Spoonfed Education

  Ever wonder why our public education system in America has been on a steady decline since the 60's?  What is it that seems to undermine every new idea and innovative policy passed down from Congress to stimulate the scores of our students?  Well, there are several cracks in the foundation of our public education system, but it is my opinion that nothing will change until we take strides to transform our views about who is responsible to educate our future generations.  No, I am NOT going to make a plug for homeschooling...this time.  But, until we can pass the responsibility to learn from the teachers to the students, we will not see much in the way of educational reform.
  I have watched the past ten years as the government passed down frantic new programs in hopes of stimulating learning through teacher incentives and consequences.  Perhaps I missed it, but I haven't seen any successful progress.  Instead, I see a bunch of pressured teachers who are so frightened of losing their jobs in this market that they are willing to lose their character and cheat on the scores for their students' standardized testing, like we have seen in our Atlanta city schools.
  Until we make it clear that the responsibility to learn lies with the student and not the teacher, we will not see things change in our education system.  We do a great disservice to our future generations by allowing them to think they did poorly in a subject because they had a lousy teacher. No doubt, a good teacher goes a long way to making learning fun and exciting, and even easy, but learning is not solely in the hands of those who teach. If a student believes she is in charge of her own education, then she in empowered to rise above the less-than-average teacher.  She will seek outside help and information.  She will become what our society sorely needs and almost always heralds, in the adult phase of life.  She will become an INDEPENDENT LEARNER, a SELF-STARTER.
  I'll never forget what a shock it was for me to go to England during my high school years. I was there for about two years, starting in the middle of my Freshmen year.   Education is run differently in the U.K. than in the States. I had just come from Texas, where things were moving along just fine. I had straight A's my first semester. There was a rhythm to the six week sessions run in the Texas system. I had learned how to make that system work for me, but true learning and effort had not really been asked of me yet. No, that was not required of me until I left the States.
  In England, I had entered in a trimester late in a two year learning situation. In those two years we kept the same teachers, classes, and subjects. At the end of the two years, we were to take written exams, two of them per course, and some exams lasting three to four hours in length.  Right before the exams, we were given some time...I can hardly remember now, but I think it was six weeks, without classes to simply study for the exams...no teachers, just study time. Whatever we got on our exams, plus a portion of our yearly work would be our grades for the past two years.  I was handed a syllabus at the beginning of class and I was expected to remember when things were due, without reminders. (Quite shocking for me, I can tell you.)  I had to keep track of when our mock exams were coming, and I had to learn on my own, beyond the material handed to me, if I was going to pass and get credit for two years worth of learning.  I had to get books, on my own, that would help me prepare for the exams. I had to organize my time, and hold down a part-time job at the same time.   I say all this to show that we do not require enough from our students at an early enough age. It is not the teachers who gave me an education, although they guided me and helped me along the way, but ultimately they communicated that I was the responsible party to educate myself and prepare for my future independence.
  Now, in this country, we do not ask that level commitment from our students until college.  Perhaps we think they are too immature to take on that responsibility.  But, often times, we create unprepared students who cannot handle the university situation.  What do we create for our society when we allow students to believe that the teachers are responsible for our learning?  What does a parent do for her child when she puts the blame on the teacher for her child's poor grades? (Certainly there are circumstances where a teacher was unfair, or graded with partiality, but even that teacher cannot prevent a child who is self-motivated from learning in spite of her grade.)  We produce a generation who believes they are owed something. That their performance is in the hands of someone else.  Later on if they don't perform well at work, well it transfers that they have a lousy boss, and the blame can be passed to him.
   But we can do something for our next generation, despite the newest congressional push for reform in testing. We as parents and adults can encourage and show the way to our students. We can give our kids the tools to rise above their circumstances and take control of their education. Getting involved early-on can make all the difference. Don't let the school day be the end of learning. Find supplemental materials to play with and experiment with at home. Without a love and interest for learning, you will always be applying outside pressure to get a result, but when the student becomes infected with the love of learning, you won't be able to stop her.  Go to museums, watch interesting educational shows...but most importantly, find out what interests your child and run with it. 
  Recently I sat down with my 7th grader and 5th grader, and I asked them to make a list of things they are interested in learning more about.  The 7th grader's list was: "Drawing, Modern History, Animals and Bugs, Computer Programming, Legends of Varying Cultures, and Herbs.  The 10 yr old's list was: "Ballet, How to Make a Computer, Computer Programing, The Way Stuff is Made, Books, Animals, and Research."  America's kids want to learn more than movies, and video games, and pop music....if we let them.
  My 7th grader loves the idea of survival living.  She loves to research and find out what plants are edible, and she experiments with it.  She has asked for an herbalist class/book/dvd set to help her in her study of Botany (call it what it is, and suddenly it is more than a kid just getting grubby in the mud).  My 5th grader  is fascinated with computers.  I found a free program from M.I.T. that helps kids get the basic ideas down for computer programming. She, and her "botany" sister, have begun to invent and create their own video games, complete with original graphics and story line.  Our children's play is their business, and their learning is never ceasing unless we tell them that they can only learn when being spoonfed. 

Coming Out of a Fog

  My husband and I just celebrated our thirteenth anniversary.  While we were driving away to our hotel, we began to discuss all that has past so far.  We realized that in that time I have been extremely busy laying the foundation for our five daughters.  Many a day, week, or even month would pass without me truly digging into the Word of God in my quiet time.  Sure I would listen to sermons, or read a quick devotional, or simply repeat one or two Bible verses in my head to keep me going, but I had become lax in studying and being still before God. I would go from morning to night attending to the needs of the many little ones in my care.  Prayer while working, became my new mode of communication with God...or a least a last minute plea to restrain me from letting my flesh take control in a frustrating moment of training our daughters.  How easy it is to heap guilt upon your heart when you let a discipline slide, much less a spiritual discipline. But in those "survival mode" years, I learned to lay my guilt at the feet of the Lord, and to bask in His grace that is constant, regardless of my performance.
  We have truly been blessed to have the written Word of God at our fingertips, but for thousands of years those who walked with God did so without that luxury. Many a faithful follower today sit imprisoned for their faith, with no Bible to comfort them.  It is possible to carry on a truthful and full relationship with God without daily Bible readings.  Like I mentioned before, daily Bible study is a spiritual discipline, and not the actual relationship with God in and of itself.  But the lack of consistently studying the Word takes its toll over time.  It leaves us more subject to being lured by the world's thinking, or more easily led astray by false teaching.  For myself, I become weak to resisting the call to gauge my life by my possessions or achievements.  I become weak to the idea that I need "me" time...and eventually I try to pick up my life as my own, instead of  living as one who has been bought at a price and who belongs to Another.
  This summer has been like a lifting of the spiritual fog I have felt for the past couple of years.  This is the second year that we have participated in the National Bible Bee  as a family.  What an incredible opportunity to memorize the Scriptures, and to teach your children how to study the Bible.  In addition to the many Bible verses each age group memorizes, the families all study the same book of the Bible.  This summer we are studying through the book of 1 Peter.  They teach you how to do an inductive Bible study, reading over the whole book several times and studying the history, geography and author before taking a closer look, chapter by chapter and verse by verse (and looking up the original Greek in Strongs Concordance).  So for those looking to teach their children in the spiritual disciplines of Bible study, prayer (they go through the whole A.C.T.S prayer model), and scripture memory, along with great ideas and prompts for applying the Word of God in your life and in your child's life, I can't recommend this summer challenge enough!  It has been so helpful to have this program to help pass along the skills and disciplines I learned in college, and at the appropriate age level, too.
  As my children mature, I am finding the time to sit still is returning to my life. The time to think, pause, pray and study is slowly creeping back into the daily schedule of things.  I can see the foundation we have been laying with the girls is paying off for them, and us, as I work myself out of a job, with each girl growing in her ability to help around the house and to help with her younger sisters.  I am thankful for those "survival mode" years, and I am glad that God is gracious. 

The following passage of scripture describes the fog, and lifting of it in my heart:

Psa 119:25-50 
"My soul clings to the dust; Revive me according to Your word.
 I have declared my ways, and You answered me; Teach me Your statutes.
 Make me understand the way of Your precepts; So shall I meditate on Your wonderful works.
 My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your word.
 Remove from me the way of lying, And grant me Your law graciously.
 I have chosen the way of truth; Your judgments I have laid before me.
 I cling to Your testimonies; O LORD, do not put me to shame!
 I will run the course of Your commandments, For You shall enlarge my heart.
 Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end.
 Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
 Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it.
 Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to covetousness.
 Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way.
 Establish Your word to Your servant, Who is devoted to fearing You.
 Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your judgments are good.
 Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me in Your righteousness.
 Let Your mercies come also to me, O LORD— Your salvation according to Your word.
 So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me, For I trust in Your word.
 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I have hoped in Your ordinances.
 So shall I keep Your law continually, Forever and ever.
And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts.
 I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings, And will not be ashamed.
 And I will delight myself in Your commandments, Which I love.
 My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments, Which I love, And I will meditate on Your statutes.
 Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope.
 This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life."