The System is Broken

"The system is broken." That's what they've told us recently, at least. It seems to be code for, "We don't have any money to fund public works, so we're cutting budgets, restructuring and blaming it on 'problems' in the system that we were too lazy to fix before." We've heard it about immigration, the BCS, collective bargaining in Wisconsin, and the most popular target--education. Some of these claims are true--the immigration situation is ridiculous, as is college football's method of finding a national champion, as is the public paying for the equal benefits and retirement plans of uneducated careerist bureaucrats and members of the most underpaid and consistently educated profession in America--teachers. While I do not believe the education system is 'broken,' I do believe that parts of it are, and that few or none of these parts are being addressed by state legislatures. I started three posts in the last two months about various problems I have with some states' new education plans (particularly Idaho), but they were all filled with bitterness, Idaho election results and budget histories, and Glen Beck-esque conspiracy theories about Watson on Jeopardy! being the new computer overlord of Idaho--and I don't really want to subject anyone to any of that.

This post is about something in education that recently made me thing, "The system is broken." I read about it a year and a half ago in the first chapter of Goodlad, Soder and Sirotnik's 'The Moral Dimensions of Teaching.' The problem dates back further than I'd care to research, but in 1961 it was amplified when Yale hired C. Vann Woodward with the highest salary for a professor in the country and was not required to teach at all in his first year. To many of you who have been to a university lately, this may not surprise you--part of being a professor is doing research. In fact, they are required by the university to get published in order to stay on faculty. We've all had professors who were awful, horrible teachers, yet were kept on staff because of their amazing research. Even in schools of education the faculty is not filled with highly-experienced teachers who have been hired because they were rock star teachers. It's filled with Faustian academics who research high up in their ivory towers, then come down to classrooms where they lecture to future teachers, preparing them to do a job they've never done themselves.

I was lucky enough to have as the supervisor for my major someone with years of experience as a teacher, who was sought out by the university to get his PhD and teach for BYU. One of the faculty members on the hiring committee told me that a principal once told him that my professor was 'the best teacher he had ever seen in all his 30 years in the school system.' I believe it, too. He was a great influence for me to be a teacher and taught me more than any of those learned sages of research in the McKay School of Education. I thought that this professor of mine was so awesome that I wanted to do what he did--get pre-service teachers pumped and prepared for the careers n teaching ahead of them.

So it was to my great surprise and delight that on a visit to his office in January, he told me the university wants another supervisor for the major, and that he wanted me to get my degree and come back to do the job. I recently talked with him about choosing graduate schools and degrees. He told me to get a master's in statistics to go along with my doctorate to reinforce my research skills. I've applied for a lot of jobs teaching social studies because health teaching jobs are so hard to find, and he told me not to worry because I have an undergraduate degree in health and all they care about is research anyways, and they're just looking someone who can do that, has a PhD and is willing to do the job. I was shocked. Here I thinking that he was sought out and hired because he was one of the greatest health teachers in the Utah valley, and here he was conceding that his expertise wasn't even why he was hired for the job--it was because he was willing to go to school and get the training to be qualified to do it.

So I came home excited for graduate school, but also disappointed because the system was broken. Universities don't want the best teachers to prepare teachers, they want researchers who will get the name of the school printed underneath their own name in academic journals. I began to worry about whether I'll be a good enough teacher to feel that I warrant the job for which I'm preparing. Since my realization about the lack of professional teaching experience in teacher preparation programs I've wanted to research the problem, but now I feel like I'm already on the road to becoming one myself. It's very possible that I'll never get the chance to teach health. States such as Idaho are making it an online course in order to cut costs (yeah, I know, totally picked the wrong teaching major, but the fact that it was the shortest teaching major really should have been a clue). But even if I teach Utah history for five years I can get this job because I'll have my undergraduate degree, my student teaching experience and a few years of in-classroom teaching experience.

Well, anyways, no use worrying about this when I can't even find a job in the first place...first things first.

Jerry Sloan's Final and Greatest Influence

I've been waiting for Jerry Sloan to step down for years. I remember when I came back from my mission, seeing Jerry Sloan and thinking it was his frozen corpse hauled out into the coach's seat. Then I saw him explode on a referee in the third quarter and get T'd up, at which point I realized that he was not actually dead. He made a great run with the Jazz, and was an NBA legend (despite never winning a championship). In fact, if it weren't for Michael Jordan he might have been the greatest Chicago Bulls player of all time and have two rings with the Jazz (probably just one, though, I don't see them beating Bird's Pacers in 1998-that team was awesome). He was a great coach, in fact I highlight the season after Stockton and Malone left when he just about coached his team led by Andrei Kirilenko and Matt Harpring to the playoffs as his greatest accomplishment, and had a great run, but he ran out of gas and couldn't handle it anymore. He was there for 22 years and only had one losing season. The only other coach in the NBA with more than 10 years with his current team is Greg Popavich (in his 15th). Pop's been there since the second half of 1996, and in his first draft acquired Tim Duncan, who he's ridden to four championships and a career .678 win percentage. Pop's ability to adjust to changes is a subject for another post (his ability to coach the Spurs, with their stars in decline, to an amazing 44-8 start this season is incredible), right now let's just focus on this: long tenured coaches with a single team are not the norm. Not in the NBA, not in other professional sports. Sloane resigning , like Bobby Cox retiring after 20 years at the helm of the Atlanta Braves, marks the end of a great run filled with winning seasons, hall of fame players and lost championships. It is the end of an era.

Today I was driving back from a doctor's appointment and heard the cheers of

Egyptians ringing out on NPR celebrating the resignation of their

leader. Hosni Mubarak did not plan on being a dictator, but did an excellent job at it for 30 years. After weeks of

quiet, civil disobedience by the Egyptian people, yesterday Mubarak tried to convince his people that it was a good idea for him to stay in power, while delegating powers to the Vice President. This is what Joe Paterno has done for years, and it has served him well, as he has been the head coach at Penn State for 44 years, and lucid for 38 of them (Just kidding! Long live JoPa!). Well, unfortunately for Mubarak, the people didn't take to that idea well, so he went the way of Bobby Bowden, who was forced to retire from his position at Florida State after 35 years.

And so Mubarak is at a Red Sea resort contemplating the future, looking back on the fantastic run he made as the 'democratically elected' president of Egypt. I'm not sure where Jerry Sloan is, but he's probably going through the same contemplative practice. I wonder if he sees what I see. I wonder if he sees a president at his home in Cairo watching Sportscenter and seeing an aging man give a speech about his stunning career, announcing its end, and repeatedly stating how much he has been blessed. He thinks to himself, "I have been blessed. I have done much good for this country. We are better now than we were 30 years ago. Maybe it's time." And he calls the vice president and tells him to announce his resignation. That's what I see.

And there you have it, Jerry Sloan influences Hosni Mubarak to step down as president of Egypt. Just think about it, it's not that much of a stretch.

The Strength of Any Nation is Rooted in the Walls of its Homes

On September 23, 1995 "The Family" was proclaimed to the world by Gordon B. Hinckley. This came at the end of an address to the world's largest organization of women, the Relief Society. He followed the reading of this inspired document with the statement, "The strength of any nation is rooted within the walls of its homes," which I chose to title this post. These ideas are not new, but they are forgotten by many. Listening to Pres. Obama's state of the union address one would think that the strength of the nation is dependent on the wealth of both individuals and families. Of the several times Obama mentioned families, only once was it not in reference to their financial standing, If the nation is in distress, it is not (only) a policy problem, but I'm willing to bet it's a problem in following the Lord's commands. And the root of a generation forgetting how merciful the Lord hath been can be found in errant families. Fathers and mothers not fulfilling their responsibilities, young children not being taught, the youth of a nation not being held accountable--these are the events which lead to national tribulation. They are what lead us to make those policy decisions and sleazy business moves. If we were a stronger nation, we would be more concerned about what happens in the walls of the home. And I don't know about you, but I'm all for making 'Merca a stronger country. I have included the proclamation at the end of my post because it is always a good idea to review the truths taught therein.

That's me at six weeks. From my very birth I was part of a family. That alone is a blessing that is all to often taken for granted. I was born within the bonds of matrimony to a father and mother who followed the tenets of this proclamation before it was even issued (Then again, nothing much had changed in 1995 as far as church doctrine goes, it was simply necessary to send this message to the world to warn all of the eternal nature of and responsibilities of members in families in order to protect from the ensuing onslaught of offenses to the idea of family, which we have witnessed at various times, in various ways over the past 15 years). I owe who I am today to the parents who fulfilled their divine calling as father and mother and provided me with opportunities to learn about the gospel and choose for myself my path in life.

A little over two years ago I got married in a ceremony binding me, Courtney and our future children together for all time and eternity. This week we celebrate that long awaited time when the 'future' becomes 'now' Our little girl was born a day before Thanksgiving, healthy and happy. This past week has opened my eyes to my new role as a father. The first night I waltzed around the hospital room bouncing my baby to get her to go to sleep I looked at her small face and I thought about the potential she has. One day she will have all the opportunities her mother and I have had, but only if we respect the responsibility of parenthood given us, just as our parents before us. I really believe that it is the family that keeps communities and nations going. When the family loses sight of its purposes and responsibilities, the children don't become the upstanding citizens this country (or any country, for that matter) needs--or in certain circumstances, there are no children at all! I just don't understand that. Having our little girl stare back into my eyes I can't think of why anyone wouldn't want to bring one of God's spirit children into this beautiful world. And now we'll do the best we can to raise her up right and prepare her to be a good mother that she may experience the lasting joy a family brings, just like we have.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

"We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

“All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

“In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally. UAdd a Note

“The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

“We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God’s eternal plan.

“Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. ‘Children are an heritage of the Lord’ (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

“The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

“We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

“We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.”

Holidays and Hospitals

For those of you who didn't know, last Christmas didn't go too well. The greatest Christmas gift we recieved was an answer for the week and a half of supersonic migraines Courtney was having. Unfortunately the answer itself was viral meningitis, as we found out when the meninges-swelling symptoms peaked the night before Christmas, and Courtney and I spent the next day and a half in a Twin Falls hospital room. But that all ended and we were in good shape after that.
This Thanksgiving we celebrate yet another holiday from the confines of a hospital-this time in the maternity ward. Our little girl was born the day before Thanksgiving, and we're all in here until after dinner (only because we'd rather not leave at 4:00AM Friday morning, when our time is up). She is adorable. We are so thankful for our family and for the fine health care professionals who spend their holidays in hospitals to make things better for people like us. And we are thankful for our bundle of Thanksgiving joy (and that she does not look like a turkey like my brother did when he was born on Thanksgiving Day 20 years ago).

Boo!

So last month my friends and I were watching a couple of youtube videos by a group called mega64 including this and this. We came up with the idea that for Halloween we should be the ghosts from Mario and follow people around on campus, hiding our faces when they looked at us. Steve, Hyrum and I brainstormed about it and Steve and I worked on the boxes from Wednesday to Friday morning, and they looked awesome. We went all over campus, including the law library, Wilkinson center, and the Eyring, Clyde and Benson buildings. Here's a look at what went down.

Sometimes we chased friends

Sometimes we chased strangers

The Fire in the Dragon's Belly

I want to make sure everybody's aware of a great man who won the Nobel Peace Prize today for his outstanding fight for freedoms in a country hell-bent on keeping them from the people. This man would be Liu Xiaobo. He is preceded in winning this award by others like him who were defamed by their own country as terrorists and criminals (Yassar Arafat and Nelson Mandela). In 1989 he was in the United States when students began gathering at Tienanmen square. He decided to go back to join the movement. While in the airport a man asked him, "What do you think you'll do to help?" He didn't know, but he knew he had to go, and he came out of the incident as one of the leading figures of the movement, which earned him international acclaim but also a two year prison sentence. Nearly 20 years and two prison sentences later he authored Charter 08, which is a document addressing grievances to the Chinese government for human rights. This earned Liu an eleven year prison sentance, yet even greater international acclaim. I'm really happy he was honored as a Nobel Laureate today-I think it will make the human rights problems in China more of an issue on the international scale. Yet at the same time, the Dragon has become a monster of sorts. Their economic power has made them such a worldwide power player that other economies are dependent upon them to the point that there is no leverage that could pressure them to allow their people greater freedom. Whatever change occurs in China will have to be internal. Not some college professor at the University of Beijing, not some peasant's lawyer with a multi-billion dollar class action suit, and not religious following of a hundred million Chinese, but only a persuasive voice inside the party, that will only come to power, probably by Godfather-type action taken against the leaders of the party. Whatever does end up happening in the future, Liu Xiabo will be heralded as a hero for freedom.
On a separate not, when people like Liu win the award it really puts to shame certain laureates who win the award after doing jack squat for freedom, peace, or fraternity between nations (see 2007 and 2009).

Student Teaching

I'm two weeks into student teaching. I'm absolutely loving it. I teach two periods of junior high health alone and team teach another with another student teaching. At times I feel like I don't want to collaborate at all and I'd much rather just do the whole thing myself. But then I realize how blessed I am to have so much prep time and I think about what a different experience this is from other student teachers'.
First of all, my mentor teacher is great. She's been teaching for 12 years and never had a student teacher. For 11 years she taught science and has only taught health for 1 year, so she's just beginning to be a health teacher and is still open to new ideas. Lots of student teachers are stuck with mentor teachers who are totally stuck on doing things the same way they've been doing them for the past 25 years. My mentor teacher is awesome. She lets us come up with our own unit outlines and is fine with everything as long as we follow the state standards. It's really a liberating experience as opposed to what I've heard some of my friends going through. And even though we are her first student teachers, she's been a mentor teacher for quite some time, now, and is always willing to give advice and observe and help us become better teachers.
Second of all, It's SO NICE having so much time to prepare lessons, grade papers, evaluate how certain lessons went, and make the appropriate changes so I can do better next time (when I'm on my own). What this really feels like is a 'test run' sort of semester, where I have an idea of what I want to do as a teacher and I get to test it out in the classroom every day to see if it works. I feel like this should all be part of some grand thesis or disertation and that I should be collecting data and running regressions and getting a grad degree. To tell the truth, it's actually part of the only assignment that I have to turn in for the course, called the Teacher Work Sample. Basically I have to prove that I can do what I'm doing by putting it all on paper. I just happen to be in a position where I have the time and resources to put a lot of time into improving what I've done while bringing minimal work home. Quite the blessing, really.
Third, I'm not nearly as tired as I would be if I was standing up teaching 6 lessons a day. Wow, what a piece of work I'd be coming home from that. Instead, I'm teaching just half of that at the most, and I still have energy when I come home. That's really nice.
Lastly, my fellow student teacher has had different experiences and has different ideas than I do about how to teach. At some times, I feel like this is exactly why I don't want to team teach, but in all reality I should be greatful for the different ideas that she brings to the table. I'm only one man, and I'm willing to see good ideas of how I can help kids learn the material.
Other than those things, I really can't think of another reason I wouldn't want to do it myself. But if for nothing else, those four reasons are enough to make me grateful for the experience of team teaching. Overall I can't complain. I really enjoy all the free time, especially since I'll be needing it to study for my next two Praxis exams--Biology and Social Studies.