Educating Backward

I think that in many cases education happens backward, that is, people are taught to emulate results rather than taught the fundamentals which lead to said results.  In my own experience, I have seen this in elementary schools, in the teaching of music and sports, and also in education that happens at church.  I suspect it that it applies to other realms of education as well.

As a student of education, I have recently taken a course in math education from a constructivist point of view, that dramatically altered my thinking on how math ought to be taught to elementary students.  I have become convinced through research and proven statistics that when children are taught a formula for multiplying 2 digit numbers, for example, their minds, in a sense, turn off, and they go through the motions of carrying and borrowing, and arrive at a result that is hopefully to the teacher’s liking.  The student, however, could never explain why those particular steps were employed, and could certainly never do the multiplying without a pencil and paper.  They are able to produce the results, however, and so all parties are happy.  This repeated ignorant computation in all variety of math problems, however, invariably leads to the child becoming one of thousands upon thousands who truly believe they are “bad at math.”  They are bad at math only because they were never given the opportunity to really learn it.

When taking piano lessons students are taught that particular symbols correspond to particular keys, and they learn through memorization and lots and lots of practice to be able to see a conglomeration of notes and spontaneously press each of the represented keys on the piano, followed by more and more of these sequences making up an entire musical piece.  Often, however, the student is not taught why those particular notes show up together so often, or why certain notes never show up in a particular piece of music.  They simply see symbols, and press corresponding keys, like any competent robot would.  If, however, the student is taught the whys of it all, then they may be able to do more than simply see and regurgitate, but they may be able to create.  They may be able to improvise.  They may be able to embellish. 

When I was in middle school I joined a girls basketball team and along with the onslaught of drama that accompanies all activities with middle school girls, I was shortly introduced to “plays.”  We had a play for this and a play for that.  When the other team had an exceptionally accurate 3-point shooter we would run one play and when the score was close we had another.  When there was a fast point guard we would run these plays and when there was a tall center we would run those.  The problem was, and I see this clearly now in hind sight, that the point of the game became sticking to those plays.  We focused more on keeping to the code of the play than on getting the ball in the net.  Our team did not do very well, and it was not for lack of effort.  We didn’t have the fundamentals of the game.

We like results and we like to get them fast.  We take shortcuts, and end up with results that are fake and meaningless.  I believe we do this in teaching Christianity to children as well.  We teach our children that a good Christian spends time doing these things and not those, dresses this way and not that, goes to that place and not this, says this word and not that one, and keeps company with these people and avoids those.  Now, we may say that it is because we love God and want to please Him that we do these things, but do we teach children to fall in love with God?  Do we honestly love Him ourselves?  Or are we just accomplished actors?

We like results and convince ourselves that they must be evidence of something true, something authentic, but how often are we merely artists using a “paint by number” canvas?  If the fruit we produce is the point of it all, then at some point we will realize that it is empty and pointless, and certainly not fun.  And we will probably leave the church – or we’ll stay and be miserable.

So how do we teach the fundamentals?  What even are the fundamentals of the faith, and can they even be taught?  How does a child of God disciple another child of God? 

I deeply desire to grow in my knowledge of these things.  I think the answer probably lies in the study of Jesus’ earthly ministry.  Jesus was a teacher, and He was perfect.  How did Jesus teach?

·       Jesus shared His life with his pupils spending every waking moment with them, building relationships with them.  I have to ask myself as a teacher, do I share my life with my students, or are they only receivers of information to me?  Do they know about the experiences in my life that have led me to the convictions I now share with them?  Or do they assume I tell it to them merely because it was told to me?  Maybe I do.

·      Jesus taught by example.  He used every opportunity to show them truth and live it before them.  It’s one thing, as a teacher, to say what you have rehearsed at home and written in your lesson plan, but do I live it out when pandemonium erupts in the classroom? 

·      Jesus used stories.  I think we underestimate the value of a story in western culture.  Stories represent life, and can tie concepts to reality in a way that no other form of pedagogy can.  I think we tend to be very good at using Bible stories to teach children lessons, (a very good thing!), but how often do we use stories from our own lives?  I think children benefit immensely from knowing about the inner struggles and joys that authentic Christians experience as they walk through life, and they only get this if we tell them our stories.

·      He used scripture constantly.  Do relevant verses roll off my tongue when a child tells me something that causes them fear or sadness?  What about when children are arguing, or when I am frustrated with the class for not listening?  The word of God is powerful and transformative, and I know that I all but completely neglect it’s usefulness for teaching.

I want to think some more on this, definitely study the teaching of Christ more closely.  As I think about teaching my own children someday, I want to grow in understanding of how to foster love in my children, rather than to merely require loving actions. 

My Lightning Bolts

As Derek and I have been taking steps toward overseas missions in the past year, I've thought that at some point we should begin a blog to keep people interested in our ministry up to date.  I'm not sure whether it would be better to do that on a separate site.  I feel like that would make it too complicated for me, though, so for now I'm thinking I'll take the easier route.  Maybe I'll change the color scheme...

We've been preparing the past month or so for our church's missions conference, and I've been learning about several missionary "greats" in the process: Gladys Alward, Samuel Morris, John Patton, and Amy Carmichael.  In hearing these people's stories, I am fascinated to learn not only how God used them in remote parts of the world, but about how God brought them into that ministry.

As a little girl I had read about missionaries (more on that later) and occasionally a missionary family would visit our church and speak about their ministry or show slides with pictures of their everyday lives overseas.  And I always assumed that God had sent them a lightning bolt, or grown them from different stock than the rest of us.  How else would one come to be a missionary?  Occasionally you hear the story about the grandmother who prays everyday that her grandson will become a missionary, and so that, I supposed, could do it as well.  In my life I don't think it was any of these things, though.

When I was in 2nd or 3rd grade my mother bought a series of historical fiction books for me to read.  I hated reading for the most part at that point in my life, and viewed it as a task to check off so that I could get on to the more exciting things in life.  Like Barbie dolls.  But these books, the "Trailblazer Series" they were called, opened a new chapter in my relationship to books.  I loved them.  They presented mystery, suspense, and adventure, and I could always understand what was going on!  On top of all of that, they were about missionaries.  I'm sure I patted myself on the back for that to some degree. 

Parents, if you do not want your children to fly to a foreign country some day as a missionary, don't allow them to read the books in the Trailblazer Series.  Yes, they are historical fiction in that they are told through the eyes of a usually fictitious child, but the stories hold pretty true to fact with regard to the child's interaction with the missionary featured in each book.  These books created in me a fascination with missionary work and tangible nature of God's work in the lives of His children who walk by faith.  These books set the platform, I believe, for my desire to become a missionary.

The event that solidified in my mind the desire to become a missionary, was my father's participation in a short term mission trip when I was around 11 years old.  That's right, it wasn't I who went on the missions trip - it was my father.  Parents, if you don't want your children to be interested in missionary work, don't go on a short term missions trip.  In taking that trip, my father showed me that people like us could be involved in missionary work.  It's not just people in books, or people who speak at conferences, or preach.  It's people like us too. 

When my father came back from that trip he told us about how there were so many groups of people who wanted to hear the gospel, and even wrote letters pleading for a missionary to be sent to them.  He told us stories about whole tribes of people who had come to know Jesus, casting aside the fear and darkness they had lived in for centuries, because a missionary family was willing to go and tell them.  I admit that at that point the idea of foreign missions was definitely a big glamorized in my mind, and I saw it as a fun adventure as well as incredibly important work that must be done.  But this is how God chose to put the desire in my heart.

There were obviously many other things along the way that God has used to point me in the direction He has for me, as he has done for Derek as well, but these were the first things.  These were my lightning bolts: some children's books and a trip my dad took.  You never know what the Holy Spirit will use in your life, or in the life of your children. 

A Radient Moment

It's amazing how dramatically the weather can affect one's mood.  After quite a few rainy days in a row, I was struck, yesterday, by how wonderful life felt in the sunlight.  I felt like I would be happy to do anything in the world in that bright cheery weather.

I thanked God for the reminder of His presence, and then wondered about whether this was a small measure of what will transpire in my heart when I get to heaven.  I imagine the brightest, cheeriest day here will seem dark and gloomy when compared with heaven's radiance.  Hearts will leap with joy at the mere sight of it I'm sure.

This morning my Bible study directed me to read 2 Corinthians 3:18.  Don't you love it when God teaches you something in a variety of different ways all at the same time?

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

Perhaps I, too, can radiate God's glory.  I shall pray for this.

Not only Key Moments

I've been reading C. S. Lewis quite a bit lately...  I had the privilege of going to a theatrical rendition of "The Screwtape Letters" recently, and became interested in reading other works of his.  In the past couple of weeks I've enjoyed reading both "The Great Divorce" and "Till We Have Faces."  Tonight I ventured into the rain and and darkness to the public library in search of more Lewis books, and I came across his sci-fi series, which I'm looking forward to reading, as I always enjoy that sort of creativity in literature, and also a tiny little book called, "Made For Heaven." 

I've always loved reading about and imagining heaven.  One summer while on a missions trip I read Joni Eareckson Tada's book, "Heaven," and I found it quite profound and uplifting (read my Xanga post about it here).  I have also enjoyed reading Randy Alcorn's books, "Heaven" and "Heaven for Kids."  Reading books like these makes me long for heaven, and seems to render brief adjournment from my preoccupation with myself (both my "virtues" and shortcomings).  As I was thinking about how good it is for my perspective on life to meditate on God and His plan for me like this, the thought came to me that perhaps this is part of why God has not yet given me children.  As a young married woman without children I am constantly told that I should cherish the life I have now (before children come along and start taking up all of my time), and of course I believe what they say is true (although I'm sure also that were I someone whose children had grown and left me I could say the same thing back to them and it would be an equally profound reminder), though I still wonder, often, why it is that God's plan for me right now involves infertility.  I know that it is His perfect plan, and that there is most definitely a reason, if not many, and I can't help thinking that if I knew those reasons, it would be easier to rest in His plan. 

So... all this to say, that I think one reason perhaps I have been called to the life that I have currently, is so that I might fall deeper in love with Him through the things I read.

Not only is this moment of my life a key moment, but this phase of my life is key as well.