The daily meanderings of a teacher

Bird Droppings June 15, 2016 I am always thinking about where I am going It has been a hectic few days starting last Friday. I drove down to Savannah to present my portion of a new book coming out soon edited by Dr. Bill Reynolds. Rural Places: Cartography of the forgotten, is based on critical…

Bird Droppings June 13, 2016 I wonder what my favorite store is; Then again is it even important? Interesting two thoughts while similar struck me this morning as I started the day out. One I heard on the radio going to get some air in my wife’s tire in her car from a radio announcer…

Bird Droppings June 10, 2016 Teaching and or 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fu Manchu I will be having my sixteenth first day of school at this high school. I will just assume it will not be as tense and hectic as my first on September 11, 2001. I began the day thinking back…

Bird Droppings June 8, 2016 I am always searching for the ends of a bell-shaped curve I was reminded as a former student ran into me at Kroger last night of how we as teacher’s impact lives. Students are so much more than test scores and grades. So much more than content we teach. I…

Bird Droppings June 7, 2016 Wondering is a powerful tool Several years back during the school year we started sort of a school-wide vocabulary of the week I was reminded of this as I was looking through my various files for quotes and such. About three years ago as the day wound down an email…

Bird Droppings June 6, 2016 Don’t cross word puzzles take some time? Towards the end of my last History class that I teach in college one of my students was working on a particular assignment and had to define bias. She was not sure which definition was correct and asked my opinion. I explained in…

Bird Droppings June 3, 2016 Why should we do more? “Choices are sacred to life’s journey. They lie along the path that all of us must follow for ourselves. An important Cherokee lesson is that if you involve yourself in any decision, you also experience the consequences of that decision.” Dr. J.T. Garrett, Meditations with…

Bird Droppings June 2, 2016 Do we as teachers build doors or walls? I enjoy arriving at school while the stars are still shining overhead something about the darkness is peaceful for me. I can remember when my youngest would ride to school with me; he is not quite as big a fan of mornings…

Bird Droppings June 1, 2016 Can we find learning on the banks of the Chattahoochee River? A year ago I was apprehensive as I got up on that Sunday morning taking much longer than normal to get my day started. A good friend had called me last week and said that he would be in…

Bird Droppings May 31, 2016 Finding at what point we exist Yesterday was an ordinary day other than being one extra on a long holiday weekend. I went to help my son and daughter in law out with their munchkins. After my son got home from work they came over for a swim and I…