Hi Josh, I think it is great that you have your own philosophy about education. Your ideas about the purpose of education, along with your love of quotes such as the “Ubuntu,” made me wonder if you have ever had any interest in teaching Philosophy, or if you plan on trying to incorporate some philosophical ideas into your English classes?
I also went to Baldwin High School and I remember being disappointed that they never offered any type of Philosophy class (at least not while I was there). I feel that some of the best philosophers were also some of the best writers, so I’ve always thought it would be fun to add more philosophical ideas into literature classes.
It's so cool that you were a Coaching minor. I actually started out my Undergrad career as a Coaching minor (which doesn't exist anymore, sadly) but got scared away by the thought of having to take Structural Kinesiology. Kudos to you sir.
Hi Amber, You know I have thought of adding philosophy into English classes and a way I thought to incorporateit is start each class with a 10 min or so writing assignment in which I would provide a philosophical quote and the student write what they think it means and maybe each week pick one student to read their paper and lead a few minute class discussion on the idea.
Hi Andrew, I though Structural Kinesiology would stand between and the minor but because I originally was going to be health/pe I had some background in human sciences but let me be honest the first attempt at structural kin I was overwhelmed and dropped the class but I was determined to get that coaching minor so when the next fall rolled around and I enrolled in it again and stuck it out his time and passed.
Hey Josh, I love going to sporting events in Atlanta too and I finally went to my first Falcons game this past year...football isn't really my thing; however, I love the Thrashers AND now they are moving to CANADA! I am distraught. I am not an avid hockey fan, but the atmosphere and the games are so much fun. How do you feel about this move?
You mention that you coached baseball at Baldwin High. Do you think you'd want to become an english teacher and also coach at that school at the same time?
I love Third Day and also listen to 104.7 a majority of the time I'm driving. To follow up on your answer to Amber what are some of the philosophical quotes you would use in those assignments? I am fascinated by the Ubuntu and would love to hear other philosophical quotes you find interesting?
You've gotten me very excited about reading the poetry of Tupac Shakur. I am always on the hunt for poetry that will speak to high school students. What is it about his poetry that especially speaks to you?
This may see like a very broad question but I wanted to know what you liked most about "Their Eyes Were Watching God"? Was it the prose, the characters, the plot, the dialect, etc...?
Judging from your book list and your love for the Modernist movement, do you know Dr. Pete Carriere? I think you two would get along VERY well. Also, I just saw The Color Purple as a musical (since I had read and seen the movie, I thought why not?) And if you like musicals you should definitely see it! Also, with your love of sports...who is your favorite Hawks player? I am a fan myself and used them a lot on NBA 2k9 back in the day. I love Josh and Bibby. Though I changed to the Celtics on the game because I love Ray Ray Allen!
The Thrashers move from Atlanta to Canada is heart breaking but looking at from the business side of things, like I try to do, the move is understandable. If the seats aren’t being filled got to do something, not that The Atlanta Spirit, the group who owns the Hawks and Thrasher are trying to help keep them in ATL. But being the optimist that I am, until I see the moving vans loaded and leaving for Canada there is HOPE!
Hey Marina
I would absolutely love to teach and coach at the same time. The coaching aspect of the game that have I have studied and learned from playing sports, from other coaches and lots of books on coaching, I think I have some valuable information to pass on to the up and coming players. I think the only sport right now at the high school level I want to coach is baseball but I would love to coach basketball or football at the middle school level.
One of the quotes that stands out to be as one of the top five is by Mozart and is actually in the beginning of the book of one of the pre program readings If Holden Caulfied Were In My Classroom “Neither a lofty degree of intelligence or creativity nor both together go to making the genius. Only love can do that. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius”. Another one of my top five is by Muhammad Ali “The man who has no imagination has no wings.” Beverly Sills “You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you do not try.” One quote/philosophy about confidence that really makes a lot of sense to me and I love is by Anita Roddick (business woman and human rights activist from England) “If you think you are too small to make a difference, you haven’t been in bed with a mosquito.” I have so many more but these are all I can recall at the moment I have notebook full of these things that I have collected over the years.
I just had another come to mind and thought I would include it “Love is not blind – it sees more not less, but because it sees more, it is willing to see less” Julins Gordon
Hey Dr Alby,
What I like so much about his poetry is it is a window, I mean an unlocked door to his soul because you are not just looking into the soul, you are actually taking a trip through his soul. The poems were written when he was 19 years old and was trapped in the circumstances of the ghetto crying for help to get out but no avail. I can’t relate to circumstances or the surroundings of how he grew up, so the poems are not on personal level but I have always been amazed at the intelligence he showed in his 25 short years of life but accomplished what some will not in a lifetime. I think poems show his sensitivity, insight, revolutionary mind, fears, passion and sense of humor, which Leila Steinberg said she hopes this is what these poems will show. Steinberg worked with Tupac over the years and kept the poems he wrote and posthumously published the work. Some actors, authors, poets have put together two cds on the poems, one is different people reading some of the poems and the other is music inspired by the poems. The cds are under the same name just vol one and vol two.
Great question, but to be honest with you I really do not know what is appealing to me about this book. It is one of those things where you know you like something but can’t put a finger on what you like about it. I have read it twice and will probably read it a third time, like they say “the third time is a charm” maybe I can figure it out this time. There is something there or I would not be able to keep reading.
Hey Abby,
I do know Dr. Carriere (one of my favorite professors) and I have taken some of his classes and had some good discussions on the modernist movement, it was in Dr. Carriere where I was introduce to John Fowles and The French Lieutenant’s Women. On the Hawks question, Al Horford is my favorite, liked him when he was at the University of Florida, but ZaZa Pachulia runs a close second. Since the Hawks are not in playoffs any longer I am pulling for the Miami Heat or “The Heatles” as LeBron likes to call themselves. Outside of Hawks players, LeBron is my next favorite player.
We're going to be pals. You get cool points for Cooperstown, Faulkner, Tupac, and the fact that you posted your favorites section before I sent you a generic "What is your favorite ____?" because that's something I always like to know about people.
I've been to Cooperstown four times and it doesn't get old (my grandfather lived a couple hours away from there). The last time I went was '06, so it's time to re-visit. So, since very few people talk baseball with me---1) Best player of all time (pitcher or hitter)? 2) If you're building a team in the present day and could pick one player for your core, who is it?
Hey Nick, It sounds like we have some common ground to trample upon. That is awesome that you have been to Cooperstown quite a few times. I would love to go back one day. Favorite Player of all time . . . . . You know being a baseball fan yourself that is a very tough question. Since baseball is divided into so many eras, i.e. the beginning, then you had the golden age of the 20's, intro of lights and beginning of the long ball in 30,s war in the 40's, the expansion of the 50's, speed and pitching in the 60's and money ball, creating dynasties, era beginning in 70's until today, and STEROID era of today, it is extremely difficult to label the greatest of all time. I really do not like to name a one person because so many have done great things in and for the game but since you asked I do have a nominee and his name is Josh Gibson, I have always liked what I read about him, but never having the opportunity to play in the majors it is hard for me to win my arguments, but the numbers he put up hitting (around 800 HRs) and became a great defensive catcher, probably better than Campanella and Bench. In the at bats against major league pitching he hit over .400, and the guy played his last five seasons with a brain tumor that led to his death in 1947 months before Jackie broke the color barrier. Core player to build upon would be someone young but with veteran approach, not being bias but I would pick Brian McCann of the Braves, I like the approach he brings to the game, the mental aspect of the game and he is a great catcher and hitter and his leadership ability is awesome, going to be a star for a while. I like a guy who leads by action not words, his leadership reminds me a lot of Chipper. Seems like I have a love fest for catchers, oddly enough the one position I never played.
I really love your Aristotle quote (all of them were good quotes though). You said you've traveled to Louisiana, I just got back from New Orleans and visited the Faulkner home (spent a small fortune of books). While you were in Lousiness or any of the other places, did you have time to really sigh see. What was your favorite state you visited?
You pass the quiz. "It depends" is the answer I like to hear. Someone at work recently found out I was a baseball fan and prompted me with the "Cobb or Mays?" question. After I told him it would be unfair to answer that, I said "If I'm building an all-time team, I want Mays over Cobb", which caused him to go print off some stat sheets that made his case that Cobb was the "better" player. Of course, these metrics don't take everything into account. Sure, he had all those outfield assists---it was also the dead ball era and the time of huge ball parks, so outfielders played shallow, with more aggressive baserunners, etc...
I'm not a Braves fan per se, but I would not argue against a McCann choice. I think he, at the very least, has the best chance out of all the good young catchers out today, to have a successful career behind the plate (It already seems inevitable that Mauer/Santana/Montero will likely change positions in the already near future---a necessary evil when your biggest bat is also your backstop.
Hey Rose, I didn’t really have time to do much sightseeing while on those trips with baseball because we were all together on a charter bus which didn’t allow for doing our own thing. My favorite state to visit was New York, we were in Upstate New York, and so it was closer for us to go to Montreal, for shopping at the nearest mall, which was cool, instead of New York City. I say New York coming from a baseball point of view because I was able to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. As far as scenery and such a chill atmosphere I have to give to Vermont. We took the ferry over to Vermont from New York by way of Lake Champlain. We were able to experience the excitement of hoping to see the mysterious creature named Champ, a loch ness monster, who lives in Lake Champlain, which was a really cool experience. His sightings are very sporadic and we were not lucky enough to see it.
Hi Josh,
ReplyDeleteI think it is great that you have your own philosophy about education. Your ideas about the purpose of education, along with your love of quotes such as the “Ubuntu,” made me wonder if you have ever had any interest in teaching Philosophy, or if you plan on trying to incorporate some philosophical ideas into your English classes?
I also went to Baldwin High School and I remember being disappointed that they never offered any type of Philosophy class (at least not while I was there). I feel that some of the best philosophers were also some of the best writers, so I’ve always thought it would be fun to add more philosophical ideas into literature classes.
It's so cool that you were a Coaching minor. I actually started out my Undergrad career as a Coaching minor (which doesn't exist anymore, sadly) but got scared away by the thought of having to take Structural Kinesiology. Kudos to you sir.
ReplyDeleteHi Amber,
ReplyDeleteYou know I have thought of adding philosophy into English classes and a way I thought to incorporateit is start each class with a 10 min or so writing assignment in which I would provide a philosophical quote and the student write what they think it means and maybe each week pick one student to read their paper and lead a few minute class discussion on the idea.
Hi Andrew,
I though Structural Kinesiology would stand between and the minor but because I originally was going to be health/pe I had some background in human sciences but let me be honest the first attempt at structural kin I was overwhelmed and dropped the class but I was determined to get that coaching minor so when the next fall rolled around and I enrolled in it again and stuck it out his time and passed.
Hey Josh,
ReplyDeleteI love going to sporting events in Atlanta too and I finally went to my first Falcons game this past year...football isn't really my thing; however, I love the Thrashers AND now they are moving to CANADA! I am distraught. I am not an avid hockey fan, but the atmosphere and the games are so much fun. How do you feel about this move?
Hey Josh!
ReplyDeleteYou mention that you coached baseball at Baldwin High. Do you think you'd want to become an english teacher and also coach at that school at the same time?
Hey Josh,
ReplyDeleteI love Third Day and also listen to 104.7 a majority of the time I'm driving.
To follow up on your answer to Amber what are some of the philosophical quotes you would use in those assignments? I am fascinated by the Ubuntu and would love to hear other philosophical quotes you find interesting?
You've gotten me very excited about reading the poetry of Tupac Shakur. I am always on the hunt for poetry that will speak to high school students. What is it about his poetry that especially speaks to you?
ReplyDeleteThis may see like a very broad question but I wanted to know what you liked most about "Their Eyes Were Watching God"? Was it the prose, the characters, the plot, the dialect, etc...?
ReplyDeleteJudging from your book list and your love for the Modernist movement, do you know Dr. Pete Carriere? I think you two would get along VERY well. Also, I just saw The Color Purple as a musical (since I had read and seen the movie, I thought why not?) And if you like musicals you should definitely see it! Also, with your love of sports...who is your favorite Hawks player? I am a fan myself and used them a lot on NBA 2k9 back in the day. I love Josh and Bibby. Though I changed to the Celtics on the game because I love Ray Ray Allen!
ReplyDeleteHey Brittany
ReplyDeleteThe Thrashers move from Atlanta to Canada is heart breaking but looking at from the business side of things, like I try to do, the move is understandable. If the seats aren’t being filled got to do something, not that The Atlanta Spirit, the group who owns the Hawks and Thrasher are trying to help keep them in ATL. But being the optimist that I am, until I see the moving vans loaded and leaving for Canada there is HOPE!
Hey Marina
I would absolutely love to teach and coach at the same time. The coaching aspect of the game that have I have studied and learned from playing sports, from other coaches and lots of books on coaching, I think I have some valuable information to pass on to the up and coming players. I think the only sport right now at the high school level I want to coach is baseball but I would love to coach basketball or football at the middle school level.
Hey Katie,
ReplyDeleteOne of the quotes that stands out to be as one of the top five is by Mozart and is actually in the beginning of the book of one of the pre program readings If Holden Caulfied Were In My Classroom “Neither a lofty degree of intelligence or creativity nor both together go to making the genius. Only love can do that. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius”. Another one of my top five is by Muhammad Ali “The man who has no imagination has no wings.” Beverly Sills “You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you do not try.” One quote/philosophy about confidence that really makes a lot of sense to me and I love is by Anita Roddick (business woman and human rights activist from England) “If you think you are too small to make a difference, you haven’t been in bed with a mosquito.” I have so many more but these are all I can recall at the moment I have notebook full of these things that I have collected over the years.
I just had another come to mind and thought I would include it “Love is not blind – it sees more not less, but because it sees more, it is willing to see less” Julins Gordon
Hey Dr Alby,
What I like so much about his poetry is it is a window, I mean an unlocked door to his soul because you are not just looking into the soul, you are actually taking a trip through his soul. The poems were written when he was 19 years old and was trapped in the circumstances of the ghetto crying for help to get out but no avail. I can’t relate to circumstances or the surroundings of how he grew up, so the poems are not on personal level but I have always been amazed at the intelligence he showed in his 25 short years of life but accomplished what some will not in a lifetime. I think poems show his sensitivity, insight, revolutionary mind, fears, passion and sense of humor, which Leila Steinberg said she hopes this is what these poems will show. Steinberg worked with Tupac over the years and kept the poems he wrote and posthumously published the work. Some actors, authors, poets have put together two cds on the poems, one is different people reading some of the poems and the other is music inspired by the poems. The cds are under the same name just vol one and vol two.
Hey Lorien,
ReplyDeleteGreat question, but to be honest with you I really do not know what is appealing to me about this book. It is one of those things where you know you like something but can’t put a finger on what you like about it. I have read it twice and will probably read it a third time, like they say “the third time is a charm” maybe I can figure it out this time. There is something there or I would not be able to keep reading.
Hey Abby,
I do know Dr. Carriere (one of my favorite professors) and I have taken some of his classes and had some good discussions on the modernist movement, it was in Dr. Carriere where I was introduce to John Fowles and The French Lieutenant’s Women. On the Hawks question, Al Horford is my favorite, liked him when he was at the University of Florida, but ZaZa Pachulia runs a close second. Since the Hawks are not in playoffs any longer I am pulling for the Miami Heat or “The Heatles” as LeBron likes to call themselves. Outside of Hawks players, LeBron is my next favorite player.
Joshua:
ReplyDeleteWe're going to be pals. You get cool points for Cooperstown, Faulkner, Tupac, and the fact that you posted your favorites section before I sent you a generic "What is your favorite ____?" because that's something I always like to know about people.
I've been to Cooperstown four times and it doesn't get old (my grandfather lived a couple hours away from there). The last time I went was '06, so it's time to re-visit. So, since very few people talk baseball with me---1) Best player of all time (pitcher or hitter)? 2) If you're building a team in the present day and could pick one player for your core, who is it?
Sorry to nerd out on you.
-NH
Hey Nick,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like we have some common ground to trample upon. That is awesome that you have been to Cooperstown quite a few times. I would love to go back one day. Favorite Player of all time . . . . . You know being a baseball fan yourself that is a very tough question. Since baseball is divided into so many eras, i.e. the beginning, then you had the golden age of the 20's, intro of lights and beginning of the long ball in 30,s war in the 40's, the expansion of the 50's, speed and pitching in the 60's and money ball, creating dynasties, era beginning in 70's until today, and STEROID era of today, it is extremely difficult to label the greatest of all time. I really do not like to name a one person because so many have done great things in and for the game but since you asked I do have a nominee and his name is Josh Gibson, I have always liked what I read about him, but never having the opportunity to play in the majors it is hard for me to win my arguments, but the numbers he put up hitting (around 800 HRs) and became a great defensive catcher, probably better than Campanella and Bench. In the at bats against major league pitching he hit over .400, and the guy played his last five seasons with a brain tumor that led to his death in 1947 months before Jackie broke the color barrier. Core player to build upon would be someone young but with veteran approach, not being bias but I would pick Brian McCann of the Braves, I like the approach he brings to the game, the mental aspect of the game and he is a great catcher and hitter and his leadership ability is awesome, going to be a star for a while. I like a guy who leads by action not words, his leadership reminds me a lot of Chipper. Seems like I have a love fest for catchers, oddly enough the one position I never played.
I really love your Aristotle quote (all of them were good quotes though). You said you've traveled to Louisiana, I just got back from New Orleans and visited the Faulkner home (spent a small fortune of books). While you were in Lousiness or any of the other places, did you have time to really sigh see. What was your favorite state you visited?
ReplyDeleteYou pass the quiz. "It depends" is the answer I like to hear. Someone at work recently found out I was a baseball fan and prompted me with the "Cobb or Mays?" question. After I told him it would be unfair to answer that, I said "If I'm building an all-time team, I want Mays over Cobb", which caused him to go print off some stat sheets that made his case that Cobb was the "better" player. Of course, these metrics don't take everything into account. Sure, he had all those outfield assists---it was also the dead ball era and the time of huge ball parks, so outfielders played shallow, with more aggressive baserunners, etc...
ReplyDeleteI'm not a Braves fan per se, but I would not argue against a McCann choice. I think he, at the very least, has the best chance out of all the good young catchers out today, to have a successful career behind the plate (It already seems inevitable that Mauer/Santana/Montero will likely change positions in the already near future---a necessary evil when your biggest bat is also your backstop.
Hey Rose,
ReplyDeleteI didn’t really have time to do much sightseeing while on those trips with baseball because we were all together on a charter bus which didn’t allow for doing our own thing. My favorite state to visit was New York, we were in Upstate New York, and so it was closer for us to go to Montreal, for shopping at the nearest mall, which was cool, instead of New York City. I say New York coming from a baseball point of view because I was able to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. As far as scenery and such a chill atmosphere I have to give to Vermont. We took the ferry over to Vermont from New York by way of Lake Champlain. We were able to experience the excitement of hoping to see the mysterious creature named Champ, a loch ness monster, who lives in Lake Champlain, which was a really cool experience. His sightings are very sporadic and we were not lucky enough to see it.