The daily meanderings of a teacher

Bird Droppings December 26, 2018 Is there a difference between progressive and traditional teachers? A few years back in a ninth grade literature class that I happened to be co-teaching in, I was introduced to the book Freedom Writers Diary. We also watched the film based on the book. In some ways the story is…

Bird Droppings December 24, 2018 Who would have thought of a buffalo snort in the dark?   “Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got a hold of for           the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing…

Bird Droppings December 21, 2018 I am just sitting, pondering and thinking wiping away a tear or two   I was outside very early today for a quick run for milk and dishwasher soap. In the rain I could hear a great horned owl it might have been what was irritating our dog keeping him…

Bird Droppings December 19, 2018 We tend to leave children behind?   “I believe that our own experience instructs us that the secret of education lies in respecting the pupil. It is not for you to choose what he shall know, what he shall do. It is chosen and foreordained, and he only holds the…

Bird Droppings December 17, 2018 How we perceive is often the beginning of the discussion   A dear friend brought up a conversation with a flat earth believer the other day. This person he had been talking with essentially disavowed science in many areas. My son offered is Mars visibly round from a telescope and…

Bird Droppings December 18, 2018 There are always possibilities “Life has no limitations, except the ones you make.” Les Brown I was riding home from school, talking with one of my sons yesterday remembering when I was their age. I should say trying to remember when I was their age that would be more appropriate.…

Bird Droppings December 16, 2018 Naughty or Nice, might be in the semantics   “The best portion of a good man’s life: his little, nameless unremembered acts of kindness and love.” William Wordsworth   One day when you look back and try and remember what was that act I did or when did I do…

Bird Droppings December 13, 2018 Is there topsoil left midst an erosion of soul?   “To be rooted is perhaps the most important and least recognized need of the human soul.” Simone Weil   “The need for roots,” I saw this idea earlier as I web surfed thinking and pondering this morning or perhaps as…

Bird Droppings December 12, 2018 Teaching as improvisational art using learning as the pallet   I wrote the basics of this article nearly fourteen years ago and at the time was thinking of an artist friend now a computer programmer who was trying to define her art as well as searching for her own meaning…

Bird Droppings December 11, 2018 It is the small pieces that seriously matter   Today just a short thought I am working on a vocabulary list for a biology benchmark test.   “Until you can clearly see each piece of the puzzle you will never be able to understand the whole.” Frank Bird, grandfather, teacher…