Beech Tree News Network

WORKS WELL WITH OTHERS-I am not sure if they still do it or not in the primary grades, for it has been a while since I really looked but I remember clearly, from my youth, where other considerations were remarked upon, on the report cards we received, other than what letter of the alphabet it was determined we deserved. One of those considerations was if you had the ability to, “work well with others.”

I am sure that most parents or students either, for that matter, gave little weight or even thought, as to whether that box got checked off or not but apparently someone in authority considered that a vital part to being a well-rounded student. I will take it a step beyond that and say, “working well with others,” is essential to being a fully complete and functional human being. Interacting with each other, in community, just how does that look anyway?

For one thing it means abandoning arrogance and realizing we have things to learn from each other. As “iron sharpens iron” we are best as our ideas and ideals are brought together for discussion, debate, and inspection, it sharpens our intellect and stretches our horizons.

Since we started off talking about school and grades we will stay there for the moment. Don't get me wrong I love this country and though I have never been to any other country to know for sure, I do not believe I would want to live anywhere else. When it comes to our public school system in this country (which the majority of our children attend for various reasons) though, we are lagging far behind much of the developed world, it has become downright embarrassing. We, as a country, need to quit acting with the arrogance of snobbery and realize we can learn a thing or two from other nations. Many Asian countries perform well in tests designed to reveal subject matter retained, but I am not personally convinced that is the way we need to go, for 50 or so hours a week, spent in acquisition of such facts is deemed as ideal. I do not believe that is the way to go about tapping into the potential for a complete human being.

There is another nation and although I don't usually get specific in this column, I am going to make an exception and look at Finland, whom also performs very well on the respected P. I. S. A. evaluation. Finland is the nation looked at in the “waiting for Superman” documentary on education. What are they doing right, that we are not? For one, there is no “common core” standard, I personally loath common core and believe that abomination needs kicked to the curb post haste. Teachers there are highly trained, and thoroughly assessed for the right personality and gifts, then trusted to teach to each individual child. Children start school later, no hectic surge for “preschool,” pouring in knowledge at an ever earlier age. Standardized tests have largely been done away with, as has homework and much more time is spent in recess or out of the classroom. Already near the top, Finland has now elected to do away with individual subjects and is instead transitioning to- topic instruction, a brilliant move in my humble opinion. If the United States would incorporate these ideas along with multi-age students learning together and cross-age peer mentoring, I believe we would be the ideal standard in education, for the world.

A while back (when just a little ice was on the road) I had to keep an appointment with my oncologist, where I found out that thankfully, my white blood cell count was down to only twice normal, as compared to the ten times normal we started with, at the outset of that current treatment program. I had to go to the appointment alone, as my wife was still recovering from gall bladder removal surgery. On the trip home I misjudged the ice at the bottom of my driveway and although my vehicle is associated with bad weather, it is only a rear wheel drive and I slid precariously close to some mailboxes and two ditches. It took quite a while of my children and I breaking up ice around the wheels before I could resume my homeward trek.

I am tired all the time, even more so then, during chemo, believe me, breaking up ice was the last thing I wanted to be doing. I kind of wish a healthy version of myself would somehow have happened by, for my first thought, instinctively, upon seeing someone in similar circumstances usually is, “do you need some help?” This is what “working well with others is all about,” caring about and for each other, realizing we have much to learn from each other, and helping each other; we all get farther that way.