So I guess I’d better explain yesterday’s post.

I’ve been offered an administrative position at my school, one that would take me out of the classroom and away from technology and place me smack-dab in the middle of student life (student leadership, spiritual life, and day-to-day discipline issues). There was a similar position a few years ago, but it’s mostly a brand new gig … and I’ve chosen to accept it!

It’s actually kinda cool … I wasn’t pursuing or even considering this sort of thing, but the leadership at my school saw where my heart was and matched it up with our school’s needs. And I’ve known for a couple of years that God was preparing me for something like this, something with more leadership and leverage and influence … so it’s really affirming to see it become a reality.

So, starting August first, I’ll be diving in headfirst. It’ll have its uphill battles, that’s for sure … I’m quite young for something like this, I’ll be dealing a lot more with complex family issues, and seriously … I’ll be doling out discipline to 400 middle schoolers? But once the details start to materialize, this job should provide a lot more freedom, quite a few challenges, and the chance to actually focus on what I’m really there for … connecting with and building into young lives.

Bring that!

I’m not a teacher anymore!

“I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this directly, but I think you’re one of the most important people at our school, in terms of how you interact with the kids and do what you do. I want you to be excruciatingly happy here.”

– My boss

Seriously … can you think of something more encouraging to hear from your jefe? And I don’t think it’s just lip-service … I was just offered the opportunity to develop a program that is really in line with where my heart is here at school (with actual compensation) and given the freedom to marginalize some of the mundane things that often weigh this job down.

We all know which subjects American schools focus on … math, English, and sometimes science. Occasionally, we sprinkle in some social studies, language, physical education, and fine arts … but a quick glance at any of our standardized tests clearly shows our priorities … the SAT and ACT are almost exclusively English and math.

But why?

In my opinion, we are well beyond the Industrial Age, a time when America led the world in the production of innovative goods. Now these industries are moving on to more fertile overseas grounds while we as a nation are moving forward into a world that values creativity, collaboration, and expertise. But does our choice of curriculum really prepare our students for this new Information Age, or are we simply teaching what we’ve taught for centuries?

As an educator, I’m probably not supposed to think this way … but I feel like almost everything I learned in school (except for writing and typing) is now useless to me. I’ve barely used math since high school, I haven’t had to dissect literature, and I haven’t utilized almost any of the knowledge from my biology or chemistry textbooks. And while I understand and appreciate the necessity for basic knowledge and age-appropriate developmental learning, I can’t help but question the content that our schools are focused on.

What about Personal finance? Social networking? Consumerism? Netizenship? Environmental stewardship? Craftsmanship? World cultures? Social justice? Do any of these subjects have a place in our curriculum?

Can you think of any others that we might be leaving out?

“Thanks for the advice, Mr. Webel. I don’t know why, but sometimes it’s easier to talk to you than to my mom. That’s kinda weird.”

– Elise, sixth grade

I’m starting something new in my advisory (a group of sixth grade boys that I build into every day) called Tough Stuff. Basically, I asked them yesterday to think about some really hard questions … things that adults don’t like to talk about. Here’s a taste of what they came up with:

Why do people do things when they know it’s bad?
Why Spanish?
I heard that the Bible says music is only for God and worship. Is it true?
Should we be scared of the 2nd coming of the Lord (apocalypse)?
Why did God make animals that can hurt us?
Why would God make other planets and universes and have nothing living there (or at least not that we know of)?
Why do people take the easy way?
Why isn’t cooking in the curriculum?
Why do Islams kill people?
Why do parents and adults always think they know how we feel?
Why did God make us and the earth?
What is an easy way to include people?
Why do movie stars always end up corrupted drugees?
If killing is against the 10 commandments, why are Christians in the army?
Do we absolutely need to do every assignment?
What is laughter and why did God give us it?
Why is this called a Christian school when if you look around it doesn’t seem like it?
This is serious … would getting shot or getting your head cut off be painful? Just wondering.
There’s a girl that I like, and she likes me too, and kids are teasing me. How should I handle it?
Why do adults have power over kids, why can’t we have our own decisions?

So interesting … and sobering. We’re gonna work through these questions, one at a time, for the next two months. And I’m really excited about teaching them, learning from them, and shining light on some dark places. What a sweet opportunity!

According to this Washington Times article, a recent ruling in California states that 60,000 to 200,000 families who currently home-school their children are doing so illegally.

“California courts have held that under provisions in the Education Code, parents do not have a constitutional right to educate their children in their own home,” said the Feb. 28 ruling by the California Appellate Court for the second district.

“It’s clear to us that enrollment and attendance in a public full-time day school is required by California law for minor children,” it stated, laying out the few exceptions to that rule, including if the child is enrolled in and attends a private full-time day school or if the child is tutored by a person holding a valid state teaching credential for the grade being taught.”

Are you kidding me?

This past week, I had the pleasure of joining four other adults and twenty-four eighth graders on a trip to Monterrey, the third-largest city in Mexico. The majority of our time was spent serving the people, facilities, and children of Back2Back Ministries, an organization that helps several children’s homes (the positive name for an orphanage) throughout the city.

The time was saturated with hard work, intentional growth, and plain-old good times … and God really did a number on my heart too. But instead of telling you stories right now, I’d like to just share my photos. I’ve posted about two hundred online … so if you want to see what we did, check out the set or the slideshow.

What captivation!

As I was walking down the hall this morning, I asked a charming little fifth grade girl if she was having a good day. She promptly answered, “No” … and without missing a beat, proceeded to accidentally drop all of her books all over the ground.

It’s amazing to me how many of my students have anxiety problems … the smallest things can trigger the biggest reactions, and comfort just seems miles away. Pity and leniency don’t really seem to help … instead, I’ve learned that the best thing I can do is constantly bombard these students with trust, confidence, and joy.

During my lunch break today, I was skimming some interesting news on the Internet, when I came across this dandy from the UK:

A pair of twins who were adopted by separate families as babies got married without knowing they were brother and sister, a peer told the House of Lords. A court annulled the British couple’s union after they discovered their true relationship, Lord Alton said.

Yep, that’s right … they met each other later in life, felt an “inevitable attraction”, and ended up getting hitched. Totally weird.

As I was reading the article, a former student of mine, who had the afternoon off from her high school, walked into the room to say hello. I love it when that happens … we chatted about life, catching up on the latest stories and shooting the breeze a bit. Eventually, I brought up the article … and her reaction was strong. She was absolutely disgusted!

Then I realized why … she’s a fraternal twin. And she has a brother.

Whoops.

I was woken up at 5:45am this morning with a phone call announcing some wonderful news … it was our first snow delay of the season! I promptly used the two hours of cushion to roll over and enjoy my flannel sheets just a little more.

I absolutely hate waking up early on potential snow days and tuning in to the local TV/radio to find out if we have school. The endless drivel drives me crazy, and my eyelids inevitably respond to gravity just as the “C” schools are scrolling by. By the time they’ve come around again, I’m either really late (not good for a normal day) or fully awake (not good for a snow day).

Thankfully, technology is here to once again save the day. If you’re in my city, Cincinnatischoolclosings.com is an always-updated list of school closing and delays. And even better, 700 WLW will send you an email and/or text message immediately when your school makes an announcement. Now you can find out in seconds, with barely an eyelid raised!

Yesterday Jack Hanna came to my school. His granddaughter is one of my sixth graders, and the kids absolutely loved hearing about his adventures!

Jack brought all sorts of cool animals with him … a three-banded armadillo, the world’s third-largest rabbit, a tortoise, a bearcat, a legless lizard, some hissing cockroaches, a long python, and a Serval cat. He even let two flamingos run around the gym right in front of the kids!

Later this week Jack will be on Larry King Live, Good Morning America, and The Late Show with David Letterman. I thought it was pretty cool that he took time out of his busy schedule (his only free day this year, in fact) to visit our lowly middle school!

I just received a fantastic email about my portfolio from my professor:

Lance,

Congratulations! You have successfully completed all of the requirements for the master’s program. I have sent an e-mail to the university stating that your portfolio has been approved. You will need to send the Registrar’s Office a request for an official transcript. Please send me an e-mail if you run into any problems.

Attached is feedback on your portfolio. You did an incredible job documenting the progress that you have made through the eighteen months in the program. I know the journey was not always pleasant and the sacrifices were many, but it was all worth it because you now possess a master’s degree!!

Sincerely,
Rachel Bordelon, Ph.D.
Walden University

Yippee!