Random Quote
Drink coffee! Do stupid things faster!
---- unknown
The least of learning is done in the classrooms
---- Thomas Merton
No one can understand the truth until he drinks of coffee's frothy goodness.
---- Sheik Abd-al-Kadir
I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're going and hook up with them later.
---- Mitch Hedberg
I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.
---- Albert Einstein
It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.
---- Franklin D. Roosevelt
Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe.
---- H. G. Wells
The great enemy of clear language is insincerity. When there is a gap between one's real and one's declared aims, one turns as it were instinctively to long words and exhausted idioms, like a cuttlefish spurting out ink.
---- George Orwell
A magician pulls rabbits out of hats. An experimental psychologist pulls habits out of rats.
---- anonymous
Any man whose errors take ten years to correct is quite a man.
---- J. Robert Oppenheimer
Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.
---- Malcom Forbes
If the English language made any sense, a catastrophe would be an apostrophe with fur.
---- Doug Larson
Technology will not replace teachers...teachers who use technology will
probably replace teachers who do not.
---- Ray Clifford
it's probably not a good idea to underestimate my ability to make an ass out of myself—just when I seem to have it under control, I'll turn around and surprise you.
---- Tenser said the Tensor
I'll be more enthusiastic about encouraging thinking outside the box when there's evidence of any thinking going on inside it.
---- Terry Pratchett
I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him.
---- Galileo Galilei
To have another language is to possess a second soul.
---- Charlemagne
As soon as I buy the moose head, I have to go pick up some KY jelly.
---- Mary Roninette Kowal
"It was on my fifth birthday that Papa put his hand on my shoulder and said, 'Remember, my son, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm.'"
---- Sam Levenson
It is a paradoxical but profoundly true and important principle of life that the most likely way to reach a goal is to be aiming not at that goal itself but at some more ambitious goal beyond it.
---- Arnold Toynbee
To get something done, a committee should consist of no more than three men, two of whom are absent.
---- Robert Copeland
We don't know a millionth of one percent about anything.
---- Thomas A. Edison
The voodoo priest and all his powders were as nothing compared to espresso, cappuccino, and mocha, which are stronger than all the religions of the world combined, and perhaps stronger than the human soul itself.
---- Mark Helprin, Memoir from Antproof Case, 1995
One man alone can be pretty dumb sometimes, but for real bona fide stupidity, there ain't nothin' can beat teamwork.
---- Edward Abbey
Hanging is too good for a man who makes puns; he should be drawn and quoted.
---- Fred Allen
Sitting Down
About 10 days ago I hurt my leg exercising and now it’s really painful to walk. I went to see a doctor twice and got some pills and an injection each time. the injection did wonders, but only lasted one day. Basically I was told to do nothing for one week and everything will be fine. However, it’s pretty much impossible for me to do that unless I take a week off of work – good luck on me doing that.
Anyhow the subway ride to school involved a lot of stairs and a long transfer which is stressing my leg enough. On top of that there is a really large hill on campus. My office and classes are of course on the very top. The hill is the real killer for the leg.
Anyhow last week I did my regular stuff, took the subway, walked the hill and taught my classes. The thing is when I teach my classes I never sit down. I’m standing the whole time – I move around, talk to students, gesture wildly and essentially ensure that the class is awake and paying attention. End of class and even more so end of day, I could barely move. It felt like I had a knife twisting in my hip joint.
What does this have to do with teaching you ask? I’m coming to that – this is not a plea for sympathy – really. Anyhow yesterday I had one class and the pain was really bothering me so I decided to sit down and teach the class. I was really uncomfortable with that (though my leg was feeling much better). It didn’t feel natural to teach sitting down.
Again today my leg was really bothering me. I actually took a taxi up the hill to ease the pain. I also decided to try teaching sitting down again figuring maybe I would get used to it. Additionally today I have 6 hours of classes in a row and if there is any day I need to sit down it’s Tuesdays.
I couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t sit down and teach. I have no idea how people can sit and teach. I know some teachers at my university do this as I see them in the classroom when I walk by sitting and teaching. But even with a fairly debilitating injury I still couldn’t teach sitting down. I see no advantage to it and it makes me feel lazy, passive and like I’m not doing my job correctly.
I’m sure that if I had a class with only a few students, maybe less than 6, I would sit down to encourage familiarity and build up a good atmosphere. However my classes all have 18-25 students and that’s just not possible.
What’s your stance on sitting in the classroom?
Sean. inscribed these words of wisdom on Tuesday Sep 22, 2009 at 09:31 PM
Teaching | teaching_application |





kwandongbrian wrote 52 words on Wednesday Sep 23, 2009 at 07:06 AM
Ask your students to come to you. This would be a bit of a problem in my class as the desks provided might be for middle school students - they are a bit small for the students to get in and out of frequently.
Anyway, tell them to visit you in pairs.
kwandongbrian wrote 50 words on Wednesday Sep 23, 2009 at 07:08 AM
One of the things I admire about you is your commitment to improving your teaching techniques - now is the time to work on giving the students high-quality presentation assignments - I don’t necessarily mean the presentations should be high-quality, but the way you prepare the students to do so.
kwandongbrian wrote 22 words on Wednesday Sep 23, 2009 at 07:09 AM
I saw on Facebook that you commented on having many more comments there than here - have I closed the gap yet?
G.T. wrote 34 words on Thursday Sep 24, 2009 at 09:48 PM
My stance on your position is seated, but I know you won’t stand for that, so I will sit quietly and not stand up for what I think.
I will sit when I’m old.