Comments on: Commit to Being a Flea http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/05/03/commit-to-being-a-flea/ (bôr'dər-lănd') n. Located on or near a frontier. An indeterminate area or condition. Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:24:44 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Marco Polo http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/05/03/commit-to-being-a-flea/comment-page-1/#comment-2801 Marco Polo Sat, 13 May 2006 15:19:37 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/05/03/commit-to-being-a-flea/#comment-2801 Just to add my two bits regarding the "spiritual journey", it was reading Gatto that woke me up to one reason why I'm a teacher. Gatto wrote that whatever he was doing, the ultimate objective was always John Taylor Gatto: to discover himself, to make himself a complete person. Reading him made me snap back like an elastic band, back to an intense interest in my students, and a strong desire to get to know them better, and by so doing be a better teacher. We who are older can see with our wise eyes just what a mess humans have made of this beautiful planet and of each other, yet if you keep looking at that side only it will eventually kill you. There is much to be sad about, that is undeniable, but also much to be glad about, and in the end, each day, each minute, we have the choice of which we focus on. Just to add my two bits regarding the “spiritual journey”, it was reading Gatto that woke me up to one reason why I’m a teacher. Gatto wrote that whatever he was doing, the ultimate objective was always John Taylor Gatto: to discover himself, to make himself a complete person. Reading him made me snap back like an elastic band, back to an intense interest in my students, and a strong desire to get to know them better, and by so doing be a better teacher.

We who are older can see with our wise eyes just what a mess humans have made of this beautiful planet and of each other, yet if you keep looking at that side only it will eventually kill you. There is much to be sad about, that is undeniable, but also much to be glad about, and in the end, each day, each minute, we have the choice of which we focus on.

]]> By: Marco Polo http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/05/03/commit-to-being-a-flea/comment-page-1/#comment-2799 Marco Polo Sat, 13 May 2006 15:06:52 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/05/03/commit-to-being-a-flea/#comment-2799 I salute your courage, Doug. It takes courage to stay true to one's own inner voice and integrity. Thanks for putting this out, and making me pause and reconsider. I go back and forth: sometimes being pre-occupied with the big picture, usually after reading people like Freire, Augusto Boal, Ivan Illich, or John Taylor Gatto (I wonder what you make of him? He spent years teaching kids who must be fairly close to the ages you teach, I think); sometimes dumping that in favour of nuts and bolts stuff like crafting activities and worksheets without which the "big picture" stuff can't get expressed. I haven't read any of the stuff you mention here, but I will. Gatto is the lens through which I read this post, but I'm not sure that puts me on the same page, yet. If you've read Gatto, please comment. I salute your courage, Doug. It takes courage to stay true to one’s own inner voice and integrity. Thanks for putting this out, and making me pause and reconsider. I go back and forth: sometimes being pre-occupied with the big picture, usually after reading people like Freire, Augusto Boal, Ivan Illich, or John Taylor Gatto (I wonder what you make of him? He spent years teaching kids who must be fairly close to the ages you teach, I think); sometimes dumping that in favour of nuts and bolts stuff like crafting activities and worksheets without which the “big picture” stuff can’t get expressed. I haven’t read any of the stuff you mention here, but I will. Gatto is the lens through which I read this post, but I’m not sure that puts me on the same page, yet. If you’ve read Gatto, please comment.

]]> By: Doug http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/05/03/commit-to-being-a-flea/comment-page-1/#comment-2549 Doug Mon, 08 May 2006 18:37:02 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/05/03/commit-to-being-a-flea/#comment-2549 Our numbers increase! The internet is an efficient host. Our numbers increase! The internet is an efficient host.

]]> By: Janice Friesen http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/05/03/commit-to-being-a-flea/comment-page-1/#comment-2547 Janice Friesen Mon, 08 May 2006 17:58:50 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/05/03/commit-to-being-a-flea/#comment-2547 Wow! Mark just pointed out your blog. I wrote almost the same thing (not anywhere near as coherent :-) in <a href="http://malahinitx.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">my blog</a> just the other day! Here's to fleadom! Janice Wow! Mark just pointed out your blog. I wrote almost the same thing (not anywhere near as coherent :-) in my blog just the other day! Here’s to fleadom!

Janice

]]> By: Doug http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/05/03/commit-to-being-a-flea/comment-page-1/#comment-2512 Doug Sun, 07 May 2006 19:20:32 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/05/03/commit-to-being-a-flea/#comment-2512 Mark, thanks for jumping in on this. As to the value of surrounding ourselves with like-minded colleagues, Brad's observation that <em>"the power of fleadom is in numbers"</em> hits that point squarely. Blogging, teaching, and caring enough to make the effort to build something that might benefit others is what I once referred to as <a style="text-decoration:underline"; href="http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2005/08/08/virtuous-circles-in-education/" rel="nofollow"><em>virtuous circles in education</em></a>. We're making them now-little by little. The scratching will come, eventually. Mark, thanks for jumping in on this. As to the value of surrounding ourselves with like-minded colleagues, Brad’s observation that “the power of fleadom is in numbers” hits that point squarely. Blogging, teaching, and caring enough to make the effort to build something that might benefit others is what I once referred to as virtuous circles in education. We’re making them now-little by little. The scratching will come, eventually.

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