Bad Taste in Footballville

                                             

A new school year always brings the start of football season and all the world is right again... or is it? My alltime favorite sport has recently left a very bad taste in my mouth and I'm wondering how long it will take to leave.  Here's why... I can't go to ESPN.com and read up on college football team without at least one major college program suspending a member of their team for drugs,  sexual assault, felony charges or "violating team rules..."  - whatever that means!  Meaning they need that player to play and they want to protect any further conversations or investigations happening inside or outside the confines of the university.  Really?! -  It's getting ridiculous! A few of the programs - FSU, OU, TX, UF, UA, and those are just the ones who are reporting issues to avoid further scrutiny. 
Yesterday every media outlet on the planet were sharing the video of Ray Rice hitting his wife in an elevator last February.  The video was just released and caused the Ravens to release him and banning him from the NFL.  Rice is one of several players who recently received suspensions from the NFL on violence issues.  (along with PED,s and drug violations)
So I'm wondering what is different this year than year's past?  Are these just making the front sport pages because it is more common, or because the issues have gotten out of hand? - because they have! 
How can these pampered athletes who begin their coddled existence early in high school receive free ride when other upstanding students are denied entrance into the same university because they aren't generating the kind of revenue a high caliber athletic program needs to exist.
My solution... IF there is any "suspensions" or violations of any portion of a team policy,  behavior, classroom and academic expectations by the student- athlete,  the athletic program forefits that athletic scholarship into the general student body where some other deserving student in the university would receive it for the remainder of the year.  Both the athlete and student can "re-apply" for the scholarship the following year and reception would be based upon merit and how they lived up to the honor of the scholarship.  That would put the pressure on the athletic program to police..their athletes, as well as carefully screen their student-athletes  far beyond their athletic abilities. 
Let's give the right message to our kids in high school - and enforce it in our college programs.  Then perhaps we avoid the kind of behaviors that Ray Rice exhibited.
 

Change Midset

I am capivated by the notion of change.  No matter where or in what context change happens, there is always reluctance to embrace it.  Trust makes change easier, but it is usually confident in backing up the mistakes that will occur.  Education is one field where change is a constant.
A new school year is upon us.  The concept of change envelopes staffing, curriculum, students, families, technology, and schedules.  Change personally challenges our long-held beliefs.  We have followed a prescribed pattern of behaviors over time and the curve to embrace something new is a challenge.  This change in school impacts a "Mindset" that is seldom a given in our learning environments.  It  happens on such a regular basis that we should applaud the school cultures that can navigate it without too much drama.
It takes courage to make a change.
So how much does it take to make change happen - and make it stick?   The recent edition of an ASCD book, Grading Smarter, Not Harder by Myron Dueck has caused us to ponder on current homework and grading practices that we always held so dear.   This falls after reading our May staff feedback forms that complained about too much grading and the time it takes to get it done.
Some  challenges to our traditionally  held practices:

• Punitive grading by taking points away for late work...
• Zeros for incomplete work and their effect on motivation and grades 
• Drastic Differences between 100 pt. scales to 5 or 10 pt. scales...
• Home being busy work at the expense of authentic learning and inflated grades.  
• Value of in class quizzes vs uniform homework that all do the same
• The need to provide in-school support for struggling students
• Deciding the best methods to measure understanding

I am interested in giving the staff some time to reflect on current practices and their effectiveness on classroom instruction.  Change may come slowly or it may revolutionize how teachers view the age old practice of what and how they grade.  Let the conversation begin!

2013-14 Reflections

The 2013-14 school year is now officially in the books.  It was another challenging year both personally and professionally, but I sit here in awe of God's work despite my best or worst efforts.

• We had nine new staff changes during the course of the year.  God brought some talented people to our school community that made a huge difference to our ministry.
• SmartBoards were installed in all K-8 classrooms and integrated in instruction / IPADS K-2 / Gaggle 5-8 / Tablets in 7-8
• An IT service was hired to  provide much-needed technology network support ministry-wide. 
• “Defining the Win” in our school… - Know / Grow / Show  - Visual…  - (Be Loved – Belong – Be Brave) which will help define our culture
• Curriculum changes… AR / Spelling / Science 3-6 / CK LA K-1 - some of these areas were challenging for us and the staff wrestled over consistent strategies and the students won!
• Getting a handle on Fundraising at SJLS - from major to minor events.… Blessed by the first “ Bountiful Affair” event and two amazing event coordinators.
• Calling Pastor Eric Van Scharrel to help engage the ministry with school families
• Resignation of the Director of the Children's Center has created greater clarity for skills and leadership it takes to lead this important part of our ministry.
• Robotics, Theater and Art Clubs were started for kids who were wired to shine in these areas.
•  Worked hard with SJ leadership to define and land on mission/vision to carry up into the future.
• Updated all mnistry job descriptions and implemented an evaluation process that will be done by the end of the month..
• Put new lunch program in place that provides a quality product and actually makes us mone

Well - that's some of the ways I have spent my time this past year.  If you throw in the loss of Rhonda's mom... which is still weighing on her and working with a dysfunctional leadership model, I am still standing. This summer will be spent thinking about assessment models for next year and helping craft a model for discipleship.  God is simply faithful to His promise and I lean on that when stuff seems too big to overcome.  At the end of the day, I picture the 430 kids what came each day to this place and were cared for, challenged to think and engage in learning.
That's what its all about!

• ---

What's Next?

 

The past 30 days have been somewhat surreal to Rhonda and I.  Not quite what we thought this stage of life would be.  Through these days of hardship, we see God working in ways that  have yet to be revealed. Two weeks ago I was driving half-way across the USA and flying around the country to care for my folks. Just last week we were scrambling on finding a ALZ home for Rhonda's mom, only to find ourselves preparing for a memorial service in a couple weeks. We make our best plans, but God intervenes and straightens out even  the messy stuff.
When you don't get what you expect the natural order should produce, you question what went wrong, when the first thing is expecting a natural outcome of events should make sense.  Really?  Are we that nieve?   Where and how do we learn to trust when things do not go as planned? It is said we learn the most when we struggle - not when things go easy.  We end up relying on our own intellect and abilities to figure stuff out.  So some lessons learned from someone who usually gets it pretty close to right.  My diet of humble pie is not what I think I need.  I need to push back from the table, get out of the way and watch God do His thing.

Test Prep - TRUST

 

Our post-Christmas world has been a challenging one.  It seems that our personal focus has been distracted by circumstances that have been thrust upon us, making us take a stand or step up to advise or engage in problem-solving that has few easy answers.  So goes life with aging parents.  Perhaps it is our first encounter that hits so close.  Dealing with frail moms and dads test the mettle of one's love, concern, stress and focus.  Both our parents have undergone extreme struggle since January 1 while in our presence. In both situations, we were forced to make decisions that were not embraced.  In other words... we weren't ready for dealing with messy stuff with our parents.  For the first time, we were put in the role of being a "decision-maker" for parents who played that role for us for several decades.  Then, when we are pushed to pick up some slack, we are overwhelmed with the details and consequences of plain old age.  No easy answers here... but a simple child-like faith that we made decisions that will be in the best interest of each of them. We can't see into the future but must trust that God will handle the big stuff if we make a good attempt to handle the small stuff.  But why does this feel like such big stuff?    The old hymn  " I am trusting Thee Lord Jesus"  serves as a reminder:
"I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus;
Never let me fall.
I am trusting Thee forever
And for all."

I am trusting Thee to guide me;
Thou alone shalt lead,
Ev'ry day and hour supplying
All my need.

5. I am trusting Thee for power;
Thine can never fail.
Words which Thou Thyself shalt give me
Must prevail.

Merry Christmas 2013

                 
Merry Christmas 2013 !  It will be a different Christmas  this year than in the past.  We will have my folks driving in from KS,  Rhonda's dad is flying in from MD, and Nate, Jacqui and Adam will be arriving on the 26th.  The difference will  be that we will be hosting Christmas for the first time in 6 years.  Our Christmases have been busting our way to FL to spend time with Nate - since it is hard for him to get away from his Pastoral duties. 
This year my family making a huge effort to get where we are!  Yes, they want to see our new life in Bakersfield and get somewhere warm and sunny, but what a blessing it is to be on the receiving end from people who love you. I have to admit is is not easy for me to receive.  My selfish nature tends to steer the outcome to my own desired results.  To receive means to accept whatever you get - with appreciation. My nature usually puts some level of expectation on me or on the event. One application might be for me to imagine what expectation anyone had that first Christmas?
Were Mary and Joseph expecting to find no room in the inn?
Were Mary and Joseph prepared for their baby to be born in a stable and laid in a manger?
Did the shepherds expect to see angels in the sky that night?
Did they expect to see the Savior of the world laying in the humble dwellings of a table?
It was not as they expected because they had no big preconceived expectations - they went on with the routine because that's what you do as people of faith. You just trust that God will provide what you need, when you need it.  When a surprise is needed, then a surprise will take place.  When you look back, you recognize God's provision was greater than your feeble expectations.  So it is when God is intimately involved with us.  That's the beauty of the incarnation - God in flesh - joining us where we are.  May He bless your Christmas beyond measure! - meaning beyond your feeble expectations!