The daily meanderings of a teacher

Bird Droppings October 14, 2019 How do we find democracy?   It was three years back I was still recovering from a slight change in medication for my blood pressure. I went home from school and dozed off for three hours afterwards. Immediately the next day we were rushing around with our heads cut off…

Bird Droppings October 13, 2019 We are so missing out on teaching creativity   It was another quiet morning as I wandered out although a bit too chilly for crickets and frogs. Yesterday afternoon as it warmed up however several tree frogs visited around the house. The air was still, not a breeze as I…

Bird Droppings October 11, 2019 Are great teachers intuitive? IESP   I have mentioned over the years I can tell when a child has emotional issues most of the time after observing a few minutes and listening. Granted observations are part of most evaluations but I was referring to an intuitive aspect of observation. Something…

Bird Droppings October 10, 2019 How do you feed the wolves?   I walked outside very early this morning to a sky filled with clouds leaving and a brisk wind. Crickets were almost silent chirping slowly in the unusually cool weather. My morning started long before sunrise today and the sounds as I went on…

Bird Droppings October 9, 2019 An epiphany of sorts on a chilly October morning     I spent the better part of yesterday avoiding my direction so intent on the moment I was missing cues to the past and future. In the past several months many things sat me back emotionally and spiritually. We went…

Bird Droppings October 8, 2019 What is that piece you cannot teach teachers?   “Studies suggest that instructional and management processes are key to effectiveness, but many interview and survey responses about effective teaching emphasize the teacher’s affective characteristics, or social and emotional behaviors, more than pedagogical practice.” James H. Stronge, Qualities of Effective Teachers…

Bird Droppings October 7, 2019 Teach to where the learning will be not to where it is   It seems lately the pressure of old age has been weighing on my mind. Today is the first day in some time I felt pretty good it could be it is fall break and later today my…

Bird Droppings October 4, 2019 An eclectic morning and more than one thought about Thoreau   I was talking with the cashier at a local convenience store yesterday morning. We began discussing, The Davinci Code and other philosophical diversions and fearing death as a basis for religion came up. The older you get and more…

Bird Droppings October 3, 2019 Seeing puzzle pieces by being patient   A few mornings back before a subdivision moved in I decided to walk out to my quiet spot along an old stream bed by the house. As I ventured back a feather lay upon the path way. I picked up the feather and…

Bird Droppings October 2, 2019 Why are we deliberately wrong?   I stopped playing the lottery many nearly three years ago but I will admit that on a previous Saturday night with a Powerball jackpot of only about one hundred fifty million dollars I was pondering retiring if I bought a ticket and won. I…