"When one teaches, two learn"
I”m sorry but I’ve had a bad day. All the B.S. about the “royal” wedding and people aimlessly following, jollygagging along. The farce of celebrity and bread and circuses. Who’ll break this circle of lies? What I mean is that school should be a place...
What is education? I just finished reading David Warlich’s 2cents worth blog and commenting. About making education purposeful. That’s what’s missing. Forget reform, change blablabla. Just get people together with a purpose. And what should that be? Well, I think it should be what John...
I read a lot about the “new paradigm” that is occuring in education. There is a lot for us teachers and particularly those in leadership positions to think about. I really do hear some things repeated over and over again – that I just won’t...
Teaching a language isn’t as easy as it sounds – to do it well. Just showing up to a class and speaking (we call this modeling language) is only half the job. And that other half is an art form that one acquires over the...
This month I’ve had my head full of “spring” and in particular that spring 40 some years ago in 1968 when students around the world became very “educated” and aware and sought to change things for the better. I didn’t live through that spring and...
With the events in Egypt unrolling these past days, my mind has been on them and also on the wider question, what makes a “liveable” country? I took down from my bookshelf, a treasured book, Notes from the Rainforest, by Gyorgy Faludy. Gyorgy is/was a...
{ I think this a great reflective activity for any teacher. Going to make this part of the curriculum in some of my future courses, for sure. Find my full philosophy of education – here. } What subjects have you been teaching? What types of...
I really believe in the power of faith. Long ago, I remember reading C.S. Lewis’ poignant, “The Problem with Pain” and noting his wonderful philosophy of simply acting as if something were true. That if we pretend the world is so, it might just become...
I wanted to name this post – “We need bad teachers” but thought that would get me off on a tangent. So I decided to voice it about those who might think they have “the authority” to decide who is or isn’t a bad teacher....
If I could meet just one guy who I’d like to chat about the future and place of education in the world – it would be a toss up between Ivan Illich and John Taylor Gatto. Illich the intellectual, the piercing and challenging mind –...
Last week I posted up my “Top Teacher Training related posts of 2010″ – titled, “On the shoulders of Regular Joe Teachers”. Today, I’d like to share my “Top Education related posts of 2010”. I’m incredibly proud of the level of resources and thought, I...
I just came home from the movies. In the film I saw (The Kids Are Alright), one character when asked why he dropped out of school says, “I just thought it was a big waste of money for something I could learn myself, from a...
I’ve been wanting to write this post for a long time – years actually. Finally, here in the airport with time to kill and waiting for my flight “home” to Canada, I have the time and motivation. Teaching English as a “profession” and living in...
This presentation is often visited and I’m proud I took the time to distill and filter and come up with what I think are “winners”. Takes teachers so much time to find “gold” and this will help. Not a full answer but …… Sit back...
I’m returning to my home and native land Canada in a few weeks and I’ve been thinking incessantly about “chopping wood”. Chopping wood isn’t easy! Most city folk who try it, look like bumbling fools. Even if they manage to do okay, they last only...
“Living is an affair for those who turn on the ovens” Believe it or not – I’m usually a very positive guy. In life, in the classroom and online. I’m accused often of being too positive and forward looking, being naive and idealistic. I used...
This is an abridged version of my closing graduation speech I recently gave (and blogged about) where I work. Words to those entering the teaching profession. Something more heartfelt and personal. Sorry for the bad audio but I did this in one take and without...
I really enjoyed Charles Leadbeater’s – “We-Think” (see the cool video clip of its premise HERE). He really hit the nail on the head when it came to how the world was changing due to communicative technologies, Web 2.0 and the rise of the “amateur”...
Anyone whose read a little of my stuff (and fluff too), throughout the years knows with a capital “K” that I’m an ardent supporter of education being free of influence and especially profit. Be that a school where our young go each day or be...
Postman and Weingartner in Teaching as a subversive activity talk of subversion being even a tiny act, even as tiny an act as thinking about who you are as a teacher. Subversion begins there, in that kernel of self truth. They asked teachers, Why do...
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