Choose your words carefully

Every word that we speak has meaning and origin. Nevertheless, a word may mean something different to me than it does to another person. We use words to record thoughts to preserve our memories and express the ideas from our minds to other people. (Locke 2: 12) Consequently, words are very personal; each person selects words that describe what he is thinking and then shares it with others hoping to convey his ideas to that person. Yet people come from different experiences and therefore create different meanings and ideas for those words and use different words to share the same ideas. To truly understand one another we must first seek to understand the words and ideas of each other.

The first step in seeking to understand one another is to not dispute words and ideas that we do not clearly understand. (Locke 1:28-29) It is better to listen fully and ask questions than to argue. Even when we clearly understand one another disputations will still happen. We should keep our friendships and peace, though, since we cannot expect our friends to suddenly quit their opinions and adopt our own. (Locke 2:254) When we choose to listen instead of argue our understanding will be enlightened and our friendships will remain strong.

Second we need to choose our words carefully. Often we use words for which we cannot give a clear definition. (Locke 2:90) A simple solution to fix these problems is to have a dictionary close by all the time; however, it isn’t practical to carry around a dictionary and constantly look up words. Instead, if someone questions the meaning of a word that we use and we cannot define it, then we should choose a different word.

“There are not words enough in any language to answer all the variety of ideas that enter into men’s discourses and reasonings.” (Locke, 1:23) Because the English language has thousands of words to choose from, Locke’s statement may be surprising. However, it makes more sense if we think about how many words mean more than one thing. Locke defines two words: “spirit, in its primary signification, is breath; angel, a messenger.” (2:10) Today those words have many more meanings; in Oxford’s online dictionary the word spirit has eight distinct definitions and angel has five. With so many definitions it is difficult to always know if what we are saying is the same as what is being understood. “A definition is nothing else but the showing the meaning of one word by several other not synonymous terms. The meaning of words being only the ideas they are made to stand for by him that uses them, the meaning of any term is then shown or the word is defined when, by other words, the idea it is made the sign of and annexed to, in the mind of the speaker, is as it were represented or set before the view of another, and thus its signification ascertained….” (Locke 2:27) Good speakers will establish their words and the intended meanings so that they are understood by their audience. Thus both can benefit from the conversation.

Words are powerful. Great men (and not so great men) have coined phrases and words that live on. When we speak we must choose our words carefully and if someone questions our diction we must analyze our words and make sure that the meaning is clear. “I shall imagine I have done some service to truth, peace, and learning if, by any enlargement on this subject, I can make men reflect on their own use of language and give them reason to suspect that, since it is frequent for others, it may also be possible for them to have sometimes very good and approved words in their mouths and writings, with very uncertain, little, or no signification. And therefore it is not unreasonable for them to be wary herein themselves, and not to be unwilling to have them examined by others.” (Locke 2:42)

“angel.” Oxford Online Dictionary. 2010. Oxford Dictionaries. 8 Oct. 2010

John Locke. An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Vol. 1. New York: Dover Publications Inc., 2003

John Locke. An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Vol. 2. New York: Everyman’s Library, 1974

“spirit.” Oxford Online Dictionary. 2010. Oxford Dictionaries. 8 Oct. 2010

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Teaching Primary

So about a month ago I received a new calling to be a primary worker. I teach the girls in our ward that are 8-12, which in itself is a little intimidating since they are all on such different levels. But I love teaching them. The first week after I was called I taught on David and Bathsheba, which was a tough lesson. But the next two have been better. This week I taught on Elijah and the priests of Baal. I love this story in the Old Testament. It is probably one of my favorite stories!!! I just love the faith of Elijah, and I find it really amusing when he mocks the priests and says, maybe your god is sleeping and needs to be awoken, or maybe he is busy or on a journey. It just cracks me up!!! But I wonder how much faith the people really had. Before the whole competition, Elijah asks them who is God and the people say nothing (this is after a famine had been in the land for 3 years). Then after God sends down the fire, then the people believe in him. I wonder how often I am like that - I'll wait and see and if god proves himself then I will follow Him, but if not then I will remain undecided. It takes faith and courage to stand for something even when no one else is. I hope that I can have that faith and courage, because I know there have been times in my life when I haven't. I was so impressed with my girls today though. The lesson suggested starting the lesson by asking who we pray to when we have problems, then asking them if they would pray to a rock. All of the girls vehemently said they would not pray to a rock, and gave most of the reasons that the lesson book gave for why they would not. I was pretty impressed. I love being in primary!!! I get to learn things and teach at the same time!!!

Stake Conference

So, I love stake conference, but it is much harder to pay attention when you have an active 2 year old. One thing that really stood out to me though was that my stake president said, that when you are an example, you are not only an example to those people who are not members, but you are also an example to those who are faithful and as active members as you. That really rang true to me and I reflected in my life how many good members of the church really have taught me how to be a good wife and a mother just by being examples to me!!

Creating Thinkers

‘Thinking means shuffling, relating, selecting the contents of one’s mind so as to assimilate novelty, digest it and create order.’ (Jacques Barzun pg. 47)

It is important to be a thinker and passing on that legacy to our children is just as important. Public education seems to pull more and more away from creating thinkers because many careers do not require thinking. The job of public schools is to create workers by teaching students how to work hard at anything (Robert Maynard Hutchins pg. 55); then, those students who are successful at school will be successful in their careers. In my own experience as a student and as a teacher, I have seen many teachers base their students’ grades upon the busy work they give in class. Busy work doesn’t require the students to think for their class work, homework, and tests, but causes them to work in order to get a good grade. Society accepts this and has changed many of its standards to say if you work hard than you are a good employee; I can think of very few jobs that require thinking skills. Often, only the very top people in a business know how to think and any person who wants to make it that far will learn how to think on the way or when they are thrown into the job.

To make matters worse, many teachers in public education have not been taught how to think. I taught in a public school for two years. During that time I had mentors who knew how to think and passed that skill on to me. However, many teachers do not have that opportunity and they end up never learning to think. Universities do not include thinking in the curriculum of the classes they teach and Praxis tests (the current test that all teachers of K-12 must pass to become licensed teachers) do not establish whether a prospective teacher will be able to think. So a lot of teachers teach the way they have been taught using what I like to call the regurgitation method – learning facts and giving them back.

A few students have learned how to think before entering public education or in the process of attending public education. When teachers who do not know how to think encounter these students they are scared and do not know what to do; after all, their lesson manuals don’t tell them how to teach a student who already knows what is being taught. Thus “the more limited mind will try to compress and head off the richer,” (Jacques Barzun pg. 46) simply because they can’t teach what they don’t know. A quick example: many fourth grade teachers do not know how to do algebra, but if they have a student who is ready for algebra they simply cannot teach it to him. No wonder so many intelligent students flounder in a public school environment. “For most people, thinking is dreary uphill work.” (Jacques Barzun pg. 47) As I wrote this paper, I had an epiphany: “I don’t like to write papers because it requires me to think. It requires me to use my brain to create something new, develop opinions, and write about them.” Thinking does require a lot of piecing together and producing coherent ideas. Furthermore, a thinker must tune himself to the deep and unknown inside and to God as well. Public schools are forcing God (or any higher power) out creating another difficulty with producing thinkers. Without acknowledging and allowing God’s influence and power in our lives we lose a real beacon to our knowledge. God is the Creator of all things, so if we want to understand them, then we must seek for His inspiration and guidance.

The last problem with teaching thinkers is that it takes time to develop thinking skills. If I want to develop thinking skills then I must study all sorts of ideas. I must study nature, literature, great thinkers, history, math and the list could go on and on. I must associate myself with thinkers and learn from them. It takes practice and work to develop thinking skills. Once I become a thinker then I can pass that legacy on to my children and other children whom I associate with. But I must be careful how I do it. Thinking skills have to be developed and it is best that they are developed at the hands of thinkers. I have known many people in my life that did not just give me the answers, but made me search my heart for what I thought was best. They encouraged me, they asked me questions that helped me to develop my thinking skills, but they never gave me the answers. Teaching should include this philosophy of making people work for their answers and come to conclusions with the support and help of their mentors. A thinking education must include classics, because classics are books that require thinking to understand. Books inspire greatness. (Ralph Waldo Emerson par. 15) It also must include math – math that necessitates logical reasoning and proof. As a math major, I can definitely see the difference between math that is taught in schools and pure thinking math. Math is so much more than just solving problems; it is learning to think logically and rationally.

Finally, a thinker must be called to action. It is not good enough for a person to know how to think without using it. Thus, it is important to give a child opportunity to practice using their thinking skills in a controlled environment. “Character is higher than intellect. Thinking is the function. Living is the functionary…a great soul will be strong to live, as well as strong to think.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson par. 28) In order to build a society of character and morality we must first return to teaching thinking skills, and then we need to call those thinking skills to action. Public schools do not create thinkers. If I want my children to know how to think then I must first learn how to think myself and then pass that skill onto my children. It is important to know that it will take time and it must include God, classics, math, and a call to action. However, the sacrifice that is necessary for the building of thinkers will be worth it and it will create a stronger nation. Works Cited Jacques Barzun. Teacher in America. Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 1981. Ralph Waldo Emerson. The American Scholar. Nature: Addresses and Lectures.1849. http://www.emersoncentral.com/amscholar.htm (6/8/2010). Robert Maynard Hutchins. The Higher Learning in America. New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers, 2009.

Education and Teaching

So I've just finished reading a book by Jacques Barzun written in 1945 entitled Teacher in America. One question it raised for me is what is education? We expect education to teach our children everything..."what the rest of the world leaves undone." He then proceeds to say that "education is a lifelong discipline of the individual by himself" and thus education is a synonym for civilization. I truly believe in lifelong learning. I believe that what we learn on this earth gives us an advantage in the next. I believe that there are good ways to get educations and poor ways, but throughout life's lessons every single one of us becomes more educated. I believe that every person is an educator - we all have responsibilities to teach...to teach our children, to teach fellow employees, to teach our neighbors, but we may never know what we taught someone. I especially believe that it is my responsibility to teach my children. It is not the government's responsibility, it is not my church's responsibility, but it is my responsibility and my right to teach my children. The government, my church, my neighbors and friends, they should and I hope will help me to teach my children, but ultimately it is my responsibility. And so I need to be best prepared to teach my children by being educated myself.