| I'll explain this in a minute. | | | | lesson plan passed down from on high that |
| Last week I celebrated Thanksgiving with friends | | | | required every teacher at the same grade level |
| and family in California. At dinner I was introduced | | | | be on the same page of the same book on the |
| to a former public school teacher. She was | | | | same day or certain sanctions would be applied. |
| competent, dedicated, and loved kids. But she quit | | | | Spontaneity and curiosity were all but outlawed. |
| last year. She had had enough. Years before she | | | | Besides, there wasn't time, and teachers would |
| had entered the profession because she loved | | | | get in trouble if caught using an unauthorized book. |
| kids, and now she was leaving for the same | | | | She knew this wasn't good for the kids, and in |
| reason. | | | | good conscience she couldn't continue. She quit. |
| The quote, "Those who can, do; and those who | | | | Don't think such administrative nonsense is limited |
| can't, teach." is attributed to H.L. Mencken | | | | to secular education. Years ago I was made |
| (1880-1956). As cynical as this statement sounds | | | | aware of a major Christian institution and |
| (and professional teachers have raged against it | | | | textbook publisher that was training new |
| and to this day continue to take offense), there is | | | | administrators in the same assembly-line approach |
| truth to be gleaned if we can just relax long | | | | to education. Sounded more like a car factory to |
| enough to appreciate the caustic sarcasm. | | | | me. They also sold textbooks to home schoolers. |
| Mencken's point may have been that teaching | | | | You've probably bought and used them. So have |
| separated from application is next to useless. It | | | | I, because they are good books, just needing |
| has little relevance to the real world. Just a big | | | | some modification. One of my mentors taught |
| mouth getting paid to move a lot. | | | | me years ago to not be afraid to "fillet the fish." |
| The teacher I met last week could no longer | | | | This is especially true if you use some secular |
| tolerate the endless testing and measuring; grades | | | | books in your home school. |
| on report cards had been replaced with dozens | | | | All this to say that to expand your children's |
| upon dozens of "academic outcomes" she was | | | | thinking, to insure their education is more that the |
| required to evaluate and document. She could no | | | | result of simply a "moving mouth", you must ask |
| longer tolerate the shelving of her previous | | | | questions that require them to apply what they're |
| professional training and classroom know-how, not | | | | supposedly learning. They may need more than |
| to mention common sense honed by her life | | | | paper and pencil in order to respond correctly. |
| experience (that's right, she over 40) with a rigid | | | | |