Thought for the Day (radio 4 stylee?)

Kirstypie · Post by **Kirstypie** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 12:55 pm

If you want a very silly thought for the day, you will have to visit the my fantastic website for the Way of the Grumpy Monkey instead (subtle plug), but hows about we provide a cool thought for the day each day. No idea how we decide whose turn it is each day. I'll do today:

Bad things happen - they'll bother you more if you're always holding out for the good stuff. What you want will come and go, but what you need will find you in the end.

That is from... http://thisisthis.blogspot.com/, Cliff Jones' excellent blog.

Means a lot to me, partly as a Buddhist (though a rather rubbish one) and partly because I've had one of those years myself. Good god I need bacon. WHY did I read that thread?!

Claire · Post by **Claire** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 6:32 pm

I have an idea... see who agrees?

Everyone thinks that society is falling down a slippery slope towards pleb-ville. However, i would strongly argue that this is not so. what is the case is that the plebs, the chavs, the scallies - call them what you will - are getting all the attention. my point is illustrated daily in the press. law-abiding, civilised people/actions don't convert to column inches. i also see this as a teacher - you have a class of 30 and if 1 of them plays up it's difficult to focus on anything else. we don't often enough say "wow, 29 of my year 9s were brilliant today", more of "if it wasn't for ---------- that would have been a great lesson". Long winded way of saying, things ain't all that bad and folks are still decent.

mr_e · Post by **mr_e** » Wed Dec 07, 2005 10:31 pm

Following on from Claire:

Newspapers exist to sell markets to advertisers...

...and it partly explains Claire's point: after all, who wants to read about how averagely good most people are? It's always worth baring in mind that newspapers are just another business too.

Post by **Mike** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 5:46 pm

Some newspapers also exist to stimulate education of issues. The Guardian springs to mind. It is rather unfortunate that this paper is in declining circulation, I would deffo recommend it (though it does require more than a bit of concentration to read!). I agree with what you are saying though, you never hear on the 5'o'clock news about some shocking story in the Guardian! :D

mr_e · Post by **mr_e** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 7:41 pm

Don't be too timid and squeamish about your action.
All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make
the better.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Andy · Post by **Andy** » Fri Dec 09, 2005 3:47 pm

Claire, I totally agree with you,

I have two classes that have been branded as ''horrendous'', ''vile'', etc. One is Y9 4/4, the other is Y8 5/8. In my Y9 I have 4 kids who are badly behaved around school, I have 19 fairly decent ones. In my Y8 I have 5 badly behaved kids and 21 fairly decent ones.

I like my Y8s in a way. They are quite funny but whenever I am asked to categorise them I say the decent kids and no-one in the staffroom knows who they are. When I say ''L---- -, P--- -, etc'' they instantly pull a face. In my Y9 I have some lovely children who are utterly scared of these bad kids who have just ruled over them from junior school. I try my hardest to praise these good kids just to let them know that I realise they are being decent human beings.

My point, like Claires, is that we tend to focus on the bad/stupid behaviour because it provides the most interesting topic of conversation.

Claire · Post by **Claire** » Sat Dec 10, 2005 5:26 pm

You're not wrong Andy - praise is the strongest weapon is a teacher's disciplinary armory. it could not be more important.

mr_e · Post by **mr_e** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 12:04 pm

The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.

Marcel Proust

One for all the photographers in out midst, I think.

Post by **Mike** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 2:09 pm

I like the experience of seeing something in a new light. I call it the difference between knowing and understanding.