A First Step

I am a teacher, first and foremost. It's something I have a hard time turning off--often to the chagrin of my non-teacher friends and family. I have complex and continually-evolving views on education, teaching, and learning; and their roles in society. These views overlap with and inform other areas of my life, such as my parkour practice, coaching, and personal relationships.

The purpose of this blog is to give voice to those views: to give them soil in which to take root and grow, to allow for cross-pollination from other viewpoints and voices, and to allow for discourse. I have no predetermined destination in mind; only a general direction, and even that may change as my views evolve. I have spent my entire career with these thoughts and views incubating in my own mind, and now it is time to share them. It's like sending them off to their first days of school, after several years of developing through infancy at home. Now they will develop through the observations of and interactions with others, and who knows what they will look like or where they will end up when that journey is complete?

At times this blog will address the ideas of education, teaching, and learning in the broadest and most general senses. Other times, as I am a teacher of French, I will focus on ideas and issues specifically related to language teaching and learning. It all depends on the thoughts that are occupying my mind on any given blogging day. Some of the topics I intend to put forth in this blog (and it will be varied!) include:

• The critical importance of physical education and movement in learning
• On risk and learning
• Language learning and diet pills
• The most common misconceptions about language, and why they're silly
• Why we need languages
• The parallels between language and education, or "Having it isn't the same thing as knowing it"
• Why principles are better than standards, and why standards are better than facts
• Tracking and differentiation: You keep using those words, I do not think they mean what you think they mean.
• What makes a complete education?
• Teaching: science, art, craft, trade, or profession?
• What is a teacher?
• The role of education in society
• The role of the educator in society
• Why quality matters
• Quality education: the blind men and the elephant, or "I know it when I see it"

These are in no particular order, and the list of topics may change as time goes on and as things evolve, but I welcome you to weigh in on the ideas that are important to you as I post. Please understand that this is a work-in-progress (much like our education system, of which we all--rightly--have high expectations and varied opinions), and that while I expect for there to be disagreements, I also expect for them to be conducted with a level of civility and adult discourse. Thank you for understanding.

I thank you in advance for your patience as I make my thoughts known, as well as for your time and attention, and look forward to intelligent and constructive discourse.
--ajb
PS: A gold star to anyone who gets the reference of my blog title. :)