Education: The Parental Perspective

I've heard a lot about private education, and boarding schools in general, from a lot of parents. And from those conversations, I've learned a good chunk about people in general.

On the negative side, I've heard a lot of parents complain about Adventist schools ruining their children. "I sent my child to that school, and they came back with a more foul mouth, and more destructive habits than they had before they went."

That sucks. But it's true as well. While I went to Campion, I began learning all sorts of new words and word combinations. I still remember some friends of mine swearing in the dumbest ways possible. "That girl is shit-fine." Sorry, Jon. Doesn't sound as cool as you would like.

But look at this a bit more logically. Teenagers are teenagers.

On the positive side, some kids need the environment of Christian education. They need a smaller student population, they need teachers who will see and talk with them almost everyday. They need to have the options of spending 24 hours a day with other people to build up some kind of social skills. For many, it is crucial that they interact with people who believe the same things. If a person watches the way kids interact on the campus of a Christian boarding school, he or she will see a difference from any other school.

My mother-in-law and I were in a discussion about the future of Christian education. I was on the offensive, picking apart all the little things that could be picked. But in the end, she said something that totally shut me up.

"I've watched my daughter grow and become wonderful adults with interests in God. They have made great friends, and one of them has found a husband that we couldn't be more proud of. I have never had to worry about so many of the things that other parents have to worry about. So whether it's about money, academics, or whatever...it was worth it, completely."

Not so Much of a Break

So after a movie-fest this last weekend, I took Monday off to recover. I was starting to see things Sunday evening decided I wouldn't be much good at work anyhow. I had some of the strangest dreams of my life, then. More hallucinations and the like. I had multiple wives, but they were all Amy...very bizarre. There was something about snow and mountains in there, too.

So yesterday brought me back to school in a pretty good and energized mood, but it didn't last. I'm not sure why, but I feel that I wasn't planned at all for anything. I think the rest of the week will be better, but it's put me in a bit of a funk for now. Mostly, it's noticing what day it is and knowing what you still have to do before the end of the week. My sermon is my main concern now. I think I'm going to speak on one thing, but I don't know how that will go, or how I want to put it together. Alas.

Tis unfortunate when I realized that under certain stressful times, I tend to shut down completely instead of rise above it. That's the funk talking.

Gasp!

Yipes! Life has been incredibly busy. New semester leaves my head spinning with resolutions and the like, leaving little time to do a whole lot else. Trying to keep up on grades and the like is nutty, writing is also nutty since I have been trying to keep up on grades, I preach next week at my church, a movie-fest to clean for this weekend, trying to learn how to speed read so I can more efficiently do all sorts of reading related activities...the list goes on--for a little while.

Sorry to have not been writing. Hopefully, I'll cope with my responsibilities and organize more.

On the good news, I've not played WoW in over a week and I'm feeling fine. I say that I may quit altogether for a good chunk, but my wife still wants to play. Alas...addictions.

Monday begins a new week, and hopefully a more productive one.

Finals! Yea!

As a student, finals are the dumbest things ever except for chewing on rocks. As a teacher though, they are sweet. Shortened days, more time to plan and grade, going out to lunch becomes an option. Life is wonderful.

The end of the year finals are much better though. As happy as I am right now, I know that I need to be planning for next week when I get some new students and move into the same routine that I've been in for a couple of months now. The good news is that I get to do a lot of poetry. I'm always looking for some good stuff, so if you have some poetry that you really like, let me know what it is.

Not Being Sick

Yesterday, I thought I was getting sick, but it turned out to be just a headache and a foggy noggin. I was kind of disappointed. Being the last day of normal classes for this semester, I would have loved to not be around for it. Alas.

Stupid health...

Education: The Social Perspective Part III

This is mostly a combination of the social and moral perspectives.

I always thought that people who were not Seventh-day Adventists were people that were not worth my time. They clearly did not have everything figured out and they were so wrong about so many theological truths that they were certainly not to be associated with.

This is the mentality that clouded my head until late in my college career.

At its core, Christianity is about love. If you disagree, take it up with God. Therefore, I should have been taught that people that had different beliefs were still people, and if they appeared to have no regard for Christ or other human beings, I should love them anyway. I never got this impression. With the addiction perspective, maybe my parents and other like them never wanted me to love outside my denomination for fear of losing me. Either way, it's a shame that I was in my twenties before I made any effort to care about somebody's soul. It's a bigger shame that people go their whole lives without reaching that point.

I talk with my wife about the tragedy of having so few friends outside of our Adventist circle, and it really bothers us both that so many people we know and go to church with have no friends beyond denominational lines. Somewhere along the line, the church has taught me and others that it is better to stay within our own pool and never spend time in others'.

The biggest problem? Relation. As a member of the church board and a deacon and elder, I hear a lot of talk about witnessing and evangelism, but so few know how to relate to the people in our community because we've never been plugged in. It's a religious prejudice that keeps us alone and shrinking.

Seeing how Christ spent so much time with known sinners and low-lifes, it seems so plain to do the same--to love as much as we can and as best as we know.

Education: The Social Perspective Part II

I really have been writing this week, but there was something about this entry that never satisfied. So I'm going to throw out the thoughts I've got and stop caring so much.

Culturally, there is something wrong with dating. It's broken, I think. I came to this realization after talking with some good friends that had their dating heyday before I was born (they don't like it when I bring that up). They talk about dating as being a series of dates and that's it. I don't see that happen much anymore, but I wish I did.

Going to a boarding high school, I saw that dating can be even more broken. In my years since attending, I see that the whole social atmosphere is unhealthy for dating and what that entails. The biggest problem: no dates.

When I started going out with my first girlfriend, we were a couple for months before we had our first date. The problem here is that I found myself latched to the person without really getting to know her. I think it's better to have to option of being with a person without faculty watching, without friends influencing conversations, without the gym as a primary hangout spot.

Not having the option of a date morphs the whole idea into something that is formal, special, personal, and private. The result: once on a date with one person, an established relationship of sorts is solidified. My mother tells me of a time when it was common to go out with three different people within a weekend. That was normal. If people tried that within an Adventist realm, the reputation of a person's honor would be at stake. A date used to be casual, a getting to know you type of thing. It has changed to something that carries the weight of commitment on its shoulders, often crushing at least one of the two involved.

I have watched dozens of relationships crumble after a couple that has been joined at the hip for years throughout high school because one of the two people never discovered how to relate to people. In college, they discover that the social rules change and there are more people that don't expect you to take vows before holding your hand.

Now that I'm not in the middle of it, I would advise high schoolers to not date at all if they are at a boarding school. The list can get lengthy, but for the sole reason of being confined to a serious relationship instead of a casual one is enough to be extremely cautious. But something about the Adventist boarding school culture enforces a serious relationship or no relationship at all.