THE QUOTE BOARD 1976=2001

Like a lot of good ideas, it just happened. I don't recall its genesis, but I suspect it was in '75 or '76 when I began writing on the board verbatim what students said in my class. Well, it had to be pretty unique to make the board. It's duration was the rest of the school day. And, most importantly, it identified the speaker.

The purpose was twofold: 1. to allow students to seee the importance of what they say and 2. to allow them to see the different levels of meaning that words have. Of course, fun and drawing attention to the student, getting them to laugh at themselves were all secondary, but an important part.

In 1993, Mike Mateer wrote down all the quotes for the entire school year. He gave me a copy--it must have been 15 pages type written, but I've misplaced it. Several people told me I should have written a book about all of them. Isolated quotes by unknowns sound only appealing in context. But I wish I had a better sampling.

Here goes:

"The biceps on his legs look good." Jessica Payne

"This is a Thoreau-away society." Chucl Gray

"The 60's ate the grapes; the 70's got the sour taste." Scott Germann

"The average American really doesn't care about apathy." Beth Musick

"There are absolutely no trees in Texas." Kim Baker

Thousands more. Thousands better lost to the eraser. And my organization. I understand the practice lives on with Rob Flanagan, I believe, and art teacher Chris Mitchell at MTV High. Write on!!