Teaching

This is one of my favorite verses about home schooling:

Let my teaching fall like rain
and my words descend like dew,
like showers on new grass,
like abundant rain on tender plants.
Deuteronomy 32:2 (NIV)


Sometimes, Lord, my words want to beat down like sleet. Help my words to descend like dew on my seedlings. Help my words to be as abundant rain on my tender plants.

The Tower of Babel

Early in my teaching career, I taught sixth grade in NE Florida. On the first day of school, a student asked me a question in a foreign language.

To attempt to replicate the full effect of my dilemma, you must say it fast and use a southern accent: "MizMacMillen, isyoufintocarryusoutside?"

What he meant was, "Miss McMillen, are you getting ready (fixin') to take us outside?"

Reading "Why Don't They Just Speak English?" in Christianity Today's "Books and Culture" newsletter reminded me of this conversation I had 28 years ago. It also makes me consider the Tower of Babel. What must it have been like when God confused the languages? And now, here were are thousands of years later, still trying to translate the Bible into numerous obscure languages. This article is made even more interesting when one considers this tremendous task. You'll appreciate not only already having a Bible in our language, but you'll be in awe of the tenacious people who spend a lifetime on these translations.

(painting by Pieter Bruegel, 1563)

Maturity

Every so often when I'm in the kitchen, I listen to snippets of the Dennis Prager Show on the radio. Today, I heard parts of an hour long interview with Dr. Steven Marmer about the topic of maturity. With our current culture's fixation on youthfulness, our children are becoming mature (i.e. responsible) later than in past generations. With immaturity, come destuctive behaviors that attempt to bring momentary distractions and joy from external sources. This often includes engaging in destructive and/or addictive behaviors.

Here are three signs of maturity, according to Dr. Marmer. As I gather the curriculum I want to use this year in school, I want to remember these sorts of life skills that are very good goals to impart to our children.

1. Don't let life's adversities drag you down. It is inevitable that they will come--we live in a fallen world. Deal with them without blowing up at your children or spouse.

2. Don't be blind to the past; learn from it. At the same time, don't be a prisoner of the past, either. Go on with life.

3. Willingly fulfill obligations.