The Teaching Gap

This is one of the best books I have read when it comes to teaching. It really has made me consider deeply how I teach, and how I want to grow as a teacher.

“In Japanese lessons, there is the mathematics on one hand, and the students on the other. The students engage with the mathematics, and the teacher mediates between them.” p.25

“In Japan, teachers appear to take a less activ erole, allowing their students to invent their own procedures for solving problems.” p.27

In the U.S., teaching math has simply become “stating rules, rather than developing procedures, and thereby turning mathematics into a matter of following rules and practicing procedures.” p.46

Definition of mathematics: To learn to think logically while searching for new properties and relationships. p.49

In Japanese mathematics, 53% of the lessons contained proofs – learning them or writing them. As well, Japanese teachers will almost never give a solution to a problem when it has been posed. The solution is left up to the class to discover. The teacher will direct and prod, but never just give it away.

The second half of the book explores teacher professional development. In the U.S., reform comes often, with the change desired quickly. Thus, there really has been no change, because, as Stigler and Hiebert show, teaching is a cultural activity, deeply ingrained in the subconscious of everyone. Changing it does not happen quickly or easily, and as they show in an anecdote, even when a teacher thinks they have changed, they probably haven’t in a significant way.

In Japan, teaching has changed dramatically over the last 50 years because they don’t mind changing slowly, one lesson at a time. Each week, teachers are given time to get together to workshop one specific lesson. Bit by bit, talking, researching, experimenting, teaching it to each other, teaching it in the classroom and observing the results, they come to what they feel (for now) is the perfect way to teach that particular lesson (eg. multiplying fractions). They then compile, as a group, a official report, so that other teachers all across the country, can access what they have found. Over time, given patience (which the U.S. does not seem to possess much of), it is easy to see why teaching has changed and improved.

Oh how I long to do something like this, to collaborate with other teachers. Reform should not be given to some outside professionals sitting on the third floor of a university. It should be carried out by teachers.

Of course, this does nothing to change the system itself, but it is something that doesn’t happen right now, and would of great benefit to teachers.

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Paris Wild Ride

Strap on your seatbelts folks. This is one wild ride.

http://bhendrix.com/wall/Gmaps_GVideo_Mashup_Rendezvous.html

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“Awakening”

Face down with the LA curbside endings
With the ones and zeros.
Downtown was the perfect place to hide.
The first star that I saw last night was a headlight
Of a man-made sky, but man- made never made our dreams collide,
Collide.

Here we are now with the falling sky and the rain,
We’re awakening
Here we are now with our desperate youth and the pain,
We’re awakening
Maybe it’s called ambition, you’ve been talking in your sleep
About a dream, we’re awakening

Last week found me living for nothing but deadlines,
With my dead beat sky but, this town doesn’t look the same tonight
These dreams started singing to me out of nowhere
And in all my life I don’t know that I ever felt so alive,
Alive

I want to wake up kicking and screaming
I want to wake up kicking and screaming
I want to know that my heart’s still beating
It’s beating,
I’m bleeding
I want to wake up kicking and screaming
I want to live like I know what I’m leaving
I want to know that my heart’s still beating
It’s beating… it’s beating…
I’m bleeding

(Switchfoot – Oh! Gravity. 2006)

The Stoltz Fish Hatchery Scheme.

Michelle and I went camping for out anniversary up at Oyama Lake. The drive up was crazy. Ever been to Oyama
Lake? Go by minivan? Sheesh. Wish I had the Jeep for that trip. But
once we got there it was really great. Quiet, relaxing. We played
Settlers of Catan 3 times, and watched about a million baby trout near
the shoreline go crazy. I was walking down to the beach when I heard
what sounded like a waterfall. But that couldn’t be because there was
no stream. On closer inspection, it was these baby trout. The water was
black with them, and they were dancing, splashing, jumping. Later,
Michelle asked me to catch some so we could raise them in our pond and
eat them next year. Yes, we are now starting our own fish hatchery, right in our front yard. I went along with the idea, so scoop – there’s 100 or so in the pot. I
kept seven, but that was hard because they would keep jumping out of
the pot. Aha – use a lid.  Anyways, we checked on them the next
morning, and one had died. Mmmmm – Lake, or 10″ round pot with 2″ of water. The stress would have killed me too I reckon. I said they’ll never make it home, so we let
the rest go free. I guess we’ll just have to keep growing the goldfish,
and use them if we run out of food.

So summer is full of house stuff, VBS for the girls, camping next week
at Ellison (“I can’t wait Daddy. I’m going to start packing right now
and leave my stuff on the stairs.” “No, Abriel, because we don’t leave
for 5 days yet.” “Waaaa – but I want to!” “mmm-hmmm. …. Go to your
room until we leave. You can wait in there, and we’ll bring you your
food and a potty.” “Really, can I set up the tent in there too?”) Ok,
the last 2 bits were made up, but I’m sure you get it. Ahh, I’m playing
tennis, and the girls are taking swimming lessons at the end of August.

Summer – the backdrop for the stuff of legends.

Life is good.

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Americano please. Grande.

I poured the cream into the mug yet again. It was strange how the swirling of the cream in the frothy nectar brought pleasure. It was a rather large mug, so it needed a lot of cream, and each pour would produce yet another smile on my face as the dark brown became lighter and lighter. The outdoor table was a bit wobbly, and I pondered whether I should move to another. I couldn’t fix the wobble because the table was loose at the base. But the music inside was too loud, and distracting, and there was a rather tense woman at the next table. Perhaps I could eat my meal and put up with a little wobbly inconvenience. And I was quite comfortable. And the coffee was quite good. And I had a good view of the trees, and sky, and the ironically Laughing Moon overhead. I would stay put.

I had been looking forward to reading today’s paper, but the tense girl was reading it, and I would have to wait. Bother. Oh well, I’ll be happy reading the Globe today.

The meal was exquisite – very good for $8.95, and probably the best Cajun chicken quesadilla I had ever had. The salad was covered with the Okanagan’s best Raspberry vinaigrette. I was very hungry after a long day. I did notice parts of the salad were old, dark, rotting, but they were few and far between. I could easily remove them, and enjoy the rest of the crisp greens. I could not however rest my elbow on the table as I like to do, because the table would tip, and my precious creamy brown nectar was in danger of spilling. If I let it, this inconvenience was going to interrupt my solace, my quietude, my rest,.. my repose,…….my peace.

It’s been awhile since I’ve felt this way. I’d forgotten that I could choose my emotions, that circumstances and other’s choices, no matter what they are, have no bearing on the peace in my soul. So a few events that aren’t what they should be….so what. Life is good, and I look up at the Creator’s moon and smile along with Him. Again.

Living from the Heart

 

I love this book. I love it because it gets to the root of who we are as human beings, something I’ve always been fascinated with. I have a passion for ancient human history (pre-Noah), because I find in that study that we are more than what we seem to be, that ancient man was extremely intelligent, and that the spiritual war we are in was accentuated, more obvious.

But who are takes on a deeper light in this book, and one of Eldredge’s main themes is that in order to be fully alive, we must learn to live from our heart. Well, that’s the same heart that has been assaulted since the day we were born. It’s been misjudged, yelled at, put down, betrayed. And at times it’s been hurt through our own stupidity as well. So we learn very early on to guard it carefully, to only open it up to the very trusted, and sometimes not even then.

I just finished reading a blog by a dear friend. Her heart was betrayed by her parents, and she has spent years dealing with the pain of that. The voices still wake her up at night. But she is healing, slowly.

Why have I not blogged for awhile? I think it’s mainly because I am reading this book. It exposes parts of me that I usually don’t think about. It requires me to explore the deeper parts of me that, when I really think about, take too much work, too much time, the healing comes too slowly. So I avoid it all together. I begin to shut down emotionally, and even spiritually.

But God wants to go there with me. He doesn’t mind taking the time. And He is teaching me what it means to live from my heart. There was a point in reading this book where I began to think about holding my heart in my hand, out in front of me, and letting it lead me, because, as Eldredge aptly proves, our heart is good. It has been redeemed, is no longer a heart of stone, but is now a heart of flesh. I’m teaching in class the other day, and I paused, mentally, as I was moving on to another point, and I remember breathing deeply, and thinking on my heart, and on it’s connectedness to God. I was flooded with deep peace in an instant, as all the reasons for teaching and living just became very clear. Those thing are in my heart, and if I don’t think about them, then life remains that much more mundane and meaningless. I hold my heart out in front of me, and I ask, “Father, where are you now? Father, I trust you to protect my heart. I don’t have to guard it. Even if it gets hurt, I know you will heal it, and that the hurt was only there to make me stronger. Father, here is my heart. Lead it, guide it, heal it, strengthen it. Prepare it for war. Prepare it for You.”

It’s hard. I think I shut down without even realizing it. And then I wake up one day, and think, “Enough of this! I don’t want to be shut down any more.” So where do I go? Right back where I left off – exploring those deep reaches of my heart that need reaching. And He leads and guides and reveals.

A good friend just bought me Eldredge’s first big hit – Wild at Heart. And Eldredge grabbed me immediately on the second page. He was out in the wilderness on a 4 day trek by himself. Why? To find his heart.

It’ll take more than four days though. I think it’ll take the rest of my life.

Providence and Provision

Once again, Father comes through, even when I least expected it. I got a position at George Elliott Secondary. I thought I would have to wait a few years before I found a perfect position, but I think it found me. I teach Principles of Math 10, 11, and 12, as well as Essentials Math 10. That means no prep! Yikes – oh, but wait a minute, I get an intern teacher too (PMath 11), which actually means that, for the most part, prep time is 25%. I simply have to keep my eye on her, and make sure the class is being taught well (which it most definitely is), help her out with advice, write a report here and there, and maybe take over the class in May. Did I mention that she is Christian? Still a baby time wise, but she is in the River, flowing right where God wants her. It is a blessing to be able to share that with a colleague. Let’s see, what else. I have practically no discipline problems – just the regular teenage stuff. The kids are great, and a joy to be around every day. The school is beautiful, practically new (www3.ges.sd23.bc.ca), and has one of the best theatres in town (so I can get my theatre bug out every now and again). The staff is incredible, making me feel very welcome. The staff room is about a 10 second walk from my classroom, where there is fresh coffee every morning about 9:30, and a photocopier, because many of you know how I need to photocopy in the middle of class all the time.

Like, yowsers. I just didn’t expect this. I was at Rutland Middle one afternoon, expecting to stay in a position there that would end in 6 weeks, and I get this message to call Ross (he does the hiring). I thought he was calling to say that I had the RMS position. “Hi Darren. I want you to call Des out at GES to interview for a senior math position out there.” Shake head, close eyes, shake some more. “Hunh?” I thought. And this job goes to June 30. Needless to say at this point, the interview went very well, and Des is a really great principal. We hit it off well.

“More abundantly than you could ever ask or think.” That’s God.  Wow. So, the adventure continues. Keep me in your prayers. Out for now.

My Utmost for His HIghest – Staying Fresh – Jan. 20

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My Utmost For His Highest – Are You Fresh for Everything?

Sometimes we are fresh and eager to attend a prayer meeting, but do we feel that same freshness for such mundane tasks as polishing shoes?

Being born again by the Spirit is an unmistakable work of God, as mysterious as the wind, and as surprising as God Himself. We don’t know where it begins— it is hidden away in the depths of our soul. Being born again from above is an enduring, perpetual, and eternal beginning. It provides a freshness all the time in thinking, talking, and living— a continual surprise of the life of God. Staleness is an indication that something in our lives is out of step with God. We say to ourselves, “I have to do this thing or it will never get done.” That is the first sign of staleness. Do we feel fresh this very moment or are we stale, frantically searching our minds for something to do? Freshness is not the result of obedience; it comes from the Holy Spirit. Obedience keeps us “in the light as He is in the light . . .” (1 John 1:7).

Jealously guard your relationship with God. Jesus prayed “that they may be one just as We are one”-with nothing in between (John 17:22). Keep your whole life continually open to Jesus Christ. Don’t pretend to be open with Him. Are you drawing your life from any source other than God Himself? If you are depending on something else as your source of freshness and strength, you will not realize when His power is gone.

Being born of the Spirit means much more than we usually think. It gives us new vision and keeps us absolutely fresh for everything through the never-ending supply of the life of God.

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Waking the Dead: John Eldredge – Part II

Some quotes from the book:

“What more can be said, what greater case could be made than this: to find God, you must look with all your heart. To remain present to God, you must remain present to your heart. To hear His voice, you must listen with all your heart. To love Him, you must love with all your heart. You cannot be the person God meant you to be, and you cannot live the life you were meant to live, unless you live from the heart.” (p.49)

The Enemy’s plan from the “beginning was to assault the heart, just as the Wicked Witch did to the Tin Woodman. Make them so busy, they ignore the heart. Wound them so deeply, they don’t want a heart. Twist their theology, so that they despise the heart. Take away their courage (note: John writes earlier how courage comes the Latin word for heart). Destroy their creativity. Make intimacy with God impossible for them…..In other words, without your heart, you can’t have life.” (p.52)

So what did Jesus do for our hearts?

He ransomed them, he restored them, he gave us a heart of flesh, one that can respond to God. It’s pure again! Jer 31:31-33, Ez. 36:26-27.

“The story of the Incarnation is the story of a descent and resurrection…one has the picture of a diver, stripping of his garment, making himself naked, then flashing for a moment in the air, and then down through the green, and warm, and sunlit water, into the pitch black and cold freezing water, down into the mud and slime, then up again, his lungs almost bursting, back again to the green and warm and sunlit water, and then at last out into the sunshine, holding in his hand the dripping thing he went down to get. This thing is human nature.” (C.S. Lewis, The Grand Miracle)

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Waking the Dead: John Eldredge. Part I: Who are we?

A quote from the movie, Akeelah and the Bee, which I learned was spoken by Nelson Mandela:

Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our greatest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, fabulous, gorgeous, talented? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. You’re playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that’s within us. It’s not just in some of us. It’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we automatically give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fears, our presence automatically liberates others.
-Nelson Mandela-

 

Think of Frodo, “a mere Hobbit”, who had no idea that upon him hinged the fate of Middle Earth. Think of the Ugly Duckling, on which the fact of “duckling” was only in his brain. Think of Neo in the Matrix (the one), Peter and Lucy in Narnia (a king and queen), and so many other stories. We are not what we think we are. We are more. We have been made in the image of God. We are glorious, so much so that satan cringed when he saw us, and knew he had to do something. This is one of the points that Eldredge makes early on his book, Waking the Dead.

 

Let me deal quickly with the phrase above, “…the glory of God that’s within us. It’s not just in some of us. It’s in everyone.” Every human ever born is made in the image of God, a fact hotly disputed by the theory of evolution, which is just one in a myriad of things lucifer has designed to blind us and place us in a spell such that we can’t see reality for what it truly is. We were made to be sons and daughters of God. I don’t think that fact can be disputed by any thinking Christian. Of course, this phrase can be used to espouse more of a New Age belief in the ability of us all to be “divine”, to become like God Himself. So I think Mandela’s statement, and Eldredge’s thesis, needs to be balanced off with a healthy dose of humility and assurances that we are not God, and never will be.

 

But I do believe that we have spent far too long lingering in a woe is me, life is too hard, I can’t wait to get to Heaven, mentality. And until we repent of our sin, and accept Christ’s sacrifice ALONE as the payment for our sins, that “spark of divinity”, that image of God in us, will lie dormant, sleeping, under the spell of the fall of Adam in an eternal winter.

 

When we do wake up, and see that our heart has been ransomed from the grasp of the serpent, that the Silver Chair can no longer bind us, then we will truly see what Mandela is saying: We are incredible. We are not to shrink back. We are made in the image of Almighty God, and need to express that a little more fully.

 

 

This book is really amazing. I look forward to writing more about it.