The thing about Trump

Here’s the thing about Trump and his followers. If an individual supports Trump because of his policies (and I admit some may be supportable), then how many have been effective? How many have not been destructive? How many have been acted on with intelligent awareness of their consequences?

That’s the political side of things. But Trump’s failings as a human being are as clear as can be. He flaunts them. Persistent lies, demeaning comments, low class public speeches, name-calling, arrogance, shady behavior, sexual inappropriateness, and more.

Many tolerate him and some even admire him and behave like him. But the worst sign to me is that most Republicans consistently support him. It’s hard for me believe that over and over again these Congressmen can put ideology and party above decency, honesty and humanity.

In effect, someone who follows a man like Trump is in danger of diminishing his own humanity.

50 years of teaching, 50 insights

50 years of teaching, 50 insights

The endpoint of knowledge is wisdom.

Always remind the student of the big picture.

Creativity sees no walls.

Every discipline bleeds into every other discipline.

Edutainment is not always a bad thing.

Each student is a human being first.

Love what you are teaching.

Never stop learning.

Be prepared to learn from your students.

Just when you have a course nailed, it’s the time to start fresh.

Knowledge in the real world is fluid in the way it’s used, so it should be fluid in the way it’s taught.

Students need discipline and limits.

Much of learning is doing.

Tests are also learning situations.

Mathematics and visual art are languages, and need to be taught that way.

Every worthwhile idea is part of a web.

Connections are more important than the things they connect.

Assignments should allow students some freedom to make them their own.

Complex ideas require sophisticated language. Vocabulary and expression count.

If you expect to challenge students, you must challenge yourself,

No dollar amount can be put on the value of a good teacher.

A syllabus is built by you but chiseled into form by the students.

Each student has to know that you respect him/her.

Enthusiasm and passion are usually contagious.

Teach so that students will still be digesting the material years down the line.

Develop positive energy among your colleagues as well as your students.

Teach ideas as if they were for the world and not just the classroom.

In this visual world, the visual language is under-taught and under-appreciated.

Beauty is a part of all knowledge.

The blackboard is still an important tool for learning.

The goal of teaching is to help the student see and to want to continue to see.

Be as curious as you want your students to be.

Build bridges between disciplines among your colleagues.

Treat the curriculum as a living thing.

The reward of discipline is a set of instincts you can rely on.

Innovate with your heart in it.

Teach in a circle of desks. There is no hierarchy and everyone faces everyone else. The teacher relinquished some authority, too.

Make humor a part of your teaching strategy.

Be humble.

Your classroom is in the world, so let the world into your classroom.

How you teach a subject is the model for how the student will learn the subject.

Dispense discipline and praise fairly.

Patterns are more important than facts.

Listen to the student.

What a student wants is not necessarily what a student needs. You are teaching the future student as well as the present student.

Administration may know what’s best for everyone, but only you know what’s best for your students. Integrity means something.

When a teacher leaves the classroom, he/she doesn’t stop being a teacher.

Teaching demands a sustained and upbeat energy.

Your students are always your students.

If you do it right, teaching is a calling.

2020

Some thoughts on the 2020 election.

No matter who the Democratic candidate is, Trump will not win a majority of voters. So the Electoral College will again be significant.

Voting for a single-issue candidate makes no sense since the President must make decisions on such a wide range of issues.

Being nasty to Trump has little effect. It just puts a candidate in the mud with him. The media always need drama. But the best strategy is to persistently and consistently remind the public of Trumps lies, gaffs, flip-flops and character failures.

Any Democratic candidate must demonstrate character and leadership, neither of which Trump has. These are essential qualities in a President.

The media loves to have a good scandal and reveal the weaknesses of candidates. When the flaws of candidates are revealed, the real questions are who was hurt, how serious was this and has the individual demonstrated he/she has learned the appropriate lessons and grown from the failure. This is rarely reported on.

We have to have faith that integrity, dignity, strong personal character and leadership in a candidate will ultimately drive the decisions of American voters.

Climate change

When it comes to climate change, some people are stupid. There is no room in their little worlds for such discomforting science.

Some people are ignorant. Climate change makes its case, but that case bounces off a shield of complacency and self-delusion.

But worst of all, some people willfully ignorant. They are smart enough to understand the science but fully willing to put greed and self interest first.

Russian meddling

We reasonably concern ourselves with Russian efforts to undermine American democracy.

But consider this.

The Supreme Court consistently dispenses justice by partisan vote after partisan vote.

The justice system is still tilted toward privileged whites who can afford high-end lawyers. It’s a system where justice is just one option.

The legislative branch is led by a President of marginal character and moral stature, who believes the law has no relevance to him.

The Congress is too mired in partisanship, power struggles, special interests and money raising to pass urgently needed legislation.

Citizens are ill-informed and vote in embarrassingly low numbers.

Do we even need the help of the Russians.