Léo's Insights
A place where issues related to the Christian walk and its application to home education is discussed.
Topics are meant to challenge you to think differently, to make a difference in this world, starting with the children you have been blessed with.
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New to Home Education? Step One? RELAX!
There is one word that needs to be expressed: Relax! I will repeat that: relax! Once more, repeat it with me: RELAX!
Deciding to do something you have never done, perhaps never even considered, is a bit daunting, to stay the least. The immediate encouragement I can give you is that you are not alone. Every new venture comes with anxiety. Choosing to keep your children at home for the first time is no different. But you can RELAX!
What is usually the cause of anxiety is not knowing, not being sure of or confident about what will take place. Being ignorant of the what’s, when’s, where’s and how’s of the processes and expectations for home education is certain to cause some anxiety, maybe even fear. But, RELAX!
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Freedom Means Having No Fear: Freedom (Part 3)
What does it mean to be free? In the last blog I said freedom requires having both choice and control. When either is missing, freedom is but an illusion. So how does one know they are truly free? I believe having choice and control – being free – is demonstrated by a lack of fear on the part of the individual toward the thing they are free from. Conversely, if one is fearful, they are not likely free.
To demonstrate this point, let’s take the recent discussion regarding the Covid vaccine mandates. Although it is pretty clear that the population is not only divided, but truly polarized regarding this, my point is not to take a side, but rather to show the power of fear and how fear robs people of freedom.
Everyone has a choice as to whether or not to “take the jab”. This is good and it does appear to be advancing freedom. However, how much control does one have in this matter? If one’s decision not to take the jab results in losing their job and livelihood, how is that being in control? That is not freedom as it involves surrendering either the choice of whether or not to take the jab or the control over keeping or losing one’s job. It is brilliantly deceptive, but deceptive all the same. If choosing “to jab or not to jab” is fraught with fear, there is no freedom.
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What Does Parental Freedom Look Like? Freedom (Part 2)
There is usually much excitement when parents first make the decision to teach their children at home. Unfortunately, rather than starting with a commitment to avoid the pitfalls of school-based learning, it is usually a matter of bringing school home with the children.
This is not unusual. In fact, it is perfectly natural, as most parents have had limited, if any, exposure to what home education is all about. Most do not understand what parental freedom looks like, having only experienced some form of school-based education themselves.
First, let us begin by defining freedom. The dictionary provides three definitions for us. Freedom is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. This is what we usually think of when describing freedom. The second definition is really more a qualifier of the first which is that freedom must be in the absence of subjugation to foreign domination or despotic government. The third definition is easy to understand as we are not free if we are imprisoned or enslaved. We are all born free, unless we are “citizens” of a “despotic” government or “enslaved”. However, that does not mean we stay free.
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Freedom (Part 1)
We all want to be free. We yearn to be able to do what we want, where we want, when we want, how we want, all within reason, of course. Ever notice how many songs are about freedom? Next to love, freedom is probably the most sung about theme or topic. That is because love and freedom are probably what life is all about.
I have always been a freedom fighter. I have gained a reputation for standing for what I know to be the truth. Not that I know everything and certainly not that I cannot change what I have come to believe with time and experience, but I will not back down when told to do something that is questionable.
I recently read that to take a stand is to provoke an answer regarding an issue at hand. This is essential. There should be a good or reasonable answer for what is being demanded or advanced. If there isn’t one, something has to be changed. For instance, how often is the question “Why are we doing this?” answered with “Because that is the way we have always done it” or simply “Because” without elaboration? These responses are not acceptable as neither answers the question as much as insinuates that to question is itself wrong. If questioning is wrong, how can anyone come to knowledge of the truth? And, if we do not know the truth, it cannot set us free. Back to freedom.
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Schooling Under Stress: Schools Are “Outed” – Still! (Part 21)
Canada’s national broadcaster, the one paid for by all Canadians but followed by approximately 3%, took it upon themselves to conduct a survey of thousands of “educational professionals to find out how they and their students are doing in this extraordinary school year…”
There is no doubt that this year’s major COVID-19 inspired school closures have been very disruptive. The CBC survey generally found students to be having difficulty with new pandemic rules such as mask-wearing, social distancing and other rules being unilaterally laid down by public health officials who are obviously not in communication with public education officials. Both students and teachers are emotionally, physically and mentally exhausted.
Making big changes usually brings about big concerns and lots of stress. Having to make “school” work at home has been very frustrating for teachers who find it difficult, if not impossible, to complete their curricular responsibilities, and for students who simply find doing school at home cumbersome or difficult. The psychological impact of these changes on both teachers and students has been bad enough to see both suffering major burnout.
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The Answer to Pandemic School Closures? Schools Are “Outed” – Still! (Part 20)
Money! More money! Always more money!
An article I recently read about the pandemic school closures said, “Stakeholders have said schools will need more support than ever as the pandemic continues to take hold into the next academic year”. Who are these “stakeholders” and what is meant by more support?
A few lines later we get some clarification with, “Fewer students are attending, because fewer students feel safe. And the reason schools are not safe is because they are underfunded.”
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A Dyslexic’s Perspective: Schools Are “Outed” – Still! (Part 19)
Last week, I tried to explain how world view perspectives and consequent filters determine how we interpret information. I say “tried” because interpreting information can be a complicated issue, as things are usually not black and white but many shades of grey. This is not to suggest that truth is not absolute, as much as to say that people will find themselves in differing places along the path from error to truth. I personally believe truth is the ultimate intellectual and spiritual destiny for everyone, even if the individual is not aware of it.
Having said that, let me give you another example of differing perspectives regarding something near to my heart. As a dyslexic, my filters respecting dyslexia are very different from those who see it as a “condition” that needs “fixing”. A recent article I read brought this issue clearly to light.
The article started with, “The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the challenges faced by people with dyslexia, who struggle with reading and writing despite apparently normal vision, intelligence, and spoken language ability.” This is true, but it begs a definition of normal. Also to be questioned is why dyslexics are singled out as affected when the lockdowns are affecting all students.
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Taking Things into Perspective: Schools Are “Outed” – Still! (Part 18)
There has been a seeming avalanche of studies, research and opinions of late, indicating children are suffering as a consequence of the pandemic from falling behind, accumulating gaps, experiencing learning losses and other disastrous effects. There is no doubt this is true, but it is important to put these findings in perspective in order to get an accurate picture of what is truly happening.
Personal perspectives are the lens or filter through which we process information, and they ultimately determine or predetermine the conclusions we come to when interpreting evidence. Most people are fixed regarding their perspectives on things. Others have a more open mind, that is, they are willing and even want to test their foundational beliefs with the objective of wanting to know the truth.
A person’s filters are largely determined by the foundational world view of the individual. World view is essentially based on one’s understanding of God. Everybody has one. Most people believe their world view is the only correct one which is why there always seems to be an opposing mindset. As a consequence, everybody advances and defends their world view, which takes us back to our filters for interpreting the latest COVID-19 related findings.
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Learning Losses? Schools Are “Outed” – Still! (Part 17)
The new reality of unplanned online learning brought about by the COVID-19 school closures has caused a lot of concern, particularly within the education industry. Professional educators are worried about a number of things resulting from the new education dynamics, but are especially concerned about students falling behind.
The question is, how can a child be behind? Behind what, exactly? Does there not have to be some standard by which to measure this position or judgement? Would this not necessitate a presumed standard child? I must admit that in all my years of involvement in education, I have yet to meet this “standard” child.
Many years ago, an Alberta Education Minister addressing concerns parents were having regarding provincial achievement test results, said the tests were measuring how the curriculum was doing with the child, not how well the child was doing with the curriculum. He clearly indicated the focus of education was more a matter of creating a product than encouraging student learning, which brings us back to the issue of “falling behind”.
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What? Nobody Wants to Be Tested? Schools Are “Outed” – Still! (Part 16)
In the last two blogs we covered how parents are being accused of “minding their children’s business” when there are professionals to do that, and that, when inadvertently giving children choice, many children do not bother to do their online school work at home.
All this results from the fact that there is conflict whenever an individual extends his/her “authority” beyond the boundaries of the applicable jurisdiction. For instance, the CEO of company A has no legitimate business telling Company B what to do. Similarly, parents, who are the “bosses” at home do not really have a say in schools where teachers are the “bosses”, and vice versa. It should come as no surprise, then, that when parents and teachers overstep each other’s boundaries, problems are bound to arise.
Every parent has been the victim of attempted manipulation by children who try to get different answers from each parent. A child does this in his/her early attempts to divide, conquer and manipulate. Good parents know the best way to counteract this is to ask the child if s/he has asked the other parent. If the answer is yes, one need only say, “Then why are you asking me again? You have your answer.”
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