The daily meanderings of a teacher

Tag: Family

  • All about how you feed the wolves

    Bird Droppings July 5, 2026All about how you feed the wolves I walked outside very early this morning to a sky filled with stars and wisps of clouds floating by. Crickets were almost together, chirping slowly in the cool morning. My morning started long before sunrise today, and the sounds I heard as I walked…

  • Why is it so hard to listen to a child?

    Bird Droppings July 2, 2026Why is it so hard to listen to a child? Sitting here by myself writing just after driving around searching for a sunrise and reminiscing, I recall listening to some children. It has been some time since I was sitting in my classroom in C-Hall when a friend came by with…

  • Who would have thought of a buffalo snort in the dark?

    Bird Droppings June 14, 2026Who would have thought of a buffalo snort in the dark? “Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to…

  • Grandparenting/Teaching is telling our students and grandchildren the stories so they can tell them to their grandchildren.

    Bird Droppings June 13, 2026 Grandparenting/Teaching is telling our students and grandchildren the stories so they can tell them to their grandchildren. I have been reading a significant amount of material on testing, of all things, and how to design an assessment. Over the years, I have always come back to portfolios as one of…

  • What does it take for that light bulb to go on?

    Bird Droppings June 11, 2026What does it take for that light bulb to go on? It has been nearly twenty years since my doctoral cohort at Georgia Southern ended, and we began the journey on our own. For a couple of semesters, I was a member of a new cohort at Piedmont College and wandering…

  • At what age should we be seeking a destination

    Bird Droppings May 16, 2026At what age should we be seeking a destination “Look in the mirror. Love that person, don’t let yourself down. Now, make yourself proud. If you needed a sign, keep going.” Tiffany, a former high school basketball player   Years ago, I photographed Tiffany playing basketball at Loganville High School. I…

  • Innocence is more than a definition.

    Bird Droppings May 8, 2026 Innocence is more than a definition. “Look at children. Of course, they may quarrel, but generally speaking, they do not harbor ill feelings as much or as long as adults do. Most adults have the advantage of education over children, but what is the use of an education if they…

  • Teaching and or 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fu Manchu

    Bird Droppings May 1, 2026Teaching and or 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fu Manchu After returning from taking pictures, I walked into the house after running a few errands and sat down to write. I will assume retirement will not be as tense and hectic as my first day teaching high school on September…

  • Can we find learning on the banks of the Chattahoochee River?

    Bird Droppings April 30, 2026 Can we find learning on the banks of the Chattahoochee River? About fifteen years ago, I was apprehensive as I got up on that morning, taking much longer than normal to get my day started. A good friend had called me and said that he would be in Phoenix, Alabama,…

  • Being reborn is listening with the heart

    Bird Droppings April 22, 2026 Being reborn is listening with the heart So often in life, we hear words, rationalize those utterances, develop an opinion, and then logically state a response. I returned to a conversation discussing existentialism with my granddaughter one night nearly fifteen years ago as she cooed and babbled, trying her best…