The daily meanderings of a teacher

Bird Droppings March 19, 2020 Setting priorities on a chilly spring morning   “Keep in mind that you are always saying ‘no’ to something. If it isn’t to the apparent, urgent things in your life, it is probably to the most fundamental, highly important things. Even when the urgent is good, the good can keep…

Bird Droppings March 18, 2020 Are we going in the right direction?   I am sitting reviewing the status of my student’s online work. A couple of surprises and some that were not. When the virus finally moves on and the smoke clears some grades will be going up and some will be dropping. We…

Bird Droppings March 17, 2020 Where is the beginning or end in a circle?   “It is the function of art to renew our perception. What we are familiar with we cease to see. The writer shakes up the familiar scene, and, as if by magic, we see a new meaning in it.” Albert Einstein…

Bird Droppings March 17, 2020 Quietly listening to Bob Dylan and pondering the word inspiration   My mind wandered back fifteen years to a county-wide teacher kick-off meeting perhaps since we as teachers are on vacation so to say still monitoring our lessons from computers but not in the classroom. Many communities are banning gatherings…

Bird Droppings March 13, 2020 Is there a difference between progressive and traditional teachers?   In a ninth-grade literature class that I happened to co-teach many years ago, I was introduced to the book, Freedom Writers Diary and the film based on the book. In some ways, the story is similar to the story of…

Bird Droppings March 12, 2020 Teaching and life are simply feeding wolves   As I opened my computer this morning a virus leads the news stories. A year ago, the numerous news stories and jokes were addressing the college guidance company that was busted for getting wealthy kids into college for money. Today we are…

Bird Droppings March 11, 2020 Our teaching can make a difference every day   I was looking through data yesterday as I sat through a special education training session. This is an interesting situation. I was reviewing data from a recent benchmark test in biology. An extremely poorly made and designed test that students know…

Bird Droppings March 10, 2020     In light of watching current news and political turmoil I recalled a trip to the Atlanta Zoo. I was approached as I walked up the hill at the Zoo by an elderly man. I had never met this man previously and hope to never meet again. He saw…

Bird Droppings March 9, 2020 Can we teach again a love of learning   This has been a perplexing time of my life. I recall an event, a car wreck in which a young man was killed and his passenger who was a good friend of my youngest son was severely injured. My thoughts rambled…

Bird Droppings March 8, 2020 Religion is what you make of it   “A poor devotee points to the sky and says, ‘God is up there.’ An average devotee says, ‘God dwells in the heart as the Inner Master.’ The best devotee says, ‘God alone is and everything I perceive is a form of God.’”…