When I moved back from the UK to the US in January 2001, I brought three mostly-full bottles of good single malt scotch with me. The years went by and I drank very little of them. The levels went down, but almost imperceptibly.
Then suddenly, about a year ago, things started to change. First to be emptied were the non-Islays - the Glenkinchie and the Oban - because I always save the best for last (I eat the same way - all the peas, then all the broiled fish, then lastly all the mac and cheese). It took me most of the last year to finish those two.
Then late last year I added a bottle of Bowmore to the cabinet (which at that point had only Lagavulin). In late February, I also added a bottle of Ardbeg and a bottle of Laphroaig. And suddenly, over the last two months, I've drained all four remaining bottles - the Lagavulin from 2001, the Bowmore, the Ardbeg, and lastly the Laphroaig. Then I bought a bottle of 18yo Talisker, and emptied it, too. Should I be worried? Is this a problem?
Hello... hello... hello... is there anybody in there? Just nod if you can hear me. Is there anybody home?
Another semester is gone.
I visited a nearby high school a few weeks ago, sat in on some chemistry classes. Not math classes, and I'm a math education person, but it was still interesting. Two of the classes couldn't POSSIBLY have better illustrated the range of approaches to "teaching" that are out there. It makes me realize the enormity of what we are trying to achieve. Especially since most colleges of education, and indeed most teachers, don't see their teaching as an "object of inquiry", or problematic in any way.
I know MY teaching stinks... so does that make me part of the problem, or part of the solution? Or maybe both, for now?
It's both daunting and exciting. The state of the onion is so screwed up that there is plenty of exciting work to be done... but at the same time it's so screwed up that it can seem hopeless. But I know it's not. One teacher at a time, one class at a time, one student at a time.
