Law of the Lost

In a letter to the Danbury Baptists in 1802, Thomas Jefferson stated that the legislature "should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free excercise thereof."

This letter was not an official government declaration, it was a man interpreting the laws for a fellow countryman. However, since he was a founding father, we should give due respect his interpretation. If we do so for the first part of his statement though, should we not also address the second part of his statement..."Or prohibiting the free excercise thereof?"

If we are going to take the first part of Jefferson's statement as a basis for creating laws, why would we not take the second portion of the statement as well? Groups like those involved in the Engle vs Vitale case of 1962, or the infamous (and missing) Madalyn Murray O'Hair, have taken their cases to court, and all parties, including the Supreme Court seem to cross out the final words of this statement..."or prohiubiting the free excercise thereof?" (The same words is used in the First Ammendment).

So, as a Christian, where is my right to to freely excercise my religion? Why can I not say a prayer in school if this is my choice? Under that same First Ammendment right, could I not peacefully assemble a group at school to have a prayer? And lastly, since O'Hair has taken this right away from a majority of American's who are a predominately God-fearing people, why not take a look at the benefits of what she has done for the American people. Skyrocketing crime rates, massive increase in teenage pregnancies, contraceptives are being sold in the school restrooms, immodesty and immorality, general lack of respect for life and a disregard for authority figures like educators and parents. We have to create additional laws to compensate because the students have no morale compass with which to govern themselves!

How has this "law" impacted our students quality of life in the classroom? Why did they not have the number of assessments in the 1960's that public educator's are now required to give? Is it because their is a a lack accountability by individuals that was present in a 1960's child and student that has been evolved out of them? I cannot recall seeing a single picture of a high school from before these "No God in school" rulings that shows a security check and a school security guard. It is my opinion that when we allowed government to take away our freedoms, to freely excercise our relgious rights, that we also gave away our integrity as citizens, our belief in something greater than us that drove us to be the best version of ourselves? Hey, who am I to tread on someone else's rights, just because you treaded on mine? Just the educator that has to tolerate the culmination of half a decade of moral decay. Perhaps this is why teaching has become just as much parenting as it is educating.

Education reform is a big topic these days. The sad part is that "reform" is mostly discussed by those who are not in power to do anything about it. After researching the candidates for our new Sate Superintendent of Public Instruction, I had decided to no longer support the Republican candidate that we currently have in office, but to support a new comer instead. Why? Well, I am anxious to see some reform of my own.
Recently our local high school students were given a test, it was a workforce preparedness test. The report that I received through the grapevine is that most of the students at the high school did not pass this test.
Back in December I was invited to present my workforce development program to school administrators from across the area. At least ten high schools were represented I was told. Most left right after lunch and right before we spoke. I had brought two of my students with me to speak about the impact that the program had upon them and their preparation for their future. My students did not let me down, they were amazing. I was so proud of them. The college that I was working with then said that in about a week they would follow-up with the schools to see who wanted to sign up for the program.
I waited for nearly three months. E-mailing and phoning about every three weeks to see where we were at, and how many schools had signed up. The college never actually contacted the schools, they waited for the schools to contact them! That did not happen. My two biggest clients, the pilot schools, did not even call. It was speculated that because I personally could not teach the courses for them, that they did not feel the course would be nearly as effective (can't be in ten places at once over a hundred miles). So my new dilema...how do you clone me?
It seemed too that if I became more assertive, by requiring a certain number of schools to sign up for certification of instructors, that I was seen as agressive and therefore the college did not want to work with me at all (this tends to happen more often with women than with men). So here were are...a nation in crisis. A workforce in crisis! And no one seems to sense the urgency of it all? I am absolutely beside myself! How come no one is being more assertive about this issue? Those of us who are...are now black balled. How come these schools are not banging down my door begging for the solutions, which they know I have?!
So, I decided to design, develop and publish the curriculum on my own...the curriculum that is proven to work. And I am making every connection possible at the State level to get this program into the schools. Yes, I will be assertive. Yes, I might be aggressive. Now is not the time to sit back and say, "This is the way that we have always done it." If you do things the same way that you have always done them, then don't be surprised when you get the same results that you have always gotten!!
I personally am ready to change our educational system and the first item of business is to quit testing our students to death and start giving the new learning real world application. Teach these students how to fail! Allow them to fall in the safety of the classroom if not within the safety of their own homes (where this type of learning should be taking place!). Then, show them, ask them, teach them how to dust themselves off and GET-BACK-UP! Allow them to figure out how it works, let them make mistakes and give them consequences both good and bad.
This is a part of learning too, not just seeing how you can regurgitate information back to me. As an educator require that the student knows what can be done with the information and then allow the student to brainstorm NEW possibilities! We need another GREAT generation, not a mediocre one. This can only be done through truly great educators. Take the teaching to a new level, raise the bar and do not ever be afraid of where this might take you!

Listen to That Inner Voice

I recently finished a large curriculum project and find myself so excited about the possibilities of it all that I had to blog. As many know, I have been working on getting the curriculum for my Personal Performance Academy from my head down onto paper and into manual form, which has not been an easy task to say the least. As is the case with many of my readers, a true educator, one who is immersed and passionate about knowledge, may often work off of inspiration. For me, this completely dictates how I teach. I do not know how to teach without listening to that inner voice that guides me in ways that are mysterious and wonderful. Some call this God, their higher power, intuition, or that "I just feel it" sensation. Whatever you believe it to be, educator's of the world...LISTEN to it! I truly believe that when an educator is aware of this guiding voice, the results are so much more intense and powerful for the students individually and collectively. It provides those life altering moments that we desperately desire from our teaching. Nine times out of ten we even we astonish ourselves with the outcome.
Every educator wants to feel like they have made a difference, yet so few actually DO something to provide themselves and the student with that experience.
I facilitate learning to provide "Ah-ha" moments for my students. The audience for my program is primarily high school students who usually, well...know everything. So, to provide opportunities for each of them to experience "Ah-ha" moments, let alone creating an entire program and manual filled with these moments has been one of the biggest challenges of my career. Better yet, how do I teach traditionally educated school teachers, who have been trained in traditional teaching methods and reponses, to look for these opportunities in every moment that they have with a student?
As I created the first unit of the PPA I realized that I did not have one single concept, principle, activity, presentation or video clip that did not have a strong purpose. Each and every thing that I did, right down to the wordfind puzzle that I created had a purpose. Then, every "Ah-ha" moment in the units built upon previous ones. It was amazing to see students do homework, not because it was busy work, but because they wondered what I was going to teach them from it, what were we going to do next with it? How exciting it was to watch my students grow and develop in this way! So just like the football player who kneels down in the in-zone after a touchdown (in schools where they are still allowed to do so), I know who I have to give the credit to!
I can do nothing without my higher power when it comes to teaching, and I truly believe that the "great" educators of the world feel the same way. That you feel the same way! Heaven knows that I am not always sure how to help each student, but when I listen to that still, small voice in my heart and my head, I no longer to worry. As long as I am a tool, an instrument in doing "much good unto this people" then I have fulfilled one of my many purposes for becoming an educator.
So, do not be afraid to step outside of that box and be great, it is how you serve your student's! Your playing less does not serve anyone remember...so do great things this week, listen to the voice inside you, and become an inpiration for those you teach. It is the only way I know how to do this! Rebel 1