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How do we know we have grown up?
Bird Droppings June 27, 2025How do we know we have grown up? “The day the child realizes that all adults are imperfect, he becomes an adolescent; the day he forgives them, he becomes an adult; the day he forgives himself, he becomes wise.” Alden Nowlan Earlier this week, a former student posted a simple line…
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Is it only a dropped feather?
Bird Droppings June 23, 2025Is it only a dropped feather? “If we consider the eagle feather with its light and dark colors, we could argue that ‘the dark colors are more beautiful and, therefore, naturally more valuable,’ or vice versa. Regardless of which colors are more beautiful, necessary, or valuable, the truth is the bottom…
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Trying to teach an unteachable child
Bird Droppings June 20, 2025Trying to teach an unteachable child “Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation.” John F. Kennedy As I…
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At what age should we be seeking a destination
Bird Droppings June 19, 2025At what age should we be seeking a destination “Life is about the journey, not the destination; we don’t know what tomorrow brings,” Steven Tyler, AEROSMITH. Occasionally, I get amazed, and not too many days ago, while driving from point A to point B, a song was playing in my son’s…
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Don’t crossword puzzles take some time?
Bird Droppings June 18, 2025Don’t crossword puzzles take some time? Towards the end of my last college history class, one of my students was working on a particular assignment and had to define bias. She was unsure which definition was correct and asked for my opinion. I explained that historical bias is that of the…
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Today should always be the first day.
Bird Droppings June 14, 2025Today should always be the first day. Over the past several weeks, we have been cleaning out our storage buildings. It is a slow, tedious process of finding things we have not seen in twenty or more years. I found a briefcase with my bank statements from 1973-76 or so in…
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What is this desire for freedom?
Bird Droppings June 12, 2025What is this desire for freedom? “Brute force, no matter how strongly applied, can never subdue the basic human desire for freedom and dignity. It is not enough, as communist systems have assumed, merely to provide people with food, shelter, and clothing. Human nature needs to breathe the precious air of…
The daily meanderings of a teacher 