The daily meanderings of a teacher

Bird Droppings March 24, 2020 Looking for reasons   “Come; let us put our minds together to see what kind of life we can create for our children.” Sitting Bull, Lakota Sioux   Nearly twenty years have passed since I did a research paper on the causes of various emotional issues with children. When I first…

Bird Droppings March 23, 2020 What is a birddropping? On February 3, 2003 I officially started titling my daily emailing and blogging, Bird Droppings. I went back in my files and pulled up a few old thoughts and ideas. As I was reading the local paper today a street poll was included asking locals about…

Bird Droppings March 21, 2020 Is it passion or just obsession?   “All games have an important and probably decisive influence on the destinies of the players under ordinary social conditions, but some offer more opportunities than others for life long careers and are more likely to involve innocent bystanders.” Dr. Eric Berne, The games…

Bird Droppings March 20, 2020 Children Teach what they Live   It is a beautiful spring day outside and quiet after a crazy open house next door. It seems the solitude of the country has changed rapidly in only a few weeks. A developer bought sub-division and has put up houses. People are moving into…

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…