Category Archive For "Briefs"
in Briefs
Blast from the Past
“Gentlemen, I have had men watching you for a long time and I am convinced that you have used the funds of the bank to speculate in the breadstuffs of the country. When you won, you divided the profits amongst you, and when you lost, you charged it to the bank. You tell me that …
in Briefs
Taxpayers Rejoice
The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, signed by none other than rascally leprechaun Bill Clinton himself, provided some curious incentives, as it turned out, that we might do well to remember. Coupled with the Balanced Budget Act, TRA of 1997 arguably helped to create the much heralded—and in many ways miraculous—federal budget surpluses starting in …
in Briefs
Poem for Heather's birthday
This is one of the poems that prompted a classmate of mine at Notre Dame to proclaim that love poetry died with John Keats in 1821. This desperate vitality reminds me to be grateful you were born and encourages me to love you better: Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art– Not in …
in Briefs
Sharing
Parents who bring their toddlers to public places like libraries and beaches tend to make a big show, when their child inevitably purloins another kid’s toy and starts playing with it, of encouraging their own child to share and be nice and let the kid who had been chewing, for example, on the plastic toy …
in Briefs
Worry = Sanity
Says one wise citizen to another after the death of Edward IV in Richard III: Truly, the hearts of men are full of fear. You cannot reason almost with a man That looks not heavily and full of dread.
in Briefs
Slowness
Each time I land at JFK, I’m amazed at what an incredibly ugly hurry everyone seems to be in. Perhaps my always coming from California, a much more dignified place, exacerbates my shock. Nevertheless, a question for New Yorkers: isn’t being in a hurry less attractive than composure and deliberateness? For the answer, one need …
Treating Classes Like Gatherings, Part Three: Ending Well(If you haven’t read part one, on establishing purpose, or part two, on facilitating well, I’d [keep reading...]
Treating Classes Like Gatherings, Part Two: Teaching With Generous Authority(If you haven’t read part one, about establishing purpose, consider starting there.) After [keep reading...]
Why Teachers Should Consider Their Classes “Gatherings”Priya Parker’s The Art of Gathering, a book that, as the subtitle suggests, takes up the subject of [keep reading...]