Sunny...come Spring

It's such a beautiful day today, it's hard to focus on anything academic. I just want to lounge around in the sun and soak it up--I love this kind of energy. But, I do miss my MN life...days like this, Mandee and/or Rebecca and I would take a long walk or bike ride. We'd probably be grilling on the patio and talking to Alex, watching David, Devon, and Petey running around. We would be laughing and enjoying each other's company so very much. I miss being so satisfied and happy.

Writer's BLOK

I'm stuck. I need to write about why I'm a good teacher and I can't seem to to be able to put it into words. I'm a good teacher. I konw this...but how to put it into words....I love people. I care about my students. I do my very best to BE the kind of teacher I want them to BE...so often I think we rely on CONTENT to teach students how to become teachers, rather than PROCESS. Students need to experience learning and teaching. They need to see me leading them through these processes so that they can do this too. I know that life happens. I don't need to hold rules over students' heads to try to get them to be "good" students. They get sick, they stay up late caring for a distraught roomate, they make a poor choice once and awhile. What good does it do for me to reduce their grade for living their lives, often in meaningful ways. Yes, all of our choices have results, but grades are not indicative of a student's learning...just as point reductions don't help a student learn anything about being a good teacher, but about following rules. I wish I had more words, or more ways to explain why I'm a good teacher...

Winter here

winter here in MI is not the same as winter in MN. aahh...i miss MN so much--more often when the sun doesn't peek, doesn't dance in the blue, clear sky. it's more of the same...white gray clouds and medium cold. and it's wet and sloppy. it seems snow in MN was crisp, and always glittering--the sun making diamonds on lawns, in trees, even on the sides of the roads (which were dry and clear). i know "the grass is always greener..." but i haven't looked forward to spring so much as i do now.

autumn...

crisp red orange yellow
crunching whispering whisping
breeze warm in the sun

the rock

The Jena situation has me a bit saddened and confused. I know that I only know what media tells us...I know there are two sides to every story. But it's so difficult to believe that this is about anything other than legal injustice. We can't know the nature of the fights. Suspension of three white students, a defendent with a history of violence...but I know that we have to be so careful given the historical context of that region of the US. Is there truth here? Whose truth matters most?

How time flies...

It's hard to believe an entire week has passed already. I've been playing with the concept of identity. It continues to increase in complexity. And then, I talk to intelligent people, and at that time, in that place, identity as they describe it, often seems so believable...but I don't always agree--but I don't know why or why not. And then in circles spins my mind...into dusk and darkness--around and around while I should be dreaming.

And I'm back....

Well, it's been awhile...I'm still musing, and again writing. Today I realized that I'm good at what I do. I'm a good teacher. When I don't do it, I don't feel well. I am not well unless I am teaching. It feels good to remember that.

One of my students told me that so far, I'm the best college teacher he's ever had...that I'm not boring and that I do a good job explaining things. I'm glad to know...and looking forward to learning more.

I'll try to visit here a little more.