Bird Droppings June 21, 2019
Standing in line at Kroger always thinking about teaching

I am always looking for coincidence. This could be why so often I find it just about anywhere. It might be walking in my yard and seeing an owl sitting in a tree, or standing in line at an odd hour at our super Kroger and finding a book. As it goes I am a creature of some routine, while not rising as early as I did during the school year, when I would leave the house at to go to the high school by five in the morning. I still am up and moving before many even consider the idea. I have been doing well on my intake of caffeine for a couple months.

I left without my tea from the house and trying to avoid my caffeine fix each morning from very high calorie energy drinks I headed to find Black Chai Tea at Starbucks. It has been a few years since I would down big mugs as I wrote each morning and had that urge again. The collection of empty mugs in our cabinet at home bespeaks my former habit. My son was heading to Alcovy to feed our zoo at the high school. So he was up early after he left I proceeded to the store to pick up my tea and headed for the checkout. Just as I entered the line a book cart of sorts a large cardboard box marked book sale. Generally in a grocery store books in a large cardboard box marled for sale are ones no one wants but are discounted so you will buy this now sort of approach. As I bent over to look on top was a little book, “Teachers are Special” by Nancy Burke. The adventure begins, on page seven a nice start to the day as I am always looking for ideas.

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” William Arthur Ward

That summarizes many education courses and how to courses in teaching all in one and here I am always searching for what makes a great teacher. Inspiration is the key as I look back on teachers over the years a very few inspired me. There were some and those I could on my fingers and I am one who has been through many teachers in undergraduate and graduate school. I got thinking back to another morning and I was writing as usual.  My son called me to ask if I was watching the news. One of his good friends was in London on a summer study trip and things were going on not well where his buddy was staying. Jamie came out of it ok and by coincidence I officiated at this same young man’s wedding a few years later. As I thought to the young man whose wedding I had officiated and his tragic death in a half marathon in what seems just yesterday. My son now living in North Carolina I reread the line from this little book and you know the word teacher could be substituted with parent, friend, manager, supervisor and nearly any other word describing relationships. It is so interesting how we all are teachers in life at some point or another.

“Everywhere, we learn only from those whom we love.” Johann Wolfgang Goethe

One of my projects today is to finish several thoughts on story telling for my dissertation and pack books for vacation. Story telling is essentially how I teach and get my lessons across. I actually found several Universities doing research on the subject, basically teaching with inspiration, emotion and feeling. What if for today? What if everyone taught, listened, spoke, managed, supervised, coached, and or just was friends with feeling would our world be any different?

“I like teachers to be nice and sweet and cool and let us do our own stuff, and to be kind, really kind.” Meagan, age 7

I wonder what if a child could rule the world what would the world be like, nice, sweet, cool kind, really kind and we could do our own stuff maybe. Please keep all in harm’s way on your mind and in your hearts Namaste.

My family and friends I do not say this lightly,

Mitakuye Oyasin

(We are all related)

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