Philosophy Without A Home

  A lot of people are worried that virtual learning will be a lost year. As if it is a given that in person education is better than virtual. I'm not so sure about that. #education #virtuallearning #2020 — Brendan Murphy (@dendari) September 13, 2020 Of course in person is better for some, but not all. This rush to get back to in person learning is not only dangerous health wise, but could have a negative impact academically as well.  Most teachers and schools seem to focus way too much energy on students turning in cameras, and then being dress code compliant and all that. #why — Brendan Murphy (@dendari) September 13, 2020 Less than half my students turn on their cameras. Even the students who think I'm the best thing since sliced bread rarely show me their face. #middleschool #peerpressure #hormones #shy — Brendan Murphy (@dendari) September 13, 2020 I have not written a single refferal this year. I haven't felt disrespected. I'm never fighting for con

I'm trying to put some thoughts down on paper and see if they are good or not, I'd love some feedback as well. As the Coronavirus rips back the band-aid of inequity in the public school system I fear that we are squandering the opportunity.  Yes I know students in undeserved neighborhoods are taking the brunt of the negative effects of shutting down schools and the economy. I know too many students don't have solid internet, don't have a device, don't have a quiet place to learn and study. I know so many have to take care of younger siblings. I know so many adults in these homes are essential workers, leaving their children to fend for themselves because they cannot take a day off, even when faced with sickness and death for going to work. And all of that is not even half the problems these children are facing right now. Yet it is still an opportunity being squandered. The traditional school, with it's emphasis on tests, rigorous curriculum, unyielding rules, an

It is a new century. Being anti-racist has changed. Sure in the late 1700's just saying slavery is bad was good enough. Then in the late 1800's giving people the right to vote was all in vogue. By the late 1900's integrating schools, and diners was progressive. Now we are in the 2000's. What is anti-racism today? Recognizing and rooting out systemic racism Except too many people have no idea what that is. Feagin defines systemic racism in the introduction to the book: Systemic racism includes the complex array of antiblack practices, the unjustly gained political-economic power of whites, the continuing economic and other resource inequalities along racial lines, and the white racist ideologies and attitudes created to maintain and rationalize white privilege and power. Systemic here means that the core racist realities are manifested in each of society’s major parts [...] each major part of U.S. society--the economy, politics, educat

How has teaching changed. I used to get 15,000 steps about 10,000 of them within a 25 by 20 sized room. I used to stop drinking coffee at 8:30 because I just forgot or didn't have time. I can go to the bathroom at any time and that is awesome. I don't plan a daily lesson. So much of my time was spent planning and reflecting on my daily lesson. Then grading exit slips and homework. And of course about 5 hours a day was actually required to be in the classroom. Way too often those 10 or 15 minutes quick lessons dragged out to 45 50 minutes because: Someone wasn't listening so I had to repeat. Someone was late. Someone was goofing off. Someone had a question. I was too long winded. We went down a rabbit hole. The instructions were unclear. Someone felt turn and talk time meant a discussion of birthday plans. Today I am doing my best to shrink those 15 minutes lessons into a 5 minute video. Instead of spending all my time corralling restless middle schoolers I can stalk GoGuard

It is so surreal. The silence.  I've been home during the week before and for the most part it was normal. You could hear people in other houses and yards working. the occasional delivery vehicle or something. This shelter in place feels different. It's quiet. I sit on my computer studying or writing and watch as families walk together down the street. I've seen people walk before, the occasional family, but almost always in the evening and most likely one person walking a dog. Now you'll see an entire family walking, kids up front goofing and the parents together following behind. When they pass another family it's always on the far side of the street.  I'm am not on a cul-de-sac but close enough that there really is no reason to pass my house if you don't live in the neighborhood. I've been out a few times. It's quiet, but not quite as dead as you sometimes see on social media. I not alone on the road. The cops are in th

My first podcast with a friend Joy Kirr. The audio file  Podcast page Joy is a local teacher whom I was following on Twitter. I don't think I even realized she was local when I first started following her. One day she tweeted out an activity she was hosting at the school she worked at the time. I was like, hey that's right down the road I should go. And so I did, with my wife and kids in tow we went. I just really love making these connections.  We haven't talked much in the last few years but when I decided to start this podcast series and I was trying to think of teachers that I would like to chat with I remembered Joy and thought, "Yes, she is a teacher I would like to learn from." So here we are with my first episode.  As I reviewed to the chat I thought I would mark down some of the parts I thought were good. Around minute 3 we talk about low and high points in education and she really embodies a growth mindset. Keep those keepsakes,

Check out the 7th grade e-learning plan from a local school district. Do you notice the nice mix of technology and non-tech work? Do you see the choice? Wouldn't it be great if education was more like this? I'm not saying kindergartners can be expected to work with this level of autonomy. I'm also sure many parents are working their butts off trying to keep their kids motivated and doing something constructive. To this end I'm sure many parents are sacrificing work. I also have to admit, in my own house my kids are not being very productive.  That being said wouldn't it be great if schools transitioned to this model as the standard rather than the exception? Not the work from home model, but the choice and independent work as the rule rather than the exception. What if the expectation was that students would be spending the bulk of their time in a classroom working independently? What if students had projects all the time? Big ones, small one, individual a

The new big thing in education the last few years has been trauma informed education. an interesting take on how children's lives and the trauma they experience effects how they act and react. As  Alex Shevrin Venet says in her article, The How and Why of Trauma Informed Teaching , "...traumatic life experiences can sometimes emerge as behaviors that we might otherwise label as challenging". The insight I would like to point out is how all reactions, both good and bad, are strategies our students learn to succeed in their situations. The student who never turns in work, she's learned that if she just doesn't do work she won't get in trouble for doing a bad job. Or maybe something like that. In any event the point I want to make is that students who experience trauma, when stressed, often respond with actions that can be detrimental to their ultimate good. However these responses work in most other areas of their life so they won't change them for one