Dr. O’Connell Featured as Guest on Radio Felician’s ‘Spill the Tea’: Engaging Conversation with Felician University Professor

“It was lovely. I really liked talking to them about writing because it’s something I care about a lot.”

Felician University Associate Professor of English Dr. Julie O’Connell is talking about her recent experience as a guest on Radio Felician’s show Spill the Tea co-hosted by Felician Communications students Kiera Benson and Nicole Cacciatore.

The show, a casual and informal gabfest on all things “Felician,” sometimes includes chats with professors about what they’re up to with their classes. The Spill the Tea Interview was a perfect fit for Dr. O’Connell who teaches English 101 as well as a Praxis Core review course in English, because it was an opportunity for her to get feedback from students. “I love hearing what they’re interested in, and then I know what to think about when I look at course development.” For example, during the Spill the Tea interview, Dr. O’Connell learned from the show’s hosts that there might be an interest in a course on how to write a book. “I like the idea of being able to help students write a book proposal, or even help and encourage them in their own writing projects.”

It’s something Dr. O’Connell has experience with herself, having written several books on teacher education. “They are teacher test prep books for the most part, but I’ve also edited books, and I do creative writing and some poetry.” That includes having half a novel she has yet to finish in an old bookbag in her basement. “I had a flood, so it went through water, and I think that is very metaphorical.”

Dr. O’Connell is active with the Faculty Resource Network, a group of professors from various universities who benefit from scholarship opportunities provided by New York University. On Friday, November 20^th, she presented “Climate Change: Texts and Contexts,” a talk about a course she developed on environmental writing and climate change . “The conference is about the humanities. I’m going to run the course by a group of colleagues and hear suggestions because, of course, it is still a work in progress.”

Dr. O’Connell is also very much looking forward to the spring semester at Felician when she’ll be one of the professors involved with Felician’s interdisciplinary humanities program Prism Paterson, a unique course focusing on the Paterson of poets, painters, novelists, and others who have contributed to the rich cultural history of the Silk City. As part of Prism Paterson, Dr. O’Connell will be teaching “Community Writing in Paterson: Great Falls.” She also hopes there will be enough student interest to run her online course in African American Literature.

The challenges of both teaching and learning during the age of COVID-19 inevitably came up during the Spill the Tea interview.  Dr. O’Connell recognizes the pandemic is causing a lot of stress for students.  “When I get a chance, I try to do something kind, play a song to start class, send encouragement in emails, just try to spread the love.”  And the love goes both ways because Dr. O’Connell says one of the best parts of being an English professor is helping her students find their own voices as writers.

“There is power in being able to change your own life and transform the lives of others. I’m very proud to say that is what I do for a living, and I am so grateful.”

Speaking about her time as a guest on Spill the Tea Dr. O’Connell said, “with all the screen time we are experiencing, it was so nice to engage in conversation with these two students. It was a nice departure from the technology and reminded me how important it is just to talk.