Stunting Innovation

I just read an article about how the United States education system is failing our students.  I believe there is a great deal of truth in this article, but it is not just the schools, it is our culture.  I am afraid we American Christians have unintentionally bought into these unhealthy practices.  Please, please take the time to read this article (http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericaswallow/2012/04/25/creating-innovators/), because the rest of my letter has some reflections concerning this.

This article identifies five ways in which America’s education system is stunting innovation.  Let me comment on each of those:

1. “Individual achievement is the focus.”  However, the complex problems of today are solved by teams of individuals who collaborate and bring their expertise into the mix so that the solution is multifaceted.  However, our students today have difficulty working together or even playing together.  They participate on so many organized teams that on the playground they spend much of their time arguing over the game, rather than playing.  They also spend much individual time on technology games where they don’t have to work together.
2. “Specialization is celebrated and rewarded.”  However, life is not divided into those clear-cut boundaries. Most problems and their solutions involve many different subjects.  Therefore, projects that involve language, math, science, and social studies intermixed provide practice in a more real world situation.  However, it is important for children to struggle in doing these problems so they learn not to give up.
3. “Risk aversion is the norm.”  This is probably the biggest cultural problem I see when I look at American school culture and what is important in innovation and excellence in education. You parents are very conscientious and want to support your students in their studies.  However, it is very important for the student to take responsibility for their learning.  Of course, that is going to mean that they will at times fail, but allowing that to happen and having the natural consequences from that is the best way for them to take ownership, especially when failure is viewed as a part of the learning process to help a student in the process of problem solving.
4. “Learning is profoundly passive.”  This is the one that breaks my heart.  I absolutely love to see a student whose face is beaming because they have learned a new concept, something that thrills them, something that they can hardly wait to share with you. Wagner suspects that our schooling culture has actually turned us into the ‘good little consumers’ that we are.  Innovative learning cultures teach about creating, not consuming.
5. “Extrinsic incentives drive learning.”   If all that students (and parents) are concerned about is the grade—that is extrinsic motivation and will not last.  True learning should be a lifetime goal, and that is not something that you are going to measure by a letter grade.  Wagner states that “fewer toys, more toys without batteries, more unstructured time in their day” results in children who grow up “to find passions, not just academic achievement.”  He found that those young people want to make a difference in the world.

As I have said before in these Parent Pages, our world is desperately in need of people who are willing to make a difference.  I would like to think our TCS children are going to be some of those people to do that.  There is no better time than this summer to reflect on this article and apply what is being said to your views of learning.  We look forward to partnering with you as we continue to “stretch for excellence” in the education of your children’s minds and the transformation of their hearts.

Summer joys to all of you,
Sue R. Meckstroth

Arbor Day 2012

On April 27, 2012 two of our students and their teacher were able to participate in the City of Troy’s Arbor Day Celebration. Third graders Jenna Gerig and Ashley Beachy, along with their science teacher Mrs. Gessaman, helped plant a tulip poplar in Meinke park. Click here to learn more about Arbor Day.

The Summer Slide

Have you ever heard of the Summer Slide?  No, I am not talking about some wonderful new summer playground equipment. This summer slide is negative—it is what happens to many students over the summer months when they do not have a plan for keeping up with their academic growth. Whether you have a student who has grown in leaps and bounds, one who has still been struggling, or one that has made pretty steady progress during this school year, all of these can be affected by the summer slide. However, when the last day of school arrives (May 25) and the first day of our next year is not until August 21, the academic understandings begin to slide away, the concepts just planted in this school year are overgrown with the weeds of an untended mind. You may want to visit www.summerlearning.org to learn more about summer learning loss and summer learning programs.

Growing In Maturity

Dear Parents,

At one of our recent teachers’ devotions we were studying Philippians and discussing growing older and growing in maturity. The first just happens to us, so we discussed what we least look forward to in the process of growing older. Maturity, however, is a choice and you don’t have to grow up. In, Strike the Original Match, Chuck Swindoll talked about four ways that Paul showed maturity and ways that we can also show it:

What Is Your Plan For Easter?

Easter, the most sacred Christian celebration of the year, is coming quickly.  This year it is during our spring break, so I really like to call it our Easter break.  I realize that is not politically correct, but I want to take advantage of the freedom of speech that I do have to say that.  Actually I rather like it when our break is not at Easter, because our school has a great tradition.  Our high school student council plans a Good Friday service for the whole school and community if we are in school on that day.  Those services that I have attended have really helped me focus on the horrendous sacrifice that Jesus made for me.  I don’t just jump to the resurrection Sunday which reminds me of the great joy I have because Jesus is a resurrected Savior, not a dead martyr.  Good Friday was good for me, but it certainly was not a “good” event for the human Jesus!

Our Worldview

Sometimes when I am listening to the news or contemplating all the changes in the world, even just those that have occurred during my lifetime, I can get discouraged.  I sometimes wish I lived in a less complex era of history.  However,  I keep thinking of that quote from Esther when Mordecai was putting in perspective what he was asking of Esther, “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”

Developing Spiritual Champions

I had the privilege of preparing two presentations for breakout sessions for a district church meeting.  I recognized that as a privilege, because it caused me to take time to meditate and to reflect on children and their spiritual development.  I used many facts from Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions:  Why Children Should be Your Church’s #1 Priority by George Barna, along with many experiences from here at TCE.  Since we at Troy Christian see the importance of the partnership with the church, home, and school, I would like to just share some of those insights with all of you.  The most important note is that you as parents are the ones who are responsible for the spiritual development of your children—no one takes your place in that.  Therefore, even though both the church and here at the Christian school we are intentional about that development, it is important that you parents are constantly evaluating how your children are doing.  Just how do you do that?

Practical Ways To Show Love To Your Child

With this being February we as consumers are being bombarded by what the culture promotes as signs of love. It might be flowers, chocolates, Valentine cards, dinner for two, hugs, kisses, etc. However, I refer you to our Character blog that is called “Coursing through our Veins” (click here to read). This talks about agape love which is defined as “benevolent love. Its benevolence, however, is not shown by doing what the person loved desires but what the one who loves deems as needed by the one loved.” Okay, I know I had to read that a few times before I could grasp its meaning! That is the kind of love that God wants you to bestow upon your children, just as He has bestowed that on each of us who are His children. Here are some practical ways I think you can love your children.

Celebrating Life

I do pray that your children shared with you about our 12th Annual Celebration of Life. Each year as we begin to plan it, we experience the Holy Spirit’s leading as to the specifics.  Some parts have become traditional, and we look forward to them:  the baby shower items (thank you so much—three crisis pregnancy centers were enthralled with the generosity), the presentation of the babies, the singing of “Jesus Loves Me.”  This year we were lead to share the Tim Tebow story.  I was thrilled to be able to present the life story of a current football hero that we would want our students to emulate.  I want to share some of that with you:

Memo To Parents

Dear Parents,

Let me preface this to plead with you to read the following article in detail.  This man has made a solid case about something that is occurring in parenting that is very harmful to your children, even though a parent may have very good intentions in doing so.  I ask that you seriously consider his comments and then reflect on whether you have bought into some unhealthy parenting principles.

“Memo To Parents — Stop Coddling Your Kids” by Dr. Keith Ablow, published on January 11, 2012, by Fox News. http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/01/11/memo-to-parents-stop-coddling-your-kids/

Partnering in this task of parenting,

Sue R. Meckstroth