A FEMALE music teacher formed a sexual relationship with a teenage girl after paying the student "particular attention" and giving her rehearsal times outside school hours…. From The Australian. Full story

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Had good fun shooting their wedding especially on Nikah day, when we went to Taman Warisan and Fort Canning to shoot their outdoor shots. To “Adek”, thank you for being my PA on that day, helped  me to hold the reflector .  And finally to the couple… Congrats again to you both!!!

Below are some selected shots of their 2 days event.

Photographer:
Malek – Nikah
Malek with Sarina – Sanding/Dinner

Having a teaching assistant can be a great way to ease your class load a bit. Those who could benefit from having a student demonstrate for class include:

+ Older teachers or those with an injury. Instead of doing the movements yourself, you can utilize the student to communicate the movements for you. This is much easier on the body. I do it when I can, but if I keep teaching for much longer, I will need to rely on it more often!

+ Teachers with a heavy class load. A teaching assistant can ease the burden and help keep you from getting fried.

+ Studio owners who have a talented student who is in need. Using a gifted student as a demonstrator means they will get more class time and practice. This can be a good situation for a studio owner that wants to help out a family that cannot afford to pay for multiple classes.

Naturally there are others who can benefit from this type of situation, but the ones above stand out as reasons that I have seen it done. There are a few things you may want to keep in mind if you decide to go this route…

If you want to do this, be sure to spell out a set of clear expectations for the student who will be assisting you. This includes the length of time that you are going to have them demonstrate, how many classes you will use them in, and any behavioral issues that you may want to address. Make a plan to re-evaluate the situation periodically to be sure that it is working well for everyone involved. You will also want to determine if you will have a dress code for the student when they demonstrate for class.

My very first teacher used me as an assistant, and it was a great experience for me to get a little bit more work in on my technique. It also made me feel important–and special. I think it’s a great thing to do if you are able to make it work for your particular situation. If anyone has had an experience with this type of setup, I’d love to hear from you…

To sum up my first month’s work on helium will be exciting because I will get to look through the first things I’ve written on helium.com and see my growth and progress through a critical lens and then share it with you!

Please enjoy!!

Always and forever

How motherhood changes a woman

Should teachers have a right to deny a students need to use the bathroom?

The impact of father-mother relationship on children’s well-being

Is there too much sex on television?

So, there we have it — a poem, two debates and two parenting articles!

Any partner dance class can have a mixture of new students and experienced students.  This diversity, in combination with the inherent student interaction, may create a complex and delicate situation for an instructor if more seasoned students take on a teaching role with newer students.  Although the experienced students may be well-intentioned (and eager new students happy for all the help they can get), the unsolicited teaching can be:

• erroneous
• different than (or even opposite to) the instructor’s explanations
• disruptive
• distracting
• rude
• shared in a way that makes the newer student feel less confident or comfortable
• undermining to the instructor

An instructor needs to ensure that students enter a space that is respectful, engaging, entertaining, and conducive to learning.  And, just as important, a class needs to have one voice, one point of view.

As I already noted, some students do offer advice that is well-intioned and even helpful to other students.  However, I’ve encountered my fair share of  “Sneak Teachers” and have developed some helpful tips for managing them.

But first, let’s better understand the “Sneak Teacher.”

There are quite a few reasons why Sneak-Teachers do what they do.  They may genuinely want to help.  They  may have a strong desire to be liked.  They may want to be seen as an expert.  They may want to be undermining.  They may want to be the center of attention.  Regardless of the reason, there are techniques that can help you defuse Sneak Teachers at the beginning, middle, and end of class.

At the Beginning of the class

1. Welcome everyone to your class
2. Introduce yourself by name, as well as the style and level you are teaching. You may wish to add a little note about your dance experience.
3. Remind your students that everyone is there to learn, have a good time, and walk away ready to go out and dance.
4. Give an overview of your class.  For example, “Today, were going to do a little warm up, review x, talk about y, and then, if there’s time, start looking at z.”
5. Let your students know that if they have any questions they can ask you at any point during the class.

During The Class

1. Look around the room as you speak and demonstrate.
2. Move around the room and give every pairing a few moments of your focus as they practice.
3. Let them all know that you are present and available.
4. If you observe a Sneak-Teacher in action, take a little extra time to work with that pair.  Address a technical detail they both can work on (see “Fix Him, He’s Doing It Wrong and Other Interesting Quotes From Memorable Students” Oct 29, 2009).

At The End of the Class

1. Save the last five to seven minutes of class for dancing to allow you time to observe how your students are progressing.  Offer some final thoughts or “homework.”
2. Congratulate everyone on a job well done with genuine praise and applause.
3. Explain to your students what they achieved.  For example, “In just one hour, you got to do not only x and y, but you got to add a little bit of z with styling!  Give yourselves a round of applause!“
4. Thank them all for being a great bunch, crowd, group, or team.  Take your pick.
5. Give a preview of what’s to come in the next level or class.
6. Let everyone know where they can find you if they have any questions.

As a professional dance instructor and a reformed Sneak Teach who was always “just trying to help,” I understand both sides of this interesting classroom dynamic.  Maintaing a consistent methodology every class will help all of your students tremendously and deter Sneak-Teachers from creating uncomfortable situations.

“Yesterday, I was reading MLIA and I got so caught up I ended up spending 3 hours reading, and forgot to do my english homework. So today in class when my teacher asked why I didn’t have my homework done, I told her what happened, she smiled and said that is the exact reason we wouldn’t get our essays back. She gave me an A on the assignment anyways. Thank you MLIA. Hello favorite teacher. MLIA”

The ‘I-Said-I-Read-MLIA-And-My-Teacher-Gave-Me-An-A’ posts are back. Come on, MLIAers! I thought we were over this.

Okay, so we all know this would never happen, right? Right. We all know that teachers don’t just give out A’s because they happen to have something in common with the student. The teacher could get in big trouble for doing that, anyway. So MLIA is the reason the kid didn’t do their homework, MLIA is the reason the teacher didn’t grade the essays, MLIA is the reason the teacher broke the rules by giving out a free A, and MLIA is the reason the teacher got fired.

Everybody wins with this one.

I am exited to explore in depth the doctrine of Charity, which is the pure love of Christ or the way Christ loves us.

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Verses 1-3 tell me how important Charity (Love) is. If we spoke with the tongue of angels or had the gift of prophecy or understood all mysteries, if we don’t have charity then we are as nothing. We need to have charity more than all knowledge or all faith. We can give away everything we have to feed the poor or sacrifice our bodies to be burned but if we don’t live with charity then it is for nothing. If we have all kinds of great gifts bestowed upon us or do any number of great things we are “nothing without charity”. We can’t base our salvation on just one or two things we have to include Charity or it is all in vain.

What is charity? Charity in verse four is broken down in specific attributes so that we may fully understand what charity is.4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Verses 8-13 further illustrate how important Charity is in our lives by comparing it to other important aspects of the gospel of Jesus Christ8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Moroni 10:46-47

46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail — 47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him. 48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.This additional Christian Scripture passage adds to the importance of charity and teaches us more about Charity. All things must fail but Charity will never fail. This would indicate to me that we should invest much effort and prayer into obtaining the gift of charity so that it fills our sould and heart to overflowing. Verse 47 tells us that we must pray with all the energy of hear to be filled with this love.

This passage also teaches us that Charity is the pure love of Christ and when He comes again the second time if we are filled with Charity we shall be like Him. Charity is a purifying force as well.

So what exactly is Charity that it is so important? Charity is the “Pure Love Of Christ”. So when you read the word “Charity” substitute the phrase “pure love of Christ”.

Suffereth Long
The “pure love of Christ” suffereth long.

What does “Suffereth long” mean? In short “suffereth long” means patience. Consider the verse 1 Peter 3:20 In part that verse says “when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah…” We also know that mankind was extraordinarily wicked in the days of Noah. God was very patient having Noah call them to repentance before the destruction of the flood. One of the online dictionaries defines “long-suffering” as: “patiently enduring lasting offense or hardship”. There again is the word “patience”. Part of the pure love of Christ (Charity) is patience.

This means that we need to have patience. Patience toward who? We are told to have Charity like Christ does and Christ is patient towards all mankind so that implies that we should also have patience towards all mankind and especially those close to us in our own life like our spouse and children and those people we interact with on a daily basis but not to exclude all others.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) The Lord exerts all the patience He can toward us so that we may have as much time possible to repent and turn to Him.

Is Kind

“The pure love of Christ” is kind.

The one of the online dictionaries suggest that “Kind” means: Affectionate, loving. Of a sympathetic or helpful nature. Of a forbearing nature. Gentle. Arising from or characterized by sympathy or forbearance (a kind act). To give pleasure or relief.

A good or benevolent nature or disposition. A loving person. Having, showing or proceeding from benevolence. Considerate, helpful, humane, mild, gentle, loving or affectionate.

Forbearance means “To be tolerant or patient in the face of provocation.” An abstaining from the enforcement of a right. “A creditor’s giving of indulgence after the day originally fixed for payment.” This descriptions of the word “Kind” certainly sound Christ-like. This kind of kindess is what we should be striving for, even praying for.

Envieth Not

“The pure love of Christ” envieth not.

Envy means a painful or resentful awareness of something enjoyed by someone else as well as a desire to possess the same thing the other person has. So if Charity Envieth not then we should not be resentful toward others but rather we should be happy for the things others possess and share their joy. We cannot envy someone if we have the pure love of Christ in our hearts. We need to have joy in others successes and achievements. If everyone “envieth not” think of the drop in the crime rates.

Vaunteth Not Itself

“The pure love of Christ” vaunteth not itself.

“Vaunt” means to brag or to make a vain display of one self? We should not draw undue attention to ourselves. When we brag about ourselves we are setting ourselves up to appear to be better than others. God loves us all the same. He doesn’t love whatever sin or misdeed we may be involved in but He loves us all the same. We should not seek to make ourselves appear to be better than each other.

Is Not Puffed Up

“The pure love of Christ” is not puffed up.

Puffed up means to speak or act in a scornful, conceited, or exaggerated manner. We should just be ourselves or we should be the person we are trying to be as we seek for Charity in our lives. We need to be humble (teachable) and sincere. If we are locked into Charity as a way of life then we would have no insecurities and have no need to be conceited.

Doth Not Behave Itself Unseemly

“The pure love of Christ” doth not behave itself unseemly.

Unseemly means not according with established standards of good form or taste. In other words we should be vulgar or crude.

Seeketh Not Her Own

“The pure love of Christ” seeketh not her own.
To “seek not her own” means being selfish. Anyone who has Charity or seeking Charity is not selfish. We should repent for any selfish behavior and strive to not be selfish.

Is Not Easily Provoked

“The pure love of Christ” is not easily provoked.

Is not easily made mad or one who is slow to anger. Not resentful. If we considered the life of Christ he was very slow to wrath. The only time he showed wrath was when the money changers we disrespecting the Temple. Even when Christ was be unjustly tried for made up crimes he was not provoked. When He hung from the cross, rather than be mad he ask Heavenly Father to forgive the soldiers who were torturing Him.

Thinketh No Evil

“The pure love of Christ” thinketh no evil.

Evil is the opposite of righteousness. Charity does not think of things contrary to righteousness. Ask yourself what is evil and think the opposite. Think of virtuous thoughts. Ask yourself what would Jesus think about and think likewise.

Rejoiceth Not In Iniquity But Rejoiceth In The Truth

“The pure love of Christ” rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth.

Iniquity is both sin and behavior directly in opposition to righteousness. Charity finds happiness in the truth or rejoices in the truth. Thinketh no evil and Rejoiceth Not in iniquity go hand in hand or are companion virtues. Don’t think evil thoughts and do not rejoice in inquity. Do we watch movies or read books where we find ourselves rooting for the bad guy? Is that Charity?

Beareth All Things

“The pure love of Christ” beareth all things.

What does it mean to “Bear”? Looking up the word “bear” on several online dictionaries came to the following conclusions:

To make one’s way steadily especially against resistance. Continuing firm or resolute through trials and difficulties.

To put up with something trying or painful.

The terms Suffereth (Suffer) and Beareth (Bear) are synonyms in parts of their meanings but they also have some differences in their definitions. From what I can ascertain The phrase “Suffereth Long” is more to do with patience. The phrase “Beareth All Things” deals mainly with faithfully overcoming trials and adversity.

Believeth All Things

“The pure love of Christ” believeth all things

This phrase “believeth all things” has to do with faith. Charity, the pure love of Christ wouldn’t teach to believe all things regardless. For instance. Do we believe the God created the earth or do we believe in junk science that the earth was created from a big bang?

Do we believe God created Man in His own image or than man evolved from apes? We don’t believe all things spiritual and worldly but rather “believeth all things” is to have firm religious faith. To accept the gospel as true, genuine or real. Furthermore it means to have assurance or faith in righteousness. Trust in God. To have a firm conviction as to the goodness, efficacy, or ability of something. If that thing doesn’t have goodness of efficacy then it is evil and not to be trifled with.

Other definitions of “Believeth all things”: To have confidence in the truth,

Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

2 Corinthians 6:15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

Hopeth All Things

“The pure love of Christ” hopeth all things.

To look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence. For instance, to look to Christ for ones salvation. To place trust in or rely in. We need to trust in Christ that He will do what He says he will do. To look to the Gospel of Jesus Christ with confidence.

Endureth All Things

“The pure love of Christ” endureth all things. Here is what some online dictionaries defined Endure as.

To undergo a hardship without giving in. To suffer or endure a great pain. To remain firm under suffering or misfortune without yielding. To bear without resistance or with patience.

To support adverse force or influence of any kind; suffer without yielding; suffer patiently. The life of Christ is a perfect example of enduring all things.

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

We’ve all seen it…the image of Buddha sitting legs crossed meditating. We even jokingly emulate this posture in conversation to suggest peace of mind or the notion of Zen. But what are we really witnessing when we see someone in a crossed legged sitting posture? That sitting position is one of the most traditional meditating poses in all of Buddhism and Taoism as passed down by generations of practitioners starting in India way back when.

The day of enlightenment. December 8, 596 BC Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. Image shows enlightened Gautama Buddha sitting under the Bodhi tree.

The deeper one gets into practicing meditation, more positions are revealed and the practitioner  begins to build a repertoire for meditating. Something to think about while building this list is that, people already have a short list to choose from to meditate. These are things that we do everyday. It could be something as simple as making coffee, mowing the lawn, jogging, listening to music, or riding a bike. There are a number of activities that can put our mind into the initiation process towards meditating. The point of meditating is to think about nothing, clear the mind of all thoughts.

In the world we live in, especially in the Western side of things, its very difficult to eliminate thoughts. So to begin the delete these thoughts, what better way to begin by doing something that requires you to focus on one thing…eventually that one thing becomes so second nature you don’t need to think about doing it.

Through muscle memory we are now just doing. Then the mind is free to erase. 3 thoughts become 2, 2 becomes 1, 1 becomes no thought at all. In time of course.

Here’s a little something from the Buddha himself to help redirect our pre-conceived ideas about meditating…or whatever you can apply it to:

“Do not accept anything on (mere) hearsay — (i.e., thinking that thus have we heard it for a long time). Do not accept anything by mere tradition — (i.e., thinking that it has thus been handed down through many generations). Do not accept anything on account of mere rumors — (i.e., by believing what others say without any investigation). Do not accept anything just because it accords with your scriptures. Do not accept anything by mere suppositions. Do not accept anything by mere inference. Do not accept anything by merely considering the reasons. Do not accept anything merely because it agrees with your pre-conceived notions. Do not accept anything merely because it seems acceptable — (i.e., thinking that as the speaker seems to be a good person his words should be accepted). Do not accept anything thinking that the ascetic is respected by us (therefore it is right to accept his word).

Big Buddha in Hong Kong

For anyone interested in starting a meditation regiment or just the occasional break from our noisy world, I would definitely suggest learning the basics first. Then apply those basics to your world. For the traditional martial artist, I think its important to understand that traditions are good but not absolute, especially in the world we live in today. Rethink old ways, new ideas.

-MR

WorldNetDaily.Com

Teaching plan: America ‘an oppressive hellhole’

University outlines ‘re-education’ for those who hold ‘wrong’ views

A program proposed at the University of Minnesota would result in required examinations of teacher candidates on “white privilege” as well as “remedial re-education” for those who hold the “wrong” views, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.

The organization, which promotes civil liberties on the campuses of America’s colleges and universities, has dispatched a letter to University of Minnesota President Robert Bruininks asking him to intervene to prevent the adoption of policies proposed in his College of Education and Human Development.

“The university’s general counsel should be asked to comment as soon as possible,” said the letter from Adam Kissel, an officer with The FIRE. “If the Race, Culture, Class, and Gender Task Group achieves its stated goals, the result will be political and ideological screening of applicants, remedial re-education for those with the ‘wrong’ views and values, [and] withholding of degrees from those upon whom the university’s political reeducation efforts proved ineffective.”

By any “non-totalitarian” standards, he wrote, the the plans being made so far by the school are “severely unjust and impermissibly intrude into matters of individual conscience.”

Kissel wrote that it appears that the university “intends to redesign its admissions process so that it screens out people with the ‘wrong’ beliefs and values – those who either do not have sufficient ‘cultural competence’ or those who the college judges will not be able to be converted to the ‘correct’ beliefs and values even after remedial re-education.”

 

 

When you are ready teachers will appear. Teachers can open the door to learning, but you yourself must enter!

“College isn’t the place to go for ideas.”

Mrs. Grant,

I still remember my very first class with you. I had just jumped from Grade 3 to Inter. Foundation and there were so many things I didn’t know, and there you were, teaching my exam class. Without Lana to tell me what was coming next, I felt lost. But you guided me through. You were strict, but it was out of your passion for dance and performance.

Well, a summer went by, and I was starting to study my Intermediate syllabus. You sat Asia and I down and told us you had cancer. “But I’m going to try my best,” you said. To myself, I said that too. How could I let you down? There were days you would have chemo and then come teach us soon after. I couldn’t believe your strength and determination to be there for us. So, I had to be there for you. It was the least I could do.

I remember a day when you told us that the tea you were drinking “tasted like water and aluminum”. My heart sunk; I wished I could fix it all. But, you kept fighting and fighting… There were good days, and even great days. Sadly, bad days too. Despite the bad days, I think dancing was the best medicine. Something lit up in your eyes when you were teaching us, not only about technique but performance too.

A year goes by, and you’ve still been battling. Classes were hard for me, there was so much going on between me and the girls. After a while, I shut it all out and just focused on the dancing. Pure dancing. Pure technique, performance, and putting the two together. I found determination in myself, because you believed in me, and I believed in you.

It was the end of the year, and I was leaving LDA. I wanted to write you a letter saying goodbye, because I hadn’t seen you around in a while. “I hope one day I can see you make a full recovery”, I wrote.

Well, I did end up seeing you before I left. I asked you if you liked the year end show, and you said you loved it. That was the last time we spoke. Mrs. Grant, I can’t explain how much I miss you. But you’ve taught me so much about being strong… How dance is beautiful on the outside, and healing on the inside.

Thank you for inspiring me over and over again. I know you’re in a peaceful place now.

Love, Kaela <3

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/34171629#34171629

“Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, for you know that we who teach shall be judged with greater strictness.  For we all make mistakes, and if any one makes no mistakes in what he says he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also.  If we put bits into he mouths of horses that they may obey us, we guide their whole bodies.” – James 3:1-3

The call to Christian leadership is not a call to fame.  I’ve done it before; gazing dreamily into the sunset, thinking of all the grandeur with which God will do big things in my life, with me and through me.  Dreaming is good.  A sense of wonder and anticipation of the power of God is essential to effective leadership.  But the real question is exactly who we place at the center of these dreams: is it us or Him?  Because to lust after a place in formal Christian leadership, or really our thoughts of “Christifame,” is to misunderstand the nature of leadership; to ultimately burden ourselves with unreality that will burn us out.

As I was waking up this morning, it’s like the realities facing Christian leaders and teachers were burning in my brain.  I’ll list them:

1. We won’t teach the full Gospel because we would then be convicting ourselves.  In order to teach the truths that are counter-cultural and unpopular, we might ourselves have to be counter-cultural and unpopular. This is a hard lesson for us.  But we have to accept the reality of what Jesus Christ calls us to; living above reproach and seeking first the kingdom of God.  We must be careful to never qualify the Gospel with our own lives, but to be transformed to it.
2. We focus solely on social justice, or charitable activity, rather than worship and prayer.  We see both ends of the pendulum.  We can paint the Gospel of Christ in the light of a social revolution.  We can become shortsighted in our teaching to replace worship and prayer in the Christian life with works of charity, focusing solely on the horizontal nature of the Christian life.  Truly, these were an essential part of Jesus’ ministry.  Some of the most beautiful lives in the last 2,000 years were intimately connected to the poor.  Jesus came to save the lost, to heal the blind, the make the cripples walk; yet to focus on these elements as His mission would be to greatly reduce the mystery of Salvation.  It becomes easy for us to reject “institutionalized Christianity” in exchange for a gospel of social justice and works, where these parts of our lives come out of and presuppose intimate union with God and discovering His heart for His people, especially the poor.
3. Instead of allowing the Gospel to project Truth on us, we criticize or legitimize the parts of Jesus’ message we feel most helpless to follow. This leads to a lack of substance in our leadership.  It becomes easy to talk about nothing at all.  What we often give is not words that lead people close to Jesus, but words that distort the gospel to follow our own ends.  How do we view the words of Jesus when they challenge even ourselves?  Do we conform ourselves or tell ourselves, “Surely, He couldn’t have meant this.”  No, He meant that and we need to ask for grace to be “perfect as the Father is perfect.”  We often malign teachings that challenge us beyond our comfort levels.  May we have more humility and accept God’s words for what they are, while admitting we need His grace to follow them!
4. We won’t raise the bar because we don’t want to meet it.  Since we fear the Cross of Christ, we won’t travel in His footsteps, nor take anyone else with us. Sometimes we don’t lead effectively out of pure fear.  If I teach that Jesus really didn’t want us to sin, to lust, to be angry, then I MYSELF better be willing to lead that way first.  A man I respect used to always say, “If you want the world to bleed, you have to hemorrhage,” i.e. if we want to lead the people on the way of Jesus’ cross, we must bear it most valiantly ourselves.  The way of the Christian life is truly to the cross.  But there lies the beauty of salvation!  In the death of ourselves we are born to life of Christ.  This is the joy of sharing in the intimate embrace of Jesus’ mission.  To shirk this in our leadership is to lead people into unreality and away from the purifying way of Jesus, to His joy, and to the ultimate banquet of Heaven.
5. We project ourselves as THE essential ingredient to God’s mission and, in turn, place ourselves not as a bridge to Jesus but an obstacle.  The Gospel becomes a means to our end. May we not think of ourselves so highly that we consider ourselves the essential ingredient to God’s plan.  But to understand our gifts rightly, God has chosen each of us for a particular mission to advance His kingdom.  In our leadership, this requires that we die to self in a radical way.  I once heard a friend tell a story I’ll never forget.  She described an experience with the Lord:  ”I saw Jesus holding a globe, almost like a snow globe.  It was radiating with light.  Then I asked, ‘what happens when we do things for our own glory?’ The globe went dark and dead, empty of any light or life.”  This imagery will forever paint a picture of this reality for me.  The Gospel is not a means for our success or advancement, but the advancement of the holiness of the world.
6. We forget that the Christian life is made of the daily discipline of love, which grows into eternal union with God. This basic truth is often overlooked.  God delights in our small decisions to serve Him.  We should take His words seriously when He talks about the real treasure being the treasure of Heaven.  The treasure of human praise lasts for a little time, but praise from God lasts forever.  When we do things in the sight of others, we are emptied quickly and must be again filled quickly.  When we do things in the secret, honoring God with our daily lives, we require very little because God’s pleasant treasures overflow our cup.  When the little things grow into bigger ministry, then praise God all the more, yet remain most consistent in the small, loving practices of daily life: prayer and acts of charity toward others.

I consider myself extremely humbled on this topic, because I know that I am subject to God’s correction and direction all the time.  I hope to always be quickly obedient and attentive to His voice.  We are all called to Christian leadership and teaching in some way, but may we live in our calling by grace and humility, not shying away from the Gospel.  Jesus came to proclaim the Good News of Salvation.  This is what we lead others to!  We must first listen.  We must keep this in our vision.

Be Holy, dear brothers and sisters!  Run to Him!

Image by cuckove via Flickr

This afternoon I had the experience of being a student again, one who had been doing something the wrong way for over 11 years and had to overcome all those bad habits and learn the correct way of doing something.  It was not a fun experience, it actually was a pretty good blow to my ego.

I knew that I wasn’t doing it right, but I didn’t want others to know that I didn’t really know what I was doing.  In the past I sort of asked or let others “show” me how to do it, but no one really took the time to show me correctly.  They gave a quick 1-2 minute explanation or a quick demonstration and gave me that look that teachers give our students.  That one where “I showed you how, now go and do it yourself, now leave me alone” look.  So I would walk away making believe that I understood what they had just showed me, even though I didn’t have a clue about how to do it right.

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This afternoon I asked my brother-in-law to show me how to sharpen my chainsaw and he took about two hours to show me the proper way to sharpen it.  First he explained what he was going to do, then showed me (while continuing to talk me through the process) and finally made me actually sharpen a complete chain by myself, checking my work and providing guidance on what I was doing wrong and providing feedback when I got it right.

At first this was pretty frustrating for me, I am a pretty typical guy.  I don’t like to ask for help and then to have someone else tell me how badly I had messed it up on my own was a blow to my ego.  While we were doing it, his teaching showed me how to do it easier and correctly, so that when I used my chainsaw again, the chain would be sharp and cut correctly (without having to go out and buy a new chain).  My previous efforts only accomplished about half of what they should have and may have ruined the chain and the chain bar – we both believe that I have to buy new ones before I put too many more hours on my saw. 

Then he had the audacity to stand there and continue to correct my style and ensue that I was continuing to sharpen the chain correctly.  That was the hardest part for me – that he didn’t just walk away and let me flounder on my own as had been done in the past, which I would have preferred – who wants someone commenting on their work, especially when I kept going back to the way I shouldn’t be doing it.  His doing this was the right thing to do and now I can correctly sharpen a chainsaw – I might be slower than others, but how quick I do it is less important than doing it correctly.

This sounds pretty familiar to me, because I think this is how most of my students are when it comes to reading and writing.

Tonight I have a personal connection to understanding how my students feel in school.  Most of them have been reading and writing using strategies that they have learned on their own, which they are able to get by with, but not easily or proficiently as most others can and they know it.  The when they ask for help, they get some, but not enough to correct the problem, which exacerbates the issue and makes it so they don’t want to ask for help again and look ignorant or stupid to others.  No wonder when someone wants to teach them how to: read, write, do math or whatever,  they bristle up when that person doesn’t go away, continues to correct and push them to do it correctly.  Their past failures and personal pride get in the way of accepting the guidance they actually need.  In other words like I did today, they get pretty frustrated with the person who is actually trying to help them.

It showed me that I need to:

• slow down and ensure that my students actually do understand how or can do what I am asking them to - not just assume that they do,
• to take the time necessary to ensure that they do,
•  not rush through a lesson to move one (which I am guilty of this year),
• be helpful but persistent in expecting the student to do it right
• be in the moment, not thinking about what to do next
• don’t give that look “why don’t you understand what I am trying to show you look” and have the student shut down.

I have to remember that my classes are all Special Education and I have the prerogative and obligation to go as slow as I need to, to ensure that my students actually understand and know how to do what I am trying to teach. They don’t deserve to be taught in the same manner that they have in the past or how they are taught in regular education, they have the right to be taught in the manner that best fits their individual needs that is why it called specialized instruction.  I am not bound to cover material at the same rate as my Regular Education Counterparts are required to, but I am required to teach to the needs of my students.   I think that sometimes we as teachers forget that in our efforts to meet arbitrary timelines.

Who ever thought that re-learning how to sharpen a chainsaw would re-focus me on teaching methods that I need to include in my classroom.  I am glad it did.

Thank you Phil.

Remember it is about the kids – not you or me.

A former head teacher who admitted possessing thousands of indecent images of children is jailed…. From BBC News. Full story

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Hey everyone,

This is Charlie again to talk about a topic that has been on my mind for a long time.

So for a science project, we had to make clay models of an animal cell. For the presentation, we had to, using f–king Windows Movie Maker, make a video explaining all of the different parts of a cell. We were making these directed towards a fourth grade audience and so we planned to show then to the fourth grade. Pretty simple. Or so it seemed. The fourth grade only had so much time to watch videos about cells. So our science teacher had to show all of our class’s videos to the rest of the class. We had a sheet to vote on the best five videos. We watched each video, then gave it a score out of ten. Me, being the only experienced user of video, got first place, with an average score of 10. Not very suprising, because, almost everyone else’s totally sucked. I’d say mine sucked pretty hard too in comparison to some videos on YouTube. But if you compared then to the other videos that the rest of the class made, mine as pretty awesome. Apparently the teacherthought so too, because he showed it to the other class, and gave me an award for it.

My video was 11 minutes long, so I couldn’t post it on YouTube. I will upload it to WordPress and see how that goes. I am also in the process of trying to get the grading sheet back from my science teacher.

The ratings gave the videos were so bad at first, that I had to curve them like 3 points. If a professional critic gave these ratings, they would have given these videos ratings in the negatives.

In the end, I learned that most amateurs can’t make a decent video.

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~Charlie

Responsibilities of a teacher transcend the act of merely passing on knowledge and disciplining the student. A pro-active teacher can direct a student to lead a fulfilling life that can go beyond a successful career. Read on to know what are the responsibilities of a teacher.

The educator, believing in the worth and dignity of each human being, recognizes the supreme importance of the pursuit of truth, devotion to excellence, and the nurture of democratic principles. Essential to these goals is the protection of the freedom to learn and to teach, and the guarantee of equal education opportunity for all – National Education Association’s (NEA) Code of Ethics for the Education Profession.

If you thought a teaching job was a cakewalk, think again! The responsibilities and duties of a teacher are many and varied. Teachers act as facilitators for incorporating and encouraging intellectual and social development in the formative years of a students life. The emphasis that education will help uplift one socially, intellectually, emotionally and personally is what a teacher fosters in children all through preschool, high school and college. A preschool teacher plays a pivotal role in child development, and although, the role of a preschool, high school and a college teacher may differ to meet specific age and subject criteria, it cannot be argued that the duties and responsibilities of a teacher will always remain the same.

Role and Responsibilities of a Teacher

Towards Themselves

* To be a teacher out of choice, and not by default.
* To acquire relevant professional education and training to get the right concepts of teaching.
* Honesty and sincerity towards the profession.
* Accept that being a teacher does not make you a ‘know it all’; so it’s important to become a partner in the learning cycle with your students.
* Accept that no two students will think, act and react alike, and to respect that diversity.
* Upgrade knowledge and learn new ways of teaching.
* Avoid indulging in unethical behavior, and at all times maintain the dignity a teacher-student relation…

Full version here – http://www.buzzle.com/articles/responsibilities-of-a-teacher.html

Also – Teaching Schools

Trimester One is drawing to a close…unbelieveably, almost all of our coursework assessments have been handed in and it really does feel like an end to our introduction to the art of  journalism.

So what have I learned? I feel that the last few months have been a time of great development for me personally as I know they have for many.  My writing has been both criticised and acclaimed, showing me exactly where I need to improve and crucially how to go about it.  My university work has encouraged me to get out there and actively seek news stories and sources, acquiring the “journalist’s eye” – which becomes a constant way of viewing the world.

My work with The Journal, being read by an audience of 80,000 every fortnight, has given me confidence and raised my self-esteem.  This allows me to persue more actively leads and chase up responses for quotes and real, first-hand information.

Throughout the year we have met many significant journalists and writers, including David Pratt and Eamonn O’Neill, who have inforced my love for the industry I am entering.  Their talks instilled the value of real, quality news and the need to just get out there and do it, a mantra I shall be taking forward.

So at the end of our time in these modules, I am convinced that the path ahead is a little less daunting.  My writing has started to change direction, becoming more journalistic and focussed, my confidence has grown and I am more assured that I can just get out there and chase the news.  In these brief four months I really feel I have become immersed in my chosen profession.

To all we have learned and all that lies ahead. Thanks be to the teacher.

hello there.
We celebrated Teacher’s day on wednesday flag ceremonially and that was pretty fun. YES, I said fun. no kidding, but why? well, because the ceremony (mmm what do you call petugas in english oh yes)officers are all teachers. from the pemimpin upacara to the master of ceremony, from the reader of pembukaan UUD 1945 to the choir. bahahaha that was FUN.
when the MC, my super-killer math teacher, misread something, she said ‘eh salah’ which was very funny. then the choir sang Indonesia Raya, and it was good. but when they sang berkibarlah benderaku, it didn’t sound pretty clear. so the whole school sang along and that was the very first time I was in such ceremony where everyone was quite relaxed.

everyone smiled wide and when the ceremony was almost over, some guys in the backest line sang ‘pahlawan tanpa tanda jasa’ and unintentionally, All students sang too. that was completely touching realizing the fact that it was some really rebellious students who started to sing.

idk why but it seems like everyone still loves their teachers no matter how hard they swear they hate physic, math, and english.
in the end the teachers were given a mug each and a bouquet of red roses from the students.
SWEET.

HAPPY IEDUL ADHA!