Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets through.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
What is our major goal?
"What is our major goal as parents?"
Still another woman glibly said, “To produce children who are, among other things, brilliant, polite, charming, neat and well-adjusted, of course.”
Dr. Ginott looked solemn. It was obvious that this last comment had not amused him. He leaned forward and said, “This is how I see it. It seems to me that our large goal is to find the ways to help our children become humane and strong. For what does it profit us if we have a neat, polite, charming youngster who could watch people suffer and not be moved to action? What have we accomplished if we have reared a child who is brilliant – at the top of his class – but who uses his intellect to manipulate others? And do we really want children so well-adjusted that they adjust to an unjust situation? Too many Germans adjusted only too well to the orders of the Nazis to exterminate millions of their fellow men. Understand me: I’m not opposed to a child being polite or neat or learned. The crucial question for me is 'What methods have been used to accomplish these ends?' If the methods used are insults, attacks, and threats, then we can be very sure that we have also taught this child to insult, attack, to threaten, and to comply when threatened. If, on the other hand, we use methods that are humane, then we’ve taught something much more important than a series of isolated virtues. We’ve shown the child how to be a person – a mensch, a human being who can conduct his life with strength and dignity.”
Still another woman glibly said, “To produce children who are, among other things, brilliant, polite, charming, neat and well-adjusted, of course.”
Dr. Ginott looked solemn. It was obvious that this last comment had not amused him. He leaned forward and said, “This is how I see it. It seems to me that our large goal is to find the ways to help our children become humane and strong. For what does it profit us if we have a neat, polite, charming youngster who could watch people suffer and not be moved to action? What have we accomplished if we have reared a child who is brilliant – at the top of his class – but who uses his intellect to manipulate others? And do we really want children so well-adjusted that they adjust to an unjust situation? Too many Germans adjusted only too well to the orders of the Nazis to exterminate millions of their fellow men. Understand me: I’m not opposed to a child being polite or neat or learned. The crucial question for me is 'What methods have been used to accomplish these ends?' If the methods used are insults, attacks, and threats, then we can be very sure that we have also taught this child to insult, attack, to threaten, and to comply when threatened. If, on the other hand, we use methods that are humane, then we’ve taught something much more important than a series of isolated virtues. We’ve shown the child how to be a person – a mensch, a human being who can conduct his life with strength and dignity.”
-Liberated Children, Liberated Parents
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Teachers :)
Improving something as complex and culturally embedded as
teaching requires the efforts of all the players, including students,
parents, and politicians. But teachers must be the primary driving
force behind change. They are best positioned to understand
the problems that students face and to generate possible solutions.
—James Stigler and James Hiebert (1999)
my teacher leadership class taught me so much this semester~ as hard as teaching is..i'm so excited to go back into the classroom next year :)
here's to continual growth/learning~ and changing the world..one student, one classroom, one school, one district at a time.
teaching requires the efforts of all the players, including students,
parents, and politicians. But teachers must be the primary driving
force behind change. They are best positioned to understand
the problems that students face and to generate possible solutions.
—James Stigler and James Hiebert (1999)
my teacher leadership class taught me so much this semester~ as hard as teaching is..i'm so excited to go back into the classroom next year :)
here's to continual growth/learning~ and changing the world..one student, one classroom, one school, one district at a time.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
I make lists in my sleep
Who can guess what musical this song is from? without googling it :P
It won't work, I look before I leap.
I love margins and discipline
I make lists in my sleep
Baby, what's my sin?
Never quit, I follow through
I hate mess, but I love you
What to do with my impromptu baby
It won't work, I look before I leap.
I love margins and discipline
I make lists in my sleep
Baby, what's my sin?
Never quit, I follow through
I hate mess, but I love you
What to do with my impromptu baby
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Walter Ray Sun
Meet Walter Ray Sun. He's my sister and Dave's new puppy. Isn't he so cute? I haven't even met him yet, and I'm in love :]Today is EARTH DAY! I'm mostly in the camp of "everyday is earth day..." as in, we should be intentional about being more green and eco-friendly everyday. BUT, a special day to remind us of the importance of the environment certainly can't hurt. So, use today to do something extra special! plant a tree! adjust your thermostat! recycle! turn your computer off when you're not using it! :]
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
new beginnings
I actually made this blog back in September when I was first adjusting to life in Cambridge. My intention was that I would blog and reflect upon my year at Harvard. But, somehow, life got busy..other priorities took precedence....and this blog became a distant memory.
Today, as I was procrastinating and NOT working on my final papers...I stumbled upon my blog from....HIGH SCHOOL! crazy, I know...But, as I was reading through the entries written by my teenage self...I thought, "This is so cool...to take a trip down memory lane and read about what I thought was important to me at this time of my life!" I mean, unlike some other people, I have never been good at keeping a journal. I hate writing... I dunno... it just isn't my cup of tea..
So, maybe this blog will become another artifact that I can look back at 5-10 years from now and recall what was important to me in my mid-20s...
If not that...it's fun, right? To write about "stuff" and feel like the whole world could be listening?
Today, as I was procrastinating and NOT working on my final papers...I stumbled upon my blog from....HIGH SCHOOL! crazy, I know...But, as I was reading through the entries written by my teenage self...I thought, "This is so cool...to take a trip down memory lane and read about what I thought was important to me at this time of my life!" I mean, unlike some other people, I have never been good at keeping a journal. I hate writing... I dunno... it just isn't my cup of tea..
So, maybe this blog will become another artifact that I can look back at 5-10 years from now and recall what was important to me in my mid-20s...
If not that...it's fun, right? To write about "stuff" and feel like the whole world could be listening?
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