A few days ago I received the designation of OCT which stands for Ontario Certified Teacher. The Ontario College of Teachers is encouraging all professional teachers to follow their name with the designation just as nurses use RN for registered nurse or social workers use RSW for registered social worker. Professional engineers and accountants have similar designations. The designation comes a little late in my career. It did cause me to pause and remember some of the teachers who influenced me so much when I attended school. Most were excellent professionals, but a few stand out in other ways.
There is the gentleman whose name I can thankfully no longer remember who taught grade 10 mathematics. He tested the class every two weeks and then made up a new seating plan from the lowest mark in the back left of the class moving up to the front right of the class. Every moment spent in that class was a not so gentle reminder of your progress or lack thereof. Those in the front right of the class may remember him fondly. That can’t be said of all of us. There is the middle aged woman who taught grade nine typing who actually hit our knuckles with a heavy ruler if we looked at the keyboard or made too many errors in the nonsensical sentences we had to type a high speed for 35 minutes. There was the guidance counsellor who routinely informed parents that their son or daughter was not university material and money should not be wasted on such an endeavour. A good number of those students went on to be university graduates, some of whom earned graduate and professional degrees.
Much of my career in education involved teacher evaluation in the classroom. I was always sorry that I could not pay those three teachers from my past an official visit. There a few bad teachers and there are many more good teachers. Great teachers are rare. There is only one who can carry the designation as the greatest teacher who ever was. Even unbelievers will acknowledge that Jesus Christ was and is the greatest teacher who ever lived and indeed continues to live. Steven Scott in his book, The Greatest Words Ever Spoken, lists over 1900 statements of Jesus organized in over 200 topics. Jesus was only “in the classroom” for three years. What an impact He made at a time in history when it was hard to be noticed or remembered.
Jesus taught about life and eternity. Jesus used a varied teaching style. Sometimes like in the Sermon on the Mount he made direct statements. At other times, he spoke in parables or stories with a lesson within. The student is forced to work out the parable and becomes actively involved in his or her own learning. We all must be engaged in our own learning in order to learn and retain anything. Jesus also used actual examples and persons to bring forth important points. He glorified God through many miracles that caused countless numbers to take notice of his teachings. Above all, He taught with love and encouragement in most instances. He could be very direct with the Pharisees when necessary. Students learn best in a positive and encouraging learning environment.
Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is God. Is it any wonder that he should be the greatest teacher who ever lived and indeed continues to live? Please consider carefully the following words from Jesus found in Matthew 7: 24-27.
24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:
25 "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:
27 "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."
(Comments, corrections, suggestions or rebuttals are welcome. My email link is contained in “About me: view my complete profile” to the right of this page or use the comment section below which requires that you have a Google account.)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
“There is the gentleman whose name I can thankfully no longer remember who taught grade 10 mathematics. He tested the class every two weeks and then made up a new seating plan from the lowest mark in the back left of the class moving up to the front right of the class. Every moment spent in that class was a not so gentle reminder of your progress or lack thereof.”
ReplyDeleteIt is a sad day when this practice is now Provincial Policy with a group of “gentlemen and ladies “ who we prefer never to remember but have been approved by the Minister of Education.
Today each child in the province is tested and it is made known that each one who fails the test is forced to retake the test at a different level. As I understand, what I am told by the kids, their names are posted in a number of schools telling the entire school where they rank in the score of math and Language. The minister and the school boards even post the average scores throughout Ontario Schools and in the newspapers and web sites, so the lower scored kids get ridiculed just like you did in that unnamed teachers classroom. Not in a one single classroom but every where schooling is talked about. That to me is shameful, backwards and mean spirited
When Jesus asked the children be brought forward I am sure it was not to be ridiculed like the Minister of Education has done for years to the children of Ontario. Posting the kids names on bulletin boards for all to see showing the slower ones who failed the last test and have to take a retest. What would Jesus say?
Why have the lesser teachers of today stood silent?
If any teacher speaks up, they can be slapped with a $181,000 fine and penalty. How do we know this? One highly respected teacher spoke up against the Ontario College of Teachers policy of allowing sex offenders to strut around schools . The good teachers crime of alerting parents of such a policy by the Ontario College of Teacher was a two year suspension and a $1,000 fine, a total of $181,000 penalty for trying to protect children.
( http://freethroughtruth.blogspot.com/2009/09/oct-blackballs-jim-black.html )
How can the Ontario College of Teachers do this? Just like 2000 years ago, because they can. How can we sit in silence? Because it is comfortable to say nothing as long it is not our child.
What would Jesus say about your silence?
Degrading a child in a classroom is terrible. Degrading a child with the mindless abuse of testing is despicable. Degrading a child for sexual gratification by a molester can not be put in words. The Ontario College of Teachers allowing repeat sex offenders to strut around Ontario classrooms is morally deprived.
What would Jesus say about our silence?
Dear Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading by blog. Your comments have challenged me and I respect that very much. You ask what Jesus would say about my or your silence in the face of perceived wrongs against children in this world. I have thought at some length about your question. I have prayed on it as well.
Jesus would not condone our silence if indeed we were sure of the facts before we broke silence. I must admit that I am seven years away (in retirement) from first hand personal knowledge of what you write about. I am simply not familiar enough with the issues you raise to comment upon them.
What I am sure of is the issues you raise all involve sin. Having said that, Jesus would remind me that He died and rose again for the forgiveness of my sins. He calls out to us to confess our sin and accept His offer of redemption. He expects us to at least try not to repeat the sin. I can only pray that all, including those involved in the issues you speak of, would accept His free gift, believe in Him and by doing so improve life for all children.
"He calls out to us to confess our sin and accept His offer of redemption. He expects us to at least try not to repeat the sin. "
ReplyDeleteGod gave us the ability to think, to listen and to speak. Do we repeat our sins by doing the same sinful thing over and over. You raised the issue of the letters OCT and called back to the word of Jesus. He calls you and I to "try not to repeat the sin." But we let it to continue on and on... When we see wrongs, when we see harm being done do we do nothing. For a person to call ourselves Christian we have an obligation to stop our sinning. Our society in Ontario which includes you and I are allowing the voice of truth to be silenced. What would Jesus say? Use our voice to stop the wrongs in the world? Help our neigbour... Protect our neigbours child from sin.
Teachers get licenses back despite sexual abuse
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061101/whistleblower_teachers_061115/20061115/
Romeo Dallaire throws support behind Jim Black and his dispute with the
College of Teachers
http://tomorrowstrust.ca/?p=7202
What happens to people that speak up…$181,000 fine and penalty
Black Ball
http://freethroughtruth.blogspot.com/2009/09/oct-blackballs-jim-black.html