The daily meanderings of a teacher

Bird Droppings December 3, 2022 Teaching as improvisational art using learning as the pallet I wrote the basics of this article nearly sixteen years ago and thought of an artist friend, now a computer programmer, trying to define her art and searching for her meaning in life. My friend often reflected her political views and…

Bird Droppings November 29, 2022 To think or at least try this morning  “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” Joseph Campbell  I wonder if it is for attention that so many teenagers seek the route of drama in their lives. Overreacting to seemingly inconsequential stimuli…

Bird Droppings November 22, 2022Trying to understand giving thanks, war and Teaching I seldom have a difficult time sleeping. I crashed last night after a long day of cleaning up after my grandkids. My wife said I was too lenient, so I should make them pick up. I have found pros and cons as I…

Bird Droppings November 16, 2022At least trying to think this beautiful day “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” Joseph Campbell I wonder if it is for attention that so many teenagers seek the route of drama in their lives. Overreacting to seemingly inconsequential stimuli seems…

Interconnecting threads make a tapestry Bird Droppings November 15, 2022 All through history, weaving has been a critical aspect of civilization. For thousands of years, people have been weaving cloth for clothes and blankets to survive, and soon after, weaving began for art’s sake. “For certain fortunate people, there is something that transcends all classifications…

Bird Droppings November 14, 2022Reconciling the importance of the present, past, and future I spent the better part of yesterday avoiding my direction, so intent on the moment I missed the past and future cues. As an empathetic human being, I get caught up at times in the emotions and feedback of the present. I…

Bird Droppings November 8, 2022It is a new day, a new start, and always day one I am feeling old today; now that I am working on my seventieth third year of life and a cold front is coming in, my bones are aching. I remember nearly sixteen years ago, as we got closer to…

Bird Droppings November 3, 2022I still like the seagull book As I get older, I feel seventy-three years and two days old today. Many years ago, as I drove my kids to school each morning, I would spin yarns of various Indian tribes and Great Grandpa Niper. Some were stories told to me by my…

Bird Droppings November 2, 2021Education is turning an ugly face jug, not pouring in a mold I turned seventy-three yesterday and, of all days, had a good case of the flu. I was sitting on my back porch, eating a late breakfast and sipping a cup of tea, listening to the birds. I have used…

Bird Droppings October 31, 2022 Have we sold our souls for a few trinkets and or don’t want to die in Georgia First thing this morning, one of the student’s tasks was identifying famous movie villains from cartoonish drawings. One of the images looked like Richard Nixon, and I blurted his name out, and one…