THERE IS NOTHING WRONG HERE

For my first podcast I have chosen the topic of the soul. The soul has been a mystery for centuries, but recent research has raised some interesting inquiry into connections between the soul and quantum mechanics.

Soul Search

While teaching a class on atomic structure I explained that everything is made of atoms. One of the students asked, “Where do atoms come from?”
I said, “They are just here.”
He then asked, “How are they made?”
“They are not made, they just change form.”
“Then how do things grow more atoms?”
“Atoms are just transfered from one place to another and added to growing things.” I replied.
He still had a puzzled look on his face.

I have continued to think about the concept that we are a bunch of atoms that were some where else and now they make up a body and mind. Everyday we are adding and shedding atoms. When we die the atoms that make up this body (I began to write our atoms and our body, but who really owns the atoms?) will join up with other atoms to make something else. Is this reincarnation?

This particular configuration of atoms will only last a blink of an eye in the history of the universe. The atoms that have come together in this particular form have been around since the beginning of the universe and will be around until the end of the universe.

So why do we think we have any control over anything? There is nothing wrong here.

When I first head about blogging I wondered, like many did, why would anyone want to tell the world what they did everyday or were thinking about? Now that I am blogging and reading/responding to other bloggers, I am still asking that question. One answer may be because blogging is one place where people can tell their story and have some one listen. When was the last time you had a real conversation? A real conversation is when two or more people really listen to each other and not do the “Well listen to my story”. We are usually more interested in getting our story out there or judging their story, instead of listening to the other persons story.

Blogging seems to be a way for people to tell their story and have some one listen and respond in a thoughtful way. Real conversation involves the exchange and challenging of ideas. When someone ask me why I said something it causes me to think more deeply about beliefs. The few places I have found where people listen without judgment or pushing their story are Quaker meetings, meditation groups, and therapists. Now I can add blogging to the list.

It seems obvious that you teach the curriculum. Or, in many schools, you teacher to the state required tests. What the students need to learn does not seem to be an option. But, what they need to learn is the problem I face everyday. If they could they would, but they don’t seem to be able to. Even in my small structured classroom of 6-8 students teaching the curriculum or to the test is difficult. I have to remind myself everyday that the young bodies and minds I see everyday would rather be in a regular ed classroom and not in a sped room.

The state department of education, in its infinite wisdom, has raised the passing score on the MCAS from 220 to 240. The students in my classroom struggled to get a 220, a 240 will be out of reach for many students. They are still struggling with reading comprehension and vocabulary at middle school. I have to reteach the same basic math skills every year to the same students. Then there is still science and history they will face on the MCAS in 10th grade.

So should I keep teaching the curriculum or teach to the test? I have decided neither. If I follow the curriculum the students will not really learn any skills or add to their knowledge base. If I teach to the test they will not be learning any real skills or add to their knowledge base. So teaching skills and adding to their knowledge base is what I will do.

These skill are the obvious ones like math fraction skills and vocabulary development. But, other more important ones are: following directions, finishing a task, asking for help, using a model to solve a problem, generalizing a skill, finding useful information. Most of the students in my class will attend our vocational school and what is really important is that they lean how to learn.