Two definitions of "reflection" in the on-line Merriam-Webster thesaurus are "a briefly expressed opinion" and "a careful weighing of the reasons for or against something." Education continues to be a broad topic of discourse and examination. In today's editions of my two local newspapers, there were eight articles related to education, and that's not counting the sports pages' coverage of local schools' athletics.
As my sixteenth year of being on the "front lines" of education draws to a close, I'm ready to join the discussion. Every day, an insight strikes. Every day, a challenge arises. Every day, an issue puzzles. One of my intentions here is to address the complexities of teaching I face. Some subjects may be applicable to others' situations, and some may be specific to my current experience.
Rosa Parks said, "Stand for something, or you will fall for anything. Today's might oak is yesterday's nut that held its ground." Reflections from the School is where I'll stand and wave my flag. Readers may not agree with everything I say, and I'll welcome differing insights. For it's through openly engaging in reasonable arguments that we can all grow.
Adding one more voice to the multitude may seem useless. But I hope otherwise. I recently explained to my students that most new ideas are simply expansions or twists upon, or syntheses of, older ideas. If, through this blog, I or someone else is elevated to a new level of thinking that improves education, then I'll count it a success.
Thank you,
Brendan
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