Author: Ryan@educationandfaith.com

An Answer in the Form of Questions (a lot of them)

Ryan@educationandfaith.com
As I am attempting to maintain alignment with God’s will and now asking Him to help me overcome my unbelief, I’ve discovered the most unique answer to my requests.
God has flooded my thoughts with curiosity and questions. Specific questions like…How can a school balance both developing children in living holy lives and also provide real opportunities to be salt and light? Could a school that is just grades K-6 or K-8 manage that balance? Will I be able to visit Anastasis Academy (www.anastasisacademy.com) in Colorado, to gain understanding of all of the logisitics? How can a school with a small student to teacher ratio still provide teachers with plenty of planning time to collaborate and create dynamic learning opportunities? I could go on to fill pages with the detailed inquiries that have been placed on my heart.
You may be thinking, “How is this an answer to prayer?”
Amidst all of these questions, I have an unexplainable confidence in knowing these are God’s directed concerns. I’m pretty sure God welcomes my curiosity because it is no longer doused with doubt, but it is filled with fascination. As I looked at the many examples of faithful servants in Hebrews 11, I couldn’t help but assume that they were filled with questions as well. I’m grateful that questions do not have to equal doubt. As my fascination and contentment with God’s holiness increases, so too does my faith. It seems wherever I read about faith, there is a result of righteousness. Now there is a characteristic to work towards.
In Genesis 22:1-19, God tests Abraham’s faith. The only way Abraham could have been willing to follow God’s command to sacrifice his own son Isaac, was through a pure trust in the Lord’s holiness (completely OTHER and HIGHER than anything in this world). When we face tests of faith, God’s holiness is waiting on the other side, affording us a glimpse of his heavenly goodness. I wish the bible told us what Abraham was thinking as he led his son up the mountain to the altar. I’d like to think that his mind was filled with questions driven by wonder and reverence, with an absence of doubt. Ultimately, Abraham named that mountain Jehovah-jireh, meaning “The Lord Will Provide”.
As teachers and parents, our most promising learners are the ones who inquire with fascination and wonder. It is the ones that dismiss and/or mistrust our guidance that we really need to encourage and support. I would challenge you to reflect on where you might fall on this spectrum of faith.
I would anticipate that being a fascinated inquirer of a Holy God, is a very exciting lifestyle. May my faith increase to the point where I can refer to this journey as “The Lord Will Provide”.
Joy in the limitless possibilities!

Ryan Hershey see my blog at
www.faithandeducationcollide.blogspot.com

“Help Me Overcome My Unbelief”

Ryan@educationandfaith.com
Well, I’m diseased…
Everything I read, see or experience I relate to teaching, learning and education. This diagnosis also causes me to avoid some things that are meant for my personal relationship with God as well as my family.
As I read an article by Terry Pluto, faith and sports writer for the Akron Beacon Journal, I was doing my best to relate his words to my teaching. In the article, “God Believes in Us”, Pluto says, “I need to remember that God believes in me even more than I believe in myself.” Now I could write a whole blog post about that characteristic of God. How, as teachers and leaders we should embody a faith in our students that surpasses their own. That was the point when God wrestled away the symptoms of my “disease” and shifted my blinders away from education and fixated them on Him. 
Pluto went on to refer to a story in Mark chapter 9, where a father brings his demon-possessed son to be healed by Jesus. In verse 23 Jesus said, “Everything is possible for one who believes.” While that is profound, it’s what is written in the following verse that God intended for me. The father in the story responds to Jesus with this desperate plea, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”  
I’m constantly asking God for “stuff”, but I can’t ever remember requesting a stronger faith. I always was in the frame of mind that it was my job to believe and have faith because God offers such an abundance of promises and blessings. But God used Terry Pluto’s words to set me straight; “I have to remind myself that before I ask God for anything else, I must ask him for more faith.”
This is exactly what I needed to hear, as my vision for this blog and my future in education was becoming much more of mine than God’s. I was feeling antsy about who was reading the blog and the possibilities it would lead to.
God really provided clarity through Hebrews 11. How ignorant of me to think that people like Moses or Noah, as well as the numerous others mentioned in the chapter, never had to ask God to help them overcome their unbelief. As we ask for an increased faith, I think we’ll gain contentment in knowing God maintains a holy perspective. Chapter 11 also describes all of these faithful servants as pleasing to God and commends them as righteous.
We very easily mask God’s power when we don’t ask for help. I think the song “Light Up the Sky” by the Afters displays the great contrast between a meek faith constructed on our own, and the faith achieved through God’s design.

Now when I seek the vision God has given me for education (in addition to anything else), I’ll sincerely start with, “help me overcome my unbelief”.

Ryan Hershey see my blog at
www.faithandeducationcollide.blogspot.com

Raising Confused Children: The Effects of Contrasting Visions

Ryan@educationandfaith.com
One of my most cringe-worthy occurrences as a teacher is when a student simply asks, “Is this for a grade?”
In response, I usually maneuver by the honest inquiry with an ungraceful pirouette. I intend my reply to contain a powerful message about authentic learning and intrinsic motivation, but this is usually masked by a number of “uhhs” and “umms”.
So why do students ask this question and why do I have such a difficult time answering it?
When the school system, teacher, and the parent all hold vastly different visions for the child’s learning, the result is an innocent cry for clarity.

Background image courtesy of www.flickr.com/photos/mckaysavage 
I created a word cloud using the text from all of my blog posts to attempt to understand my own vision better.
I think the largest words (most popular) from my blog’s representation would be replaced by the state and nation’s vision with words like, assess, compete, and knowledge. I highly doubt that the students and God would be at the center of their vision.
With the K-12 education being a $500 billion industry, it would be impossible to maintain a common vision. 
Yong Zhao, a professor at the University of Oregon summed up the priorities of America’s public education by saying, “By imposing upon schools and teachers unrealistic, meaningless, and arbitrary goals, high-stakes testing has corrupted the spirit of American education, intoxicated the education environment, and demoralized educators. By forcing schools and teachers to teach to the test, it has narrowed the educational experiences of millions of children and thus deprived our children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, of a real education. It has wasted valuable, precious, and dwindling public funds that could have been put into educating rather than testing our children.”

I’m envious of schools like Anastasis Academy (www.anastasisacademy.com), where students are fed confidence and clarity while inhabiting a passion for learning. When a school can simply be stripped down to the students, their talents and interests, and the community’s resources around them, these kids are valued as a major contributor to their community and society. The way public education is currently run, is rapidly convincing citizens to view schools and students as a burden. How sad.
Ryan Hershey see my blog at
www.faithandeducationcollide.blogspot.com

What’s missing?

Ryan@educationandfaith.com

The more I experience children (and teachers) whose minds are shackled by high stakes tests and the exertion of limiting standards, the more I recognize the students’ muffled cries, begging for the one thing the school is hiding from their grasp. Any idea what necessity for human wellness is missing? I will give you a clue…it’s not anxiety or intimidation.

 Figure it out? How about a relationship?! What is more motivating or inspiring than when a person invests in You? Oh, I mean You, the person. Not You, the test score.
 Unfortunately states and legislators are convincing teachers and students not to care for one another. I recently received the scores of my students that allegedly show their “growth” and my “effectiveness” as a teacher (or lack their of). I must say I was very disappointed. Then I was even more disappointed when I realized that I’d begun to actually consider this number important. Because the minute I focus on this piece of data is the time I devalue the wellness of the whole individual child.
 It’s scary that I even need to argue for the importance of relationships. 1 Corinthians 8:1-2 states, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know.” Our students need a solid foundation, preventing destruction amidst a volatile world. Our students will naturally be motivated when they accurately view themselves as being uniquely made with a unique purpose in the world. The aspect of relationship can bridge the gap in our students, getting them from knowledge to a destination of wisdom. We are disconnecting from our students in a place and time that boasts connectedness.
 Our maker divinely made us to learn through relationship. He gave us the ultimate example of The Teacher, who loved first, is unthinkably accessible, and has incomprehensibly sacrificed. If I can give my students a glimmer of the power a Godly relationship can hold, the state can call me “ineffective” all they want.
 To give you an idea where our values are:

“Guiding Light” Jessilyn Park

 The U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan recently defended the new standards (Common Core) when parents opposed it. Duncan argued that “white suburban moms” are suddenly realizing their children aren’t as brilliant as they thought they were, and their school isn’t as good as they thought. I think the parents’ love their child for the person he is and the potential he’s been given. The parents recognize that these standards don’t consider important parts of their child and restrain their gifts.
You can probably tell by the Secretary’s comments that fostering supporting, encouraging relationships is far from being the priority.

Ryan Hershey see my blog at
www.faithandeducationcollide.blogspot.com

Pride vs Humility; What are we teaching?

Ryan@educationandfaith.com
What do our schools teach? Does the educational system instill and mold the characteristics we desire for our kids? While many teachers strive to build up the character of their students, the structure and policies of the public school often negate these efforts.
While pride can be a positive trait under certain conditions, the pride cultivated in public schools is birthed from competition. Today, school staff members are instructed to compare students to the norm in almost every way. Can you sit still as long as Johnny? Is your writing as neat as his? Most importantly, how does your high stakes test score measure up to his? And now that these standardized test scores impact teacher evaluations, I think it is safe to say competition is becoming increasingly fierce in the schools. Unfortunately, this jives with society’s positive view of pride while it sees humbleness as a fault rather than an admirable trait.
Under this formula in our schools students find themselves filled with a false pride or unnecessary shame.
This environment seems to preach bullying; are we working to prevent or promote it?
I came across a quote I find to be quite accurate:

“Nothing is ever done beautifully which is done in rivalship; or nobly, which is done in pride.” –John Ruskin

To avoid this damaging situation our students need to come to the determination that their true value is not of this world. 
(A lesson forbidden in the public system)


So what can a teacher do? 
  • Treasure and show love to each individual student.
  • Do not compare but work to seek and expose the unique abilities and strengths of every child. 
  • Allow them to explore their God-given capabilities while being a support and encourager to their peers. 

Imagine if students had clarity within their self-image and saw peers and the classroom as a support rather than an opponent.

-A couple verses on the dangers of pride. I’ve found a strong link in the bible between humility and wisdom.
Luke 18:14
“For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Proverbs 13:10
“Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.”
Ryan Hershey see my blog at
www.faithandeducationcollide.blogspot.com

God’s Vision for the Classroom

Ryan@educationandfaith.com
As I reflected on my previous post about traditional schooling I realized that there is such a contradiction between how God has designed us to be able to learn and comprehend things in such a variety of ways and the way this industrial style of educating only draws on one single form of intelligence.
The more I explore alternative ways of schooling, the more parallels I’ve encountered between the best learning environment and the way God has designed us to live. Let me explain…
One of the most proven ways to learn something is to experience it in a variety of ways, through different senses or intelligences. It was fitting that the devotional from Jesus Calling that I read this morning said this, “I (God) speak to you continually: through sights, sounds, thoughts, impressions, scriptures. There is no limit to the variety of ways I can communicate with you.” Amazingly I still manage to misinterpret or miss completely what He is trying to communicate to me. So, imagine how difficult it is for some students to understand concepts that they only experience in one way, offered to them using one sense, one form of intelligence. I wonder if God is disappointed when he has blessed us with such an intricate, unique human body, and we put constraints on what it can do. Do you know that we have over a dozen senses? Often we only give our body credit for five. Pretty incredible to think about!

Just observe the numerous ways we could appreciate a setting like the one pictured to the right.
Over time I think the industrial teaching strategies can numb the awareness we have of our surroundings.
Scary to think of an educational system that could actually diminish the range of our abilities.



There is another major aspect of learning missing from the traditional, industrial model of teaching and it happens to be the most accessible resource we have: The tool of collaboration and the strategy of learning and growing with and through those around us.

 It appears God agrees because Proverbs 27:17 states, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” In many places in the Bible we’re warned for the dangers of living in isolation, apart from guidance or support. We must allow students the opportunity to interact with and explore the world around them while sharing purposeful dialogue and conversation with peers. How can our children become a “city on a hill” or a lightbearer for the world if they don’t have an accurate understanding of the world around them?

Ryan Hershey see my blog at
www.faithandeducationcollide.blogspot.com

Traditional Schooling: What Is it Good For?

Ryan@educationandfaith.com

For those of us who had an adequate experience in a public traditional school, we might think “it didn’t seem so bad, it did the job for me.” Well, what is the job of the traditional educational process? You got your diploma, maybe a college degree, and hopefully a job. Could it have been better? Would you want more for the future of our children?
Here are a few video clips I mashed together. I think each bring up good points about traditional schooling.

After doing some reading and research about the original purpose and goals of schooling, I see a couple that are still way too powerful in today’s schools.
1.  Conformity: There is still an initiative to make all students alike. Unfortunately I think many teachers fulfill this unknowingly (me included). Too often I have robbed students of having a choice and have at times told them what to think and insisted the best way of doing things.
2.  The Selective Function (Darwin’s natural selection): Students are closely compared and judged. Are we basing our assessments on how the individual student is developing or are we blinded by how they compare to others? Do we look at the whole student’s broad range of intelligences and abilities or are we narrowly focusing in on their ability to take multiple choice tests?
Some teachers still believe that they hold all the information the students need to know for the year and it is there job to simply transfer it to them. This practice usually leads to every student learning a preset, universal curriculum, all the same way. In this classroom, would you be engaged, inspired, reaching your full potential? This is an absurd way of teaching in today’s informational technology age with complete connectedness. 
It’s like telling an ambitious fisherman that he is only allowed to fish in a small stocked pond while the ocean is 100 yards away. Don’t get me wrong; there are some foundational skills the fisherman should learn at the pond before taking on the ocean. Even when given access to the abundant waters, there is still a need for guidance, support, and encouragement regardless how skilled the student is.  
I think this final quote sums up the traditional approach quite well. Seth Godin cautions modern leaders with this: “Trying to lead everyone will result in leading no one in particular.” Most public schools are achieving this, leaving students disconnected, disengaged, lost, and at-risk.
There IS a way for EVERY individual to be passionate about their learning with a curiosity to inquire, determination to discover, and an eagerness to apply! Traditional education is not it.

Ryan Hershey see my blog at
www.faithandeducationcollide.blogspot.com

Let’s Get to Eureka!

Ryan@educationandfaith.com
My intentions through this blog are simply to refine my views on education and faith that hopefully lead to building a solution. Refining and constructing involves those of you that read and relate to my thoughts. I would encourage you to share what you envision to be the ideal school for this world (even if it doesn’t blend obviously with my thoughts).

This video describes where I’m at with my dreams for education and the purpose of this blog.

The purpose of my ideal education: Nurture and equip self-regulated learners who can recognize, evaluate, and develop the tools/skills they have and adequately utilize them to inquiry, discover and apply them in authentic opportunities.  The students realize the talents and interests they have been blessed with from God and utilize them in becoming the uniquely designed light bearer He has called them to be!
“Chance favors the connected mind.” I would adjust Johnson’s phrase from the video just a bit. “God favors the heart and mind that connect to His will.” I believe this favor includes orchestrating connections that can collaborate and construct something much bigger and better than I could come up with on my own.
Let’s get to Eureka! Can your ideas, dreams, and visions meld with mine to make something better?
Ryan Hershey see my blog at
www.faithandeducationcollide.blogspot.com

The Path I’m On

Ryan@educationandfaith.com
I’ve recently (the past year or so) felt that God is trying to equip me to fulfill His plans. I wish I could be more specific in describing those plans but they remain quite mysterious at this point. Although, time after time the perfect resource has been placed in front of me, constructing a foundation of thoughts and ideas in me about the perfect educational environment. I’ve been blessed with a passion and desire to research this path.

2 stumbling blocks in this journey of God driven enlightenment I’ve encountered:

  • Desiring the glory for myself: The holy spirit was adamant that this must turn into a passion for bringing glory to God before anything would move forward. “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God” (2 Corinthians 3:5).
  • Anticipating God’s plan: I think I’ve minimized the capability of the Holy Spirit by thinking I know what God wants to do. When our personal desires take priority we are again bound to our personal abilities separate from God. Galatians 5 describes this freedom we have in Christ, “the only thing that counts is a faith expressing itself through love.”

We can find the following point stated in many different words by many different people but The Purpose Driven Life makes it quite clear. “He (God) says, ‘My thoughts and my ways are higher than yours,’(Isaiah 55:9) so he often acts in ways that are the exact opposite of what we expect.”
So if we go back to Seth Godin’s precept: “Lean in, back off, but don’t do nothing,” I think God can be quite successful with us when we intently seek his will (Lean In), but don’t anticipate or limit his power (Back Off)!
We can live free in Christ when we don’t trap his Spirit in the confines of the worldly and fleshly limits.

Right now I don’t know where exactly this exploration is headed, but it’s exciting because this journey is not being directed by my meager ambitions. While reflecting on the path I’ve travelled described here, I realize this is a great example of how powerful inquiry-based learning can be. 
How can these ideas be applied in creating the perfect learning environment for our kids?

Ryan Hershey see my blog at
www.faithandeducationcollide.blogspot.com

“Lean In, Back Off, But Don’t Do Nothing”

Ryan@educationandfaith.com

Does our educational system allow us to push our students in a way that allows them to discover the power of their individual skills and abilities? Watch this short inspirational video and think about whether our outdated traditional classroom fosters an environment where students can soar.
This would be very encouraging if schools could simply operate as the “pusher” out of love, allowing students to discover the power and ability of their God given gifts. Unfortunately our industrial framed school system has a preconceived agenda with a narrowed definition of achievement and success.
I think one concept shared by Seth Godin in his book Tribes:We Need You to Lead Us, can really be applied to teaching in an alternative manner and also applicable to a journey of living by faith. Godin suggests that great modern leaders “Lean in, back off, but don’t do nothing.”
As for teachers:
·      To “lean in” means to care deeply for each individual student. Create an

atmosphere where each child is personally heard, encouraged and supported according to their specific needs. Simply take interest in every pupil.

·      To “back off” is a lot like what the parent eagle in the video does after the push. Continue to challenge while letting them explore. This allows the student to make their decisions and maintain authority of their learning development and growth. Let go of your own agenda. Get out of the way!
·      I interpret the “But don’t do nothing” as the teacher is constantly opening avenues for student learning and exploration. Also the educator is constantly offering guidance and encouragement throughout the process.
I think this approach can have application in living by faith and parenting as well. Actually there are probably numerous areas of application for this, but in my experience of teaching, trying to live according to God’s will for my life, and definitely parenting, the “back off” step is BY FAR the most difficult!
Too often I want to do it for my students or especially my 3 year old son, which would ultimately inhibit their ability to soar.
Ryan Hershey see my blog at
www.faithandeducationcollide.blogspot.com