Building a Better Teacher

Today I am humbled and motivated by this article from the NY Times about the state of education in America today. According to the author, most schools in America are going down the tubes, and no one can really put their finger on what to look for in the search for new "good" teachers who can replace the "bad" ones they are in the midst of firing in the wake of low student test performance. I am so spoiled to be involved with a school with not only good academics, but a (muscular) Christian worldview that isn't afraid to name ills and strengths in both teachers and students. If a student is misbehaving, correcting that behavior seems to be an obvious solution. If a teacher needs help, dealing with the person directly through mentorship and direct instruction will get the job done. We don't wait for a standardized test score to judge performance. We are intentional about our school culture and constantly guard it, and are meticulous about how we manage even seemingly small details.

Apparently many teachers in our country have no idea what discipline really means, or how to enact it in the classroom. Of course classroom management takes time to learn, but public schools and politically correct Americans are overcomplicating life by shying away from discipline. Without admitting that certain behaviors are right and others are wrong, of course classroom management will be a hit-or-miss experiement. It doesn't take too much study into Korean, Indian, or Chinese education to see that discipline (of the self and others) has a lot to do with strong educational results.

I'm thankful to the Lord for the biblical examples of what discipline, boundaries, and love look like. I'm thankful to the CCA community for proof that the biblical model still works!