Two and a Half Years Later

In the spring and summer of 2011, I traveled to Vermont, Boston, San Francisco, and South America—all with the purpose of learning more about Phineas Gage and walking in his footsteps; I was fortunate to visit the cities where the most pivotal events in his life occurred (THE accident, his death, and even now where his skull resides).   

Fast forward two and a half years:  It is the fall of 2013.   I am still teaching seventh grade, and today we began reading Phineas Gage: A Gruesome But True Story about Brain Science.  The students cringed, asked a plethora of questions, and were genuinely curious about Gage— and we only read the first half of chapter one! Their enthusiasm reminded me that they were the reason I wrote the grant; the reason I chose Gage as my subject; the reason why I am still thankful today for the opportunities the grant afforded me.  As I teach Phineas Gage a sixth time, and potentially the last time (my district is currently going through the curriculum adoption process again), I plan on enjoying every page of it with my students!