The National Bison Range is close to our Missoula, Montana, lodging.  This summer, one of the days of our excursion will be spent touring the range with knowledgeable guides.  We won't see the millions of bison that Lewis and Clark claim to have seen, but we should be satisfied with more than a quick glimpse of these majestic creatures.  This particular herd is located and managed by the Confederated Salish and Kootenay Tribes (CSKT).  It sits in the middle of 18,766 acres at the center of the Flathead Indian Reservation.

This should prove to be a rewarding final event for the 2026 TRAILS program for the Wilderness Education Project and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

By my count, that's 21 airports during 25 trips (only one of which I actually paid for).  Through these years, I have been privileged to take most of my trips as a result of earning them through an application process or being assigned trips for work.  All of these have been rewarding in their own ways.  When I consider that every one was a round trip with a layover both ways, I realize that means four planes per trip.  Multiply that by 25 trips and it totals 100 planes - 100 takeoffs and 100 landings in my lifetime.  I started out with no flight experience, and through the years, the opportunities have increased.  I often wonder how I've fallen into this life.  I love traveling, even for short times and overnight trips, and I still anticipate each trip with excitement.

What do you do?

You have a student who does not achieve.  He's extremely intelligent.  He can spell, do math, solve puzzles, tell you all about modern history and government, puts together complete sentences, and is curious, but he hates school and refuses to turn in work.  He participates in class, likes some teachers but not others, has friends and girlfriends.

But this kid is not likely to make the required grades to complete high school.  He's not college material.

What do you do?

The kid needs to learn to turn a wrench.  The kid needs to cook.  The kid needs to learn personal finance.

But this kid doesn't make the required grades to get into vo-tech classes, and the school doesn't care...or their hands are tied in red tape and rules.  He's blocked from the very classes that will help this at-risk child be successful and not reliant on government handouts.

What do you do?

Well, if you're the school, you simply continue to block him.  You shove him into more classes that he will hate and against which he will rebel.  You claim that your hands are tied.  That's just the way the system works.  It's just too bad that he's falling through the cracks.  There's nothing you can do that will justify placing a kid failing at academics in a vocational class.

Are you kidding me?

The bottom line is, you're not putting the student where he will succeed because he has failed where he will never succeed.  The bottom line is, you're not meeting this kid's needs.  You're not meeting him where he is and pulling him up.  You're just trying to shove him harder and harder through the same square hole even though you have gained the knowledge, repeatedly, that he's not the square peg!

Does that sound ridiculous to anyone else but me?

Continue to push failure onto this kid.  Continue to make him hate the whole process.  Continue to punish the kid with the same processes and materials until he crashes.  Continue to frustrate this kid until he loses all confidence and hope rather than work with his strengths in the very least.

Does that make sense?

I've seen kids through the years - even 10-year-olds - who could have been tracked into automotive repair, HVAC courses, culinary arts, or whatever, and thrived.  I've seen kids who just needed to go straight into those courses - forget the academic requirements - and even become business owners.  And yet, they are blocked because someone in power or something in the outdated, Horace Mann rules of the system stands in their way.

Shame on the American education system!  Shame on you for failing the student, failing society, and failing common sense!  Shame on you for not finding a work-around.

It's a pet peeve, because I've worked with some of those students.  I've been able to meet them where they were and positively lead them out of the holes they've dug for themselves.  Some of those students, when leaving my classroom, may have returned to their digging, but at least one person saw their potential, reached out a hand, and lifted them out of their "impossible" holes.  

These kids deserve better than a system that does nothing but exacerbates the problem - a system that's suppose to serve their interests, differentiate for their needs, and encourage their success.

What do you do?

Sit back and allow it to continue?  Wash your hands and say you can't turn the ship around?  Keep passing the buck up the line or hierarchy?

​What are you going to do?

The recent news of my wife's latest achievement in being accepted for the Al Worden Endeavour Scholarship Program was a shocker and a confidence builder.  When people first hear about it, they are a bit confused.  A couple of people even thought she was going into outer space for a year.  The school where she teaches - Neosho Christian School - is thrilled for her, and I have no doubts that this honor will be recognized at the big fund-raiser banquet in April.  Here was their post on social media to announce her award:

These trips for the Gilder Lehrman Institute are often whirlwinds, flying to Kentucky or Virginia or someplace on Friday and returning the next.  In the past, there has been time to sightsee a bit on Friday evening, but in the last few trips, winter, flight delays, and early sunsets have stripped that free time.

This early February weekend was one of those times.  Most of my sightseeing had to be conducted from several thousand feet in the air.  I could easily still appreciate the views, though:  this time, just about the entire flight from Lexington to Chicago (ORD, standing for the original name for this airport, ORcharD, and not for its current title of O'Hare).  Frozen rivers and lakes dotted the landscape below us in interesting ways, allowing the shadows and reflections to dance enchantingly in the sunlight

The last flight between ORD and XNA went without a hitch, and soon I was in my vehicle, driving back to southwest Missouri, where I preached for the church there in Carthage, the next morning.  There would be no time for jetlag until Sunday afternoon.

Wildcat Park, or Wildcat Glades, is a unique park on the south part of town, near the Grand Falls (which is Missouri's largest continual, year-round waterfall).  The conservation center was closed for Washington's Birthday, but that didn't stop my son and his friend from taking the day to go fishing for the first time of the season (caught nothing).  There are some crude hiking area and wildlife viewing spots on this side of the park and the 72-degree temperature in February was just right for just hanging out and enjoying the outdoors.

OK, Midway, Kentucky, does not have an airport.  I like to think that if they did, it would be abbreviated as above (MDW and MID are taken.).

With the snow still on the ground and waking up to 18 degrees in Lexington, I was unsure as to the road conditions between my hotel and Midway University, so I left early.  It turns out that the roads were completely clear of all snow and ice.  The 25-minute drive was beautiful and serene.  The occasional horse or congregation of horses standing amidst the grand, wooden fences in this area added majesty and peace to my morning.  The sun rose behind me, regally announcing God's workmanship and presence.

I finally was able to snap a photo of the Secretariat statue in the center of the roundabout on the way into the countryside.  Every previous time, there has been a car behind me, not allowing me to stop for a picture.  This time, I got a great shot, but there was an ugly YIELD sign right in the middle of it.  You can see the picture below - after I used an AI program to remove the sign that blocked the statue.

I continue to gain confidence in taking a leadership role.  As my flight was boarding at 4pm, I knew getting out of my last presentation and driving to the airport probably needed to be adjusted.  There was no way to get it all in, only to dismiss at 3:30!  I shortened the lunch schedule, removed the afternoon break time, and was quite thankful that Dr. Rao ended his session 15 minutes early.  That all allowed me to get in all of my time and dismiss a full hour ahead of the original schedule.

I then had 90 minutes to refuel the rental car and return it, make my way through security screening, and find the departure gate.  In only a few minutes, we would be "wheels up" for, this time, Chicago, on my way back to northwest Arkansas.  Yeehaw!

Here are the state songs of the states that begin with the letter A.  There are some alternatives for Arizona and Arkansas that color them differently as we listen to them.  Sing along and appreciate the lyrics of these state songs.

In one more outing before bedding down for the night, I was able to find the closest Longhorn Steakhouse and enjoy a six-ounce steak and shrimp.  I spotted some quotes that I may be able to use for our summer sessions in Missoula, Montana.

All of this is so I could present professional development on behalf of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History for Kentucky teachers as a part of the TRAILS program for the Wilderness Education Program

Flying from XNA (Northwest Arkansas Airport) to CLT (Charlotte, North Carolina) rendered some interesting sights outside the window.  The mountains close to Charlotte were snow-capped as if they had been dusted with powdered sugar.  Then I spotted the building and surrounding structures in that fourth picture.  As far as I can tell, those things in the backyard are limestone pillars and monuments ready for purchase and personalization (Artificial intelligence assures me this is not a secret military property or an alien Stonehenge.).

Once in the airport of the Queen City (Charlotte), I had some delicious "Carolina Barbecue".  At the bottom of one escalator there was a side panel from an old Pan Am aircraft to admire and touch.  Out the window, on the horizon, was Charlotte herself.

One of the places I missed visiting, last summer, was Quincy, Massachusetts.  Oh, some of us ferried to Quincy for dinner one evening, but we didn't get past the boat docks.  Quincy is home to the birthplaces and houses of Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams.  The original draft schedule for 2026 had placed a visit to the Adams National Historical Park on our regular itinerary, but it is becoming less and less likely that it will be on the final schedule.  If it makes the final cut, I may need to watch the John Adams ​miniseries again to prepare.

In researching the area of Montana we will visit on our Gilder Lehrman Institute excursion, I discovered this eight-part series about the Bitterroots.  It should help to have some of this knowledge in my brain when I lead those Kentucky educators in professional development and field trips this summer.

As preparations continue for the summer excursion to Missoula, Montana, so does my anticipation.  The group of Kentucky educators that I lead in history pedagogy will make the trip to learn more on location about westward expansion, the terrain, and the indigenous community there.  I am eager to see Big Sky Country for the first time in person.

This is also the land of the novel and movie, A River Runs Through It.  The music in the video on the left is simply enchanting and decelerating.  The movie didn't appeal to me before this, but the trailer (on the right) encouraged me find and watch this movie about past happenings and lifestyles in Missoula.  The few parts that I didn't sleep through were...well, actually I slept through most of it.

For the 3rd category - Instructional Practice - there are only 20 lines to evaluate.  Students strive to reach the level of effective by the end of the semester.  When they fall short or exceed that level, I try to include a comment of explanation.  I will post the other categories soon.
​

1. Creates lessons that encourage students to think creatively and critically and to solve problems
2. Develops clear lesson plans which include objectives, materials, activities, adaptations/modifications and evaluation techniques based on the curriculum
3. Develops clear long-term instruction plans (e.g., units and/or modules) which include objectives, materials, activities, adaptations/modifications and evaluation techniques based on the curriculum
4. Selects materials and activities consistent with the objectives of the lesson and students' diverse abilities resulting in appropriate adaptations and modifications
5. Uses available educational technologies for effective instruction
6. Provides opportunities for all students to successfully apply or practice knowledge and skills learned
7. Designs assessments that align with learning objectives
8. Effectively uses multiple and appropriate types of assessment data to identify each student's learning needs and to develop differentiated learning experiences
9. Makes changes in instruction based on feedback from multiple classroom assessment sources
10. Gives constructive and frequent feedback to students on their learning
11. Balances the use of formative and summative assessment as appropriate to support, verify and document learning
12. Accomplishes smooth and orderly transitions between parts of the lesson
13. Communicates clearly to all students the objective and purpose of each lesson
14. Conducts class with poise, confidence and enthusiasm
15. Maximizes instructional learning time by working with students individually as well as in small or whole groups
16. Gives clear directions
17. Provides focus on important points and checks for understanding
18. Uses variety of effective and appropriate instructional strategies and resources
19. Encourages participation from all students through effective questioning strategies (e.g., equal distribution, level variation, adequate wait time, probing and clue giving, and appropriate correctives and feedback)
20. Presents lessons in a clear, logical and sequential manner

The gang just wasn't as good apart as it was together.  John Coulter unknowingly discovered boiling pots of water in the ground and hot water that shot into the air.  No one believed his stories, and they called it "Coulter's Hell". Later, we would come to know it as Yellowstone.  The Indians kidnapped and held Lewis' dog, Seaman, for ransom.  Lewis probably killed one or two of them to get the dog back.

They should have stuck together.  Lewis and Clark needed the complementary support of one another.  Meriwether Lewis, with a pretentious soul and tendency to wander aimlessly and in depression, especially needed the anchor of his partner Clark.  I believe they got greedy with their surveying and exploration on the way back.  Going downstream was certainly going to be easier and faster, so they thought they could do more and collect more than they needed.

Anyway, that's where we're going - to see the place where archaeologists found the firepits and latrines of the Corps of Discovery.  It is one of my favorite periods of American history.