Have You Heard of Square Butte Montana?

What makes the community of Square Butte memorable?  There were actually several things.  We were returning home from Fort Benton and we came upon Square Butte.  We already knew that the post office had closed there in 1962.  So why did we turn off there?  We just were curious and decided to take the tour.  From quite a distance we watched two buttes as we came closer to the community of "Square Butte" named for one of the nearby formations.  Square Butte is visible for about 75 miles.  It is also the home to a herd of Mountain Goats (50-80 head)

In July 1805 Lewis described "Fort Mountain" after observing it through his telescope thirteen miles away.  The laccolith or butte was formed from magma pushing through previous layers of lava.  The process makes a blister on the earth.  According to Joseph Mussulman there are more than 2,000 geologic features in the US known as buttes.





Square Butte was one of Charlie Russell's  favorite laccoliths.  If you look through some of his paintings you will see Square Butte in the background. Look at his painting titled " Charles M. Russell and his Friends" 1922.

Are You Old School?

Old School - Square Butte, MT

Today's students learn 24/7.  This phrase resonated as I continued to read.  I thought wouldn't it be exciting to take the library classroom and move it more to the "old" poet/artist coffee-shop atmosphere of years passed.  The years that were noted for innovation and creativeness.  How can I re-create that creativeness in my classroom?

Stuart Woods opens many of his Stone Barrington novels with "Elaine's late".  In the author's notes he thanks her for extending fellowship to him and other writers in her restaurant and bar.  I want to create that atmosphere in my class.  I want my students to feel free enough to explore new learning and creativity.

I know from reading other educators' blogs, many of you have achieved this level of creativity in your classroom.  My question is how do the rest of us achieve this on a regular basis?  I know there have been lessons and days when I have achieved this; but it has been an unconscious achievement.  How do we replicate the successes in a conscious way?

This picture was taken in Square Butte, Montana.  There was a sign that said "Rooms" and a second sign said "make payment to Square Butte Water Committee".  That old school epitomizes ongoing change to me.  In my mind - learning happens 24/7 - takes on a cadence. I am reminded that education is a thread that runs through my life.  


I kinda like being "old school" with new dreams. 

I used http://warholize.me on the original photo.