Posts
1 month ago
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
holding em back...
I'm at Brownsville Road today, an elementary school to which I enjoy coming. I've already encountered so many ways in which the students are "held back", but not by teachers wanting to fail them.
For those of you outside Memphis, there's been a ruling lately that a student cannot fail from Kindergarten through third grade. Astonishing as that may be to some of you, the feeling is that it is more detrimental to hold a student back than let them continue to the next grade at this tender age.
When questioned about it, the administration says that even if the student does not come to school, they will be sent on. They'll run into some truency issues, but they will be passed on.
I see these little folks and my observation is this-They are DESPERATE for someone to push them-to make them, if necessary, complete their work and have the watermark experience of a learning revelation. The smile on their faces when they "get it" is worth everything else one puts up with to get them there.
These students are being held back by parents who don't care and adults who don't care. We should care and we should hold them back if need be-but push them forward as well.
For those of you outside Memphis, there's been a ruling lately that a student cannot fail from Kindergarten through third grade. Astonishing as that may be to some of you, the feeling is that it is more detrimental to hold a student back than let them continue to the next grade at this tender age.
When questioned about it, the administration says that even if the student does not come to school, they will be sent on. They'll run into some truency issues, but they will be passed on.
I see these little folks and my observation is this-They are DESPERATE for someone to push them-to make them, if necessary, complete their work and have the watermark experience of a learning revelation. The smile on their faces when they "get it" is worth everything else one puts up with to get them there.
These students are being held back by parents who don't care and adults who don't care. We should care and we should hold them back if need be-but push them forward as well.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
death and transfiguration
I'm writing today to ponder the loss of one's parents. A friend of mine who says he is an atheist, has lost his father. He is dealing with many things, and I would surmise most importantly, the notion or thought that he will never see his father again, following his line of thinking.
That's a terrible thought when I consider my mom being dead for twenty-four years now and my dad being gone twenty years. It would be even worse to visit their grave and think I would never see them again. I am thankful for the faith that gives me hope that I will see them. My mother will not be in a wheelchair. My friend's father will be able to breathe comfortably and restored to new life, I believe, because I believe he was a Christian. My father will be his old robust self, renewed to life eternal in a new body, ready to worship our Lord.
If there is no hope, we are of all men most miserable. Thanks be to God for that hope. I lift up my friend's family, and especially my friend without Christ, in this their hour of need.
That's a terrible thought when I consider my mom being dead for twenty-four years now and my dad being gone twenty years. It would be even worse to visit their grave and think I would never see them again. I am thankful for the faith that gives me hope that I will see them. My mother will not be in a wheelchair. My friend's father will be able to breathe comfortably and restored to new life, I believe, because I believe he was a Christian. My father will be his old robust self, renewed to life eternal in a new body, ready to worship our Lord.
If there is no hope, we are of all men most miserable. Thanks be to God for that hope. I lift up my friend's family, and especially my friend without Christ, in this their hour of need.
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