Hope for the Future

I'm two weeks into a new semester with my university students and home schooling and I have reason to be hopeful.  I should make the caveat that every time I say something like that, I wind up cursed and sad.  For example, today I started to tell my students that a lack of rehearsal before giving a speech would cause them to say 'umm'  frequently.  Whenever I say that, I say 'umm' a lot.  65 times in ten minutes today.  My students took count at my request.  That's better than my record of 81 times in 5 minutes.

Why am I hopeful?  At least 25% of my students told us in their introductory speeches that they have actively worked with missionary groups.  Fully 50% want family and children.  And all of them seem open to getting my jokes.  Even though most of them are real groaners.

But mostly, I'm excited by the private conversations I've had with some of them.  One of my Elementary Education majors asked if she could interview me for a paper.  The interview was interesting because she was clearly asking questions that were based on her education classes.  She was impressed with my knowledge of instructional theory and practice.  I felt very smart.  We discussed the research on class size, as related to the STAR program in Tennessee, and the Gates Foundation Study in California.  I wonder what her instructor will think...

The second best encounter of the day (second only because it happened after the first) was a discussion about a speech topic.  My student wanted to write an informative speech about how to survive an attack from velociraptors.  He really thought I would say no.  I find his choice creative and interesting.  He will need to research all of the anthropological information he can find and turn that into a way to protect oneself from attack.   He's even considering the architecture of buildings that would be safe from attack.

I guess what I want to say is,  Life is good.  Kids are smart.  Praise God that we are well made!!!

How Public Schools Control Our Children

http://www.creativeminorityreport.com/2010/08/13-reasons-not-to-attend-obama.html  

All children will be provided with a free breakfast in order to insure they spend as little time in the morning with their families as possible.  They will receive education in the morning followed by a free lunch, more education, a free afternoon snack, and after school care.  If necessary, children will receive free bus transportation to school, and free bus trip to a place close to their home.  If the child's parents live in an area not serviced by our bus system, the parents will be reimbursed 50 cents per mile to bring their own children to school for the free breakfast, education, lunch, education, snack, childcare, regime. 

We want to be sure every child and every family is completely dependent on the government we create.  Please don't fight against us.  We know what is best for you and your children.  We know how to numb their brains with bad or meaningless literature.  We know how to hide the true lessons of history.  We know how to be sure that your child never believes in anything other than him or herself.  (We learned that from Descartes.)  Do you really think you can stop us from instilling relativism in your children?  Didn't you go to college?    Ha ha ha ha ha:  You are fools to try!!!

Conservatives on Campus

I have this really diverse class at the University where I teach part time. I don't mean that there is a large color difference. There's some of that, but what I mean is a diversity of ideas. Hindus and Catholics, pacifists and veterans, vegans and meat eaters, artists and business people... What I find interesting is that the ones most likely to offend a classmate are the students who view themselves as a 'protected' group: White girls who have been told all of their lives that girls are being oppressed by boys/men, while most reliable recent research suggest the opposite is happening in education. Or others... I try so hard to choose topics that I think are non-political when providing examples to my classes. At the same time, I just can't bring myself to talk about things that I don't believe are true. I want to teach my students is not just the skills required to succeed, but the truth. Any other approaches strike me as a sin of omission. If you are a person of faith who teaches people who may or may not be people of faith, will you let me know how you handle this? I want a forum, and advise. Help!!!