Bird Droppings June 9, 2014 Should we sharpen the machete or bring a shovel? I have been reflecting over the concept of critical pedagogy and in that reflection I recall an incident nearly forty years ago that calls to mind my own interpretation and understanding of what we as teachers are all about. I purchased…

Bird Droppings June 8, 2014 My pedagogy is evolving as I learn, see and listen more “We would do away with examinations. They measure the inconsequential type of learning. We would do away with grades and credits for the same reason. We would do away with degrees as a measure of competence partly for the…

Bird Droppings June 6, 2014 Today should always be a first day “I have seen that in any great undertaking it is not enough for a man to depend simply upon himself.” Lone Man (Isna-la-wica)Teton Sioux So often in life we think we are the one. We can do it all on our own with…

Bird Droppings June 4, 2014 How difficult is it finding ourselves within the fog of education? “The more sand that has escaped the hourglass of life, the clearer we should see through it.” Jean Paul Sartre As I was looking for thoughts and ideas to start, I actually was going a different direction when by…

Bird Droppings June 3, 2014 Driving up a mountain takes effort I am looking forward to the trip to Black Rock Mountain in North Georgia, the site of the Foxfire property and Piedmont College’s teacher’s class in The Foxfire Approach to teaching in a few days or so. My oldest son took the course as…

Bird Droppings June 2, 2014 Am I home? It is a new morning; a cool morning for June yet the warmth of summer will soon overcome the welcome of the morning according to the weather. While I did not go sunrise chasing this morning even from my front yard one of most spectacular of the…

Bird Droppings May 30, 2014 To die a happy death in a world of sadness I have been teaching high school now for nearly fourteen years and this is the first of those years I missed the graduation ceremony and celebration of sorts. Over the past few years I have been searching for my older…

Bird Droppings May 29, 2014 It will be an interesting day I was up earlier than normal and went back to bed after sitting out for a few minutes around midnight or so. It was peaceful sitting in the coolness of an almost summer evening. I thought earlier we were going to have a storm.…

Bird Droppings May 28, 2014 Always on my mind and in my heart I was standing outside on this moonless night gazing at the stars and clouds sliding by quietly in the night. A chorus of tree frogs and crickets kept me company in the dark. It is coming on summer the ambient temperature is…

Bird Droppings May 27, 2014 Always trying to find at what point we exist I went outside earlier and as I am getting ready to go enjoy a sunrise I have been sitting thinking back to so many friends who have been lost in wars and battles around the world. A whippoorwill was calling for…