Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Falling Behind - Notes from the Blacktop

Falling behind

The road falls away,
As do the trees and fields, the clouds
And sky.

Life falls slowly behind,
As the rush comes,
So it falls behind.

Colors pass and blur – they fall away,
Focus remains ahead,
Regardless of the beauty passed,
No matter what has fallen behind,
The focus lies ahead,
The road – the twists and turns
Always look ahead.

More beauty ahead,
Always more than behind,
Colors change again – shapes morph
As they fall behind.
Mountains come and go,
Streams and lakes,
Oceans and beaches,
Farms come before they come,
And pass…
But the road remains.

The road may not always be smooth,
It may be slick from oil,
Wet from rain,
Dirty,
Pot-hole ridden,
Bumpy,
Cracked,
But it is still the road,
and life is better with one than
without.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

A Teachers Role?

Forethought: I feel like Doogie Howser for some reason… not in the really smart way, just in the sitting in front of a computer typing out shit that happened way.

I was further confirmed in my doubt in wanting to have children when I learned that our Chancellor of schools resigned, and the woman who took his place not only has no experience working in or with schools, but has never been to a public school (nor have her children).

I am trying to picture a school system in which teachers are mandated to do things in the class based not on what is actually best for students, but rather based on what some business oriented calculating machine has determined will best serve the numbers they have to present to some government agency so that they can get more money and buy more glitzy stuff for a school that doesn’t need anything but well trained and caring teachers. I am quite certain that a school does not need HD cameras, I am equally certain that it needs a teacher who will carefully plan a lesson in such a way so as to maximize comprehension and retention of the material presented so that students may go forth with the ability to think and apply this skill to whatever field they choose to pursue. A school does not need flat screen TV’s, however it does need up to date history and science books, modern laboratories, art and music class, and English teachers who understand good grammar and inspire children to read great stories, not just those that are instantly relatable and ultimately worthless.

Our greatest statement of disrespect to ourselves and our world is the state of our public schools – particularly those in NYC.