What are you filling your basket with?

Today I listened (for a second time) to a sweet lady named Randa Jordan.  She and her family are good country folks, gospel singers and Jesus loving Christians! I enjoy listening to their singing around the piano in their home as it reminds me of my own childhood doing the same.  As a music director I love music and feel as though it opens the doors to a more intimate worship for me.

So it shouldn't be a surprise that in her message it was a song that led me to write this entry.  The song Randa shared was entitled "Lord here's My Basket." (Gary D.)  Before she sang she said "Don't let your basket go unused - be faithful - do what's right."  I pondered on those word and the lyrics of the song for most of the night and well into today, so much so that when I returned from my morning run I was met in the quietness of the kitchen by our senior in high school Katherine.

Kate, as she is known by everyone, is a freckled face, pale skinned, flaming curly red head! She has the sweetest personality, loves people, love Jesus and dances to the beat of her own drum! Her goal in life (at this point) is to major in Chemistry and work for NASA; her science teacher mother is elated!! (LOL)

But today in the quietness of the still dim kitchen I asked her if I could talk to her about a few things that have been weighing on my heart.  See Kate has been a competitive dancer (tap, clogging, jazz, lyrical, & point) for nearly 14 years. Not only is she a fabulous dancer but she is "Gifted" for vocal and theater in our district's Gifted/Talented program. These talents have lead her to decide she would like to try out for the university dance line in the fall.

Every morning I shut myself into a tiny closet in the back of our house (my war room) and pray specifically for my husband, our girls, and many many others.  I explained to Kate I have been praying; she said she knew that, but that I cannot get peace about her following this path. That's when I brought up the lyrics of the song Randa had shared:

In each and every life there's a basket filled with goods.
Although it many not be used exactly as it should.
So many throw it all away or keep for themselves
While others they never use it, they just place it on a shelf.
Lord, I know that what you've done for me my basket can't repay.
But maybe with it you could feed some hungry soul along the way.

CHORUS:
Lord Here's my Basket, It's not much i know,
But take it and use it, Please don't refuse it
Maybe it will grow.
Although i could keep it i'll give it to you.
So Lord here's my basket you don't have to ask it's the least I can do.

I have always felt God had a mission field for Kate and has given her a multitude of talents that He is waiting to cultivate for His kingdom. As we talked Kate began to understand we've never pushed her (very introverted self) to pursue any of the talents she has.  She said "Mama, God prepared all this.  My voice, my love of dance, my theater interest, my ability to play an instrument, my comfort on stage, my interest in the Word and music, and my love of science and math."  (YES LORD) - I literally started crying and laughing!! 

It was at this point I explained - look in your basket baby girl - don't throw away the "goods" God is filling your basket with for a scrap of bread today.  In other words, joining the dance line (although a fabulous group) is only going to allow her to use one of her talents, whereas looking to a larger "stage" that allows her to cultivate all her talents, has the potential to open the doors far wider, later down her "kingdom" road.  

Keeping the lyrics of the song in perspective that "stage" could be campfire singing at a summer camp.  It could be teaching VBS to children around the world, as she sings, dances and acts out Bible stories.  It could be using her voice at NASA or a Children's Hospital like St. Jude to create solutions to problems that seem impossible to solve all the while giving GOD the glory.  It could also simply be to sing her children to sleep at night..........

The point is my baby is leaving in a few shorts months. I need to know that her basket is filled with Godly goods and she is ready to sit at His feet and hand it to Him saying "Lord Here's my Basket. Take it. Use it." 

As I close I will leave you with these questions "What are you filling your basket with?" What are you throwing away? Keeping for yourself? What are you not using and placing on a shelf? TODAY give your basket to the LORD and watch it grow.........

Moving forward with education in the pandemonium of the pandemic

I have pondered this post for many days now in and among the pandemonium of education in the pandemic and here are my thoughts...........

For parents, you are getting a reality check of what education "really" looks like for your children. This may be good thing or a bad thing depending on your perspective.  

Bottom line - quit blaming issues on educational jargon (Common Core) you hear the media tout. You are not expected to know all the pieces of every content. This is why teachers are trained educators and not just babysitters.  Instead, do what you know to do!  Your children should READ daily. Pick a book(s) they would enjoy. Your family can read it and talk about it. Your children can always review, learn, recite, write their math facts (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division). Even high school students can review things like memorizing squares and cubes!!  Use free resources like Khan Academy to cover content they may have missed and or teach yourselves what you don't understand. Here is another secret, the curricula for all subjects is available for free online. In Louisiana you can find every lesson to be taught in the core content at www.louisianabelieves.com. You have access to everything your child is and should be learning. Engage! Don't look for excuses. 

Communicate with your child's teachers. Take your children outside and plant a garden. Teach them how to change the oil in the car. Mercy, teach them that cursive penmanship everyone is worried about them not knowing. Watch documentaries with them. Teach them how to cook a simple meal. Teach them how to do chores like ironing. Paint the bathroom. Take virtual tours of museums, then have them research an artist and the historical time period. Train the whole family for a 5K. Read the news! Have meaningful conversation about anything!! Be a parent, set limits for social media for everyone in the house. Set a schedule for your children and for yourself. This is what teachers do every single day. Every minute of a school day is precisely planned and executed (including "free" time), because children need focus. If you are working from home, a schedule will really bring sanity to your life. You can do this! You have to parent, which mean paying attention to your child. 

Educators (from the top down.....) Let's be honest! We ended school around March 13th.  The state testing window (CBT) was scheduled to open March 30th.  In the time between March 13th and March 30th many of the districts had Spring Break planned.  SO - all these "skills and information" students are "missing" due to COVID-19 leads me to ask "How much content do you think was really missed in relatively ten more instructional days?" Here is the big secret. After the month of March, schools are in testing mode and that is really what happens. Testing! Most of us cover 80-90% of the content before April, because we spend April reviewing for the tests or giving the tests. Truth! 

For those of us on a semester block, students probably are missing some vital content like geometry or biology where the content is specific.  But even in Biology I planned for testing to start April 20th, so in my scope and sequencing I planned to be done with "vital" content long before then! Good teachers did the same. For content like English, these skills really spiral year after year. You can find the list of what they were supposed to read in the last units at the state department website. Have them read these selections. There are also practice state tests online for FREE! You should take these tests with your children. It will be an eye opening experience for you! 

Lastly, curriculum is designed to be vertically aligned! (See Louisiana Believes for those resources). What does that mean?? It means that standards (skills) are aligned from K-12 so they build in progression.  A 3rd grade ELA skill will be addressed in 4-12, but the level of complexity will increase.  For example, students are required to analyze all sorts of text. The level of the texts increase over time and their skills build over time. Keep having them read and analyze. They will be fine. 

Good teachers ALWAYS evaluate the previous years skills at the beginning of the year, take a critical look at data, and plan accordingly.  The idea that we as teachers have left so many of those skills undone this year because of COVID-19 is mind blowing to me.  As stated above your child should have had 80-90% of the content taught by March due to testing.  Even subjects like Social Studies and Science have this progression of reading and writing from complex texts built in them and their content is often revisited multiple times over grade levels. 

I'm NOT saying there are not issues or exceptions for parents and teachers. However, this idea that we need to start school a month early or add more minutes to the day to "catch up" is mind blowing to me!! We can't turn back time. Rather we can maximize the time we have in the future. We need to start discussing these issues. Let CLASSROOM TEACHERS have a seat at the table!!! Let CLASSROOM TEACHERS work to create lessons and assessments that are fair and equal to all students. Let CLASSROOM TEACHERS work to establish interventions! Then, let CLASSROOM TEACHERS teach! We are professionals. We demand to be treated like it. 

For the small percentage of teachers who are not working like professionals, get it together or quit!! 

Paula S. Callender & Dr. Amanda Mayeaux