A Tale of School Pedagogies

Imagine, if you will, a King, named Eli, who rules a great kingdom.  He has the responsibility of preparing his children to inherit both the responsibilities and the privileges of his kingdom. They need to be great leaders and thinkers, well versed in diplomacy and etiquette, and be filled with compassion, patience, and justice. Only the best education will do for the heirs to the throne. He searched out the best leadership institutions throughout his kingdom and sent his children to the various boarding schools to see which approach prepared the heirs best for what he offered them.

One of his sons, named Romeo, attended the ever prestigious ‘Latin University’. He learned basic literacy from credentialed teachers who had been highly trained in how to systematically move a child through the predetermined educational standards.   Each lesson was given with implicit instruction and frequent power point lectures. Each assignment had detailed rubrics which determined the student’s proficiency of the skill as well as a passing grade. The curriculum had all been summarized by education experts into an authoritative source called a textbook. And only credible sources were utilized, if a textbook was not used. Worksheets identified specifically what the teacher was to grade and frequent assessments targeted the weak points as well as determined whether he was internalizing the expert’s ‘Right’ answer. At one point in his education, Romeo was falling behind schedule and was put on an intervention plan to raise his abilities to the desired level of competency. When Romeo graduated his major, he received his diploma and was now considered an expert. He had learned to analyze a document, an idea, or an object in his field of expertise and could determine if it was a credible source of knowledge. He also could counsel others because of his training. His educational experience was very effective at increasing his power and influence.

Another child, named Hellen, attended the distinguished ‘Transcendent Institute’. The premise of this school was on the self-evident understanding that the road to education lay through great books. From her youth, she was allowed to explore the world around her as well as had brief lessons on basic
literacy. She worked through the four levels of learning how to read a book.  She was exposed to and later studied ‘The Great Books’. The Great Books were classics that had endured the test of time and were commonly considered the finest creations available. They addressed literature, philosophy, history and science and included such authors as Homer, Aristotle, Euclid, Plutarch, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Galileo, Newton, Austen, Hugo and many, many more. Her study included reading, discussing, and writing about the great ideas found within those pages. As she became a scholar and pondered deeply what the author meant when writing the content, she considered what was right or wrong about the ideas and learned to summarize the details to answer the underlying question – ‘What is Truth?’. In doing so, she became a true scholar who knew truth.

One child, named Con, was sent to the famed Orient Seminary. Here his master introduced him to all that was beautiful in the world. He was mentored in identifying what resonated to him and to become aware of the symmetry in nature, as well as in human nature. He also learned to sense the synergy and light that was around him.  As he increased his mindfulness and appreciation for all that the world had to offer, he was guided to his particular art. Con chose to become a healer and through constant practice, he advanced from level to level. Eventually he learned to feel and act, sense and respond. His master coached him through the development of much strength and balance in the field of healing.

Another son, named Isaiah, attended the respected ‘Tore Academy’. Here he was taught to determine what is right as guided by his inner voice. There was no set curriculum or predetermined outcomes. No levels of progress or identifying the author’s intent. It was a customized curriculum with personalized classics and specific application, as he felt driven to pursue. He had a specific mission to fulfill to benefit mankind, and so his education had to be tailored in order to discover and do it.  Isaiah was introduced to and encouraged to study everything and view everything as a lesson. As he read a book, he looked for thoughts and insights that were powerful to him. As he sat in nature, he observed and pondered the significance of whatever he had become aware of around him. During conversations, he listened intently or contributed greatly, depending on what he felt impressed to do at that particular moment. He picked his studies, his entertainment, his political opinion, his worldview, etc. as he was mentored by his inner guide. And while doing it, he was always looking for more insight, more understanding, more vision, and ultimately, more wisdom. Soon, he was having epiphanies regularly and because he was able to think, he was able to lead.

One son, named Joseph, aligned with the teachings of ‘Covenant Crossings’. The primary goal of this academy was to seek learning by study and by faith.  Joseph chose to subject himself to become a disciple of the master teacher known as The Word. He was to develop a servant’s heart rather than simply a superior intellect. His study was similar to Isaiah in that his mentor taught him through the inner world and it was due to diligent submission and realignment to His promptings that Joseph became a worthy disciple. His study was based upon the standard works that contained all that was necessary to meet this objective. As each verse was studied and the principles identified and internalized, Joseph disciplined himself to become a true disciple leader. Joseph also observed and performed the necessary covenants as outlined by The Word. He was encouraged to study and identify the principles (found within the holy writ) in all things that were virtuous or beautiful or of good report and so all of nature and all that was good became his curriculum as he stood in holy places. Although (and because) the focus of the study was based on principles, all other virtues that were attained from the other schools were also acquired – knowledge, wisdom, power, strength, as well as the essential service to mankind. At the end of his formal education, Joseph had learned to qualify for, receive, and act on the impressions given him. He became what his Master Teacher was and therefore was ready to inherit the throne.

King Eli was well pleased with the accomplishments of all his children. All the schools had something valuable to offer his kingdom. When considering all the methods and premises of all these schools, he decided to set the standard for the heirship and allow his children to choose which school they would attend to best meet the criteria.

And so now I ask you, considering the kingdom is what's at stake (and not simply job training)…Which educational approach would you choose for your child?

 

 

 

*The majority of content was taken from an address given by Dr. Oliver DeMille on March 25, 2006 entitled, “Lessons from Four Types of Leadership Education” during the Thomas Jefferson Forum in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Peaceful Abandonment

 

I know this may be a crappy subject, but one day I was sitting on the toilet, pondering about President Nelson’s invitation to remove unnecessary debris from our lives, I considered how our bodies are very efficient with that process. As food enters the body, the nutrients and energy they provide are utilized and then the excess components are quickly removed from the body. There is no conscious or separate action that takes place. Aside from toxins or negative beliefs/emotions or excess inputs (or whatever disrupts the natural function of the body) that cause blockage or storage within the system, it is a highly effective removal machine.  The body truly is a remarkable system when you think about it.

Unlike the body, however, my house does not have an automatic trash removal. When society first shutdown from Covid, I had been in the process of accumulating a pile of no-longer used clothing, books, furniture, and other items to give to good will. However, since I was unable to do that, I put a screen in front of the mounting mass in a corner we seldom used. Even without the visual reminder, when I finally got around to hauling it off a year later, it was emotionally liberating to free up that space. In her book, my professional organizer (who happens to be my sister) identified the step of hauling off unwanted items as an independent and necessary step to organizing your life. Who knew?

I am experiencing a similar feeling as I am going through the sorting process and deciding which educational philosophies to hold onto and which to maybe haul out of my life. I have been like a pendulum, swinging from one extreme to the other (pending which argument was most recently heard, reasoned through, and began being adopted).  This swaying motion, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, has not felt calming or lulling as a rocking chair or swing. Instead it has been discouraging that I am being knocked about by every wind or doctrine. The problem has been that the components of the differing approaches to education are still necessary components to living life. Job training is a necessary preparation. Practical and effective methods that work is an indispensible asset. Identifying what is truth is a crucial and desired objective. Learning what is right from wrong is fundamental to a good education. And incorporating the good and the beautiful, the symmetrical and the balanced is significant to focus on. And so the pendulum continues, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Trying to integrate these essential components without feeling there is a definitive firm focus.

The problem is... the educational systems or focuses that sway to these varying objectives does not produce the effect of an eye single to His glory that is needed for a Zion people.  And by having only one main and firm objective will require the removal of ideas, habits, traditions, etc. that don’t align with that vision. However, it is not like the body which naturally and habitually removes unneeded waste products, nor the house which has tangible items that can manually be removed from the environment. It has been more of an inner world battle of ideas and searching for what elements to hang on to and what to abandon. The arguments and reasoning and even the results of certain philosophies may have served me well in their time of need and for their objective, however, preparation for the second coming and the millennium will require a different type of preparation. 

In my personal battle, I have to consider that God is my companion. I am not alone or without his guidance.  I felt very strongly that I needed to go into the workplace in order to be a full-tithe payer and set personal boundaries, and then to go back to school and get my bachelor’s degree. I suppose there is the remote possibility that I may have  misunderstood the guidance, though, I firmly believe He can/will make right what goes wrong, especially when we are trying to move forward in Him. And so for this past year, I have been home wondering why or what I was to do with that experience now that I have completed it. I was exposed to public classrooms and received teacher education training and even experienced the demands of the student to aspire to the ‘grade’. I was saturated with the logic and system of public education and in my broken state, I was not sure whether to abandon my years of attempted leadership education, try to find a marriage between the two philosophies, or something else altogether.  Add to the equation… children with specific challenges that make my applying any type of educational philosophy almost a moot point, as well as personal anxiety issues that complicate their learning - I’ve had a very successful formula for confusion.          

Fortunately, brokenness is Christ’s strongpoint. As I consistently come unto him and seek his guidance, he will bless me with the educational philosophy that brings peace as well as prosperity in Him. At this point, I am learning to abandon the regimented schedules and instead flow through the activities of the day. I no longer feel the need to stalwartly follow every word out of the curriculum and instead am dolloping a little here, a little there. In short, for the past year, I have been slowly sifting out what I had acquired in my three years of public education experience. And it feels so good to experience peace instead of pressure.  Until now, I have been confused about why I went through the process of public education experience because I wasn’t really using it for any particular purpose. I have, however, gained perspective and can empathize with other moms/students. Now I can see this detoxing period has been a season of removing the unnecessary debris. And I am feeling peaceful about abandoning those philosophies where the focus is on something other than my Savior and His objectives.