The daily meanderings of a teacher

A journal from a teacher

Are you at the center of your universe?

Bird Droppings January 21, 2014 Are you at the center of your universe? “Tung-shan was asked, ‘The normal mind is the way; what is the normal mind?’ He replied, ’Not picking things up along the road.’” From Teachings of Zen, edited by Thomas Cleary, © 1998 One aspect of the Zen teachings is the process…

January 21, 2014
We are neither wolf nor dog

Bird Droppings January 20, 2014 We are neither wolf nor dog It has been some time since I first read a book by this name written by one of my favorite authors Kent Nerburn. In much of his writing Kent Nerburn addresses the spiritual significance and depth of life of our Native Americans. While to…

January 20, 2014
Looking in a direction to start a morning

Bird Droppings January 19, 2014 Looking in a direction to start a morning “Beginnings start in the east – from where the sun rises we begin a new dawn. Each day is a good new day with a fresh beginning, a new start. East is the direction of the physical body and newness including children…

January 19, 2014
Teasing

Bird Droppings January 17, 2014 Teasing “Before you speak, ask yourself, is it kind, is it necessary, and is it true, does it improve on the silence?” Hindu proverb So often I speak first and clean up afterwards many times simply walking away quiet generally leaving whoever I am conversing with confused and bewildered. Having…

January 17, 2014
Trying to understand friendship

Bird Droppings January 16, 2014 Trying to understand friendship Another cold day in Georgia and a near huge full moon last night and soon I get to head to school a bit early. Being out of synch from the past holiday an extra day for the weekend may not help. I generally start each morning…

January 16, 2014
Trying to find a way back to normal

Bird Droppings January 15, 2014 Trying to find a way back to normal “Tin soldiers and Nixon coming, we’re finally on our own. This summer I hear the drumming, four dead in Ohio. Gotta get down to it soldiers are cutting us down should have been done long ago. What if you knew her and…

January 15, 2014
We have to try and care

Bird Droppings January 14, 2014 We have to try and care So far for this year and the tail end of last year all the snow, sleet and ice predicted have never showed up. It has been unseasonably colder than normal with scatterings of warm weather still only a few nights getting below freezing. I…

January 14, 2014
Learning is a journey strewn with boulders

Bird Droppings January 13, 2014 Learning is a journey strewn with boulders “In a word, learning is decontextualized. We break ideas down into tiny pieces that bear no relation to the whole. We give students a brick of information, followed by another brick, followed by another brick, until they are graduated, at which point we…

January 13, 2014
Walking and listening among the Cotton Woods

Bird Droppings January 12, 2014 Walking and listening among the Cotton Woods I walked outside earlier as I do many mornings listening observing trying to understand this reality I am walking about in. The sky was almost bright this morning with a very faint moon still hanging around and a few wisps of clouds were…

January 12, 2014
Can we say true heroism and humility are spelled the same?

Bird Droppings January 10, 2014 Can we say true heroism and humility are spelled the same? Even though I am one of the worst spellers in this local area I know heroism and humility are technically spelled differently. I will concede to using words to come up with a perhaps catchy title for my daily…

January 10, 2014