The daily meanderings of a teacher

Bird Droppings July 3, 2023Is 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…

Bird Droppings July 2, 2023 Should we consider ignorance a part of the journey? “If I want to justify my existence and continue to be obsessed with the notion that I’ve got to do something for humanity — well, teaching ought to quell that obsession — and if I can ever get around to an…

Bird Droppings July 6, 2022Foxfire is a name for a fungus glowing in the dark until you wander up Black Rock Mountain. A few weeks back, I was involved in another synchronous adventure, as I am daily. I have been thinking about it ever since. I have been a fan of Carl Jung and the idea…

“Brute force, no matter how strong Bird Droppings June 29, 2023What 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…

Bird droppings June 28, 2023Translating and communicating “Scientific management is always on guard against people who don’t fit securely into boxes, whether because of too much competency, too much creativity, too much popularity, or what have you. Although often hired, it is with the understanding they must be kept on a short leash and regarded…

Bird Droppings June 27, 2023Teaching can be successful. When I am home, I try to walk out to a quiet corner of my backyard; last week, I walked two miles on the beach at Pawleys Island. Even at the beach, strands of spider webbing are still hanging, connecting everything. The scientist, part of me, knows…

Bird Droppings June 26, 2023What do we miss? Walking the beach at sunrise, it is easy to miss the small things while gazing at a beautiful sunrise. One might find a starfish, angel wing shell, or cannonball jellyfish. It is similar in life, and we often overlook small matters, focusing only on the large. For…

Bird Droppings June 22, 2023It takes more than one strand to make a rope. I opened a Matthew Fox daily meditation, it was based on Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk. Merton’s words were of his Celtic heritage and his grandmother’s family name, Bird. I found it interesting as I know my grandmother’s family came from…

Bird droppings June 21, 2023 Translating and communicating  “Scientific management is always on guard against people who don’t fit securely into boxes, whether because of too much competency, too much creativity, too much popularity, or what have you. Although often hired, it is with the understanding they must be kept on a short leash and…

Bird Droppings June 20, 2023 Constructivism Montessori, Piaget, Vygotsky, Dewey, and others Friday, two years ago, I had a heart pacemaker installed. It will be charged  for eight to ten years, and I feel considerably better. My heart rate had been going as low as thirty-six and fluctuating throughout the day. I was fatigued all…