountered in your pursuit of social change? How have you overcome them?

In a developing country like Yemen, promoting rights sometimes is a challenge. Young people and children are merely passive listeners in the different settings, especially home and school. To convince parents, school teachers and admins, as well as children themselves, that they can be social change agents was not an easy task at all. However, after they see the impact of such an experience on their children’s personalities, they usually support the concept significantly.

How has your education at Walden influenced how you think about social change?

The reminder of social change in all discussion posts and assignments always fosters what I am doing and motivates me to keep moving forward. Moreover, Walden emphasized the importance of research as a key element in social change.

What are your strengths in writing? What are your greatest challenges?

I think my strength in writing is that I often capture the whole picture when I write about something. However, the fact that English is my second language makes it sometimes hard to be very expressive and formal.

Can you describe one writing project or assignment that meant a lot to you in some way?

Actually, they were three assignments: the final projects of the grant writing course, the annotated bibliography of the Research Theory Course, and the Public Policy analysis and planning course.  The final project of the public policy course was a great exercise of how to analyze and plan for a public policy in reality. I am grateful for this exercise as I was able to analyze a very important policy, which is Family Reunification in Canada. It was a great learning experience as I was able to analyze and provide solution options based on literature, similar policies, and commendable practices. This paper was appreciated by the MP office of the area where I live.   

What would you like other Walden students to know? What advice can you give them as they begin, continue, or close out their degree programs?

In the two residencies I attended, I advised some colleagues I met to utilize the services available for them such as the Writing Center, the library, and the Research Center. I was surprised to know that many of them have not used the services of the Writing Center yet and some of them did not know about it. I immediately showed them some papers that I got reviewed by the writing Center and how the paper was enhanced by the feedback of the reviewer. I would also advise them to look for the motive that makes them want to contribute to social change. That motive will guide every aspect in their PhD Program and how they apply the knowledge and skills they gain to contribute to the social change of the discipline they are interested in.

What writers do you admire, and what is it about their writing that interests you?

Zayd Mutee Dammaj is my favorite writer. He is a Yemeni writer whose novels were appreciated and won prizes internationally. When I read Dammaj, I feel like I am one of the characters, living their experiences. The way he narrates the story is very engaging, making the reader visualize what is happening.

What inspires you to write?

At the personal level, writing is like a close friend with whom I can say what I feel without restraints. Whenever I see something wrong that needs to be addressed or something rightful that needs to be shared, I start writing. This writing can be in different forms, such as a post in Facebook, a study report, a proposal to a funder, etc. In the course of my career, I contributed to different studies such as the “Country Profile on the Situation of Children in Yemen,” “Regional Analysis on the Situation of Violence against Children in Schools in Lebanon, Morocco and Yemen,” a study entirely led by adolescents on the situation of children using the “Child-led Data Collection” methodology, national quantitative and qualitative assessment research on “Violence against children in Schools,” qualitative research on “Child Marriage, Armed Children and Children in Conflict with the Law in Yemen.” I also drafted grant proposals to different funders such as the EU, Oxfam, World Bank, MEPI, UNICEF, Save the Children, and different embassies such as the US and the Netherlands Embassies.

The Walden Writing Center provides information and assistance to students with services like live chat, webinars, course visits, paper reviews, podcasts, modules, and the writing center webpages. Through these services they provide students assistance with APA, scholarly writing, and help students gain skills and confidence to enhance their scholarly work.

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Thursday Thoughts: Do you remember?

Dear Happy Readers. Do you remember the song, "September," by the band Earth, Wind, and Fire? This single was released in 1978. It reached number one on US R&B charts and number three on the UK singles chart. It's been featured in movies such as Night at the Museum, Dan in Real Life, and Soul Food. It is a default song in the library of many Apple iPhone products, and it's received gold record certification in the US, the UK, Mexico, and Italy. If you don't quite remember the song, we are sure you'll recall it after hitting play on the video below. 

This song is still played during celebrations across the world. Maurice White, who was one of the co-writers of the song, dubbed it "the happiest-sounding song in the world," and it is easy to see why. Earth, Wind, and Fire sings of a joyous September, with dancing and golden dreams and shiny days. 

With all this said, the Writing Center would like to wish you - as we say farewell to September - a joyous beginning of October. As you work on new writing assignments, from annotated bibliographies to your premise, remember that we are here! The Writing Center staff would love to assist you in your writing endeavors with our 1:1 appointment service. 

If you instead just have a quick question and do not require a 1:1 appointment, feel free to email us at writingsupport@waldenu.edu. 

Wishing you a joyous October!

The Walden Writing Center offers to Walden students 1:1 writing support and offers to students and non-students alike all the writing expertise, tips, and information a writer could want.

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Thursday Thoughts: A Writer Doesn't Have to Be Lonely

Did you know? Each of the Writing Instructors at Walden's Writing Center provides Walden students with roughly 20 hours of 1:1 writing support per week. This means we see a lot of requests. Students wonder: Does my writing make sense? Does this flow? How is my introductory paragraph? And what about my transitions between ideas? But our top requests from students during paper reviews are to focus on whether or not the text is grammatically sound, whether it meets APA guidelines, and whether it fulfills assignment guidelines.  

We should say, first, that it's tough to create a a grammatically perfect paper that adheres to every APA guideline and fulfills assignment expectations. That's why we are here. The expectation to go by is that 1) our center exists for a reason and 2) the reason is that all writers need support. 

You see, it may seem sometimes like you are out there on your own against the great big world, with a daunting, blank Word Document in front of you, but the truth is: We are here! The Writing Center was created to help students combat the scariness of that blank Word Document, and you can take advantage of us by:

1. 1. Setting up a 1:1 appointment with a writing instructor
2. 2. Checking out our Grammar Overview pages
3. 3. De-mystifying APA Citation Style
4. 4. Reviewing our descriptions of Common Course Assignments  

Following these four steps will, at the very least, get you feeling a little more comfortable in the shoes of student who is also a writer at Walden University. Secondly, these steps, I am hoping, should make clear to you that we are here, and we want to be.

That being said, we are excited to work with you and provide you with 1:1 support. Take advantage of us and our services, and feel free to email us with additional writing questions at any time at writingsupport@waldenu.edu. 

We will see you soon! 

The Walden Writing Center offers to Walden students 1:1 writing support and offers to students and non-students alike all the writing expertise, tips, and information a writer could want.

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