How
Do Choose Materials for My Child?
Who
decided the educational goals should consist a
particular subjects, some of which are only used
by a very small percent of the population? You
can't make everyone the same by forcing them all
to learn the same thing. No one person can learn
everything there is to know. God gave us all different
gifts and talents. Jesus whole story about the
church being a part of the body illustrates this.
Is the goal of education is to make everyone the
same?
Biology
is required subject because the student may choose
a career in which he will need the skills taught
in biology class. However, if the student chooses
to become a business man, many of the facts he
spent time learning and memorizing in biology
class (ability to label the digestive system of
an grasshopper) would probably be useless. Learning
about any subject is always useful even if one
is just learning to learn. However, most students
are frustrated learning and memorizing what they
consider boring because it has no relevance to
their life.
The
state's reasoning that children need to "learn
skills for a possible goal" does not motivate
learning. Students are told to learn algebra without
ever being told when they may use algebra in real
life. The child doesn't know what the goal is
or even if he will ever be interested in such
a goal, learning the skills are boring to the
child. Adults learn the other way around--we chose
a goal then find out what skills are needed. When
our eyes are on the goal we are automatically
motivated to learning the necessary skills. at
skills are need to achieve a goal.
Teaching
all the children all the skills to prepare them
for what ever path they may chose does not work.
First of all, it is impossible to foresee all
the pieces of knowledge a child will need in the
future. Secondly if a student is trying to be
good at all the options he will not have time
enough to prepare for his specific path that God
has chosen for Him. This story illustrates my
point:
The
Man with Three Horses
Once
a man had three horses: a race horse, a plow horse
and a pony. The man made a schedule to get the
most work out of his horses. On Mondays, Wednesdays,
and Fridays all three horses worked in the fields
hooked to a plow. On Tuesdays and Thursdays he
took all three horses to the race track so each
horse would learn to run fast. On the weekends,
he used the three horses to give pony rides to
children. At the end of the week the man complained
that not one of the horses met his expectations.
The
race horse turned to the man and said, "I
could not run properly when by back ached from
plowing. If you would have let me stay at the
racetrack all week, I could have spent time doing
and improving at what I do best."
The
plow horse said, "If my feet were not so
swollen from racing, I could have pulled the plow
straighter and further. If you would have allowed
me to stay in the fields all week I could have
spent doing and improving at what I do best."
The
pony said, "I have had it! If I didn't ache
all over from doing things I am not made for I
wouldn't have been so grumpy to the children who
rode me. If you would have allowed me to give
children rides all week I could have spent time
doing and improving at what I do best."
Christians
should teach the skills established by God. The
Bible does not command us to learn basic academic
skills. It does not say "thou shall learn
to read." Neither does the Bible tell us
to learn to drive a car but we know that anyone
living in America in the 90s should know how to
drive. Common sense tells us our children need
to learn the three R's to function in this world.
God's Word does tell us to teach our children
His word. His Word is full of words of wisdom
for practical daily living. As they learn the
Bible they are learning how to learn. If
we teach a child to study God's word --reasoning,
relating, research and recording-- then they will
know how to learn. When it is time they will be
prepared to learn the skills necessary to meet
their goals. By the way, most of the higher level
critical thinking skills can be learned from reading,
studying, and interpreting God's Word.
God
knows more than the public school system! We can
trust Him with our children's futures. God's Word
promises that if we acknowledge God in all our
ways, He will direct our paths. We know God has
made each of our children for a specific purpose.
If we teach them what he commands us to teach
them, He will guide us to prepare them for the
plan He has for them knowingly or unknowingly.
God can prepare us for the future in many ways.
Just think about your life now, what happened
in your past to prepare you for what God is calling
you to do now? Did you learn it from school? From
your parents? from church? from different situations?
God uses all things for His good. Life is a classroom.
He can and often uses bad situations to help us
turn a weakness into a strength. Do you have an
evaluation check list, consisting of all the things
listed you have learned in your life to bring
you to a place to do God's will? If you do, I
bet it's prayer list--not the state standards.
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