Friday, May 21, 2004
re:tro
yesterday the current school principal of my high school phoned. it is a Christian school. would I speak to their senior management staff retreat for 30 minutes my experience of school and what I would say to them now
long pause on the phone from me.
you see, my high school days were a bit fraught. i was not the school pin-up boy by any stretch of the imagination.
i had to be honest. you need to know that I did not have a happy time at school. you need to know that I have fairly strong opinions and that these are not always considered mainstream Christian. I love the Bible, but not everyone who loves the Bible thinks the same as me …
no pause on the phone, they know, they still want me to speak .
my high school past is something that I have not thought about in a long time
what do you say to a Christian high school leadership team, educating in a postmodern world
)
Tell them how it was for you. I think teachers need reminding of what it is like to be a disenfranchised students. There are justice issues in school and teachers need to reflect on how to address the needs of those on the margins or those who keep jumping out of the education system box. Good luck!
Comment by marion — May 21, 2004 @ 11:46 am
have had a couple discussions lately in which the point was raised that for many teenagers, right and wrong are very black and white in theory. and for some of the same teenagers, right and wrong can be very grey in practice.
not sure if that relates to your experience in school, but does to mine… and it’s something i think teachers of teenagers need to understand.
and remember that no matter what they say, they can’t actually MAKE you stay after school :-p
Comment by kelli — May 21, 2004 @ 12:25 pm
Reminds me about the story that Philip Yancey tells about going back to his old Bible college and speaking about the lack of grace in his time there (I think its in the intro./Ch. 1 of his grace book). He managed offend the faculty, and some suggested he lacked the receptors as a student to receive the grace on offer there.
I think I’d probably have the same pause on the phone if my old (church) school ever asked me to go back and speak.
Comment by Stephen — May 21, 2004 @ 2:26 pm
I think what you wrote there is a very good start…
“you need to know that I did not have a happy time at school. you need to know that I have fairly strong opinions and that these are not always considered mainstream Christian. I love the Bible, but not everyone who loves the Bible thinks the same as me …
I think that strikes a chord with me… I canstill remember what it was like back then… just… ;o)
r
Comment by Randall — May 21, 2004 @ 4:12 pm
This is something I would like to her what you have to say as I am working with the Board and Principal of a Christian School at the moment.
But I know this much – Christian school today MUST be accomodating the fact of the postmodern world (somehow) because they are preparing young people to live in that world.
Janet
Comment by Janet — May 21, 2004 @ 6:06 pm
I’ve been thinking about this all weekend. Sometimes it’s hard to go back somewhere where you felt like a square peg in a round hole. I went back and taught at my old highschool when I came home from living overseas. It was a similar feeling. My memories weren’t all positive, I never really fit in. It worked out fine in spite of the tentative feelings I had about it.
They know what they’re asking for, so give it to them with both barrels. I wonder if they have asked because they want/need to hear what it is like on the edge. Speaking the truth in love, but looking forward not back. Broadening their perspective, stretching their faith, and your own, while you’re about it!
Comment by Larraine — May 23, 2004 @ 9:53 pm
You probably need to be fairly straight with them…
I often wish that I could speak to my teachers and others about our experiences.
i wrote a post about some of my experience just the other day actually at http://www.livejournal.com/users/punchdrunk/383327.html I really wish that I and a few others could talk to our teachers about our experiences…
d
Comment by Darren Wright — May 24, 2004 @ 1:10 am
be honest, be brutal !
Comment by malo — May 26, 2004 @ 2:31 pm