A Mentoring Mindset

We don't mentor well in the American workplace. In fact, on the career ladder, most would rather step on the hand of someone on a lower rung rather than reach down to pull that person up. We also don't want to be mentored as that can be perceived as an admission of incompetence. Our hesitance to embrace mentoring is fueled by competition, selfishness, and insecurity stemming from our human nature; however, mentoring can lead to flourishing for both the mentor and mentee.

This quote has rattled around in my brain for a few years: "Do not live without a mentor; do not die without a disciple." (sorry, I can't remember who said it or where I read it). This quote alludes to the rich life that mentoring can bring. Those who have "lived with a mentor" understand the true blessing that this relationship can be professionally and personally. A true mentor sacrifices his/her time to help you flourish, speaking wisdom with love. 

In many ways, speaking wisdom into someone's life is part of the vocational process. In fact, the term "vocation" (Latin root vocare meaning "to call") demands an outside speaker calling a person into a professional or personal role. In our post-modern world of listening only to our inner voice, we've lost the vital element of wise mentors.

Unfortunately, today, too few of us have experienced deep and rich mentoring. Sadly, this is a two-sided problem with the older generations not wanting to mentor and the younger generations not wanting to be mentored (I'll let the generations debate which is more of the problem). 

Generationally, we are in an interesting position. The Boomer Generation is the "live to work" generation, finding their life purpose in their work; therefore, they do not want to retire. Gen Xers are a "work to live" generation, wanting to retire as soon as possible. Ironically, we now have two generations retiring at the same time. I bet you know of a father (typically a business / company leader) who is retiring around age 80, which is the same time as his children are also considering retiring (age 60). Boomer politicians and professors are also good examples of this ... they don't want to retire, leaving little room for Gen Xers to step into those roles! Let me propose a better way.

The Boomer Generation would be perfect mentors for Millennials (if they both have a mentoring mindset).

Effective mentoring takes a mindset shift from both the mentor and the mentee. Mentors need to sacrifice their time to listen well, ask good questions, and (in the end ... not the beginning) give advice. They also must understand the importance of "failing forward," i.e., personal growth through mistakes made. Those being mentored must enter the relationship with humility and a vulnerability to share their doubts, questions, mistakes and concerns. This also takes a willingness to spend time with those who have walked the path ahead of them, valuing their experience and insight.

Schools should lead the way.

Educators fully understand mentoring, as teaching/learning involves mentoring students, but this doesn't always translate to colleagues. In fact, a "silo" mentality is more often found in schools than a mentoring mindset. 

College education programs are excellent examples with a variety of internships or student teaching opportunities, where the student gets mentored by both education professors and master teachers. Unfortunately, that model doesn't continue. New teachers are often left to sink or swim in the deep end once they accept their first teaching job (this is probably worse for new administrators). A strong mentoring program can provide the floatation devices needed for them to flourish swimmingly. 

The urgency for schools is real. Higher burn-out rates coupled with the reduction of college students pursuing teaching as a career have left schools scrambling to find exceptional teachers and educational leaders. Robust mentoring programs can be used to recruit new (even non-certified) educators, prevent burnout, and encourage retention.

Alternate Pathways

With the job market stagnating (especially in STEM fields), more college graduates may be interested in teaching if there is a pathway and support in place. Most schools have new teacher programs, but often the pace of the day prevents full-time teachers and administrators from having the time to mentor well.

However, retired teachers could be excellent mentors. By some estimates, we have over 2 million retired teachers; if given a structured program, these retired teachers could mentor 2-3 new teachers, providing purpose for the retired educator and encouragement for the new teacher. Learning on the job is already happening in many schools due to teacher shortages, so providing structure around this reality is needed.

Recognizing the teacher shortage, many states are also providing alternative paths to teaching credentials for college graduates and individuals seeking a second career. 

Therefore, if schools have a strong mentoring program, they could begin to address the teacher and administrator shortages that our nation is facing. It would be a worthwhile investment!

More importantly, schools can lead the way to a mentoring mindset shift in other industries that will both honor the experience of the older generation and provide the wisdom needed for the younger generation. 

Measure the Mission Statement

As we come to the close of another academic year, high school seniors are taking AP and course exams, completing capstone projects, and defending final theses, but let me challenge schools to also assess graduates on the mission statement.

In many ways, the measure of a school is found in their graduates AND how closely the graduates embody the mission statement of the school. Mission statements, especially at Christian schools, are often aspirational (e.g. "change the world for Christ") and are rarely assessed. I love aspirational mission statements and am not arguing to lower the bar, but rather to assess the mission statement. How do you do that?

Here are portions of a few mission statements from Christian schools I have been a part of ...

• Students will be "firmly grounded in biblical truth, thoroughly educated in the Liberal Arts, and fully engaged in their churches, communities, and the world for the glory of God and service to humanity."
• Students will be "inspired and equipped ... to engage the world with Christ's transforming power and love."
• Students will receive a "biblically-based, quality education that nurtures the children ... to grow in God-centered discipleship, equipped with vision, understanding, discernment, and service in order to renew all relationships and culture to be under the authority of Jesus Christ."
• Students will be provided "an excellent education for a life of Christ-centered service."

How do you assess any of these? The challenge is real, but is it "mission impossible"?

Some schools have adopted the "portrait of a graduate," flowing from the mission statement and attempting to provide specific characteristics to flesh it out. When a school adopts and, more importantly, embraces the portrait of a graduate, it is moving in the right direction. Schools typically adopt around five characteristics as overall goals or student outcomes, characteristics that should shine from every graduate of their school. One model from Teaching for Transformation (TfT) calls these characteristics "throughlines" and examples below come from the TfT website (linked above).

1. God Worshiper
2. Idolatry Discerner
3. Creation Enjoyer
4. Beauty Creator
5. Order Discoverer
6. Justice Seeker
7. Servant Worker
8. Earth Keeper
9. Community Builder
10. Image Reflector

Adopting these characteristics (whether they are called a portrait of a graduate, expected student outcomes, or throughlines) prepare a school to be able to measure their mission statement, but do they? Imagine a school that takes this seriously and refuses to graduate any student who does not receive passing marks from their teachers on each characteristic. Now, that would turn some heads: Sally did not pass her "God worshiper" assessment, so she has to repeat 12th grade or Bobby needs to do summer school because he just does not "enjoy creation" at an acceptable level. While this may seem ridiculous, what is actually ridiculous, especially for Christian schools, is when the final assessments have nothing to do with measuring the mission statement. Unfortunately, even schools that have final capstone projects in which students dedicate months researching, writing, presenting, and defending are rarely aligned to assess the mission statement. 

I don't think this is "mission impossible." 

I am confident that dedicated teachers and administrators, who believe deeply in the mission statement, will find a way to measure their mission statement. I am a firm believer in just asking students what you want to find out ... how has your education helped you embody our mission statement? That question alone would yield insightful answers to celebrate or lament. 

Let me end this with a practical suggestion to start assessing the mission statement.

To boil it down, most mission statements are concerned with what students believe and how they live out those beliefs. 

Require all seniors to create two final projects (essay, presentation, podcast, video, etc) that represent their learning, one aligned with their beliefs and another aligned with their actions.

Part I: This I Believe -- reflecting on our school's mission statement, create a 500 word essay or 5 minute podcast that describes 2-3 of your core beliefs. Be prepared to defend your essay.

• This is modeled after the "This I Believe" NPR podcast series or collection of essays.

Part II: How Should I Then Live -- reflecting on our school's mission statement and your own core beliefs, create a 500 word essay or 5 minute podcast that describes how your beliefs inform how you live. Be prepared to defend your essay.

• This is modeled after Francis Shaeffer's book, How Should We Then Live (1976).

A few thoughts on this final project idea ...

• Provide the school's mission statement for reflection; this, hopefully, is not the first time the students have seen it. If you want to measure the mission statement, providing it will likely focus the responses. Of course, substitute portrait of a graduate or throughlines as appropriate.
• 500 words or 5 minutes? Help to recapture the lost art of the short essay. As Twain quipped, "I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead." It is really challenging to write (or speak) on important things with a limited amount of words, but in my opinion, we really need to encourage this today (btw, a skill lost to most podcasters :).
• Defending their essay? This is another lost art in most schools, but high school graduates should be prepared to defend their argument in front of a panel of teachers or even classmates. Again, it should not be the first time they are asked to do this.
• Dedicate time to this. Most high school seniors have academic time at the end of the year (post AP exams or not full schedules), and we spend time on what we truly value. 

Hopefully, this one idea will help inspire you to create something that fits with your school. 

Take a step towards measuring the mission statement this year. You may likely be both encouraged and discouraged by the results, but as all modes of assessment should, it will put you on a path to improvement.

Mechanical Arts: A New Old Way

When we consider schooling, at any level, we often default to thinking about cognitive growth, making students smarter. Consequentially, the success of schools, over the past forty years, has been measured with test scores. If students are smarter (as indicated on standardized tests of math and reading), then schools are successful. True, standardized testing is a relatively easy, common assessment, but it represents a tragically limited view of education. 

While imparting knowledge will always be a part of education, a broader view is needed to educate the whole child. Wholistic education focuses on much more than the traditional school subjects or even the seven liberal arts. The Hebraic model of education, found in the Old Testament, was a wholistic life  education that trained up a child in the way he/she should go (Proverbs 22:6). While the Greeks focused more on the intellect than the Hebrews, they did promote "paideia" emphasizing wisdom and character.  As Comenius, the father of modern education and a Christian educator, stated in The Great Didactic (1657), education should teach "all things to all people." 

For years, schools have taught "life" on the periphery, often as electives, or for students who were not "smart." Programs such as industrial arts, shop class, career and technical education (CTE), home economics, life skills, career academies ... I even took a class called "cooking for guys." Thanks to the Greystone Institute, I have recently discovered The Mechanical Arts, an old concept from the 12th Century that identified seven "life skills" (textiles, weaponry, agriculture, commerce, hunting, medicine, and theatrics). During the middle ages, these mechanical arts were viewed as common or vulgar, below the status of an educated person, and that perspective, unfortunately, has continued today with the educated professional looking down on the "dumb" day-laborers.

Times are changing. College is not the path for everyone, AI-proof trades are being seen as more valuable, "homesteading" is becoming more popular, and "life skills" are again viewed as essential skills. Recognizing that a fully educated person is more than intellectual knowledge, the seven mechanical arts complements the seven liberal arts well. It truly is a great addition to those schools who value the liberal arts and measure their success in ways beyond test scores.

What I love about the Mechanical Arts is that they are anchored to the historic Liberal Arts and to Christianity, valuing these as a beautiful way for students to bear God's image. Additionally, these mechanical arts demonstrate God's "every square inch" sovereignty ... and there are way more than seven of them. Each school's mechanical arts program can look a little different based on the interest of students, their community, and knowledge/experience of the teachers/parents. 

Here are a few mechanical arts programs to consider adding to your liberal arts curriculum.

1. Entrepreneurship/Business -- Students need to think with an entrepreneurial mindset, learn basic business concepts, and ethical business practices. An intro to business class can cover these things, and many schools have student-run businesses for students to apply what they've learned. 
2. Agricultural -- Obviously rural schools with vibrant 4H programs are doing this already, but urban and suburban schools should look for ways to teach these skills. As homesteading, urban farming, and sustainable living are becoming more popular, schools should have greenhouses and rooftop gardens for students to learn about small-scale agriculture.
3. Culinary Arts -- Learning to cook and bake is an essential skill that will serve students for their entire life. Many schools have students helping prepare meals and serve lunch, but adding a food safety course certification and additional culinary skills will prepare them for the home and even the workplace. 
4. Medical Training -- Providing students with medical knowledge and skills, of course, will benefit students for their life. Partnering with local medical educational trainers to provide  certifications (CPR/First Aid, LVN, etc) may help students gain employment or acceptance to further training in medical careers. 
5. 
   Home Improvement / Remodeling -- The DIY home improvement industry is booming. I'm sure that local contractors or businesses would love to teach students basic skills of painting, home repair, simple electrical or plumbing, drywall, and flooring. In addition to giving back, construction companies are looking for future employees and many will have apprenticeships available.
6. Hunting/Fishing -- Depending on the community, some schools may offer hunter safety and licensing courses or teaching students to fly fish (and tie flies). These courses, if designed well, can teach environmental science and conservation from a Christian perspective.
7. Car Care -- Providing students with basic auto mechanics, preventive maintenance, and car care is an important life skill. To be honest, I feel the dumbest when an auto mechanic explains what is wrong with my car. This knowledge will save them a ton of money in the future, but it also provides an opportunity to serve their neighbor, e.g., helping to change a tire, jump a dead car battery.  

These are seven important mechanical arts that come to mind, but the topics are truly unlimited ... as broad as life itself.

To move these programs from the periphery into the core will take administrators and teachers flexible enough to build a schedule and give up instructional time. Mechanical Arts is also something that schools can move slowly to adopt ... start a student-run business that sells food at breaks and games, offer a CPR/First Aid certification course after school, set aside one Friday afternoon a month for MA (mechanical arts) enrichment courses, etc. You will see students come alive as they learn about life.

Schools need to be more than "college prep" today and adding a mechanical arts program may provide an innovative and unique program that will increase enrollment, boost student engagement, and enhance parent/community involvement. More importantly, it will align with whole child education and a school that values more than just test scores.

Teaching Students to Know Goodness (and Be Good)

Truth, Beauty, and Goodness are three essential elements, first emphasized by Plato, for a virtuous life and a flourishing society. The first two articles in this series focus on Truth and Beauty in schools; however, Goodness in schools is more challenging as it incorporates teaching students to know goodness and to be good. 

Knowing What is Good

The academic disciplines that examine the essence of goodness are theology and ethics. Clearly, schools, colleges, and universities that are not religious do not teach theology, and ethics is rarely taught at any school. Unfortunately, most students are not formally taught what is good (at least at school). That is troubling in itself. This is why teaching goodness is going to be more challenging than teaching truth and beauty; it will involve incorporating new lessons, units, courses into the curriculum. 

If we are to teach students to know goodness, we must start with a rigorous study of theology and ethics.

Christian schools have the advantage in teaching students to know what is good. as most have Bible classes, along with classes taught from a biblical perspective. However, not all teachers in Christian schools believe that the Bible is the ultimate standard for goodness or have the training to know how to teach from a biblical perspective. Christian school leaders must hire well and provide ongoing professional development in both Bible knowledge and subject/grade specific pedagogy from a Christian perspective. Keeping this as an institutional priority is key to teaching students what is good.

Ethics or moral philosophy should also be taught, with age-appropriate curricula, so students understand how to view everything from an ethical framework. Thankfully, ethics curriculum is being developed as whole courses and as lessons inserted into units, so students can learn how to evaluate and make good decisions, including topics such as ... 

• Utilitarian and deontological ethics, ethical dilemmas, and fallacies
• Ethical decisions, values-based decisions, just cause, and moral choices 
• Personal ethics, professional workplace ethics, and public ethics

Each of these instructional topics will help to develop critical thinking, analysis, and debate skills essential in our world today.  And ... those are sure needed today. 

Living in a break-neck, technological age, the primary question is not, can we do something? (we can) but rather, should we do it? or Is it good to do something? These are their own set of modern ethical questions ... should we clone animals/people? should we use AI to write our papers for us? should we have relationships with humanoids? should we freeze embryos? should we genetically alter pre-born babies? 

Everyday brings a new set of these ethical questions. Answers to these questions take biblical and ethical wisdom, and humanity is (currently) woefully under-trained in these areas. I do believe that educators (especially Christian educators) have an amazing opportunity to fill this gap by teaching goodness.

Knowing goodness should lead to being good, and schools should help develop that, too.

Being Good

I spent 8 years as a dean of students at the college level and 13 years as a high school principal; both of these roles involved establishing a set of rules and then enforcing those rules. Because of these roles in educational leadership, I've spent over 20 years thinking about orthopraxy (or right-actions) in schools. One of the responsibilities of a school is to teach students to be virtuous (good) citizens.

Martin Luther, the Protestant Reformer and educational philosopher, used the term pietas literata, emphasizing that schools should not only produce smart students but also pious ones. Luther was a strong proponent of universal education to teach all students to read the Bible (priesthood of all believers) and to encourage right actions aligned with God's word. 

Most Christian educators and Christian schools agree with Martin Luther's concept of pietas literata, with a goal of educated and godly graduates. They are training students to be good, and good is defined by the Bible. 

Unfortunately, the majority of American educators and schools do not believe that the Bible is the moral standard. The prevalent worldview in classrooms is individualism, where morality is defined by the individual person, essentially, whatever makes you happy is "good." Consequentially, they are training students to be individuals pursuing individual happiness. Not surprisingly, examples of this mentality are ubiquitous in our narcissistic and ego-centric society.

The best way to learn about goodness and even to be good is to emulate others who make good, ethical decisions and live pious lives. Knowing that adult exemplars are rare today, spotlighting those individuals who are living the "good life" is really important. Teaching students how to know goodness and be good is definitely needed in our society today, and Christian educators, at all levels, should lead the way!