Thanks Schooner

When I walk my dogs – I talk to neighbors - I ponder- I wonder - I reflect and frequently I do not always notice things.

I walk past the same houses twice a day and sometimes more frequently. One day I saw a beautiful scrub.  It had an incredible shape and I had not noticed it previously. How many times had I walked by it and missed the beauty of the fire brush?

In September one my dogs experienced a new bump in his life road and faced a major challenged. Out of the blue Schooner went blind plus he was diagnosed with diabetes and spent a couple of days in the hospital – it has a bleak and tough week for us but especially for him.

This seemed to happen all of a sudden.  On a morning walk I noticed he seemed to bump into a fence he always liked to walk near.  On the next day morning walk I noticed he looked a little confused and that he not only bumped into the fence again but when we came home he just sat in front of a cabinet and stared blanking at it.  When I got home that Sunday afternoon I could tell, for sure, my dog was blind.

The next morning I found a vet clinic with an ophthalmologist who could see him that day.  Who knew there were dog ophthalmologists?  While she was examining him I told her that I really wanted him to have a blood test.  What we learned from the tests was that not only was my dog blind but he was also severely diabetic. Again, who knew dogs could be diabetic?  It was the diabetes that caused his cataracts leading to his blindness.

After his testing at the clinic he needed to be hospitalized because his diabetes was so bad. (BTW dogs do not get diabetes from not enough exercise or too many sweets –  like we get it. Dogs get it purely through genetics.  It is totally inherited.)

The vets kept saying, “Didn’t you see any warning signs?”  I said it is hard to know warning signs when you don’t know what you are looking for.  I asked, like what kinds of warning signs? They said if he drank a lot of water and/or peed a lot.  Well, he did – but boy dogs do pee a lot so I did not think anything strange about the behavior. I know he drank more than my other dog but he is a bigger dog - I did not know that meant anything. I said to them how would I know what to look for if I did not know what I needed to look for especially if I did not think anything was wrong?

Now I can look back and identify some warning signs. I now see signs that maybe had I seen them earlier and knew what to look for previously, his health conditions might be different today.

If you would go back to a previous post on this blog cite (The Middle Way, the Balanced Classroom, June 20, 2010) I write about my two dogs Lizzie and Schooner and how I was trying to find the middle path on our walks since one would want to go one way and the other dog would want to go a different way.  Now I understand why he had preferred patterns in our walks.

I cannot move things around the house now otherwise he will bump into things and it confuses his pattern paths. There are various barricades to prevent him from falling down steps.  I worry about me falling over them and getting injured – so now I have to be more cautious. Our walks take much longer now, which sometime really tries my patience.

These are issues regarding his blindness but being diabetic also provides complications.  There has to be a regular schedule for eating and giving him his insulin shots.  He has to eat within a 12 hour timeframe and he needs his insulin shots within 20 minutes of eating. This doesn’t sound all that hard but it is – sometimes he doesn’t want to eat and although I have figure out ways to give his shots with little distractions sometimes he doesn’t like them and gets mad at me.  I have never lived such a regularly schedule life.

Schooner is lucky because, Lizzie, my other dog helps him. She stays with him and rarely leaves his side. If I leave the room for what she thinks is too long she will come to me with an expression on her face sharing that I need to go check on Schooner.  She is his little guardian angel supporting her buddy.

Through Schooner’s health our lives have all been changed and we all have a different relationship. We have developed new vocabulary with different phrases; “step down one, step down two, step down three.  Step up one.  Favorite alley.  Alley going home.”  In some ways I have always been a patient person but I am more patient now.

When we take our walks I often ponder how most of us, every day, do not notice things around us. Actually, most of our lives we do not see things that are in front of us.

Schooner’s new challenges also make me ponder how teachers and family members may not understand why children may behave as they do. They have certain patterns of behaviors that may be considered disruptive; maybe they cannot see or hear that well.  They cannot tell us because it may be the only way they know how to see or hear.  They cannot always tell us why learning is hard for them, it just is.  Some students may be ADD but it is not their fault if they are.  

Like me with Schooner, teachers do not always know what to look for or even know that we should be looking for something. So, we have to develop a new level of awareness with our eyes wide open.

 I have resolved everyday, on our walks, I will discover something I have not previously noticed and I want you to do the same.

I want you to do so also through two lenses. One is the lens as an educator.  For your reply to this blog I want you to reflect on how teachers and family members can develop ways to look for things even when they do not know what they are looking for so we do not blame the kids needlessly for something out of their control.  Identify three or four ways you can develop strategies of observing student behavior patterns, possible indicators and what may be a concern. 

For lens two, I want you to identify something new every day that we have class. It could be something in your neighborhood or on the train or riding a bike.  Write them down so you can remember them and when class is over post them on your blog.

For example, when I walk the dogs every day I have promised myself to see something in my neighborhood that I have not seen before. Maybe it is trim on a house, or a marking on a store front – now that I have developed this pattern finding something new is not all that hard to do.

As my dog struggles to learn his way around the neighborhood, the house and life I also struggle to find my way in the world to help him. The old patterns of my life and “our lives” have changed since he lost his vision and became diabetic and we are creating new patterns. I want to thank Schooner for he has made be a better person. Maybe he lost his eyesight so I might better see signs that surround me and to look at the world with my eyes more widely open.  I invite you to do the same.

Worlds apart.... just like the earth, just like the sun

Broadway musicals were always an important part of my life.  There was a time I knew the lyrics to almost every song from every current musical.  In many ways the songs guided my life and told part of my life story at the same time telling the stories of the characters in the play. Like many songs, especially if not listened to frequently or for an extended period of time, I would sing lyrics that are somewhat similar to those intended but not the same.  Eventually my lyrics would stay with me forever and replace the original lyrics, even when I knew better.

A song from Big River The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1985) is such a song.  “Worlds Apart” plays clearly and frequently in my mind as an example of my unintended adaptation.

For example, the songs starts with the lyrics, “I see the same stars from my window that you see through yours, but we’re worlds apart” but for whatever reason I sing, “I see the same moon with my eyes that you see with yours, but we’re worlds apart.”  I love my lyrics and for decades they have traveled with me from living in NYC to Ohio to Wisconsin and now Illinois. Wherever I live it is hard for me to look at the moon without thinking of the song and the messages it carries.

My son and I saw the play, more than once, he loved the play. When we went to the play the first time was only six years.  At home we played the album, yes, album, all the time and played the cassette tape; yes cassette tape, when we traveled on our long car trips.  We knew the songs well and had a nice connection to each other through the music.

 A year after we saw the play the fist time we moved from NYC to Ohio.  The second summer after we moved my son started to attend a sleep away camp. He attended the same camp all the way through elementary school and middle school and then during high school he became a camp counselor.  At night when I would be outside and see the moon I would sing “I see the same moon with my eyes that you see yours” and think that even though we were not together I knew the moon connected us. So the song and the moon provided me a level of comfort.

Now almost every time when I look at the moon – many years later – I think many wonderful things. When I get out of the car after an evening class and walk from the garage to the house or when I am walking the dogs and look at the moon, I sing to myself, “I see the same moon with my eyes that you see with yours ... Einstein, the Dalia Lama, Lincoln, Rose Parks, John Lennon, Martin Luther King Junior, President Obama, my parents, my grandparents, my great grandparents, each of you and all the young adolescents and middle level teachers in the world.”  No matter where in the world  - no matter when in time, we all see or saw the same moon.  WOW!  Talk about a ponder!

In 1961 President Kennedy announced to Congress his impossible dream of sending an American safely to the moon before the end of the decade.  To most it seemed like President Kennedy was dreaming the impossible dream (opps, lyrics from another Broadway musical song).  In July 1969 both Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin left their footprints on the moon.  We accomplished the impossible dream.  WOW – talk about another ponder – to think that people walked on the moon, the very moon that my eyes, your eyes and eyes from all over the world and throughout time see or have seen.  At that moment in history the moon yielded power –I remember the event well – it was one of those “where were you when” moments.

 The moon does not get much attention now and it has been relegated to the back seat over time until something really cool happens like the Supermoon we had this June, a lunar eclipse, or a harvest moon.  But for me when the sun goes down and the moon comes up – I see magic and wonder - I see magic every night I see the moon. I see its connectedness to time, space, people and events. I see its oneness to everyone and everything.  I think it is unfortunate that the moon is taken for granted when it has so much unifying power.

Of course my experiences connected to the moon may be similar to others’ experiences connected to the stars and skies, the real lyrics in the song. However, I think the skies have variations and that people don’t see the same skies – although Jimi Hendric’s 1967 lyric from Purple Haze.  “Excuse me, while I kiss the sky, “ is pretty cool. 

Join me on my Broadway memory. Read the lyrics below and watch a link to a video production of the song and then share what does the magic, power, connectedness, and oneness expressed in this song mean to you, as a teacher.  Post your response on my blog, then cut, paste, and also post your response on your blog. 

Enjoy

Worlds Apart 

JIM:

I see the same stars through my window

That you see through yours

But we're worlds apart

Worlds apart

And I see the same skies through brown eyes

That you see through blue

But we're worlds apart, worlds apart

Just like the earth, just like the sun

Two worlds together are better than one

I see the sun rise in your eyes

That you see in mine

But we're worlds apart, worlds apart

HUCK:

I see the same stars through my window

That you see through yours

But we're worlds apart, worlds apart

BOTH:

And you see the same skies through brown eyes

That I see through blue

But we're worlds apart, worlds apart

Just like the earth, just like the sun

Two worlds together are better than one

I see the friendship in you eyes

That you see in mine

But we're worlds apart, worlds apart

Together, but worlds apart

And a mockingbird sings in an ol' yonder tree

Twaddle-ee ah dee dee dah dee dee dee

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150376664644373

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gkc5ZL2jHQw

A short trailer of the play

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzwUe7ObUqI

Standing at a Fork in the Road

There is a story from long ago about a person standing at the Fork in the Road with one path going to the left and another path going to the right.  A young child comes running down a mountain behind the Fork in the Road.  The child was yelling,  “Help me!  Help me! There is a man with a hatchet chasing me and he wants to kill me. Don’t tell him which direction I am going!”  and the child continues running.

      

Now the person standing at the Fork in the Road knows the direction the young child ran.  Not long after the child ran by the man with a hatchet came running down the mountain.  He yells at the person standing at the Fork in the Road asking, “Which direction did the child go?”  The person standing at the Fork in the Road knows which direction the child went but did not say anything.  The man with the hatchet chose a direction on his own and kept running in pursuit of the child.

The end.

We can look at it the story and know that if the person standing at the Fork in the Road told the man chasing the child which direction the child went the child will be killed but if he tells the man the other direction then he will be lying.  No matter what he would tell the man chasing the child the person standing at the Fork in the Road will have to live with the decision forever.

We know that everyday educators are constantly standing at many Forks in many Roads and we need to make sound decisions.  So, what does this story have to do with us as educators?  

Well, let us say you have a student who has not handed in homework for a few days and did not do well on a test and has missed a few days of school as well. You also know the child has an ill parent.  You and your team have a strict homework policy and it is only fair to the other students in the classes that the student who has not handed in assignments should be treated the same as other students, after all if you let one student hand in late homework then others students should also be able to hand in late homework.

Share your thoughts about the story of the person standing at the Fork in a Road and connect to it at least one possible dilemma as an educator you may face.  Write how you might determine your decisions based on your dilemma.  

Once upon a time... in a neighborhood not that far away...

As individuals with the power to ponder, to read, to use language, to think and to create we also have the power to do great and wonderful things.  We usually take these gifts for granted and really do not think of them all that much and maybe we also do not think we are capable of great and wonderful things.

In some small innocent unplanned ways and sometimes in very planned ways some people do accomplish great and wonderful things.  I am not saying say that our lives are designed and destined to accomplish great and wonderful things; but we do have such capacity.

Sometimes a great and wonderful thing can be nothing more that providing a blanket and a cup of soup to someone who needs them.  Sometimes a great and wonderful thing can be finding a cure for a hideous disease.  Sometimes a great and wonderful thing is to smile at someone who needs a smile and sometimes a great and wonderful thing is making every possible effort for each student in our classes to experience success.

Why do some of us do great and wonderful things and others not do great and wonderful things?  As educators do we provide our students the joys that come with the power to ponder, to read, to use language, to think, to create?  If we do this than we can and are capable of doing great and wonderful things.

Imagine not being to read?  Most of us have been reading a long time and it is hard to imagine not being able to engage in all the graces that come with reading.  Did people who lived once upon a time know how to read?  Did they accomplish great and wonderful things by knowing or not knowing how to read?

How will children and adults decades and centuries from now look back to once upon a time?  How do we guarantee them that there will be future once upon a times?

From my basic and humble knowledge of agriculture I know that the function of a seed of is to reproduce itself to make more plants like itself. With the correct amount of light, water and nutrients, whatever seed is planted, in theory, should grow a plant much like itself.  Although we all know this does not always happened but frequently it does.  Some foods we enjoy eating today and we may take for granted are gifts from the past, because once upon a time someone planted such seeds.

Are educators much like, the once upon a time, Johnny Appleseed?  John Chapman, AKA as, Johnny Appleseed had a dream and plan for the land of America to be brimming and blossoming and blooming full of apple trees so that no one would be hungry.  He created apple orchards throughout the mid west (at least this is what I learned as a young student going to elementary school in Ohio).  He planted apple seeds in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and even Pennsylvania.  Who knows if some of the very seeds he planted may still be the fruit bearing trees today where we get our apples.

Johnny Appleseed as a kind, generous and determined pioneer man did great and wonderful things by planting apple seeds so we could eat an apple today.  Imagine had he not had such a goal – we may not be eating apples to day.

Do we, as educators, have the same determination that John Chapman Appleseed had, once upon a time, to ensure that our students today have the power to ponder, to read, to use language, to think, to create?  How will children and adults decades and centuries from now look back to our once upon a time?  How do we plant the seeds on inquiry, wonder, and invention?

So tell me, what is your plan to plant pedagogical seeds to ensure that children now and in future generations, regardless of their neighborhoods, will be able to read, to think, to create and to ponder, and to guarantee them their futures with a once upon a time?  How will you be like Johnny Appleseed?  What seeds will you plant in your classroom?

Johnny wanted those who were to live in future not to be without food.

What great and wonderful seeds will you be planting now for those who will look back to us as “once upon a time” ? 

Chaos theory or more simply put “Everything is one” the interconnectedness of life, of teaching and of learning

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-butterfly-effect.htm

A few years ago I became familiar with the Chaos Theory also known as the Butterfly Effect. It is simply defined something like - when a butterfly flaps her wings in Africa it rains in NYC.

More specifically defined on Wikipedia (Yes, I think Wikipedia can sometimes be a good resource): 

       In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence   on initial conditions, where a small change at one place in a deterministic nonlinear system can result in large differences to a later state. The name of the effect, coined by Edward Lorenz, is derived from the theoretical example of a hurricane's formation being contingent on whether or not a distant butterfly had flapped its wings several weeks before (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_effect).

The chaos theory sometimes is demonstrated through emergent behaviors that may appear as complex behaviors, unpredictability random and not necessarily connected to anything else. But in reality all behaviors that occur within chaos, although not always predictable, are connected. 

In earlier posts on this blog you might read some adventures of my dogs, Lizzie and Schooner. They are two dogs with two very different personalities but they think they are one dog. If one gets a cookie the other gets a cookie. If Lizzie goes to the vet then Schooner lives in disorientation and chaos because he does not really understand that Lizzie is not part of him because they are so interconnected. Their behaviors are usually predictable, sometimes random, connected and somewhat organized and somewhat chaotic. 

Every now and then when we watch a large flock of birds flying it appears that there is no formation or the formation becomes disorganized in some kind of radon motion. But in reality, during the flight the birds are changing their organizational flying pattern. When geese are flying in a V shape after a period of time the pattern changes for those of us watching them and change in the flying pattern looks like random motion. However, what is really happening is a change in the head goose – the leader goose is changing position with another goose that then becomes the leader of the V formation, like similar chaos that often occurs with a change in leadership. When a new principal comes to a school his/her leadership style and expectations may cause some chaos and confusion within the school community. 

All kinds of things impact what chaos theory experiences in schools and classrooms. Sometimes emergent classroom behaviors appear as complex behaviors and not connected to anything else and unpredictability random and a teacher may wonder what happen. Where did that behavior come from? But in reality, all classroom behaviors occur within chaos although not always predictable yet they are connected and interconnected to other life experiences.

A direct connection of the chaos theory, the butterfly effect to our class last week was when I made cookies. Earlier in the day when making the cookies I used a different recipe than I usually use but I still added some of my favorite ingredients but not in the recipe I was using. The first batch turned out good but the 2nd batch of cookies, well, those cookies got a little burned. Even though I was in the kitchen while they were in the oven I was distracted. My son unexpectedly came home and I did not get the cookies out of the oven in time. Then I had to share some of the cookie with him, after all he is my son, but I limited how many cookies he could eat. Each cookie he ate limited the number of non-burned cookies for class.  I did not need to bring cookies to class – but I wanted to. So the chaos theory – butterfly effect impacted our first night class cookies.

At home happily making cookies for class; changed the recipe;   added additional ingredients; someone stops by and distracts me; cookies burn; need to share some of good cookies with unexpected guest; fewer good cookies for class; students eat the cookies; no one gets sick (that I know of); almost all the cookies gone at end of class. The butterfly flapped her wings and I burned cookies. 

An another example about the butterfly effect and curriculum occurred one day while I was observing a class. I was the editor for the Aims Newsletter for several years and I created a column titled “Everything is one.” I got the idea one day when I was visiting a looped 6th - 8th grades classroom as the students were in a debriefing conversation about a just completed interdisciplinary curriculum. The students really enjoyed it and shared many positive aspects of it. One 6th grade young adolescent said, “What I liked about it was that everything was one. There was not science, then math, then social students, then language arts. Everything was connected. Everything was one.” I was so enchanted by his comment I created the “Everything is one” column so other MLEs could also share their interdisciplinary curricular stories. 

For years, in the history of education, curriculum content was connected and everything was one but a time came when educators believed that it was important to teach each discipline as distinct and separate from other disciplines. However, the last several years more and more middle level educators are creating interdisciplinary curriculum and content is becoming interconnected like the butterfly effect. 

Me visiting a school; students sharing their reflections; student saying something cool; I like his idea; I make it a title to a column in a professional publication where middle level educators could share their interdisciplinary curricular ideas with other MLEs. The butterfly flapped her wings and I created a column in a professional publication. 

My two examples are fairly simple and to the point but share how small differences impact outcomes. As you know there are far more complicated classroom chaos theory - butterfly effects situations. Maybe a student has not eaten, or is ill, maybe the teacher has a family situation that is complicating his or her life and maybe…. maybe… maybe… therefore classroom teaching and learning is impacted. There are so many chaos theory variables to identify in teaching and learning. 

I could share more examples but I am passing being in the front of the flying V shape to you. Now it is your turn to share a story, simple or complex, of how you see the interconnectedness – the butterfly effect, the chaos theory active in life and in school and in classrooms. Share how you think students, families, attitudes, schools, educators; politicians are butterflies flapping their wings and impacting classroom expectations and behaviors. 

Please post your reflection back to this blog under comments section.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-butterfly-effect.htm

 To learn more about Chaos Theory read http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=JnlkKdDXk-I

The long and the short of it

During my daily dogs walks with Lizzie and Schooner I ponder and reflect a lot about teaching, learning and young adolescent students. I frequently see the world of teaching through a similar lens as providing successful walks with my dogs. When I work with young adolescents and or observe at schools I am constantly reminded of classroom behaviors that students need for successful learning and instructional behaviors that teachers need to practice to ensure their students have successful classroom experiences. Like my need to provide my dogs successful walks. In addition to knowing how to control the middle path of different directions on my daily dog walks with Lizzie and Schooner (see the post The Middle Way – the Balanced Classroom) I have learned that each dog prefers – and more honestly speaking - needs a certain leash. Lizzie likes a long leash so she can explore her environment on her walks. She needs a little extra freedom that comes with a longer leash. She likes to explore and take risks and is very sociable and barks at every dog she sees. On the other hand, Schooner needs a short leash. When he is on a longer leash his legs gets caught in it. He does not like the slack of a longer leash – he will sometimes just stop walking until I tighten the leash. Schooner is a creature of habit. He does not like going in different directions on a walk and likes doing his business in the same places. If we go another direction on a walk he is not sure where to do his business. Because of this he is very stubborn and sometimes will stop walking. He puts his breaks on and looks at me as if saying, “You can’t make me walk that way. I dare you.” Somehow they each know the difference between the two leashes we use. Sometimes, especially when I am in a hurry, I put the wrong leash on them. After we walk out of the yard to start our walks they both will almost freeze – because they are uncomfortable – somehow they know the difference between the leashes. Maybe they know the color they usually wear or can tell by the weight of the leash – all I know is that each of them wants to wear his leash or her leash. Schooner also likes to carry one of his stuff pet animals with him on our walks. They seem to provide him a little extra security on our walks – like preschools and elementary students, and yes, even some young adolescents carry a small security toy or security token to help them make it through the day, Schooner needs one of his toys. Lizzie has absolutely no need to carry a toy with her. I think of this middle road of appropriate understanding for Lizzie and Schooner behaviors and how it applies to successful dog walks parallels to teacher behaviors and student behaviors for successful classroom learning and teaching. Some students need more flexibility and room to roam, think and to act in order to learn while other student needs a tighter leash – they cannot handle extra freedom and flexibility. Some students may need pipe cleaners to help them focus in class while others will never use them. It is our jobs as educators to know how to engage different kinds of student behaviors and what is expected and needed for successful class. If I expect Lizzie and Schooner to have a successful dog walk I need to appreciate their differences and how to ensure that I provide the correct materials and environment for them. Just like I cannot blame my students’ innate needs in what works best for them. I cannot blame Lizzie if she cannot handle a shorter leash nor can I blame Schooner if he cannot handle a longer leash. That is who they are for whatever reason. As an educator I need to be able to identify complications, struggles and successes my student have and need. Middle level educators can recognize most of their students’ needs – but it can be challenging to actually meet each student’s needs, especially everyday. Is this why that each child in each class does not have a successful day every day? Is it even a reasonable expectation that each teacher can meet the needs of each student each day each week each month to ensure each student’s daily success? It is remarkable that educators are expected to ensure success for each student each day each week and each month. It is hard to imagine that this is even a possibility. What other profession expects such ultimate success and has the same expectations? Maybe a pilot to ensure that the plane departs and lands successfully. Maybe a physician to make sure each patient has a successful visit – but a physician meets with one patient at a time. But educators – we have many students at one time, each with unique needs and we are expected to ensure each student’s success – some teacher can do an amazing job of it – while others do not fair so well. How do educators decide how to focus their attention for student success or teaching success for learning success? Do certain students get more attention than others because they are easier to work with while others are more challenging because they need more attention? Or “their way?” Because of Schooner’s need to have a routine, and less of a need to explore and take risks on our daily dog walks go more in his direction, just like more needy students often determine the direction a class moves. Does Lizzie get less of an experience because she has to follow the needed routine of Schooner? How do educators decide how to tighten or loosen the leashes? Do Lizzie like students get a better walk or a better learning day or do Schooner like students demand the direction of the walk or the direction of the class? What do you think? How do you plan to or how do you address the Lizzie like and the Schooner like students in your classroom as well as the Max, Buddy, Alice, Daisy, Coco
, Lily
, Princess
, Emma
, Annie, Rosie
, Ruby, Lady
, Rocky, Charlie, Buster
, Lucky
, Oliver
, Oscar
, Rusty
, Lulu
, Brandy, Jasmine and Dakota like students? What are your thoughts?

Five wonders… Five questions... Five things to do…

Five wonders… Five questions... Five things to do…

As some of you are beginning your careers as an educator or maybe some of you have been already worked in schools for a while – there are things that you may wonder or that you have questions about being a teacher or that you have ideas of things you want to do.

I know when I first started teaching I did not really think that much about how I would do things in a classroom. I was happy to get a job and I that I had to start planning my classes. I graduated in December and then started teaching at the end of January; I started teaching mid year at the change of semesters. I liked very much the high school where I would begin my career and was very excited.

Since I started teaching mid year at the change of semesters I actually had the luxury to observe the teacher that I would be replacing. So I knew for sure some things that I would not do by observing her and I knew one thing for sure that I would do. I decided I was to have a discipline classroom. I was not sure how I would do it but I knew that is what she did not have it and I was going to. I had less than two weeks to get my plans intact but whatever I planned worked.

I cannot remember back to specifics those 40 plus years ago when I first started teaching but I know I did have some wonderings; I did have lots questions and I did have ideas, lots of ideas. I was fortunate to have a principal who mentored me and allowed me to be creative and to take risks.

As you are preparing to be a teacher or if you already teaching, share in your reply to this blog post:

1. Five things you wonder about being a teacher….

2. Five questions you have about being a teacher and would like to ask current practicing teachers….

3. Five ideas, as an educator, you want to use in a classroom or in a school …

I look forward to learning your thoughts. Maybe we can get some explore your lists and get some strong responses.