Category: The daily meanderings of a teacher

  • Dreams

    Bird Droppings September 1, 2010 Dreams “You are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however.” Richard Bach It has been so many years since first experiencing Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Bach’s whimsical tale of a seagull who dreams of more than…

  • Wishing and wondering and waitiing

    Bird Droppings August 31, 2010 Wishing and wondering and waiting “Calamity is the perfect glass wherein we truly see and know ourselves.” William Davenant It has been nearly four years since we moved last and found ourselves in this house. I wasn’t sure from where to start several ideas have been running through my thinking…

  • Please think about tomorrow

    Bird Droppings August 30, 2010 Please think about tomorrow I was sitting in my class room when one of my students asked would I sell an ear phone for a cell phone for twenty dollars. I responded probably not but I told them and directed them to the local Wal-Mart where they could buy one…

  • A spiritual side to teaching

    Bird Droppings August 29, 2010 A spiritual side to teaching “Solitude does not necessarily mean living apart from others; rather, it’s never living apart from one’s self. Not about absence of other people – it is about being fully present to ourselves, whether or not we are with others.” Parker Palmer Dr. Parker Palmer is…

  • A final look at essential Bird Pedagogy

    Bird Droppings August 27, 2010 A final look at essential Bird Pedagogy “If a university can’t have two out of five of their student-athletes graduate, I don’t know why they’re rewarded with post-season play” Arne Duncan Over the past few days I have been looking at how I see teaching and instruction and I have…

  • Essential Bird Pedagogy Part 3

    Bird Droppings August 26, 2010 Essential Bird Pedagogy Part 3 Essential Education Pedagogy The pedagogy developed by Tara Redwood School and Essential Education includes the following: • Knowledge of the inner world of thoughts, feelings and emotions is as important as knowledge of the outer world • An integrated and interdisciplinary approach to learning is…

  • Essential Bird Pedagogy Part 2

    Bird Droppings August 25, 2010 Essential Bird Pedagogy Part 2 ‎ “We would do away with examinations. They measure the inconsequential type of learning. We would do away with grades and credits for the same reason. We would do away with degrees as a measure of competence partly for the same reason. Another reason is…

  • Essential Bird Pedagogy

    Bird Droppings August 23-24, 2010 Essential Bird Pedagogy Part 1 “The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change.” Dr. Carl Rogers, considered the father of humanistic psychology Carl Rogers in 1969 published a book, Freedom to Learn. You would think that in a country with mandatory…

  • The sixteen hour syndrome and why we should embrace it

    Bird Droppings August 22, 2010 The Sixteen hour syndrome and why we should embrace it It has been nearly ten years since I wrote about the Sixteen Hour Syndrome in relationship to emotionally and behaviorally disturbed students. The idea developed from my own observations of a group of twenty eight students in a Georgia high…

  • An Emerson day

    Bird Droppings August 21, 2010 An Emerson day Last night I was extremely tired after the first week of school and our first official football game. While just a scrimmage I went and took a few photos. I left earlier just exhausted and started watching a movie and then proceeded to walk around outside. It…