Dying/broken/forgiven.... now I begin

Born: 17-06-56....gemini.... monkey
re-born: 3-09-80
born again\found: 14-04-08
other notable dates: 10-03-68; 03-09-87; 23-03-96;
1-05-98; 31-01-02; 5-04-04

Interests: movement, stressed/transgressive embodiment, lived experience (body\space\time\relation)
expression ( word, dance, text, image, story, music, poetics)
learning, yielding......

Hopes for the blog:
offer up the wild intersectedness of lived experience and engage others in creative, expressive, perhaps irreverant, hopefully playful, and respectful encounters....
enact kindness
create moments of pause for disclosure, discovery, stillness

Friday, June 24, 2011

Keynotes & little gems

Just back from a teaching and learning conference in beautiful Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Tis the time of year known as conference season in my line of work.... I've been to four in the past six weeks...  love going and love learning and love getting home.
... teaching and learning are two obsessions close to my heart, and this particular conference had some wonderful key note speakers, one of whom was Buffy St. Marie, still feisty and smart and gorgeous  and going strong at 60 plus...  here are two little gems from her:
Bitterness ... treat it like shit; let it dry out and use it for fuel... don't use it when it's wet, and don't use it as make-up, ever.
Lots of people in power want you to believe that what you want isn't on the menu... don't believe it. Cook it up yourself and serve it ...

and a couple of other gems from the other keynote speaker on too much content ( ie, what happens  to learners when teachers at any level try to cram too much material into the time available)-- students  drinking water  from a fire hose and trying not to drown  ( great metaphor, I thought...)
AND the way to prevent this tragedy?? TEACH LESS BETTER.

and now that conference-ing is done, I will happily devote more time to being on my ( and others' ) blogs.
Happy  Solstice ( albeit, belated) to everyone. 

3 comments:

  1. It's like you knew how much I would appreciate the "shit" comments by Ms. St Marie!

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  2. "don't use it as make-up, ever" that is absolutely brilliant advice - still grinning.
    Yes less is definitely more when educating.

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  3. WM-- i suspected a kindred spirit there.... thanks for the comment
    Pisces-- i also liked the suggestion about not using it when it's wet... decent advice as well. glad this got you smiling.

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