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.
If you would like to be notified of new posts on Léo's Insights, you can Like us on Facebook via our Facebook page, or sign up for emails to your right.
Do You Actually Want To Be Free?
A silly song we sometimes hear says, “Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.” As funny as this may seem, it is true. Similarly, everybody wants to be free, but nobody wants to exercise freedom. An interesting observation may help you to understand what I mean.
I have been a bird watcher and studier for as long as I can remember. I have always desired to have the freedom birds seem to have, even if most fall prey to something. As a consequence, I am very upset to encounter birds that have been pinioned, that is have had parts of their wings amputated to prevent them from flying. This is usually done to benefit the owners, whom I believe should consider what it would be like to have their legs amputated.
Continue reading “Do You Actually Want To Be Free?”
Christmas Break (Part 2)
Léo’s Insights is taking a two-week Christmas break. It will return on January 7, 2025.
Christmas Break (Part 1)
Léo’s Insights is taking a two-week Christmas break. It will return on January 7, 2025.
Cancelling Christmas
No one knows when Jesus was actually born. I cannot lay claim to having more information than the rest, but scholars think it was sometime in October. God’s incarnation on earth is the most significant event in all of history so the fact that He came makes His actual date of arrival of little significance.
Continue reading “Cancelling Christmas”
Boredom With Class
I must admit, the young lady was very attractive. Not only was she pretty, but she had a confident demeanour that went beyond her good looks. She did not play the arrogant “aren’t I pretty” game, and most of the young fellows would have loved to ask her out on a date. However, she was so sure of herself, most of the guys thought she was out of their “league”.
Continue reading “Boredom With Class”
Expensive Blue Jeans
There was quite a commotion in the classroom before class was to begin. A young lady, obviously of means, was showing off her new blue jeans. Other girls were oohing and ahhing over what was obviously something to be desired. The young lady with the new pants was enjoying all the attention her jeans were bringing her as she gyrated her pelvis to give all the onlookers a better view of her “clothes”. This exercise attracted the attention of more than just the girls who were present; the boys, who were obviously the target audience, turned their heads as well. But one lone girl sitting at the front of the class was clearly not impressed.
Continue reading “Expensive Blue Jeans”
Expectations
I put one hundred and ten percent into everything I do. I say one hundred and ten percent because I have been blessed with an extraordinary amount of energy and I was taught to be dedicated toward excellence in fully completing any task. As a consequence, I really worked hard to be the best teacher possible. This required two very important things.
Continue reading “Expectations”
On Being a Mom
Even though I had an advanced education in Biology, most of my teaching career was comprised of teaching French. I suppose this had something to do with me being bilingual because this was also around the time Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau declared Canada a bilingual country so every school was scrambling to make students speak both official languages.
Continue reading “On Being a Mom”
In Loco Parentis
I have now told two of my favourite stories about having contests with parents as a teacher. I must admit I can only think of two more episodes where I found myself on the wrong end of parental anger.
Continue reading “In Loco Parentis”
A Life Lesson Learned – Part 2
Last week I set the stage for a showdown between myself and the chairman of the Board of Trustees for the school at which I worked. During the last class of the day, the chairman’s frustrated son had showed a clear lack of decorum when facing a failing grade on his exam. He was removed from my class and his dad showed up minutes after dismissal.
This dad was clearly upset that his son had been kicked out of my class and he wanted an explanation. The student had accompanied his dad, I presume to watch his dad take me to the cleaners, so to speak. His posture demonstrated that he was expecting something akin to a Roman gladiator taking on a worthy opponent.