One Final Question: Can You Carry the One?

“All these kids been learning Common Core math, ’bout to learn how to “Carry the One” from their new homeschool teachers…”

This was a meme, and I found it hilarious! With the event of the Coronavirus, parents have been immediately thrust into the role of homeschool teacher, a role they weren’t ready for and didn’t ask for. All the efforts by those “who know best” are being undone by the regular folks (parents) who are faced with explaining things the best they can. Over the past six weeks or so, parents have likely been teaching the way they were taught. This is the way it works for all of us.

 “Carry the One…”

Most of you reading this weren’t home schooled yourselves.  You went to school.  If you followed the rules and got good grades, you were affirmed and identified as smart. You may have graduated cum laude or maybe even summa cum laude.  Penalties for making mistakes or doing poorly in the school system, when limited to the school system itself, were relatively benign.  Get a poor grade; take the test over again-maybe.  If you weren’t allowed to try to improve the grade, “Oh well.”  Get a “D” in a class- not the end of the world, (as long as the world we’re talking about is limited to classroom).  Many of us felt that real life took place outside of the classroom usually on weekends. In large measure, this perspective was correct.  We couldn’t wait to get out of school and graduate because we knew the real world was somewhere other than the classroom.

What most of us found when we left the world of school was that the real world was not so benign or forgiving.  The terrible effects of the Coronavirus and the actions all of us are taking and not taking illustrate this. Prior to the Coronavirus, poor performance in the workplace usually resulted in getting fired from a job.  Too many driving errors (tickets, accidents, etc.) brought an increase in insurance premiums or the recall of your driving license.  Over drafting on your checking account because of a simple math error resulted in unpleasant financial consequences.  Being smart in school did not necessarily lead to being smart in the real world. 

Last week I wrote about the most difficult kinds of questions your student will face on achievement tests. Questions at the highest level require that we pause and reflect regularly on why we’re doing what we’re doing. Again, because most of us went to school, the default teaching method when schooling our own children was to teach them the way we were taught: memorization and recitation.

Last week I suggested we are uncomfortable with making judgments and lack practice in doing so. For the most part we wish everything was spelled out. We wish everything was more black and white. It’s possible to do “school” this way- dot your I’s cross your T’s kind of thinking, memorize and fill in the blank types of exercises. The problem is that life, especially now, is a lot more nuanced and complicated.  And that’s the life we need to prepare our children for. 

Is there an educational model that will help us obtain what we sincerely want to accomplish in the lives of our children? One that requires them to think on the higher levels, to evaluate, exercise judgment, and become good decision makers?

What might this look like? 

Imagine the conversation below between a student and teacher. First published over forty years ago, it should prompt some questions about your own viewpoints and practice of home schooling.

A Seminary That Changed History

Student:               I can’t outline what you say.

Teacher:              Life and thought and conversation seldom conform to an outline.

Student:              But that makes it hard to prepare for the exam.

Teacher:              What exam?

Student:               The one at the end of your course.

Teacher:              You’ll be taking my exams for the rest of your life.

Student:               I don’t understand a lot of what you’re teaching us.

Teacher:              You won’t for three years.

Student:               That’s the whole course.

Teacher:              No, it’s only the beginning of the course.

Student:               Do you have any idea what my class standing will be?

Teacher:              You’ll fail the course, along with the rest.  But then all of you will turn the world upside down.  Except one.

Student:               When we’ve finished, will we know as much as the Pharisees?

Teacher:              No, you won’t know as much, but you’ll be changed.  Do you want to be changed?

Student:               I think so.  Is your teaching relevant?

Teacher:              Is it true?

Student:               You seem to throw questions back at me instead of answering them.

Teacher:              That’s because the answers are in you, not in me.

Student:               Will we see you in class tomorrow?

Teacher:              The class continues at supper and the campfire tonight.  Did you think I only taught words?

Student:               Is there an assignment?

Teacher:              Yes, help me catch some fish for supper.

 EUTYCHUS VII

From:  Christianity Today, November 19, 1977

Thanks for Reading!

Curt Bumcrot, MRE

We’re currently signing up students to participate in remote group testing. Our first group test date is May 8. The registration deadline for this group is tomorrow, April 29th. The next group following this one is May 22. If you’re interested in signing up, click here for more information. Feel free to call (503-650-5282) or email info@basicskills.net if you have additional questions.