Sprouting the Curriculum (eBook)

LOGIC

PREFACE

Anyone reading the following thoughts and essays should know that some are before the 2013 buzz about new standards, a situation that Diane Ravitch has punctured in her book Reign of Error. (2014). Revealing how much of it is really corporate, the slim or nonexistent gains for urban students, the worship of data, and the not-so-secret strategy to get teachers to compete mercilessly and then calling it collaboration, among other things, she hits the mark with stunning accuracy. Following her lead, I hint at the greed, and then I launch many rockets.

Despite being a therapy chronicle, every thought in this book in your hand, is still cogent, it’s all just a little bit creepier now. That said, you will also be subject to many surprisingly boastful, buoyant or comical anecdotes.

No attention has been given to form, the genesis was purely communion.

The following entries were moments when I have had time to sit still on an evening or on vacation to reflect on an experience or condition. They are also the result of dodging asteroids headed my way. They overlap over decades, so that you can see how many different ways a problem or a bonus can manifest itself. Some ideas repeat for emphasis because they arose from different places in different years. They meander clumsily through calm, rough, muddy, and clear water. They are filtered honestly through my humble neurons.

Special notes

1. The word master (from the term “master teacher”), in this book, is meant to denote a high level of creative and pedagogic skill.

2. Some references, subjects, names and places may have further information in the Citations near the end of the book.

Acknowledgements of Teaching and Learning: Glorious Sideways Learning

I thrive as a teacher in a self-contained classroom. I rush full-speed ahead, looking for ideas and implementing them, with the ease of not having to check back with anyone.. However, I must admit, I also sponge up ideas when in a team setting and I have hit the jackpot with awesome camaraderie over a forty plus years’ career in various settings. Polly, Steve, Claire, Diana, Marg, Jackie, Ann, and Chick showed me how to be a natural—how to walk the walk, and make every moment utterly relaxed and meaningful. Every small, seemingly insignificant detail was savored. We plumbed the environment in the “Project” and found many treasures. Their work was like a sheltered, monastic achievement. They created a workplace free of pretension and showy displays. They lived their truth quietly.

Linda, Peggy, Mary D, Mary M, Viola, Betsy, Dot, Ruth, Jane, Patty, and Karen made genuine friendship and fearlessness fly out in every direction. Nothing is harder than running an infant-toddler day care setting. They made it look easy and were able to actually make it easy together. They covered Morristown’s parks and playgrounds, while toddlers absorbed the geography. Bonding with their children and each other, those teachers metabolized a unified, obligatory, fun family.

Sylvia, Carmela, Deb, Fran, Linda, Ruth, Mary, Margaret, Valerie, Sister Emma, and Father John had style. The kind of style that kids remember into adulthood, because they listened and responded like real people, not just teacher-type responding. They made the puzzle pieces fit together as every wonderful teacher in that school stopped dead in their tracks at 12:45 and each one of us took a specific reading level to place every kid in the school correctly, reductionist as it was. It was a beautiful thing, very much like clockwork, and it seemed to work. We also partied together at each other’s homes and I have to say it didn’t even involve alcohol. Although they were probably simpler times, it was the most graceful discipline, which resulted in a rare kind of success.

Marian exuded such warm and sophisticated charm that kids just showed their fullest greatness and cooperation without exception ….and I mean little kids ! Marg made diversity the framework for every curriculum decision and gave meaning to the word “workaholic.” Marg and Claire worked without pay for many months. Kathy P. pushed me and supported me with authentic pedagogy and affirmed learning in nature and we weren’t even in the 90s yet. She baked bread with the kids every week, (called pretzels) and liberated every idea in her head in the form of captivating storytelling. The kids were absolutely motionless while listening, as she made it up as she went along using their names, of course. Sylvia, the quintessential kindergarten teacher, made quietly simple things extraordinary and gorgeous. Carolyn continues to stop me in my tracks with her unique delivery systems. Sue S, the other Sue S, Lily, Pat R, Ray, Pat K, Judy, Mary, Leslie, Beverly, Alison (The Energizer Bunny), Joan, Melanie, Fran, Ingrid, Michelle, Linda, Ruth, Caroline, Monica, Libby, Dean, Donna, Gabrielle, Robert, Mary Ann, Kati, Katie, Nic, Nancy, Moira, Valerie O, Valerie W, Nina, Mary, Kathleen, Kathryn, Edna, Jennifer, Rosie, Gail, Gale, Heather, Eileen, Sheri, Joe, Susan, Lisa, Sally, Gene, Suzanne, Wendy, Jill, Claudia, Ann, Alan, Marj, Joyce, Tom, Janet, Kathy, Anthony and many, many others kept pushing me and supporting me in ways you might not ever guess. They tolerated all my ideas and helped me embrace the dream of a nature-based program. They all pushed in new and remarkable pathways that I could wallow in.

Glenn, calmly helped by teaching me the real technology while Billy and Noel translated my old mentality into younger thinking. Sid, the clever orator, kept the darkness interesting, cheerful (hilarious), and moving along. The frantic moments were squashed, corrected, and lightened. Our teaching styles were dynamically different but in some crazy way we were able to support each other. Frequently he would ask me for an idea and I would give him one from MY stylistic bag of tricks and he wouldn’t quite say “that’s a terrible idea” but instead, it somehow would give him a different idea that appealed to him. It was the most interesting process. Sid was the model for loyalty. Mikey and I were partners with very similar teaching styles. I learned with Kathy as a partner that two heads are more energetic than one and Mikey and I moved city mountains. We convinced administrators (especially the awesome JW and YD) to allow lots of field trips, overnights, bobwhite chick-raising (before we knew better), mural painting, garden creation, clubs to connect science to arts, awesome labs, Saturday trips and more. Mikey built thirty fossil sifting screens in one weekend. We were both willing to spend our own money ….lots of it. “You can’t wait for heaven, you have to make it,” (Heinrich Heine,) was the mantra. I remember the time when the school bus didn’t show up for a Saturday trip and Mikey went to the ATM machine, took out cash (his own), and called another company. He taught me to love humanity as much as wildlife. He’s a poet, awesome bongo player and lover of spontaneous singing. Everything necessary for good teaching of science.

The following people have shown me the most supportive, positive regard and welcoming friendship as well as insight from committees, field trips, overnight field trips, or faculty meetings: Ms. Greggs, Mr. Niskoch, Mr. Segarra, Mr. Nier, Mr. Szewczyk, Dr. Zelin, Miss Cherry, Mr. Kirchmer, Mr. Adamchak, Ms. Townes, Ms. Gallagher, Ms. Gavin, Ms. Knutson, Ms. Hatcher, Mr. Miller, Ms. DiGiori, Mr. Washington, Ms. Benn, Ms. Martin, Mr. Robertson, Ms. Dentley, Mr. Sabuur, Ms. Alston, Ms. Lipinski, Ms. Howe, Ms. Hudley, Ms. Ince, Ms. Smyth, Ms. Garfield, Mr. Byock, Ms. Yancy, Ms. Rubin, Ms. Hunter, Mr. Jordan, Ms. Thoren, Ms. Neville, Mr. Fashtak, Ms. Alessio, Ms. Lindor, Ms. Hofler-Mattur, Ms. Adcock, Ms. Newman, Ms. Gaskins, Ms. Haizel, Ms. Shackleford, Ms. Connelly, Mr. Edmund, Mr. Obsuth, Ms. Nelson, Ms. V. Nelson, Mr. D’Angelo, Ms. Hawkins, Mr. Cannon, Ms. Anderson, Mr. Grassie, Mr. Olumbe, Ms. Rich, Ms. Walker, Mr. D’Argenio, Ms. Warren, Mr. Rosenberg, Mr. and Ms. Paterson, Mr. Batchelder, Ms. Serbin, Ms. Dove, Ms. Cordero, Ms. Biggs, Mr. Andrews, Ms. Gandhi, Ms. Gryzwinski, Mr. Djondo, Mr. Sarabo, Mr. Whitaker, Ms. Kelly, Ms. French, Mr. McGeehan, Ms. Bailey, Mr. Pinckney, Ms. Cadet, Mr. Tulino, Ms. Ervin, Ms. Pardo, Mr. Finnegan, Mr. Love, Ms. Murray, Ms. Glandsberg, Ms. Pompilio, Mr. Joseph, Ms. Clemente, Ms. Weiss, Mr. Audige, Mr. Dorcely, Ms. Alceus, Ms. Anderson, Mr. Anderson, Ms. Farley, Ms. Serratelli, Ms. McLean, Mr. Leone, Ms. Truitt, Ms. Facciponte, Ms. Greenberg, Ms. Moore, Ms. Zadlock, Mr. Isaacson, Ms. Finkle, Ms. DeLa Cruz, Ms. Young, Ms. Solomon, Ms. Lopez, Ms. Jones, Mr. Noel, Mr. Felder, Ms.Vasquez, Ms. Antonazzi, Ms.Stith, Mr.Garnet, Ms. Zambrano, Mr.Bernath, and Ms. Lippin.

Rather endearing and helpful security and maintenance personnel always made my teaching experiences decidedly richer. They were the best. They knew everything and gave free advice.

Let’s not forget the crossing guards. Ms. Ann and Ms. Dolores, who really spread the love in the community, and that, of course, is a lesson.

Of all “sideways learning”, I must include organizations that don’t give grades but offer pure enlightenment such as the Association of NJ Environmental Educators (ANJEE), NJ Audubon, Great Swamp Watershed Association, Friends of Great Swamp, Great Swamp Outdoor...