Bird Droppings September 3, 2012 Hey what about routines?   We are all creatures of habit and routines. It has been quite a few years ago that my wife called to me in the wee hours of the morning as I was starting to write, our youngest son was sick. A virus had struck hard…

Bird Droppings September 2, 2012 I wonder what is on my mind?   Where do I start twenty four years ago tomorrow my wife and I were at the hospital wondering if she was in labor. The doctor finally said she probably will go home but go check her in just to be safe. I…

Bird Droppings August 31, 2012 What is it we see looking into a child’s eyes?   I woke up at my normal time from a dream almost thinking I was back fifteen or so years getting up and getting the kids all sent off to school and it was pretty quiet around the house. After…

Bird Droppings August 30, 2012 Do we fail ourselves?   Many the times I have wondered why people stop learning. I see it in high school students, college and in graduate students. Almost as if a switch is thrown and poof no more learning I have reached my limit. Yesterday in a co-teaching class where…

Bird Droppings August 29, 2012 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 six years since we moved last and found ourselves in this house.   I wasn’t sure from where to start several ideas have…

Bird Droppings August 28, 2012 Is there a spiritual side to teaching?   “Solitude does not necessarily mean living apart from others; rather, it’s never living apart from one’s self. Not about absence of other people – it is about being fully present to ourselves, whether or not we are with others.” Parker Palmer  …

    Bird Droppings August 27, 2012 How do you spell Essential Bird Pedagogy?   “If a university can’t have two out of five of their student-athletes graduate, I don’t know why they’re rewarded with post-season play” Arne Duncan               Over the past few years I have been looking at how I see teaching…

Bird Droppings August 26, 2012 Where can I find the ends of a bell shaped curve?   I have had several statistics and testing courses during my undergraduate and graduate school experiences and I recall about on page 3 or so “the bell shaped curve” was mentioned. I always find it amazing how in education…

Bird Droppings August 24, 2012 Are not compassion and passion spelled similar? When does the FIDO principle not seem appropriate? Frequency, Intensity, Duration and Over Again is the basis for how to teach a topic in many management courses. Perhaps in a debate when asked a question and you answer with the same politic rhetoric…

Bird Droppings August 23, 2012 Can we teach an unteachable child?   “Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation.” John F. Kennedy…