The daily meanderings of a teacher

Bird Droppings September 3, 2023 It is about understanding I read a student’s psychological report years back who could decode almost any word put in front of them. The confusion comes when trying to tell you what was read. The two components of reading, decoding, and comprehension, are needed to be a successful reader. I…

Bird Droppings August 26. 2023A beginning from an end “It is the function of art to renew our perception. What we are familiar with, we cease to see. The writer shakes up the familiar scene, and, as if by magic, we see a new meaning in it.” Albert Einstein The recent weather reminded me of…

Bird Droppings August 25, 2023 Quietly listening to Hot Tuna and pondering the word inspiration. Nearly twenty years ago, at a county-wide teacher kick-off meeting, traditionally a packaged inspirational meeting and welcome before budget cuts. This was the startup for the new school year led by a brought-in speaker. They would pay big dollars for…

Bird Droppings August 21, 2023Kissing a frog on a chilly, wet morning is still hard. It was chilly and wet here in northeast Georgia, with nighttime temperatures hanging in the sixties. We had an inch plus of rain two days ago and several more last night. However, a rumor of a nice week hanging out…

Bird Droppings August 15, 2023The synchronicity saga and or the saga of synchronicity I write often of coincidence; it may seem boring to some. It is a never-ending saga of special moments, one after the other. During a college graduate class, we discussed science and measuring data. Intuition and coincidence, it seems, are difficult commodities…

Bird Droppings August 12, 2023What do teachers really know? “Teachers are one of the most important resources a nation has for providing the skills, values, and knowledge that prepare young people for productive citizenship – but more than this, to give sanctuary to their dreams and aspirations for a future of hope, dignity, and justice.…

Bird Droppings August 11, 2023Driving up a mountain takes effort. I am looking forward to another trip to Black Rock Mountain in North Georgia, the site of the Foxfire Museum property and the former site of Piedmont College’s teacher’s class in The Foxfire Approach to Teaching. My oldest son took the course as part of…

Bird Droppings August 4, 2023What do teachers really know? “Teachers are one of the most important resources a nation has for providing the skills, values, and knowledge that prepare young people for productive citizenship – but more than this, to give sanctuary to their dreams and aspirations for a future of hope, dignity, and justice.…

Bird Droppings July 31, 2023 Why do we wish, wonder, and wait? “Calamity is the perfect glass wherein we truly see and know ourselves.” William Davenant It has been nearly sixteen years since we moved last and found ourselves in this house.  I wasn’t sure where to start. Several ideas have been running through my thinking…

Bird Droppings July 30, 2023 How capable do we need to be? What a contrast to only a few weeks ago, as the sun was hiding behind the haze as I went out in the wee hours with a hazy sky. A gentle wind blew, wind chimes ringing peacefully, and frogs chirping in the pines…