A few weeks ago Bob Edwards suggested that I write a post on some of the ins and outs of year-round school. I am not an expert on school and the pros and cons of having the students go year-round with more breaks rather than have a long summer break. But I am a blogger, and I can give my opinion on anything. Right? I have had a bit of experience in education, twenty four years as a student, and thirty three as a teacher and coach, so my opinion is not totally uninformed.
There are a number of arguments in favor of year-round school. These include having shorter breaks throughout the year that are supposed to help retention of information, keeping kids off the streets during the long hot summers, and providing a place for working parents to put their children. Given the current cultural situation in the country, those could be compelling reasons. School districts around the country have instituted year-round school, in the elementary schools at least, and the results seem to be positive. When the students get to the upper grades though, there are a number of factors that I believe will hinder a broader use of a longer school year.
In a lot of areas of the country, particularly those whose economy runs on tourism, the businesses depend on a supply of teenagers who are on summer break to fill their openings. Some states have pushed back the start of the school year in order to allow those students to work the entire tourist season. The economic benefits of a long summer break would be awfully hard for those areas to give up. When I was coaching, one of the big benefits of a summer break was the opportunity to go to summer camps at colleges. These colleges were also on their summer break, so they could concentrate on the camps, which are a great recruiting tool as well as allowing the teams to work on their skills. A shorter summer break might not affect that so much, but longer breaks during the school year would make scheduling athletic seasons very interesting. In some areas of the country, sports such as football or basketball are nearly a religion, and one tinkers with that at great risk.
It seems that a large part of American culture is built around a school year that begins in mid to late August or September and runs until the end of May or middle of June. I think it can work in the lower grades, and possibly in the upper grades as well, but I'm not sure the majority of the people in the country are ready for the adjustments it would cause.
Just my thoughts. What do you think?
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Monday, August 3, 2015
Friday, March 14, 2014
Yet Another Lesson
I've written before about some of the things God has taught me through my interactions with the students with whom I work, and with friends. This morning the Father had another one lined up for me. I have been asking for more intimacy, for open ears to hear what he has for me, and for open eyes to see what he is doing so I can join in. Today, for some reason I was starting to wonder if some of the things that I do are worth it. This is something that pops into my head from time to time.
One of my students came in this morning and told me that he had left his binder at home. Essentially, he had nothing that he needed for the day. My initial reaction was what consequences need to happen to remind him to bring his stuff to school. I brought it to the attention of my lead teacher, and her response was to give him paper and a pen. On the way to his class, I was still thinking, "How can he forget his stuff? Why can't he be more responsible?" As we walked down the hall, I felt the Father say, "How many times do you forget?"
It's true. I often forget who I am in Christ. I forget that Christ lives in me. I forget that my Father knows the end from the beginning, and is working to reconcile all things to himself, using even my puny efforts to advance his kingdom. I forget that I am not called to save anyone or do anything on my own. I am simply called to abide in Christ and let him produce fruit in me as I seek to follow him. Any good that comes from what I do, as a teacher, husband, father, or friend is up to God, not me. I am not responsible to bring about any change. I am only responsible to be faithful to what God has called me to. I forget that my Abba loves me with an inexhaustible love that goes beyond my understanding. I forget that his grace is given to me simply because he loves me, and that I can't earn more grace or blow it so badly that I lose grace.
What is interesting is that God didn't berate me for forgetting those things. He didn't treat me like I would have treated the student. He graciously reminded me of those things which I too easily forget, and reminded me that he gives me everything I need for each day, just like the teacher gave paper and a pen to the student. Abba doesn't treat me like a forgetful student, but as his beloved son in whom he is pleased. Thank God for his grace and love!
One of my students came in this morning and told me that he had left his binder at home. Essentially, he had nothing that he needed for the day. My initial reaction was what consequences need to happen to remind him to bring his stuff to school. I brought it to the attention of my lead teacher, and her response was to give him paper and a pen. On the way to his class, I was still thinking, "How can he forget his stuff? Why can't he be more responsible?" As we walked down the hall, I felt the Father say, "How many times do you forget?"
It's true. I often forget who I am in Christ. I forget that Christ lives in me. I forget that my Father knows the end from the beginning, and is working to reconcile all things to himself, using even my puny efforts to advance his kingdom. I forget that I am not called to save anyone or do anything on my own. I am simply called to abide in Christ and let him produce fruit in me as I seek to follow him. Any good that comes from what I do, as a teacher, husband, father, or friend is up to God, not me. I am not responsible to bring about any change. I am only responsible to be faithful to what God has called me to. I forget that my Abba loves me with an inexhaustible love that goes beyond my understanding. I forget that his grace is given to me simply because he loves me, and that I can't earn more grace or blow it so badly that I lose grace.
What is interesting is that God didn't berate me for forgetting those things. He didn't treat me like I would have treated the student. He graciously reminded me of those things which I too easily forget, and reminded me that he gives me everything I need for each day, just like the teacher gave paper and a pen to the student. Abba doesn't treat me like a forgetful student, but as his beloved son in whom he is pleased. Thank God for his grace and love!
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
World Vision Wednesday
Refugees from the Syrian crisis face many challenges. Among them is continuing the education of the children. For more on this check this out
Thursday, August 1, 2013
40 Years? Really?
Last week, Jan and I took a trip up north to attend my 40th high school reunion. Hard to believe it's been 40 years! We had a good time, as we combined the reunion with some other stops along the way to see some friends and relatives.
Tuesday, we traveled to Lynchburg, VA, where we spent the night with one of Jan's college roommates. We had a good time catching up. On Wednesday, we drove north to Ashburn, VA and spent a couple days with a nephew and his wife. We did a bit of walking, around their neighborhood and the nearby town of Leesburg. Friday morning, I went with our nephew and played full court basketball for an hour. I survived and I'm actually proud of myself. I played under control, and my mind (which sometimes thinks I'm still in my 20s) didn't convince my body to try something I would regret. I didn't feel too bad the next couple of days. Just a little sore.
After I showed the young guys how to play the game, we traveled to the Rockville, MD area for the reunion as well as some sightseeing. We took a detour to a town near Baltimore where we spent the afternoon with another of Jan's college roommates, along with her husband, father, and daughter-in-law. We had a great time talking and reminiscing. It was good to see them again after a number of years. Friday night found us at a reunion dinner/happy hour. It was good to see some of my classmates, once they told me their names. For some reason, none of us looked the same as we did 40 years ago.
Saturday morning, we got up and took a trip down memory lane. We drove through our old neighborhoods, taking pictures of the schools we attended, the houses in which we lived, the place where we met, and the church where we were married. We also stopped and visited my parents' graves, where I found that I still get choked up after almost seven years. It was good to see the old places, most of which looked pretty good. The yards and playgrounds seem to have shrunk quite a bit over the years. So many memories came to mind during our travels that I couldn't begin to list them here.
After our trip around the past, we went to a cookout where I caught up with even more of my classmates. Again, I remembered them after they told me their names. There was a class picture from 1973 on one wall in the house. It was amazing to see how much hair we all had back then! We ate some good food, had a few drinks, and remembered the good times we had back when. It seemed like a simpler time because we didn't yet have the responsibilities of careers and families. We were the ones who were going to change the world, and some are doing that, although in smaller ways than we imagined. Most of us have grown up to be responsible adults who are doing some good. We have changed, in ways beyond the obvious physical changes. Some of the changes are good, some are not, but the group that graduated from high school in 1973 really doesn't exist anymore.
Sunday morning, we headed for home. On the way, we stopped to see another nephew and his wife, along with their two year old son and their six day old daughter. We went from a bunch of memories to a family that was making their own memories that they can tell about 40 years from now. I got to hold our grand-niece and it was good to hold part of the future. It will be fun to see how her life unfolds, as well as the lives of all of our grand- nieces and grand-nephews.
Thomas Wolfe wrote that you can't go home again. Maybe you can't. Maybe you can, but it's not really home. Or maybe, all of our past experiences form the home we're in today.
Tuesday, we traveled to Lynchburg, VA, where we spent the night with one of Jan's college roommates. We had a good time catching up. On Wednesday, we drove north to Ashburn, VA and spent a couple days with a nephew and his wife. We did a bit of walking, around their neighborhood and the nearby town of Leesburg. Friday morning, I went with our nephew and played full court basketball for an hour. I survived and I'm actually proud of myself. I played under control, and my mind (which sometimes thinks I'm still in my 20s) didn't convince my body to try something I would regret. I didn't feel too bad the next couple of days. Just a little sore.
After I showed the young guys how to play the game, we traveled to the Rockville, MD area for the reunion as well as some sightseeing. We took a detour to a town near Baltimore where we spent the afternoon with another of Jan's college roommates, along with her husband, father, and daughter-in-law. We had a great time talking and reminiscing. It was good to see them again after a number of years. Friday night found us at a reunion dinner/happy hour. It was good to see some of my classmates, once they told me their names. For some reason, none of us looked the same as we did 40 years ago.
Saturday morning, we got up and took a trip down memory lane. We drove through our old neighborhoods, taking pictures of the schools we attended, the houses in which we lived, the place where we met, and the church where we were married. We also stopped and visited my parents' graves, where I found that I still get choked up after almost seven years. It was good to see the old places, most of which looked pretty good. The yards and playgrounds seem to have shrunk quite a bit over the years. So many memories came to mind during our travels that I couldn't begin to list them here.
After our trip around the past, we went to a cookout where I caught up with even more of my classmates. Again, I remembered them after they told me their names. There was a class picture from 1973 on one wall in the house. It was amazing to see how much hair we all had back then! We ate some good food, had a few drinks, and remembered the good times we had back when. It seemed like a simpler time because we didn't yet have the responsibilities of careers and families. We were the ones who were going to change the world, and some are doing that, although in smaller ways than we imagined. Most of us have grown up to be responsible adults who are doing some good. We have changed, in ways beyond the obvious physical changes. Some of the changes are good, some are not, but the group that graduated from high school in 1973 really doesn't exist anymore.
Sunday morning, we headed for home. On the way, we stopped to see another nephew and his wife, along with their two year old son and their six day old daughter. We went from a bunch of memories to a family that was making their own memories that they can tell about 40 years from now. I got to hold our grand-niece and it was good to hold part of the future. It will be fun to see how her life unfolds, as well as the lives of all of our grand- nieces and grand-nephews.
Thomas Wolfe wrote that you can't go home again. Maybe you can't. Maybe you can, but it's not really home. Or maybe, all of our past experiences form the home we're in today.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
World Vision Wednesday
Next month, children across the United States will be heading back to school. It will be an exciting time for some and an anxious time for others. Students in Oklahoma will be facing all of those things. They will also have the added burdens caused by the tornadoes that ripped through the state this past spring. World Vision is on the ground helping these children prepare for the year ahead.
Friday, January 11, 2013
A Christmas Program
Last month, I went with Jan to a Christmas program at the school where she teaches. As I sat watching the program, I started thinking that I was at a Christmas program that neither of our children were in, that I didn't know any of the students, and that the only reason I was there because some of Jan's students were participating. And, I was enjoying it. As I wondered why, I realized it was because it was a program that was full of the innocence of children, the joy of simple participation, and unconditional love. Later, I thought how that simple school Christmas program was a good picture of what the church is (or should be).
The participants in the program were not professional musicians or actors. While the performance was very good, there were notes that were missed and lines that were flubbed. It was what was there that is most important. There was innocence, an innocence that allowed each child to simply go through their part in the program and not worry about any missteps. There was also a joy in simply doing something in front of their families and friends. They were simply doing something and having fun doing it. None of the children ran crying from the stage because they had missed a cue or hit the wrong note. There was no embarrassment. This was because the children knew that they were loved by their parents and teachers, and that this love did not depend on performance. The audience applauded each part of the program, and showed sincere appreciation for the efforts of the participants.
This is how the church should be. Each of us has a part to play in the "program" that is the church. We are all called to be ministers of the grace of God. Whether that part is "big" or "small," we all have something to do in the body. We are called to be as children in our trust of the Father. It is an innocent trust that knows that, no matter what, our Abba has everything under control and loves us. Knowing this allows us to do what we do with joy, because we know that the end result doesn't depend on us and our performance doesn't determine our acceptance. We can miss cues, flub lines, and hit the wrong notes and our Father loves us the same.
That unconditional love of God calls us to love each other in the same way. Some of us struggle with a critical way of looking at the world. That is wrong. Just as no one criticized the children for not being perfect, so we should not criticize our brothers and sisters who may not do things as well as we do, or who may not be as far along in certain parts of their journey. We must remember that each one of us is solely responsible to God, and how he has called us may not be the same as how he has called another. We are also called to lay down our lives for our brothers. That will help free them to serve with joy and an innocent trust in the God who is sovereign and who can take our poorest efforts and use them for his glory and the advancement of his kingdom.
Let us be as children as we do what God has called us to do. Let us rest in the Father as we work, trusting him completely. Let us take joy in our calling, and let others know the source of that joy. Let us love one another as Christ has loved us and allow each other the freedom to play out our calling, even when it doesn't look all that pretty.
The participants in the program were not professional musicians or actors. While the performance was very good, there were notes that were missed and lines that were flubbed. It was what was there that is most important. There was innocence, an innocence that allowed each child to simply go through their part in the program and not worry about any missteps. There was also a joy in simply doing something in front of their families and friends. They were simply doing something and having fun doing it. None of the children ran crying from the stage because they had missed a cue or hit the wrong note. There was no embarrassment. This was because the children knew that they were loved by their parents and teachers, and that this love did not depend on performance. The audience applauded each part of the program, and showed sincere appreciation for the efforts of the participants.
This is how the church should be. Each of us has a part to play in the "program" that is the church. We are all called to be ministers of the grace of God. Whether that part is "big" or "small," we all have something to do in the body. We are called to be as children in our trust of the Father. It is an innocent trust that knows that, no matter what, our Abba has everything under control and loves us. Knowing this allows us to do what we do with joy, because we know that the end result doesn't depend on us and our performance doesn't determine our acceptance. We can miss cues, flub lines, and hit the wrong notes and our Father loves us the same.
That unconditional love of God calls us to love each other in the same way. Some of us struggle with a critical way of looking at the world. That is wrong. Just as no one criticized the children for not being perfect, so we should not criticize our brothers and sisters who may not do things as well as we do, or who may not be as far along in certain parts of their journey. We must remember that each one of us is solely responsible to God, and how he has called us may not be the same as how he has called another. We are also called to lay down our lives for our brothers. That will help free them to serve with joy and an innocent trust in the God who is sovereign and who can take our poorest efforts and use them for his glory and the advancement of his kingdom.
Let us be as children as we do what God has called us to do. Let us rest in the Father as we work, trusting him completely. Let us take joy in our calling, and let others know the source of that joy. Let us love one another as Christ has loved us and allow each other the freedom to play out our calling, even when it doesn't look all that pretty.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
World Vision Wednesday
"Mabvuto was forced to drop out of school because he had nothing to wear but tattered clothes and routinely suffered from preventable illness. Access to basic clothing and medication could make a world of difference for children like him."
Check this out to find out more.
Check this out to find out more.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
World Vision Wednesday
Many times, public school teachers have to spend their own money on supplies and instructional materials. In the 2009-2010 school year, teachers spent more than $1.33 billion dollars out of there own pockets. World Vision has teacher resource centers across the United States that help teachers lower their costs as they provide supplies for students who can't afford them. To find out more check out this link.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
World Vision Wednesday
Many American families are struggling in the midst of the nation's economic troubles. It is difficult, and in some cases impossible for parents to provide the materials necessary for their children to be successful in school. World Vision is working to provide children in need with basic school supplies. For more information see this.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Awesome! Yet...
Today, one of the classes where I work watched a video on the universe. The video began by speaking of the size of the Milky Way Galaxy, and the fact that if we could fly to the sun on a commercial airliner, it would take seventeen years. That is awesome. Yet, the closest star to earth after the sun (Proxima Centauri) is 25 trillion miles from earth! A spacecraft with the speed of the Voyager would take 81,000 years to get there. Awesome!
Yet, that is just a small part of the universe. The universe is defined as all the matter and energy that exists, along with all the space in-between. The size of the observable universe is 93 billion light years. And that's just what we can observe! Scientists say there is more of the universe beyond that, although no one knows how far it goes. Awesome!
Yet, there is a God who created all this! A God who is beyond space and time, who is "bigger" than the universe! A God who is the sovereign ruler over everything we can observe and everything we can't. A God who is outside and yet in this universe. Awesome!
Yet, even more awesome and mind blowing is the thought that this God who created this magnificent universe and stands above it, is the same God who calls me his child, and allows me to call him Father. This God loves me with an unfathomable love that reaches beyond this world. God became one of us, so that we can become like him. He has given me the privilege of following him, and living in his love and grace. He has called me to share that love with others and let them know that they can also follow him. One day this God will set everything in the universe to rights, and will finally restore his creation. That is awesome!
Yet. No, there is no yet. There is nothing more awesome than that.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
World Vision Wednesday
"As the economic downturn continues and many American families struggle just to make ends meet, children across the country risk starting another school year without basic supplies they need to succeed in their studies." This quote from World Vision highlights the need for school supplies for children here in the United States. To find out more, see this.
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