Category Archives: Education

All Work and No Play Isn’t Necessarily Stupid, But Might Be Inhuman

Posted on March 27, 2023 by admin

I was a child entrepreneur. I loaded up paints and stencils in my wagon and painted street numbers on curbs. I mowed grass and raked leaves. I babysat. When I was old enough–15, which was also old enough to drive–I … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, National Politics, Pop Culture | 22 Comments

Sleep on It

Posted on March 3, 2023 by admin

As we approach midterms, it’s increasingly likely that I’ll hear statements like these in halls and classrooms: I can’t believe how late I stayed up studying last night. The whole suite was up studying. I’ve got more than 600 milligrams … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, MSMS Stuff | 22 Comments

Banned Books Week

Posted on September 19, 2022 by admin

I read banned books. From the Epic of Gilgamesh to Huckleberry Finn, from Song of Solomon to The Things They Carried, I find something valuable in wresting with ideas and depictions that other people find dangerous. Library systems across the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Education, Ethics | 32 Comments

Seeking Organizational Advice

Posted on September 16, 2022 by admin

Next week, I plan to order 15 new podcasting mics for students in the podcasting course to use. This will address the biggest criticism of the course from last year: that I had way too few mics to accommodate the … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Social Media | 19 Comments

One Sentence Conundrums

Posted on September 7, 2022 by admin

Respond to a couple of these. Consider applying them to contemporary events. Can a person make a conscious decision to deal with problems by relegating them to the subconscious? When leaders say equitable, do they really mean redistribution of wealth? … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Ethics, Politics | 10 Comments

The First Fortnight

Posted on August 22, 2022 by admin

Now that MSMS has been in session a couple of weeks, it might be a good idea to reflect on things that really worked well during this orientation and indoctrination period, and which things still need improvement. Praise and criticize … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, MSMS Stuff | 28 Comments

Housekeeping

Posted on May 13, 2022 by admin

One of the things I like to ask students at the end of the school year involves a bit of self-reflection: are you the same person in May that you were in August? If you haven’t changed, I’m not sure … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | 25 Comments

A Different Kind of Diversity

Posted on April 8, 2022 by admin

Ketanji Brown Jackson’s ascent to the Supreme Court will mark the first time an African-American woman gets named to the highest court in the land. Whether you support her ideologies or not, it would be difficult not to admire her … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Politics | 21 Comments

Education’s Ends and Means

Posted on February 17, 2022 by admin

The cornerstone of this year’s legislative session, as far as Speaker of the House Phillip Gunn is concerned, involves repealing the income tax in Mississippi. He estimates that doing so would put about $1100 back into the budgets of typical … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Politics | 7 Comments

Oppositional Defiance

Posted on February 6, 2022 by admin

If you check out the history of the blog, you’ll notice two tendencies. First, I employ Socratic method to induce you to share thoughts about controversial topics. Second, when that doesn’t work, I express opinions in a forceful manner hoping … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | 13 Comments