The daily meanderings of a teacher

Tag: Teachers

  • Trying to teach an unteachable child

    Bird Droppings April 17, 2026Trying to 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 On this…

  • I recall watching a hawk fly by as I drove to Athens and the UGA library

    Bird Droppings April 16, 2026 I recall watching a hawk fly by as I drove to Athens and the UGA library One of my favorite memories: over the years, I have attended numerous track meets. I would take a few photos, as I tend to do. I recall about fifteen years ago, when I could…

  • I did some serious pondering and researching of education while sleeping by a waterfall.

    Bird Droppings April 10, 2026I did some serious pondering and researching of education while sleeping by a waterfall. It has been almost sixteen years since I stayed at the Sylvan Mills Bed and Breakfast in a room literally over a waterfall. I went up to North Georgia to recharge; perhaps another word might be to…

  • Should we sharpen the machete or bring a really big shovel?

    Bird Droppings April 3, 2026Should we sharpen the machete or bring a really big shovel? I have been reflecting on the concept of critical pedagogy, and in that reflection, I recall an incident nearly 55 years ago that calls to mind my interpretation and understanding of what we, as teachers, are all about. I purchased…

  • I have found a spiritual side to teaching.

    Bird Droppings April 2, 2026I have found 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 Dr. Parker…

  • “Peaceful evolution versus violent revolution,” what a powerful thought

    Bird Droppings March 26, 2026“Peaceful evolution versus violent revolution,” what a powerful thought I have read extensively over the past few years, gathering ideas for my dissertation as part of my studies at Georgia Southern University.  One of those books that passed through my hands, and a few minutes ago, is on my writing table,…

  • Keeping the stories going, remembering a dear friend

    Bird Droppings March 16, 2026Keeping the stories going, remembering a dear friend For years, I would visit, take photos, and offer my two cents at the Foxfire Approach to Teaching Course, hosted by Piedmont College for graduate students and teachers already in the classroom in Mountain City, Georgia. This course was an elective graduate class…

  • Bird Droppings March 12, 2026Passion: Can it be rekindled in teachers? The past few days have been most interesting. I have been struggling with a blood pressure issue from a new medication, and I hope to have that resolved. Yesterday, the thought crossed my mind: why do students want to be in my classroom? Over…

  • Is there a difference between progressive and traditional teachers?

    Bird Droppings March 5, 2026Is there a difference between progressive and traditional teachers? In a ninth-grade literature class I co-taught many years ago, I was introduced to the book Freedom Writers Diary and the film based on it. In some ways, the story is similar to Foxfire. Erin Gruell, a first-year brand-new teacher at an…

  • Our teaching can make a difference every day, pouring a gallon of information into a liter bottle.

    Bird Droppings March 3, 2026Our teaching can make a difference every day, pouring a gallon of information into a liter bottle. I recall one day when I was looking through data while sitting through a special education training session. This is an interesting situation. I was reviewing data from a recent biology benchmark test. It…