- Shall we start with the obvious? Jesus Christ himself had no children. Okay, that's cheating, I know. I get that's a little different because He was Divine. How about the apostle Paul? He not only viewed Timothy as a non-biological son, but he certainly cared deeply about the future. Far from the JD Vance perspective, he thought being single and childless gave him more of a stake in God's mission and advocated that others be like he was in order to fulfill God's purposes.
- Isaac Newton certainly had an impact on the future, given that we still teach his work over 400 years after his death. He never married or fathered a child. Vance might have considered him week or miserable, but without him, we would have little understanding of physics today.
- Artists like DaVinci and Michelangelo considered their works of art to be their children, and those works are still inspiring people today. If they had children, would we have The David, The Pieta, or The Last Supper? Maybe. But also, maybe not. God had a different purpose for them than he does for many.
- CS Lewis was well into middle age when he met his wife, Joy. He raised her sons after her death, but JD Vance would say that doesn't count (at least that seems to be how feels about Kamala's step children). Yet, even before he met her, he was the author of many children's stories, science fiction, and theological masterpieces. He very much understood his stake in the future.
- If you have ever been through a natural disaster, had a home fire, or needed blood, you have benefitted from the American Red Cross. It was founded by Clara Barton. She had no children, but she clearly felt some "direct stake in the future" and had a direct impact on it.
- Women like me only have the right to vote in elections like the one in which JD Vance is running because of women like Susan B. Anthony, who wanted voting rights, not only for herself, but for women in the future, in spite of not having given birth to children.
- More recently, theologian John Stott chose singleness. While he recognized that it was "no higher or holier vocation than marriage," he also said, "If marriage is good, singleness is also good. It's an example of the balance of Scripture." For a full interview with him on this topic, click here.
- Dolly Parton and her husband never had any children, yet she has done more for children's literacy than anyone since Barbara Bush. Why would she care if children read? Because, she doesn't have the short sighted view that she will only care about that which directly affects her.
- And, of course, there are countless nuns and monks and priests who have forgone marriage and children to focus on the future.
- There is one that JD Vance doesn't seem to mind (or at least hasn't mentioned publicly). Lindsey Graham has never been married or had children. I would assume that his two decades plus in the Senate means he believes he has some stake in the future. One would think he might speak out about the Vance statements, but he sold out to Trump world some time ago; so I wouldn't hold my breath.
Sunday, July 28, 2024
Yes, I Do Have a "Direct Stake in the Future"
Sunday, July 21, 2024
Data - Can You Have Too Much of a Good Thing?
When I was growing up, I had an excellent pastor. He was deeply insightful, and he handled the preaching of God's Word with intelligence. He showed me what it meant to love God with all my mind. There was one area of his life, however, where he did not apply the same level of intellect - his eating habits. He loved snacks, but he was also very concerned about his appearance. So he weighed himself - a lot. He weight himself before he consumed anything and decided what to eat based on that number, resulting in unusual things, like eating half an Oreo and three peanuts for lunch. This, friends, is the weird result of too much access to data.
You may be wondering what I am going on about in a blog that is meant to be about education. Well, anyone who has been around education in the past 5 years or so knows that we have become obsessed with data. Some schools even proudly market themselves with the term "data driven." We analyze every standardized test score (in spite of research showing they are not predictive of success), monitor GPAs, and act reactively to the slightest deviations in the bell curve. Some parents hover over the school's digital reports of every grade, big or small, and contact the teacher over every lost point. Much like my pastor's strange food decisions that no dietician would ever support, our obsession with academic data leads to strange educational decisions that are not based on good pedagogy.
I'm not saying we swing the pendulum back too far the other direction. There was a time when we had almost no access to data. Students and parents found out what the grade was when report cards came out. At that point, it was too late to adjust course in any way. That is too little access to data. Neither of these extremes is helpful to the education or flourishing of students. So, what is the sweet spot?Water is a good thing, but when there is too much of it, you can drown.
Data's a good thing, but let's not drown ourselves in too much of it.
Sunday, July 7, 2024
Enlist Help
For the past month, I have been working the front desk at my local branch of the YMCA. There is a lot to learn - and I mean a lot. From the basic functions of the computer system in making scan cards, charging people for personal training, and selling guest passes, there are rules about who is allowed to receive a seven day pass and when people can leave their children at the drop in child care. There is simply no way to train in all of it at once, so I spend a fair amount of time doing things incorrectly. One of my co-workers, Helena, is often the one left to tell me, and she always feels bad about it. I keep telling her that she shouldn't feel bad and that I would much rather have a kind and well-meaning person tell me I'm doing something wrong than to keep doing it wrong. Obviously, what I would much rather were happening is that I would be doing things right, but there is too much to learn for that to be happening yet.
We are around a month away from teachers returning to school for the inservice days before school starts. New teachers, it is an exciting time for you, but it is also daunting. Don't let that scare you. There is a lot to learn. There are going to be many things you weren't taught in teacher school that will become part of your daily life. For a while, you are going to stumble into scenarios you don't know how to handle, requests from parents that you aren't sure are reasonable, and student situations you won't know how to navigate. My best advice is not to try to do it on your own. Enlist help from the wisest person you can find. That might be the mentor teacher your school assigns you, but that also might not be your most natural relationship. If you organically develop a relationship with teacher next door or across the hall, it might be them. It might be the principal or the librarian. Admit your vulnerability, and seek wisdom. It is simply not possible for you to know all the nuances of student, parent, colleague interactions in addition to your content and your pedagogy.
I've had a number of those people over the years. In my first school, it was, in fact my assigned mentor, but that doesn't always happen. I also had a great principal who had a story for everything, teaching me that mistakes weren't fatal. At GRACE, I had a few over the years. My art teacher friend, Elizabeth, was a great listening ear and wise when it came to student interactions. The teachers surrounding my room (Zane, Melanie, Meagan, Alyssa) were often the ones I asked to look at email replies before I hit send. My English teacher friend, Kellie, was the person I went to if I needed someone to disagree with me in order to evaluate my own position. My history teacher friend, Amy, provided good perspective on spiritual issues. Our librarian/media specialist, Marcia, was the person I bounced new ideas off of.
Whether you a new teacher or an experienced one, teaching is a complex endeavor, and you never stop needing help. In my 25th year, I was giving advice some days while still asking for advice on other days. Keep learning. Keep asking questions. Keep enlisting help.
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