tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69497980398999380942023-11-16T03:58:03.796-08:00The Old Writing GiftJohn Paul McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6949798039899938094.post-85805551967740615722013-11-21T14:59:00.000-08:002013-11-24T10:15:13.750-08:00What's in a Name?<br />I haven’t blogged for a few weeks as I promised I would. I’m sorry. But something happened yesterday that made me want to tell you about the last few weeks. My writing coach noticed that in both of my novels, Charlie’s Angle and An Ode to Cleve, the name of the main character is similar: Charlie in one, Chuck in the other. “Who’s Charles?” she asked. “That’s something you’ll want to look into.” <br /><br />I didn’t have any conscious basis for the choice of names except they seemed to fit the characters. I thought back to the “Charlies” I’ve known; two of my high school classmates were “Charles.” One we called Chuck, the other Charlie. Charlie died last week. His name had changed to Mario, but he was still Charlie to me. <br /><br />I’d better back up. The reason for the name change was the fact that Charlie had become a Franciscan friar. In those days the Franciscan order gave novices new names as they studied and prepared to become priests. When I was young, I studied for the priesthood. Charlie and I knew each other in the Franciscan seminary, where we were both studying to become Franciscan friars. In the end, however, both of our lives went in a very different direction. <br /><br />When I got word from Charlie’s wife, Marge, that he had died, I stopped what I was doing – nobody else was home – and sang the Ultima out loud, first in Latin and then in English. The Ultima is a hymn to the Blessed Mother asking for a peaceful death... “Lead us home to thee, we call; Virgin Mother, Queen of all.” It’s a Franciscan song that we sang at the end of every celebration, happy or sad. So while it’s traditional at funerals, it’s also a song full of hope and joy. Is the Kaddish like that, you Jewish readers? Does it also have both senses? <br /><br />On the day of Charlie’s funeral, at the very time I knew the celebrant, Father Jim Van Vurst, another classmate, would be giving the final blessing and those of my classmates who were at the funeral 1000 miles away would be intoning the Ultima, I played it on my harp. <br /><br />My wife, Kathy, asked me later what I most remembered about Charlie. He was a quiet person, but kind. On Wednesday and Saturday afternoons we had regular chores before we could take off on a hike, or play baseball, go downstairs to shoot hoops, or whatever. I worked in the tool shed where I dispensed rakes, hoes, shovels and whatever people needed to do their work in the garden or around the building. When they finished their work they brought the tools back to me for cleaning, oiling if needed, repair if broken, etc. That meant that most of my friends had finished their work while I still had plenty to do. I recall one time when I was up to my eyeballs in rakes and shovels and the place was a mess, I heard someone behind me laughing, “JP, it looks as if you need some help here.” It was Charlie, in a characteristic manner offering to help someone else. It took less than half the time with the two of us working together.<br /><br />To answer my coach’s question: As I said, I wasn’t consciously thinking of anybody in particular when I used the names Charlie and Chuck in my two novels. Although it’s interesting; my seminary classmate, Charlie, did later teach math in high school. Hmm. <br /><br />On the day after Charlie died, his wife Marge sent me a email; she mentioned my book:<br /><br />“I wanted to write and let you know that Mario (Charlie) ordered your book... it arrived 2 days before he was admitted to ICU. I took it to the hospital... he attempted to read... but had little concentration left. I plan to read it for him...the blurb is very intriguing.” I assured her that by now her dear husband knows the story. <br /><br />I can imagine Charlie looking down at my writing and, still laughing, saying, “JP, it looks as if you need some help here.” <br /><br />Pax et bonum, Charlie! <br /><br />PS. If anybody wants to read about Charlie Brannigan, the protagonist in my novel, Charlie’s Angle, check out my website, <a href="http://www.charliesangle.weebly.com/">www.charliesangle.weebly.com</a>; or you can get a copy on Amazon. If you have a Kindle you can get that version free next Friday, Nov. 29. Amazon is having a promotion on Black Friday only. You don’t even have to leave the house to shop on Black Friday, and did I mention that it’s free? <br /><br /><br />How do you choose the names of your protagonists? <br /><br />John Paul McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6949798039899938094.post-12972535590116296532013-10-29T20:44:00.000-07:002013-11-24T10:15:13.756-08:00Classrooms for successful students and successful teachers<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> <br /><br /> Most of our children and grandchildren spend most of their time during childhood and adolescence in classrooms. If you think of the class as a small (or large) community, you might wonder what characterizes the community and what effect does the community have on a child’s learning. A few years ago, my wife Kathleen and I, along with two colleagues, addressed that issue in a study on the college classroom at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. I think our results may be equally valid for the elementary and secondary levels.<br /><br />Basically what we learned was that college students who had a strong sense of belonging to a community in the classroom enjoyed the course more than those students who didn’t have that sense of community. But the real icing on the cake was this: They also demonstrated greater improvement in their exam scores from early in the semester to the end. Bottom line: Students who have a strong sense of community in the classroom show greater improvement and enjoy their learning more than those who don’t.<br /><br />We borrowed the measure of this “sense of community” from the studies done in Detroit on neighborhood communities and found that the same six descriptors that were used to define neighborhoods could also be used to define the classroom. In the weeks to come, I’ll share with you what those variables are, and give you some ideas about how they can be strengthened in the classroom. The real bonus, though, should come from readers’ sharing their own experiences of these characteristics and ways they’ve learned to create a sense of community. Just let me know if these issues are relevant in your own life. <br /><br /> If you are a student, a teacher or former teacher, or if you have a child or grandchild in school (any level) would you please vote “yes” on the ballot at the right? And if none of those apply, just vote “no.” That way I’ll know how to tell “the rest of the story,” as Paul Harvey used to say. Thanks. PS Also, leave comments below about this or any other topic. </div>John Paul McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6949798039899938094.post-82962765475862684772013-10-21T09:40:00.000-07:002013-11-24T10:15:13.761-08:00More on Parent-Teacher Conferences<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> From what I recall of the dissertation I mentioned last week about parent-teacher conferences, and from comments on last week’s post, and from discussions with several people since then, I’ve learned that some of the stress associated with parent-teacher conferences originates for parents from:</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1) A lack of privacy; for example when parents meet their child’s teacher in a gym where several other teachers are also set up to confer with parents.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>2) A lack of any parent-teacher communication prior to the p-t conference.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>3) A sense of embarrassment that their child isn’t living up to expectations. </div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>4) A feeling that they’re not being heard, that nobody at the school really cares about their child.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>5) A child who is not able to keep up is just one more thing on the plate of overworked parents – one parent mentioned “single parents especially.”</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For the teacher stress comes when:</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1) They have previous experience with hostile or demanding parents.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>2) They are not sure what to expect from parents – truer of newer teachers.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>3) They haven’t had prior communication with parents to let them know how the student is progressing.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>4) They don’t realize how much support they have from their principal or colleagues. (As far as I can tell, this is rare)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> 5) One teacher commented that it is a "lot of people processing in a few days." A more introverted teacher may worry about what parents are expecting and about having to be "on stage." That can be energy depleting, the teacher mentioned, while for a more extroverted teacher it could be energy giving, "but either way, a source of stress."</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Many of these issues can be easily addressed. Prior communication, for example, doesn’t have to be face-to-face, but can be telephone contact or just a quick email. In states where farm homes or ranches are far from the school, communication and even the conference can occur over Skype. Since communication is a two-way street both partners can let the other know that contact is always welcome.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I heard one story this week that seems to me to answer several of these concerns. A friend of mine has a son in the ninth grade—his first year in high school. As any parent, my friend was concerned with how her son might be handling the transition to the new setting, a new set of friends, new classes, etc. When she arrived at the classroom for her first high school parent-teacher conference, the teacher didn’t bring out the homework, the corrected papers or her grade book. The first thing she asked was, “How do you think Joey is handling the transition to high school?” My friend answered that she hoped he was doing well in that area, but was looking to the teacher from some guidance about that as well. The teacher reassured her by pointing to specific instances of his good social interactions and mentioned that the boy had made a new friend, also a bright ninth grader. She said that the two of them often finished their work early and were allowed to visit quietly at their table. “I like to hang around them,” the teacher commented, “because their conversations are exciting and enriching for both of them.”</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Wow, what a way to begin a parent-teacher conference. What have your experiences been like?</div>John Paul McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6949798039899938094.post-48695925242995035642013-10-13T19:20:00.000-07:002013-11-24T10:15:13.767-08:00Parent-teacher conferences can be stressful<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Parent-teacher conferences can be valuable for parents and teachers alike, and often benefit students. It’s no surprise that children whose parents are involved in their education generally do better in the classroom. Teachers will tell you that communication with parents is crucial in helping their child succeed and solid research data support this observation. Anecdotally I have noticed that in those areas where participation in parent-teacher conferences is high, drop-out rate is low and vice versa. (Someone should test this observation more scientifically.)</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If we can agree that conferences are a good thing for the teacher, parent, and student, why are they often stressful for all three? A middle school teacher in East Lansing, Michigan, completed her doctoral dissertation at Michigan State on stress in the middle grades teacher. She calculated the daily consumption of coffee, alcohol, and tobacco over a given period of time in a sample of teachers, and also got a daily self report of life satisfaction, job satisfaction, etc. from her subjects. As a member of her committee, I wasn’t surprised by many of her findings: More seasoned teachers and those with good social support systems were less stressed, days just before holidays and before the summer recess were high stress days, etc. But one finding did surprise me, namely, that a very high stress level occurred on the days just prior to parent-teacher conferences: more booze, more cigarettes, more coffee, and often a feeling of dread, what psychologists call generalized anxiety.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Why would that be? I’ll mention Ginny’s interpretations in my next blog as well as I can remember them. But first I’d like to hear from you, parents and teachers, and yes, students. I’m wondering if you have some ideas about why parent-teacher conferences sometimes cause stress. Comment below (anonymously, if you prefer). Thanks and thanks for visiting my blog.</div>John Paul McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6949798039899938094.post-590668776881370862013-10-07T18:58:00.000-07:002013-11-24T10:15:13.771-08:00Our Nation Honors Principals <br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> Welcome back to my lately dormant website. There is great October news that I want to share with you. And, going forward, I’ll try to keep up with a blog post at least once a week.<o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The US congress has passed resolutions designating October as <a href="http://www.principalsmonth.org/"><span style="color: blue;">National Principal’s Month</span></a>, a time to honor the good work that school principals do day in and day out in the service of our children and their teachers. Our government takes this month seriously. According to the National Association of Secondary School Principals, “Senators Al Franken (D-MN) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA) introduced resolutions in both chambers of Congress recognizing October 2013 as National Principals Month.” In addition, “High-ranking officials at the US Department of Education will spend a day during the third week of October shadowing principals for a day to learn more about their work and how it contributes to achievement. Secretary Arne Duncan will then convene a meeting of all the participants to debrief and share observations about the principal’s role.” <o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I think principals’ month is an appropriate time to reactivate this somnolent blog and to focus primarily on teachers and education, especially at the high school level. It also gives me a great opportunity to launch my first novel, which deals with the struggles of a high school principal, Charlie Brannigan. To learn more about this book which I launched today (or to order a copy), visit my website: <a href="http://www.charliesangle.weebly.com/">www.charliesangle.weebly.com</a>.<o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So if you know and appreciate a principal, take a moment this month to let them know how much we value their service. They are clearly the sort of “<a href="http://thewritinggift.blogspot.com/2011/11/different-view-of-leadership.html"><span style="color: blue;">servant leaders</span></a>” that I wrote about in an earlier blog. Oh, yes, and if you’re looking for a gift for them, perhaps a book, I know just the thing. :)</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>John Paul McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6949798039899938094.post-1665982839042688572013-05-13T07:30:00.000-07:002013-11-24T10:15:13.776-08:00A Principal's Appreciation<br /><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span style="color: black;">Last week was "Teacher Appreciation Week," an opportunity for students and parents to express their gratitude to teachers for the important work they do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joe Gawronski, principal of Polaris Expeditionary Learning School, Fort Collins, had his own letter of appreciation for his teachers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of the importance of his remarks, I asked permission to reprint them here, as a kind of guest blog. Joe has kindly agreed to be a guest blogger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His letter read in part:</span></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">"I'd also like to express my gratitude towards the teachers as well. Some might think that our staff teaches language arts, math, science, social studies, music and PE, but this is inaccurate, our staff teaches <u>children</u>. They teach children for seven hours a day, one hundred eighty days a year, for a total of approximately 1260 hours per year every year. And yes, they impart the knowledge and information within the content areas listed above, but more importantly they teach about fairness, perseverance, cooperation, problem-solving, and communication on an on-going basis throughout the year.</span></b></div><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">"So thanks again for expressing your appreciation during National Teacher Appreciation Week. It's especially comforting to know that our teachers have your support, as evidenced though various survey results and yesterday's generosity, in time when it seems that teachers on a national level are being scrutinized more than ever. Together, as a school community, our support for one another creates an optimistic future, for I see it in your children's eyes on a consistent basis.</span><o:p></o:p></b></div><br /><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">"Thanks Again,</span><o:p></o:p></b></div><br /><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Joe G" </span></b><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><br /><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span style="color: black;">And if you multiply a teacher's hours per year by the average number of students (say 20, conservatively), you end up with 25,200 contact hours per year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That's a lot of teaching and a lot of learning, especially about all of those non-content areas Joe mentions. I can't thnk of any job that has greater impact on the lives of so many people.</span></div><br /><div class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 1em 0in;"><span style="color: black;"></span> </div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></div>John Paul McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6949798039899938094.post-84209661743428102062012-06-30T11:25:00.000-07:002013-11-24T10:15:13.782-08:00THANK YOU!<br /><br /><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">"One touch of nature makes the whole world kin."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shakespeare</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There are lots of reasons for choosing Fort Collins as a place to live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whenever we make the top ten lists, outsiders tout our great schools, weather, scenery, growth opportunities, etc. etc. What they can't see so easily from the outside, however, is the fact that there is in Fort Collins a sense of place, a sense of commitment, a sense of gratitude.<o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>According to recent psychological research gratitude is a highly important and often overlooked disposition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, being thankful can improve one's sense of well-being, make us happier, more likely to help other people, and can even help us sleep better and longer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mental health, spiritual health, and physical health are all improved by giving thanks.<o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I am reminded of this research as we residents of Fort Collins experience an explosion of emotions as a result of the recent devastating wild fires in the mountains near us and around the state: Shared grief for those hundreds of families who have lost their homes and possessions, sacrifice on the part of fire fighters, crews, mental health workers, and police, many of whom work tirelessly in shifts around the clock and sleep in tents and trailers, far from their own homes and families, generosity from friends and neighbors who have opened their homes and hearts to the newly homeless.<o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The other emotion that gets expressed, however, is gratitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> When</span> the High Park fire subsides and is finally extinguished, thousands of firefighters and volunteers, sweaty and exhausted, will head for home and to a well deserved rest before they are called to duty once again perhaps in another location.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as they drive through Fort Collins on their way home, they will not miss the city's sense of appreciation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pictures below tell the story.<o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For anyone interested in the psychological research on gratitude, Professor Robert Emmons (UC-Davis) and his colleagues have compiled the following list of research articles:</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><a href="http://www.psy.miami.edu/faculty/mmccullough/Gratitude_Page.htm"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.psy.miami.edu/faculty/mmccullough/Gratitude_Page.htm</span></a></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And in case you want to measure your own sense of gratitude and compare your score to data from national samples, try out this six item questionnaire:<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><a href="http://www.psy.miami.edu/faculty/mmccullough/gratitude/GQ-6-scoring-interp.pdf"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.psy.miami.edu/faculty/mmccullough/gratitude/GQ-6-scoring-interp.pdf</span></a></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Some of Professor Emmons' recent books on this topic include:</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i>The Psychology of Gratitude</i> (Oxford University Press), <em>Words of Gratitude</em> (Templeton Foundation Press) and <i>THANKS!: How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier</i> (Houghton-Mifflin).</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Now I'm hoping the researchers will look not only at individual scores on gratitude but also develop scores for whole communities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they do, I think Fort Collins will be at the top of the curve.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihb7T0EsYBNclKHTAW11eUTcjS_AfmDHnyAf56Ldo28JF_NrMU-BntE6ZdbXn5oRBWSlqB3N6Jwb7rk_-3hgVCD7KCvvKzQwXur3TrM6JuVs97zySb-NxGduxwP-lSAAVWfQiEFwVolJgC/s1600/P1000854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihb7T0EsYBNclKHTAW11eUTcjS_AfmDHnyAf56Ldo28JF_NrMU-BntE6ZdbXn5oRBWSlqB3N6Jwb7rk_-3hgVCD7KCvvKzQwXur3TrM6JuVs97zySb-NxGduxwP-lSAAVWfQiEFwVolJgC/s320/P1000854.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVjixD1UjkDL1ceDjDTndjkPXkM9_EuvpuneTd4PSiH4dmciOUkYxEjmtlujsbrB0mQ4E4TRxFGbuQ4IAhoEJ2qc2oXLqNB2XBDTX-AHjKeDSoq9E1gPD2G5W4-3vEZb0BgQUeeXu4klx/s1600/P1000852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVjixD1UjkDL1ceDjDTndjkPXkM9_EuvpuneTd4PSiH4dmciOUkYxEjmtlujsbrB0mQ4E4TRxFGbuQ4IAhoEJ2qc2oXLqNB2XBDTX-AHjKeDSoq9E1gPD2G5W4-3vEZb0BgQUeeXu4klx/s320/P1000852.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a 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McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6949798039899938094.post-37618571592952134342012-05-31T13:46:00.000-07:002013-11-24T10:15:13.789-08:00A New Series for the Small Fry<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3jg9UKx1Sa54OmB4Z_YvW_G3GfO_pzmePgq-O_tAl20rovVRwYKcUGu7rbome_GAZcB9YK4l1H-cQaCLmnrAwt-QnHg-t4BEcBh1FAI1L6jFOc5uSMEbGNpRWX4l9wotC-_SWWrLMJkpN/s1600/scan0016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3jg9UKx1Sa54OmB4Z_YvW_G3GfO_pzmePgq-O_tAl20rovVRwYKcUGu7rbome_GAZcB9YK4l1H-cQaCLmnrAwt-QnHg-t4BEcBh1FAI1L6jFOc5uSMEbGNpRWX4l9wotC-_SWWrLMJkpN/s320/scan0016.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"> </v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:formulas> <v:path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f"> <o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></o:lock></v:path></v:stroke></v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_s1026" style="height: 211.8pt; left: 0px; margin-left: 4in; margin-top: 0px; position: absolute; text-align: left; width: 141pt; z-index: 1;" type="#_x0000_t75"> <v:imagedata o:title="scan0016" src="file:///C:\Users\JOHNPA~1\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.jpg"> <w:wrap type="square"></w:wrap></v:imagedata></v:shape><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Mermaid Tales by Debbie Dadey</span></b></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Denver Downtown Aquarium (formerly Colorado's Ocean Journey) has always been a favorite destination for a Saturday or holiday outing with the grandchildren. There's something magical and mysterious, almost mesmerizing, about life under the sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember the Jacque Cousteau TV documentaries?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now children's author, Debbie Dadey, has captured that same excitement of underwater life in her new series of chapter books, called "Mermaid Tales." </div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://www.debbiedadey.com/"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.debbiedadey.com/</span></a></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So far two books have been published in the series, "Trouble at Trident Academy" and "Battle of the Best Friends" with more tales to follow. Book Three will be "A Whale of a Tale" and judging from the teaser at the end of Book Two it looks like another winner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was excited when this series was announced because I had read Dadey's book for authors, "Story Sparkers: A Creativity Guide for Children's Writers," and I knew her own work would be fascinating. </div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I always like to read children' books before I give them to the kids, not so much to make sure they're age appropriate and interesting for them, but more because - confession time - I like to read the good ones, myself. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who wouldn't be interested in squid, octopus, oysters, plankton, mussels, and the sharpnose sevengill shark?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially when they're friends, or enemies, of a beautiful mermaid named Shelly in a story with a plot that any third grader will recognize as home territory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, I suspect that at times some young readers may forget that the five main characters are mermaids and not boys and girls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The third grade at Trident Academy is full of interesting people - merpeople, that is - and plots.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As the reader gets engrossed in the Mermaid Tales, they're sure to come across underwater life they'd like to get to know better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dadey provides a wonderful glossary that's a great place to start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who knew that a sablefish could live to be 90 years old or that "the sea wasp is another name for the box jellyfish, which is the world's most venomous marine animal?"</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The books are further enhanced with such features as a map of Trident City, class reports written by the main characters, and clever illustrations throughout the chapters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of my favorites is the page of portraits of the "cast of characters:" <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shelly, of course, and her best friend, Echo, an awful snob named Pearl, a shy but courageous classmate named Kiki, and Rocky, a cool dude of a merboy. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQaF4DZbBgJiQSowvx_mq_kFMK1j_qafcwlBVfCOagvDk5nwJ7W9o8RFZOo_bL7bz4kD70jPYbCRKrXb6IT0UPQWD5wDkWWvgLycAGrekDIebO3Zuj3SLT55VQJI3fjTdLs3VsxNl6_rd/s1600/scan0017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQaF4DZbBgJiQSowvx_mq_kFMK1j_qafcwlBVfCOagvDk5nwJ7W9o8RFZOo_bL7bz4kD70jPYbCRKrXb6IT0UPQWD5wDkWWvgLycAGrekDIebO3Zuj3SLT55VQJI3fjTdLs3VsxNl6_rd/s320/scan0017.jpg" width="212" /></a><v:shape id="_x0000_s1027" style="height: 180pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; position: absolute; width: 118.8pt; z-index: 2;" type="#_x0000_t75"> <v:imagedata o:title="scan0017" src="file:///C:\Users\JOHNPA~1\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image003.jpg"> <w:wrap type="square"></w:wrap></v:imagedata></v:shape></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I'll give these books to Madeleine as a present to mark the end of her grade two school year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know she's going to enjoy them as much as I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe I'll ask her to be a guest blogger when she's done reading the first two Mermaid Tales.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She can tell my readers if I got it right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>PS<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the way, my grandsons have always been as fascinated by the Downtown Aquarium as the girls - maybe even more so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Couldn't there be a chapter book series, maybe about sharks or sting rays, for the boys, filled with the same wonder, plot, and excitement as the Mermaid Tales?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don't mean to complain; it's just that.... well if I give The Mermaid Tales to Eloise and Madeleine, what's for August, Jacob, Sonder, Odin, Larson, and Noah (and me, of course)?</div>John Paul McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6949798039899938094.post-1672841259837632862012-01-24T15:34:00.000-08:002013-11-24T10:15:13.795-08:00Are We a Culture of Bullies?<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt;"> This week has been designated as the annual "No Name-Calling Week" in the schools, a week meant to encourage educational dialogue and activities designed to address the issue of bullying. This post is my small effort to enter into that dialogue.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt;"> During the past few weeks several newspaper articles have dealt with this issue. Some have examined incidents of bullying (one including the suicide of the victim). For statistics on the relationship between suicide and bullying, see </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt;"><a href="http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/bullying-and-suicide.html">http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/bullying-and-suicide.html</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt;"> Other articles have concentrated on the attempts by school districts or state legislatures to combat bullying in the schools.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt;"> As a parent, teacher, and citizen, I am as concerned about the bully as I am about the victim, who are often, by the way, one and the same. I know that bullying is a learned behavior, but I am not sure where and how children learn it. When I see "approved" bullying on the national news (e.g., in the current political campaigns), much of which is applauded, I can't help but wonder about the modeling this provides for children and adolescents.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt;"> I am also aware that some may read this and say, "Here we go again." A few years ago, one college freshman told my class that the problem was not with bullies but with the whining sissies who reported them. I was not so shocked by the comment as I was by the lack of any outcry from his fellow students.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt;"> For some good resources for teachers, parents and pupils on this topic, see:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt;"><a href="http://tandf.msgfocus.com/c/1EDbaZcnMZPneHgi7JObxKMs" title="http://tandf.msgfocus.com/c/1EDbaZcnMZPneHgi7JObxKMs">www.nonamecallingweek.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt;"> Also, here are some references I've found helpful. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">1) Sanders, C.E. (2004). What is bullying? In C.E. Sanders & G.D. Phye (Eds.). <i>Bullying: Implications for the classroom</i> (pp. 1-16). San Diego: Elsevier Academic Press. (NB: Two appendices list the most prevalent characteristics of bullies and victims) <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">2) Shariff, S. (2008). <i>Cyber-bullying: Issues and solutions for the school, the classroom and the home.</i> New York: Routledge.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">3) Losey, B. (2011). <i>Bullying, suicide, and homicide: Understanding, assessing, and preventing threats to self and others for victims of bullying</i>. New York: Routledge.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">4) Espelage, D.L. & Swearer, S.M. (Eds.). (2010). <i>Bullying in North American Schools</i>. (2nd ed.) New York: Routledge.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">5) Jimerson, S.R., Swearer, S.M., & Espelage, D.L. (Eds.). (2009). Handbook<i> of bullying in schools: An international perspective. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">6) Patchin, J.W., & Hinduja, S. (Eds.). (2011). <i>Cyberbullying prevention and response: Expert perspectives.</i> New York: Routledge.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="main-title"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">7</span></b></span><span class="main-title"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">) Coloroso, B. (2009). <i>The</i></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></i></span><span class="main-title"><i><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">bully, the</span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></i></span><span class="main-title"><i><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">bullied, and the bystander: From preschool to high school: How parents and teachers can help break the cycle of violence.</span></i></span><span class="main-title"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> New York: Harper Collins<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 3pt;"> <b>Please comment</b>. How do you think we can make our homes, schools and communities safer? How do you think bullying gets started? How do you think it can be stopped? In line with my earlier blog on "accentuating the positive," is there some pro-social approach that ought to be taken? I really hope to hear from some parents, some teachers, and especially some students.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>John Paul McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6949798039899938094.post-44326611214119210232011-12-18T17:16:00.000-08:002013-11-24T10:15:13.801-08:00One Hallowed Night<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Ham4WyXFBZhgajob3ooWceGHcXNLQ2Dze8iAjE-m5MTQi9ZYC_LaKgptggQ5CRNLUUB9WJo9LC6F99l5CqioP4kBXKNoSfbMKrcLi6-dGxKGWTAGBc1b5R4th1c1mpg3rvvXdTRUNqUj/s1600/Mother+and+child.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Ham4WyXFBZhgajob3ooWceGHcXNLQ2Dze8iAjE-m5MTQi9ZYC_LaKgptggQ5CRNLUUB9WJo9LC6F99l5CqioP4kBXKNoSfbMKrcLi6-dGxKGWTAGBc1b5R4th1c1mpg3rvvXdTRUNqUj/s320/Mother+and+child.jpg" width="294" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Our tainted nature's solitary boast.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> William Wordsworth<o:p> </o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 6;"> </span></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 6;"> One Hallowed Night</span></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>The angels flit from star to star</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>To turn the night lights on;</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> W</span>hile far below they cast their glow</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>On love's own Paragon.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span> The Virgin Mother kneels in prayer</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> Her God is now her Son,</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"> And as she draws Him to her breast,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Her heaven and earth are One.<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> JPM</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>.<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 6;"> Merry Christmas, everyone And for those of you, my friends, who do not share my faith, I hope that your holidays, too, will be filled with Light and Peace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shalom.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>John Paul McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6949798039899938094.post-43215751615545677952011-11-27T21:12:00.000-08:002013-11-24T10:15:13.807-08:00A Different View of Leadership<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>On a ride from the old AT&T headquarters in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, to the Governor Morris Inn, in Morristown about 10 miles away, I sat in the back seat next to Robert Greenleaf, retired Director of Management Research at AT&T. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bob had retired in 1964, seventeen years before the event that brought us together in Basking Ridge, namely the 25th anniversary of the AT&T Management Progress Study. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since I had been part of the research team since its inception, I was invited to participate in the anniversary festivities along with 14 others and was especially pleased to learn that Bob Greenleaf was joining us. <o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I remember two things about the short ride that evening:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, I was wishing I had my copy of Bob's 1977 book, <u>Servant Leadership</u>, with me, so I could have asked him to autograph it. Secondly I recall a brief conversation about his notion of servant leadership as it applied to the university (Out of the group of 15 only two of us were on a university faculty at that time).<o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The best way to explain the concept is to quote from his book, <u>Servant Leadership </u><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>(Paulist Press, 1977):</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> "</span>The servant-leader <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i> servant first.... <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It begins with the natural feeling<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>that one wants to serve, to serve <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">first</i>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then conscious choice brings one<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">leader</i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> first, perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> ac</span>quire material possessions....</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> "</span>The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> t</span>o make sure that other people's highest priority needs are being served.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons?<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Do they, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">while being served,</i> become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous,<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>more likely themselves to become servants?" <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(p. 13-14)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This from an executive at the largest corporation in the world at the time he retired! <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>How I wish we could continue that conversation today (Bob died in 1990). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wonder if he would agree with me that we need servant leaders today more than ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>To learn more about servant leadership, visit the website of The Greenleaf Center for Servant <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leadership: <a href="http://www.greenleaf.org/"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.greenleaf.org/</span></a><o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Are there servant leaders around today?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would nominate several of the teachers I have already mentioned in this blog as well as some athletic coaches whose credits, when listed, are primarily the successes of their players. <o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Politics aside, can you think of others who demonstrate servant leadership - in education, business, public affairs, the church, medicine, social services, or any other field, past or present?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please comment below and also take the survey at the top of the panel at the right. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks for visiting.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEC193hiC2zABOO6KeafBzFcsJ4nUHUcsQ6FJY1boN6Hx62yf9siDpKecT_rZGIN93iLDvHgDxtvviTIkIqgiWTQbYrpL2HJiZYTmr61HQOp7J256aodcaC-32ATp6l2tJBoygKaFFvoVj/s1600/scan0014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEC193hiC2zABOO6KeafBzFcsJ4nUHUcsQ6FJY1boN6Hx62yf9siDpKecT_rZGIN93iLDvHgDxtvviTIkIqgiWTQbYrpL2HJiZYTmr61HQOp7J256aodcaC-32ATp6l2tJBoygKaFFvoVj/s320/scan0014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div> Management Progress Study 25th Reunion Participants <br /> with Robert Greenleaf (lower left) <br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div>John Paul McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6949798039899938094.post-56769114737904263962011-11-19T15:15:00.000-08:002013-11-24T10:15:13.877-08:00Eight Powerful Reasons to be Grateful<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My neice, Rosie, asked in a facebook question, "What are the 5 things you are most grateful for in your life?" That's an impossible question for me to answer. I thought of my faith and family: Mom and Dad, brothers, Jim and Ed and their families; my wife, Kathy; my children: Peter, Martin, Maureen and Libby and their families; Kathy's parents, brothers and sisters and their families; my high school seminary buddies (we still stay in touch), my teachers, especially English teachers, Sr. Veronica Marie, Father Ermin, Father Leonard, and Psychology teachers and mentors, Professors George Thompson and D.O. Hebb; the Management Progress Study group at AT&T, my colleagues and students at Smith College, Michigan State, Universiteit te Utrecht, Cambridge University, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, University of Wyoming: Kerrie and Pat and my other friends at the Northern Colorado Writers and more recently, my facebook and twitter friends, some of whom I haven't met...etc. etc.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Do you see what I mean? It's impossible and I'm only scratching the surface - What about Art, Herb, Roel and Yolande, Rabbi Frankel, Nancy and Steve, etc. etc. ?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Five, Rosie? It's impossible. I did notice that all these reasons for gratitude so far are people, except for my faith, but that's a relationship, too. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If I have to narrow this down, I'll give you eight - eight people, all young - for whom I am eternally grateful on Thanksgiving and every day of every year. Here they are, in no particular order, my grandchildren:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJ3WGsVI4Ow53NVkGZdgn0eqpermzYIrH2lN7ffXqFJgswDIvIdy4WKcOoiwYtQXPDj5wGE1O8ucEiAKkdHSISeFmm7u07POrZaEhGYP4aQTbdMasgj8rfFSk2X5zU-s1adWI4bu_Ya3K/s1600/Eloise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJ3WGsVI4Ow53NVkGZdgn0eqpermzYIrH2lN7ffXqFJgswDIvIdy4WKcOoiwYtQXPDj5wGE1O8ucEiAKkdHSISeFmm7u07POrZaEhGYP4aQTbdMasgj8rfFSk2X5zU-s1adWI4bu_Ya3K/s1600/Eloise.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Eloise</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgubeJ1IvZj1ZscAMHBdMnV4L1kiWA4W7o6vZ4cjAdEsyf3FCHFrMHdh5pWSLEvEFH9_wc8HJ2gUAMOaDtPsv_Q1h2Uy44bjjpo2TCz6ewKC7l0LOcc9Wv4e6S6Z8tnmofYEDxBkjpACmb9/s1600/Jacob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgubeJ1IvZj1ZscAMHBdMnV4L1kiWA4W7o6vZ4cjAdEsyf3FCHFrMHdh5pWSLEvEFH9_wc8HJ2gUAMOaDtPsv_Q1h2Uy44bjjpo2TCz6ewKC7l0LOcc9Wv4e6S6Z8tnmofYEDxBkjpACmb9/s1600/Jacob.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jacob</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLXUSUAryw-3WKcG1S3krSyv7fLYaD3nckiVrvlWXZUQ8C_MOsXKpwyw0zDQskXOGRn5aRrXB30d7Q0a_UvkR-Zqeuq9i2jbfatSniiijTobmgTf62Td8xxI3qIBRr7h0Sx0nn9CVmQdI/s1600/Larson+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLXUSUAryw-3WKcG1S3krSyv7fLYaD3nckiVrvlWXZUQ8C_MOsXKpwyw0zDQskXOGRn5aRrXB30d7Q0a_UvkR-Zqeuq9i2jbfatSniiijTobmgTf62Td8xxI3qIBRr7h0Sx0nn9CVmQdI/s320/Larson+2.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Larson</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajOo_24Q3vjlGiPtHWvhhdQ9EZbFr1orOG3XxO3kRDiPnAOuul01gXHvbLwIWv1CFds2S5wz8uL15OqjmWVO4MAwSjbd1-Fhf1UoZ6epMv1_58VL-OEdpRPPYCqB6vXITjVUZrcKR4X7S/s1600/Sonder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajOo_24Q3vjlGiPtHWvhhdQ9EZbFr1orOG3XxO3kRDiPnAOuul01gXHvbLwIWv1CFds2S5wz8uL15OqjmWVO4MAwSjbd1-Fhf1UoZ6epMv1_58VL-OEdpRPPYCqB6vXITjVUZrcKR4X7S/s320/Sonder.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sonder</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2epSIhP3-u40a0RwA49eW8G_zdv35vQnBRWz0vhJa3bucuegTPx7qddMCiTheH9vrLt_vJyJ8GqOpAavX9SN8Tdg9U5Mg5MO1TNYRzGwxEa5Q-iXDwUKC17yem8pe2VmspZHzehIm2_F/s1600/Madeleine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2epSIhP3-u40a0RwA49eW8G_zdv35vQnBRWz0vhJa3bucuegTPx7qddMCiTheH9vrLt_vJyJ8GqOpAavX9SN8Tdg9U5Mg5MO1TNYRzGwxEa5Q-iXDwUKC17yem8pe2VmspZHzehIm2_F/s320/Madeleine.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Madeleine</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Ij0nKsGmt_Wy68AzW8aKt8fz3T7dU2Pct6pMO66pi-kaxTSYkAv0nLRSWheI-4bD1WvRbD0ktNeArTn9SG98nVlQ81oFXTCmeATs1iJ7FuEQtXbWnAPjtK_ejmoXiOGKk-bkawUFzdlt/s1600/August.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Ij0nKsGmt_Wy68AzW8aKt8fz3T7dU2Pct6pMO66pi-kaxTSYkAv0nLRSWheI-4bD1WvRbD0ktNeArTn9SG98nVlQ81oFXTCmeATs1iJ7FuEQtXbWnAPjtK_ejmoXiOGKk-bkawUFzdlt/s320/August.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">August</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj07ZjesnilfY1UkAd_CPlPmXDvzHb4DqDG_kkAlqC0JIq-VBSLT_9FAEMeSq2rJ6OyfuZlQKtQh7lqWocZQciPEVPRjVVigyhGiEP4TXeyYkOX5_nJcl0pqbyKk77TIUdGBRE3aPjI-U0D/s1600/Odin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj07ZjesnilfY1UkAd_CPlPmXDvzHb4DqDG_kkAlqC0JIq-VBSLT_9FAEMeSq2rJ6OyfuZlQKtQh7lqWocZQciPEVPRjVVigyhGiEP4TXeyYkOX5_nJcl0pqbyKk77TIUdGBRE3aPjI-U0D/s320/Odin.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Odin</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbK3YmCayHmlIssN6e03npyS45MV4WT8IY1gQY4letzyPRFZ9z3o6fyFjFjCpZNX1MbvrHoEaQpLlBdQoN8sIKmkq952hqsrQzCj7rkfysoL-xkIzzFJ_iLTG9_zGikbU56kVosb33rKml/s1600/Noah+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbK3YmCayHmlIssN6e03npyS45MV4WT8IY1gQY4letzyPRFZ9z3o6fyFjFjCpZNX1MbvrHoEaQpLlBdQoN8sIKmkq952hqsrQzCj7rkfysoL-xkIzzFJ_iLTG9_zGikbU56kVosb33rKml/s320/Noah+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Noah</div>John Paul McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6949798039899938094.post-54724950567932278462011-11-14T10:09:00.000-08:002013-11-24T10:15:13.948-08:00Accentuating the Positive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPsZxYDmADkqPmlzdEbwrHjEtbT807ehPxhO4EW89ispErEDHkHjKgKsKLD7gWwzUJ4Ym0_prque7nuHQHWEd_tycanjWuFDxssD3hJ1TGatpX3A5Hj6UNuDPenCctWajQ0zIHhiGcKYM/s1600/classroom+boy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPsZxYDmADkqPmlzdEbwrHjEtbT807ehPxhO4EW89ispErEDHkHjKgKsKLD7gWwzUJ4Ym0_prque7nuHQHWEd_tycanjWuFDxssD3hJ1TGatpX3A5Hj6UNuDPenCctWajQ0zIHhiGcKYM/s1600/classroom+boy.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The lyrics of an upbeat Johnny Mercer tune from the 1940s advised us to "Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, and don't mess with Mr. In-between."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those lyrics came to mind last week when I asked a sixth grade friend of mine how school was going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Great," he bubbled, "I didn't pull one ticket last week."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was good news, since, at his school, tickets are given for misbehavior and three tickets buy you a detention.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>An hour later I was talking with my daughter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"How are the kids doing in school?'</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"Well, Noah got a 'tiger ticket'."</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"Oh, no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What did he do?"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Noah is in kindergarten.)</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"No, Dad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tiger tickets are a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">reward</i> for good behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are three copies: one for the pupil, one for the teacher, and one goes to the principal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As they mount up, they give the student more chances to win prizes later in the year."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Noah had solved a conflict with a classmate in a constructive way.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The juxtaposition of these two episodes on the same day from two different schools reminded me of my days teaching Psychology 101.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There's solid research to support the idea that positive reinforcement in most instances works better than negative.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Last week was not a good week in this country for children. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seemed that every day brought another piece of national news that was devastating for a child or a group of children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was easy to get angry and lash out and I started to do that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I remembered Libby's comment, "Noah got a 'tiger ticket'," and I decided then and there that I was going to do what Mercer had crooned about:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Accentuate the positive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn't have to mean sappy indifference to the disgraceful, sometimes felonious, attacks on children, but it does mean that I'm not going to forget that in the midst of this carnage, there are dedicated teachers giving tiger tickets for good behavior.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsCNLEnTTAvSkhqFYxgsrFnRr6QY4VUHE4SRPm8WD6W4H6eutss4y-ltHbQyw0UVdfkwyMTCh9L_rHov_S-DZIG_LH26J9Zo2Sj39ZOI77CUZYe3mKos5TmfwaN09__50ogpbrVNKfYJl/s1600/classroom+teacher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsCNLEnTTAvSkhqFYxgsrFnRr6QY4VUHE4SRPm8WD6W4H6eutss4y-ltHbQyw0UVdfkwyMTCh9L_rHov_S-DZIG_LH26J9Zo2Sj39ZOI77CUZYe3mKos5TmfwaN09__50ogpbrVNKfYJl/s1600/classroom+teacher.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>John Paul McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6949798039899938094.post-21850223388659970892011-11-06T16:24:00.000-08:002013-11-24T10:15:14.018-08:00Great Teachers Come in All Sizes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If you were to ask Noah today how old he is, he would answer you with convincing precision: "Six and a half."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ages ago, when he had just turned six, he did something that surprised even his mother, Libby, who happens to be my daughter.<o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One evening as he jumped onto his bed with a book in hand and his older sister, Madeleine, next to him, Libby sat down beside the two for their regular evening story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this was to be no regular evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Noah took the book back from his mother, proclaiming, "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I'll</i> read to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i> tonight."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Libby humored him, remembering that he did recognize a few words, his own name among them, and that he could sound out a few others. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hardly enough to read the book in question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Noah opened the book and began to read, first haltingly and then with more conviction, Libby sat stunned. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where had this come from?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The answer came when Madeleine broke into a smile and finally began giggling.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Libby remembered that throughout the summer on the days when she was busy with laundry or house cleaning, the two siblings would entertain themselves, often playing school downstairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what she hadn't realized was that this was not merely play; this was serious stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Madeleine, two years older than her brother, had made herself the teacher with Noah her only and willing pupil.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><o:p> </o:p><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Today, six months later, Noah is an avid reader, tackling beginning chapter books. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, he enjoys reading, "Our Haunted House," the chapter book that I posted on this blog several weeks ago, admittedly with some help from his favorite teacher. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Do you know some young teachers, either at home or in the classroom? I'm wondering what makes that teaching take so well.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">P.S. Here's a note I got recently from Noah that apparently went out to a number of people via the internet:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmb3cEm2iquGRhjDX6AYSk1n93grODtRMqDm9PDJvWvyXOrezWKm5nDhthO8K4sp2IP-UEuUhxkC3VOEkyex-Nl8DgLUx99PCC730yOz4ZzBHIVLKgmxAkGyW1uxfkkoBnP3AHiE763ZlR/s1600/scan0012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmb3cEm2iquGRhjDX6AYSk1n93grODtRMqDm9PDJvWvyXOrezWKm5nDhthO8K4sp2IP-UEuUhxkC3VOEkyex-Nl8DgLUx99PCC730yOz4ZzBHIVLKgmxAkGyW1uxfkkoBnP3AHiE763ZlR/s320/scan0012.jpg" width="272" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div>John Paul McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6949798039899938094.post-91454995418249951022011-10-31T16:57:00.000-07:002013-11-24T10:15:14.089-08:00A Hobo on Halloween<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x48GfVwlEcI/Tq81qTm-XWI/AAAAAAAAB-c/sx8RKz8xnO4/s1600/hobojoe1_jpg_w300h339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x48GfVwlEcI/Tq81qTm-XWI/AAAAAAAAB-c/sx8RKz8xnO4/s320/hobojoe1_jpg_w300h339.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> "Trick or Treat."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tonight on Halloween, the Eve of All Saints, children will dress up, not to look like saints, but to look like witches, goblins, fairies, and devils.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here in our neighborhood I'm looking forward to a goodly complement of Super Marios, Bart Simpsons, Pokemons, Darth Vaders, Barbies, princesses, soldiers, Tim Tebows, Obamas, and because we're in Laramie, Wyoming, surely a cowboy/cowgirl or two.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When I was their age (I know, I know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"You were <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">never</i> my age.") I always wanted to be a hobo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, first of all, it was easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was during The War and like most of our neighbors, we didn't have much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being a hobo was easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would just go down to the basement and grab a hunk of coal out of the coal bin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After blackening my face I'd get an old pair of overalls or dungarees - torn was best - and have Mother give me a swatch or two of cloth from the rag bag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'd pin one on my knee and another on my seat and I was ready to go - almost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to get a stick from the woods behind the house and tie my red bandana to it, stuffed with old newspaper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of Dad's old hats - crushed - would complete my authentic costume.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The other reason I liked being a hobo was the romance of it all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could imagine hopping a boxcar and going wherever the train took me...no homework, no worries, no chores...just the fun of meeting other hobos along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come to think of it, I still like that idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe tonight...</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What did you like to be for Halloween?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please comment below.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J1ld_8VJVWA/Tq810V-1adI/AAAAAAAAB-k/SQ5Wttssohc/s1600/still+more+hobos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J1ld_8VJVWA/Tq810V-1adI/AAAAAAAAB-k/SQ5Wttssohc/s1600/still+more+hobos.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>John Paul McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6949798039899938094.post-6146246222200992392011-10-24T09:32:00.000-07:002013-11-24T10:15:14.160-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-95pb8BmuVOs/TqWJHZ37D3I/AAAAAAAAB9g/5RITEdHZXVI/s1600/P1000430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-95pb8BmuVOs/TqWJHZ37D3I/AAAAAAAAB9g/5RITEdHZXVI/s320/P1000430.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">On Closing the Cottage</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Fall's a fickle time of year</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Not like summer, bold and clear,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Who keeps his promises as told</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Not sometimes hot, then quickly cold.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">And winter, too, will let you know,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">"Get out your coat; it's going to snow</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I won't warm up for quite a while</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">So dress to fight the frost in style."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">With summer and winter, and even with spring</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Your love affair is an honest thing,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">But autumn's the time when you have to beware</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Of a whore that can make your heart despair.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">So Sonder's fort sits on the hill;</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The fortress built with childhood skill,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Where he and Odin fought brave wars</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">With pines cone shells and aspen swords.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Abandoned ammo in a pile,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">With swords they'll leave for a little while.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">One autumn soon - ah, time will tell - </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">They'll leave their childhoods there as well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">And Larson's chin may still be wet</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Where once s'mores were lapped by tongue</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Between the laughs and giggles best</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Appreciated by the young.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The fishing rods are in their rack.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">"Don't worry, trout; I'm coming back;</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I'll see you in the spring and then</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">We'll wage our contest once again."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The bags are packed, I've closed the pipes;</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I've checked upon the space below</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">And boarded up the vents against</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The winter winds and blowing snow.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I see her staring from the door</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">To where her humming birds would feed</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">And to the trees where jays would soar</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">For whom she'd kindly leave some seed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Summer doesn't last, I know.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I sigh, "Sweetheart, it's time to go."</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w12kvzta_VE/TqWQQSZK7CI/AAAAAAAAB9o/25krdCFFT5E/s1600/P1000457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w12kvzta_VE/TqWQQSZK7CI/AAAAAAAAB9o/25krdCFFT5E/s320/P1000457.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>John Paul McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6949798039899938094.post-14128055648798902972011-10-15T22:29:00.000-07:002013-11-24T10:15:14.231-08:00What's a "tween?"<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Writing for tweens?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What's a "tween?"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wikipedia calls it "</span><span class="st"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">the stage between middle childhood and adolescence...."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don't you sometimes wonder whether developmental psychologists are just inventing these categories? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prenatal, perinatal, infancy, toddlerhood, childhood, (early, middle and late) pre-puberty, post-puberty, pre-adolescence, adolescence, youth, young adulthood, emerging adulthood. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are they making this stuff up? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don't think so, at least not in the case of the tween. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just ask a parent of a ten or eleven year old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or a fifth grade teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These "tweens", they'll say, are a different species.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Advertising and marketing firms know them as a special target group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Defined as a stage <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">between</i> two other stages?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hmm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(A student once defined adolescence as the stage between childhood and adultery</span></span><span class="st"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">☺)</span></span><span class="st"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span class="st"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I think the best definition of a tween, though, can be found in a poem by A.A. Milne. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Given the illustration, he probably didn't intend for the poem to refer to this age group, but somehow it seems to fit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do you think?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here's the second verse:</span></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"><u><span style="color: blue;"> </span></u></span></o:p></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiEcvI_ALDJsK7-_KF8s8SqHRt1L_K8VCEusWcTBStPIlXJ5od747xGr1h-ULPnZWWTz3zfYngg2JOTC0Qgdob-x8G9YWqdLOxAjD2Xs1WWvOHs3qDte_kpbHpDUmG1ZoLJegx-k_rEFxP/s1600/scan0010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiEcvI_ALDJsK7-_KF8s8SqHRt1L_K8VCEusWcTBStPIlXJ5od747xGr1h-ULPnZWWTz3zfYngg2JOTC0Qgdob-x8G9YWqdLOxAjD2Xs1WWvOHs3qDte_kpbHpDUmG1ZoLJegx-k_rEFxP/s320/scan0010.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"> </v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:formulas> <v:path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f"> <o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"> </o:lock></v:path></v:stroke></v:shapetype><strong>Halfway Up the Stairs</strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Halfway up the stairs<br />Isn't up<br />And it isn't down.<br />It isn't in the nursery,<br />It isn't in town.<br />And all sorts of funny thoughts<br />Run round my head.<br />It isn't really<br />Anywhere!<br />It's somewhere else<br />Instead!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By A.A. Milne<a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="c1119835945"></a><a href="http://allpoetry.com/"></a><br /><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div>John Paul McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6949798039899938094.post-71972594270188384442011-10-07T15:17:00.000-07:002013-11-24T10:15:14.302-08:00Writing and Psychotherapy: Is there a connection?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Yesterday I read a fascinating blog by Cricket McRae who suggested that a novelist should dig deep into their own experience in order to understand and present their protagonist accurately and convincingly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I said, I was fascinated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps it was because I had just the night before finished my first book of McRae's, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lye in Wait</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thing I liked most about that cozy mystery was her delineation of the characters, especially the protagonist and her house-mate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt I knew them, knew how they would react in situations the author did not pose, knew how I would interact with them were we to meet, etc.<o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Reading her blog about creating characters, I wondered how much of her own projections went into her protagonist. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Similar occupations, similar interests, etc., but what about at a deeper level. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Years ago while on a post-doc at McGill University and working at Montreal Children's Hospital as a psychologist,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked a supervisor, Sam Rabinovitch, about the treatment of depression in a parent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our conversation went like this:<o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Sam: "Have you even been depressed?" </div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Me: "No, I don't think so, not what you would call clinical depression." </div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Sam: "Have you ever mourned, grieved, been sad?"</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Me: "Yes, of course."</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Sam: "Then use that experience. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can magnify those feelings and capitalize on them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You now know your client better and have a better idea of how she feels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only in that way are you going to be able to help her."<o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">He never once used the terms "countertransference," or "empathy," but simply asked if I could bring my own experience to the task of understanding my client.<o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Years later I was invited to watch rehearsals of a local theater group in Lansing, Michigan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sat with the director and was intrigued by the same phenomenon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought his relation to the actors was similar to that of a psychotherapist with his client, helping them to go deep into their own experience to portray the person they wanted to be, in this case the characters within the play.<o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">George Kelly, at Ohio State, had taught us about the use of role playing in psychotherapy, namely, getting the client to be conscious about playing the role of the person that they wanted to be but felt they never could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Come on," he would say to the client with social anxiety, "you like to act. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This won't be you, of course, but just pretend for a week to be a social butterfly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How would you do that?"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once he had them articulating the behaviors that would characterize a social butterfly - behaviors that would not at all be in their normal repertoire, they would give it a try, but only after they had Kelly's reassurance that he understood that this was not who they really were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was just an act.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The results were often dramatic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The client with social anxiety would find there were parts of the "social butterfly" that she felt very comfortable with, and would end up incorporating into her own identity. The self-doubting, autocratic boss would discover the ease of being a nurturer. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so on.<o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Now, after reading Cricket McRae's blog, I realize that the novelist must be doing the same thing, namely reaching within to give voice to their characters, but I wonder if there is ever a concern that the story might become too autobiographical, or the author might reveal more about him or herself than intended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In psychotherapy, self-disclosure of the therapist is a tricky business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too little and the client might just as well be working with a tape recorder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too much and the therapeutic relationship morphs into a friendly social engagement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">My question is this:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is the best balance in the triangle where author, protagonist, and reader are the three vertices? </div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div>John Paul McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6949798039899938094.post-19045874216512265502011-07-11T17:13:00.000-07:002013-11-24T10:15:14.373-08:00A Two-way Street<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Big Brothers Big Sisters are in the business of providing older mentors for children who may benefit from that sort of contact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I always thought the arrangement was primarily for the benefit of the "little."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I've learned it's a two-way street.<o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">On Saturday we had my "little brother" and his parents over for dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a great time as I knew it would be, since I've known my little for about 6 months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually our formal Big Brother relationship ended with the end of the school year, since it was a site based match, but we decided that since we had become friends we wanted to keep it going on our own.<o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I was reminded of my first contact with BB/BS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They needed older adult mentors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found all sorts of excuses:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Would I have the time?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Answer:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'm retired and it would take 1 hour per week.<o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>How far would I have to travel?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Answer: To a school less than a mile from our home.<o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What if I wasn't feeling well, or had another appointment?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Answer:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In that unlikely event, simply call the school to let him know.<o:p> </o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">With no defenses left I signed up, albeit with some trepidation.<o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">On my first visit the lady from BB/BS joined me at the school to meet my little brother and his teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From that week to our final meeting in June I looked forward every Thursday to our having lunch together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned what this bright fifth grader was reading in school - The Autobiography of Frederick Douglass - and got a copy for my Kindle so I could discuss it with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I hadn't read it before, and found that his synopsis was spot on.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We played games, visited the library, met his favorite teachers, and took photos around the building. (I found out that he has an incredible eye for composition).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He taught me a few Spanish words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We did a lot of laughing and also a lot of serious talking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He learned about my life and I learned about his.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My little brother had quickly become a good friend.<o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Saturday I learned that his parents are as much fun as my little brother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also learned that once again, as happens often with me, I got more back than I gave.<o:p> </o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">This was not meant to be an ad for Big Brothers Big Sisters but you might want to try out this sort of mentoring if you have the opportunity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you can see, it's a rewarding two way street.</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div>John Paul McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6949798039899938094.post-17774700390210562262011-06-27T20:33:00.000-07:002013-11-24T10:15:14.444-08:00Love in the Classroom<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">A few weeks ago I posted a blog about a local third grade teacher (I'll call her Ms. Jones) who was beloved by her students. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mentioned the blog to Ms. Jones and several days later received the following e-mail:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt;"><br />"I am speechless as to how I have affected those students you spoke with.<br />I am thankful I have made them feel loved. It is true that I do make an effort to like the students, and especially<br />to let them know that I do. Students learn better when they know they are liked/loved! I didn't realize the impact I had on them<br />even after 3rd grade! Thank you for sharing that with me, and writing about it. I will return and read it often, especially on difficult days."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt;">About a week later at a party I met a parent who was home schooling her children, except for her third grader who had asked to be able to go with his friends to the public school this year, because he wanted to have a particular teacher. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mother hadn't told me which school.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt;">"Was it a Ms. Jones?" I asked.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt;">"How did you know?"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt;">"Just a lucky guess, I suppose."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt;">"Do you know - he would do anything for that teacher."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her exact words.<br /><br />I was reminded of something a friend of mine wrote years ago in a journal article about different forms of psychotherapy. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After discussing the benefits and limitations of each, he concluded: "It's primarily the relationship that cures."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe it's the same with education: It's primarily the relationship that teaches. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt;">But the other thing that comes to mind is a question. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why are teachers so often unaware of the positive impact they have on their students, even at times to the point of doubting their own ability? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any thoughts?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Comment below, please.</span></div>John Paul McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6949798039899938094.post-12175865711774978712011-06-20T19:00:00.000-07:002013-11-24T10:15:14.514-08:00Grammatical Pet Peeves<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">In a recent tweet Kerrie Flanagan said, "Thumbs down to <a data-screen-name="Target" href="http://twitter.com/Target"><span class="at">@</span><span class="at-text">Target</span></a> 's new in-store marketing campaign. 'Make this summer more funner.' Funner? Really??"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right on, Kerrie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, write on.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"Funner" is a grammatical mistake because "fun" is a noun, not an adjective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Were it an adjective, "funner" would be the comparative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know, I know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some modern dictionaries call "fun" both a noun and an adjective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that's a recent and I believe flawed modernism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those editors are simply allowing common use or, in this case, misuse, to dictate grammatical correctness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Expressions like, "We had a fun time," or "She's a fun person," have contributed to the error.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This made me think of other pet peeves, like grammatical slime seeping into the mainstream.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The most egregious is probably, "Just between you and I...."</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Or how about, "That shirt looks well on you."</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Running a close third would be, "He graduated Michigan State in 2003."</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">"To graduate" can only be a transitive verb when the subject is the graduating agency, as in "Colorado State University graduated 300 medical students," but is an intransitive verb when the subject is the person doing the graduating, as in, "He graduated from CSU twenty years ago."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It cannot be a transitive verb when the subject is the graduating individual. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyone who said, "I graduated CSU in 2004" should not have graduated, at least not from the English department.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Now a question or two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are these justifiable gripes or just pedantic silliness on my part? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please vote in the survey to the right of this post. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'm curious about what others think regarding the preservation of our beautiful language.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also I wonder when it is justifiable to make changes in the language since it is, after all, a living language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would guess that you have to know the rules before you can break them intentionally. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do you think?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'm especially curious about grammatical errors in books for children and young adults. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Finally I wonder who is to be the final judge on these points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can the grammar police make us so concerned about correctness that we lose all creativity and end up with dull, bland, writing?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Thanks for reading my blog, and don't forget to vote and/or comment below. If you have some of your own grammatical pet peeves, please mention them in the comment section.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>John Paul McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6949798039899938094.post-39952851464242646432011-06-14T10:20:00.000-07:002013-11-24T10:15:14.585-08:00BECOMING<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">(In a recent blog, <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/6etfa9b"><span style="color: blue;">http://tinyurl.com/6etfa9b</span></a>,<b> </b>Dean Miller asks his readers to "</span><span style="color: #333333;">comment ... on one thing you've done that you are truly proud of completing."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Thanks, Dean. </span>Here's my answer.)</span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My brother and his wife celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in Stillwater, Minnesota last week-end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have lived in the same house for almost their entire married life, a house they have made into a comfortable and welcoming home, with gardens that would be the envy of city planners or the designers of botanical gardens, have raised a wonderful family there, worked at and retired from demanding jobs, volunteered at the homeless shelter, sung in the choir, been politically active, lost dear friends, consoled the grieving families left behind, have become grandparents (doting, I might add), sailed on the river and in the great lakes, even in the moonlight, biked several times across the state in a fund-raising tour for multiple sclerosis, and have found time to sit at the bedside of loved ones who have recovered from serious illness and surgery.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I wanted to give them something different, personal, special, but couldn't think of the right gift until I remembered that a former student of mine in a psychology course at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is a talented harpist and just happens to live in Stillwater, Minnesota.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Voila. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After one telephone call I had my surprise present all wrapped up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or so I thought, until my own harp teacher, Connie Wallace, a University of Wyoming faculty member, suggested I, too, should play a few pieces either alone or in a duet with the musician from Stillwater.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"Find out," she said, "what your brother and his wife like."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Connie and her husband, Jack, an accomplished violinist and award winning fiddler, rearranged "Annie's Song," a John Denver classic, so that even I could attempt it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sent the original version to my former student, whom I had contacted to play at the banquet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She agreed to let me play the John Denver song with her, as well as a few other songs, first solo and then duet. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It worked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, she played beautifully; I did ok.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The day before the event the young harpist and I met for a practice session, and again the next day, when we both arrived early for another rehearsal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My former student (psychology) had become my teacher (music). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And at 76, having studied the instrument for a little over four years, I became a harpist, willing to play for others, admittedly family and friends. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had great fun doing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope it was an example of what T.A. Northburg (<a href="http://www.otterocity.com/" target="_blank">http://www.otterocity.com/</a>) calls "Otterocity!"</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the same way that Dean Miller suggests that "<span style="color: #333333;">the majority of us struggle to even call ourselves writers," I have been struggling to call myself a harpist. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I asked my once student - now teacher, "When do you think I'll be able to play in public?"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her answer "When you feel confident."</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div>John Paul McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6949798039899938094.post-52027610940654622152011-05-29T21:31:00.000-07:002013-11-24T10:15:14.656-08:00Desire, Drive, Motives, Goals, and Learning<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: center 3.25in;">I wrote the following in my journal about 9 years ago. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I think about the elements of classroom learning, i.e., desire, drive, motivation and goals, it seems appropriate to add this to my blog. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>JPM<br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A few days ago I called a former student, who must have been in my class as a senior about 20 years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had gotten to be friends over the years and at least once a year I still call or she calls me just to stay in touch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was a special education teacher. In her case, I don’t know whether “special” should modify the word “education” or "teacher."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was an unusually gifted and mature student.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I asked, as I always do, about Steve, her husband, and the children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebecca is 6 and in the first grade; Madeleine is four and finishing her last year of preschool before entering kindergarten, a major step as Madeleine sees it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the really interesting part to me was Nancy’s recounting an incident that took place at Hebrew school a few weeks ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rebecca goes to the Hebrew Day School and attends Hebrew classes, taught by an Israeli woman, twice a week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One afternoon was set aside as a free period when younger siblings were invited to see the classroom and to play some games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Madeleine enjoyed running around with the other younger children, but her older sister, Rebecca, felt out of place and complained about the “kid stuff,” saying she was too old for this. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her mother suggested, “Why don’t you just come and sit here with me and we can talk.” Rebecca sat next to her mother and said (I believe I have this word for word), “Mother, I only want to study the Torah, so that when I’m older I can become a rabbi, and then I can teach people how to pray, so they will know that there is only One God.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What grace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here was a six year old with all the desire “to study the Torah,” and the drive to make it her “only” wish without distraction, and the motivation to learn so that she could “teach other people” with the final goal of having them understand a truth that was already very dear to her, “to know there is only One God.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One might worry that a child like Rebecca, especially in our world where most children are allowed, thankfully, to remain children as long as they like, might be too serious and miss out on the fun of being six.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When she is with children her own age, she loves to play, to make up games, even to play with words, both in English and Hebrew, and to tease about her sure Israeli accent. Other children like her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who wouldn’t like a bright friend who loves to play and whose motivation for learning is basically within and who can make up games?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div>John Paul McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6949798039899938094.post-85361771805471759122011-05-22T15:29:00.000-07:002013-11-24T10:15:14.726-08:00My favorite teacher(s)<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Last Thursday I had lunch with three fifth graders at a nearby elementary school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the boys is my "little brother," and we have lunch together every Thursday but this week we decided to join two of his friends in the lunch room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The conversation included reasons why the boys sat at one table, girls at another, the unlikely dream of an all boys' class, end of the year grade expectations, the afternoon's music rehearsal, and the subsequent concert that evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>But the conversation that really sparked my interest involved "favorite teachers."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All three boys agreed that a particular third grade teacher was the best in the school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Anyone who goes through this school will end up saying she was their best teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it's always going to be that way," proclaimed one of the three.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I asked why she was their favorite teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"Because she's nice."</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"She makes it fun, so you want to learn."</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"She's not mean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She never yells."</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>"She likes us."</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>One of the boys interrupted to say, "See, there she is over there (The favored teacher was lunchroom monitor that day).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See that kid hugging her?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That's the way we all feel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We like her." </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It made me think of my own favorite teachers growing up (Mrs. Butler, Sr. Veronica Marie, Father Leonard, who all taught English) and my teachers today (Connie Wallace and Joni Martin, both professional musicians) and what they have in common.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess for me the important ingredients are skill, patience, an encouraging style, laughter, a love for what they do, and a willingness to share it with others.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Who were, or are, your favorite teachers and why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are now a teacher, do you find yourself emulating those qualities?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you'll comment below, I'll summarize the comments and use them to create a survey that we can submit later to a larger audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks and have a great week.</div>John Paul McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6949798039899938094.post-60155082075370241592011-05-15T19:20:00.000-07:002013-11-24T10:15:14.797-08:00Reading For Fun<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"> <br /> Recently I read of a contest for elementary school students that involved the number of books they could read within a limited time period. I wonder if those contests are always a good idea. <br /><br /> The article reminded me of a visit I made to the day school at Smith College years ago. It was toward the end of the academic year and I was visiting the first grade. The children were all busy at their tables reading. One little fellow was tearing through a chapter book as fast as he could go.<br /><br /> "What're you reading?" I asked. I can't remember his answer, but I do recall his next comment: <br /><br /> "I'm getting started on the contest to see who can read the most books this summer. The person who can read the most books gets a prize." He turned back to his book, abruptly ending our conversation. I'm not sure he was interested in the story he was reading but he was keenly interested in the fact that shortly he would have read one more book.<br /><br /> Across the room at another table another boy was grinning at a picture in his book. He called me over, "Look at this," he laughed and then he began to tell me about the story he was reading and how the picture depicted an event that he thought was hilarious.<br /><br /> I left the classroom that day thinking there is a real difference between reading as a means to an end, and reading for the fun of it, and wishing that, as important as the first type is, it would be nice if it could be done in such a way that children could also keep forever the joy of the second type of reading.<br /><br /> "To read without reflecting is like eating without digesting."<br /> E. Burke </div>John Paul McKinneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12426192694972130205noreply@blogger.com3