A small asteroid was discovered today, hours before it passed within 5,000 miles of us. "Us" as in the critters on Earth.
It was tiny, as far as asteroids go, and it didn't get a whole lot of press, but it was a literal reminder of how little we control. It wouldn't have done any damage, our atmosphere would have smoked it before it smacked Eath, but still, no one knew about it yesterday.
I think our children ought to know how little we actually control, but even adults fail to see our limits. You'd think that death would put things in perspective, but we avoid the whole issue.
If you believe our time here on Earth matters, and that that time is finite, act on it. Sooner or later our planet is going to get smacked up pretty good by a large rock now hurtling in space. Chances are pretty good you'll be gone long before that happens, but either way dead is dead.
I don't recommend that you start each day by proclaiming the ultimate demise of each of your lambs as they saunter into class, but I do recommend that you plan your lessons with that in mind.
Every thing we assign takes a piece of a child's finite lifespan. Make sure the piece you take is worth what you give back. And no, word searches do not qualify.....
Photo by G. Sostero and E. Guido, Remanzacco Observatory,Graphics by NASA--we paid for it, so I figure it's in the public domain.
found here,
found here,
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5 comments:
I love a good word search...find the words below:
aboiuafstopasdtwastingfiongstudentsfionxotime
as always, great post.
Dear Jerrid,
Thanks for the kind words--and I couldn't help myself, I had to do your mini-wordsearch--it's like getting a piece of a peanut stuck between my teeth.
As always, I need to take a good hard look at myself and what I do in the classroom.
Dear J Bowie,
We all do, all the time. Be a pretty boring gig if that were not true, no? Thanks for stopping by!
I remember the day I "became an adult."
I serious.
It's almost... primal in it's simplicity.
I remember the day (for the first time) that I (seemingly aloud) realized the fact that no one is really "in charge." I know that may seem silly, but as a kid, you just think surely to God... sOMeone is "in charge" of this mess. That's likely one of the things that leads to a peaceful and positively developmental childhood. The day (I wish I remember what the date/event was) I openly said this aloud as I was thinking it... was the day I felt like and "adult" for the first time.
And here's the deal: it felt scary. prior to that time, I thought it was all roses and tingles. I had no idea it might suck in some ways. It felt quite odd imagining that many in power might just lack the wisdom of the times I'd imagined they all would.
*sigh*
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