My first name is biblical, and was chosen because my father is a minister and both my parents are Christian.
My middle name (Carrell) comes from my material grandfather, whose last name is Stanton. We are direct cousins of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, women's rights suffragist, and Thomas Stanton, who served as an interpreter among Native Americans in the original colonies.
My last name (maiden: Flemming) is Flemish, or from Flanders, which is close to Scotland. My father's family originally came from this region and moved to Canada several generations ago.
I have pride in my names because they represent my heritage and ancestor's family and personal journies. And I am proud of their identities. Yet I also realize that many of my students may have no idea what their names mean or the histories of their families. So when asked about my background, I talk about it, but am careful not to press them for the same information or come across as superior. I like to add in silly and negative bits of trivia as well as demonstrating that I am proud of where I came from in the hopes that they might feel the same way.
My middle name (Carrell) comes from my material grandfather, whose last name is Stanton. We are direct cousins of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, women's rights suffragist, and Thomas Stanton, who served as an interpreter among Native Americans in the original colonies.
My last name (maiden: Flemming) is Flemish, or from Flanders, which is close to Scotland. My father's family originally came from this region and moved to Canada several generations ago.
I have pride in my names because they represent my heritage and ancestor's family and personal journies. And I am proud of their identities. Yet I also realize that many of my students may have no idea what their names mean or the histories of their families. So when asked about my background, I talk about it, but am careful not to press them for the same information or come across as superior. I like to add in silly and negative bits of trivia as well as demonstrating that I am proud of where I came from in the hopes that they might feel the same way.