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SupporterPermalink Reply by ddeubel on October 3, 2007 at 1:02pm

Nothing special for a story today, just this powerpoint which tells a nothing special but something super special. About teaching, about life....."cultivez votre jardin!"

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Permalink Reply by Justinoxxii on October 3, 2007 at 6:02pm

That made me laugh i believe I will steal this one. If I think I can get away with talking about Islam in a public school in Korea.

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SupporterPermalink Reply by ddeubel on October 4, 2007 at 4:21am

Here's another one that applies to the "Education for profit" motive which is prevailing so much these days.......

The Smell of Soup and the Sound of Money

A beggar was given a piece of bread, but nothing to put on it. Hoping to get something to go with his bread, he went to a nearby inn and asked for a handout. The innkeeper turned him away with nothing, but the beggar sneaked into the kitchen where he saw a large pot of soup cooking over the fire. He held his piece of bread over the steaming pot, hoping to thus capture a bit of flavor from the good-smelling vapor.

Suddenly the innkeeper seized him by the arm and accused him of stealing soup.

"I took no soup," said the beggar. "I was only smelling the vapor."

"Then you must pay for the smell," answered the innkeeper.

The poor beggar had no money, so the angry innkeeper dragged him before the qadi.

Now Nasreddin Hodja was at that time serving as qadi, and he heard the innkeeper's complaint and the beggar's explanation.

"So you demand payment for the smell of your soup?" summarized the Hodja after the hearing.

"Yes!" insisted the innkeeper.

"Then I myself will pay you," said the Hodja, "and I will pay for the smell of your soup with the sound of money."

Thus saying, the Hodja drew two coins from his pocket, rang them together loudly, put them back into his pocket, and sent the beggar and the innkeeper each on his own way.

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SupporterPermalink Reply by ddeubel on October 6, 2007 at 1:50am

One last one from the famous Turkish trickster!
The Recipe
The Hodja purchased a piece of meat at the market, and on his way home he met a friend.
Seeing the Hodja's purchase, the friend told him an excellent recipe for stew.
"I'll forget it for sure," said the Hodja. "Write it on a piece of paper for me."
The friend obliged him, and the Hodja continued on his way, the piece of meat in one hand and the recipe in the other. He had not walked far when suddenly a large hawk swooped down from the sky, snatched the meat, and flew away with it.
"It will do you no good!" shouted the Hodja after the disappearing hawk. "I still have the recipe!"

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SupporterPermalink Reply by ddeubel on October 8, 2007 at 2:03am

This story is a classic. I've never showed it to a group of teachers and had nobody cry. Get out your towel. True? We don't know but it is an urban legend, that's for sure. The originally (better quality) is now fully accessible!

 

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SupporterPermalink Reply by ddeubel on October 17, 2007 at 11:26pm

A coarse but appropriate story about HOW to live well.

THE DONKEY


One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.



He invited all his neighbours to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.


As the farmer's neighbours continued to shovel dirt on top of the
animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon,
everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of
the well and happily trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to
getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of
our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Enough of that crap . . .

The donkey later came back, and bit the shit out of the farmer who had
tried to bury him. The gash from the bite got infected, and the farmer
eventually died in agony from septic shock.

MORAL FROM TODAY'S LESSON:

When you do something wrong, and try to cover your ass, it always comes back to bite you.

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SupporterPermalink Reply by ddeubel on October 21, 2007 at 11:11pm

God and an Angel talk about teaching

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SupporterPermalink Reply by ddeubel on October 23, 2007 at 10:50pm

We need educators first and foremost that in some "artistic" way , make kids hungry to learn. This story speaks to that.....

I once heard an old Zen story. About a famous monk who taught music. Every student wanted to be his pupil. One of his best students brought his younger brother and said his brother was a genius, was incredibly talented and the monk should have him as a student. The brother even offered his own seat! The monk blankly said NO. Each day the younger brother would follow the older to school and sit outside the closed door listening attentively. Sometimes bending and trying to look through the small gap in the doorway. Each month, the older brother begged the monk to allow his younger brother to study with them. Each time he quickly said, NO. This went on for years. Finally one day the older brother asked and the monk quietly said YES. The student asked "why now after so many years?" The monk said, "Now he is ready, he is truly both hungry and beyond hunger."
.
I don't know what it means but it speaks.

Here is another quick zen story on the difference between knowledge and understanding...

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Permalink Reply by mark connor on April 22, 2010 at 2:48am

When the story came to Teddy's wedding and Ms. Thompson was the replacement Mum, I cried and it all made sense.

What a beautiful story, and one that reminds me of why I become a teacher. Thanks

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Permalink Reply by ken on October 30, 2007 at 2:45am

Obviously not.

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SupporterPermalink Reply by ddeubel on October 31, 2007 at 11:26pm

A longer story but well worth the read and reflection. You might try this in your own class! I always had success with the "Water Trick". Fill a bowl full of water, to the top. Put some papertowel under it. Then ask the students, holding out a handful of coins, "How many coins can I drop in before it will overflow?" Most students will say 1-10. But they'll be surprised! So keep dropping the coins in -- you'll be able to drop in dozens! (due to the concept of surface friction and is why bugs can walk on water!) The kids will be amazed.

The Mayonnaise Jar and Two Cups of Coffee

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.
- - - - -

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---God, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else---the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad! you asked.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

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SupporterPermalink Reply by ddeubel on November 2, 2007 at 2:12am

Can time be put in a bottle, can time be bought like a soda? As teachers, we spend spend valuable time with students, let's let it pay off.

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