The daily meanderings of a teacher

Bird Droppings December 7, 2018 Sitting, wondering, pondering and dishwashing   In a roundabout way several earlier readings on the internet got me thinking and pondering as I do. So often we take our technology for granted.  It has been about twelve years since we moved into this house and a brand new dishwasher. About…

Bird Droppings December 5, 2018 Example is such a simple lesson plan   “We taught our children by both example and instruction, but with an emphasis on example, because all learning is a dead language to one who gets it second hand.” Kent Nerburn, The Wisdom of the Native Americans   I have over the…

Bird Droppings December 3, 2018 Have YOU been Naughty or Nice?   I have a friend doing acts of kindness currently. She committed to an act of kindness every day. I try and live my life that way and I do make mistakes. But each day now she posted her act. At first I was…

Bird Droppings November 30, 2018 Our perceptions vary greatly about life   “Life is 10 percent what you make it and 90 percent how you take it.” Irving Berlin   It was over seventeen years ago I was waiting to go teach again after having spent nearly twenty three years in the publishing business. I…

    Bird Droppings November 28, 2018 A look at essential Bird Pedagogy   It was five years ago I was reading an article actually an interview with Arne Duncan, the Secretary of Education. I selected a few choice quotes from his interview to savor and ponder for a few days. As I look at…

Bird Droppings November 27, 2018 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…

Bird Droppings November 26, 2018 Can we teach children to love learning again   This has been a perplexing time of my life. The thoughts of leaving retirement and going back to work and literally only a week left of retirement part one sort of over whelming me. I have a paper submitted that I…

Bird Droppings November 25, 2018 Going back to school again for the first time So often as I start my writings each morning there has been an experience recently to build upon. It is utilizing these previous experiences that provide windows and doors into future experiences. I was driving through our town and a shop…

Bird Droppings November 23, 2018 Teaching is more than just wanting to   “I want to say one other challenge that we face is simply that we must find an alternative to war and bloodshed. Anyone who feels, and there are still a lot of     people who feel that way, that war can solve…

Birddroppings November 24, 2018 Venting a bit on a Saturday morning   I wrote yesterday and decided to be lazy today to get ready for holidays, Christmas trees etc. Last night and this morning I read several alarming posts on various friend’s pages. I followed links and they led to para military groups discussing declaring…