Listen Up!

The mayhem of 2020 has pushed me to be more reflective. Why is our world such a mess? Where's the gap between what is and what ought to be? How should we as parents, educators, leaders act to help heal our wounded world?

The problems swirling around our world in 2020 are multi-faceted and complex; thus, the solutions are not simple or simplistic ones. However, let me suggest a first step.

We need to listen better.

I've been struck by how the majority of our modern modes of communication are broken. 

The classic communication cycle include two individuals: 1) sender/speaker and 2) receiver/listener.  A speaker sends a message to a listener; the listener responds by providing feedback to indicate that he/she has received the message in the same way that the sender meant it. Then, the roles are reversed; the listener becomes the speaker and the speaker becomes the listener ... to embody a complete communication cycle.

Effective communication is a beautiful dance between two (or more) people. The irony is, in our modern world with so many ways to communicate, we've forgotten this basic cycle, and we've eliminated the listener's role.

Let me provide some examples ... 

1. Social Media -- The "sender" posts a message on Twitter. The message is sent, but there is only a limited way to see if the message was received or if the "receiver" understood the message the same way that the sender meant it. Yes, a "receiver" can "like" the message, but rarely does the receiver reciprocate and become the "sender." In fact, if someone responds to a posts and disagrees with it, the chances are pretty good that the response will die there ... and the person will be blocked. So while social media posts can reach thousands of people, the mode represents a broken communication cycle.

2. Protests -- Although I believe that protests have their place in society, bringing awareness to injustice, this mode, for the most part, operates without a true "listener." Huge crowds assemble to chant and display signs with powerful messages, but who is listening? Like the example of a social media post, the message is sent out, but it is unsure that the receivers are listening, or, if they are listening, there is no way to gauge if they understood the message the same way that the protesters intended.

3. Television News -- Stations like Fox News and CNN have devolved into talking heads promoting a position on a topic. The majority of the time on these stations, the silver tongued host editorializes, what used to be a small part of the news called the "editorial" or "op-ed." When an individual with an opposing view is a guest, the host spends little time truly listening; in fact, the time with the guest is quickly and frequently interrupted, challenged, and refuted (and sometimes belittled).

4. Political Debates -- Politicians in "debates" are not there to listen. They are primarily there to catch an opponent in a faux pas and to repeat their talking points, whether they align with the question or not. btw, those who teach 'Speech and Debate" cringe when these spectacles are called "debates" (as they should).

5. Corporate Worship -- Worship, if designed properly, is a beautiful example of the communication cycle: God speaks to his people, and his people respond to the message. Traditionally, the service opens with a God's "call to worship" and the church responds with praise or a prayer; the service continues with the church's "confession of sin" and God's "assurance of pardon"; the sermon is God's word to the church followed by praise or prayer response from the church; the service ends with a benediction from God and the church's response with a "doxology." Without getting into too much criticism of the modern church, this beautiful cycle of communication is not seen in most churches today.

So What?

You may be wondering ... "Okay, we don't listen well today, but what does that have to do with the problems of today?"

First, in reflecting on the cultural mess that we are stuck in, I can't think of an issue that couldn't be improved by listening well. Political division, racism, church schisms, COVID-19, BLM, defunding police, school choice, creation care, homelessness, etc. ... listening to the other side would help.

Second, learning requires listening. Academic Freedom, a term largely used in higher education, implies that students learn best by listening well to a wide range of ideas and positions, and then pondering, researching, and challenging those positions. This belief is at the core of a liberal arts education (a liberating education); this philosophy leads to brain stretching and ultimately individual freedom and empowerment (as you know, "knowledge is power"). When only one view is presented by a teacher or professor, the student is robbed of that power that only critical thinking can provide.

Third, listening honors the imago dei like nothing else. If we believe that every human being is created in God's image, then we ought to value what each person has to say. To truly listen to another human being, especially one who doesn't think as you do, is the simplest ways to love your neighbor. In essence, a listener with humility is saying ... "I respect your views, your experiences, and your words; how can I learn from you?"

Now What?

Modeling listening is an important action step, and one that is really difficult. However, if we (as adults) want to raise up a generation of listeners, we have to show them how to listen. Most of the examples that children are seeing (as listed above) are not good examples of listening well. Here are a few action items to address the lack of listening in our society.

• Social Media ... don't just hide/block individuals with different views than you; take the time to listen, ask for clarification, seek understanding ... or invite them out for a cup of coffee to listen and seek to understand.
• Protests ... sit down with those who are planning to protest (before the heat of the moment); invite them to express their views in a town hall meeting or over a cup of coffee to truly listen.
• Television News ... limit editorializing and focus on reporting the facts; instead of seeking sensational headlines and sound bites, networks should run uncut versions of speeches and interviews. Invite opposing viewpoints, listen to them, and genuinely seek to learn from them.
• Political Debates ... each candidate should prepare (research themselves) a set of topics, develop position statements on those topics and follow the rules of debate ... including listening to the opponent.
• Corporate Worship ... churches should return to a communication liturgical rhythm of God speaking and his people responding.

Teaching listening to the next generation is a vital next step. Educators (like me) believe in using curriculum content and pedagogy to change attitudes and behaviors. This is a tall task due to all the modes of communication that hinder listening, but it can be done. After modeling good listening, show students how to "be still" and how to approach every conversation in humility, ready to learn from another. It truly is a discipline that needs to be taught and practiced in school and reinforced at home.

In James 1, everyone is admonished to listen. He says, "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak ...." Of course, there is wisdom there, unfortunately our world does just the opposite, and that is one reason we are in such a mess.

The Classroom Karass

As a former English teacher, I love words. I especially love words that are new to me and that help me see life experiences in a richer, deeper light.

A new word for me this summer is "karass." This actually is a relatively new word for everyone. It was first coined in 1963 by Kurt Vonnegut in his book Cat's Cradle. He created this word to describe a fictional religion called Bokononism; however, I have found it applicable to Christianity, education, and the beginning of the school year.

Vonnegut's new word karass is a noun meaning, "a diverse group of people that, unknown to them, are somehow linked together by God, to fulfill His purpose." 

This definition above (liberally constructed from various definitions), implies an active God who intentionally assembles groups of people for a higher purpose.

Isn't that a great description of the beginning of a school year, especially at a Christian school?  What does your karass look like at your school or in your class?

When I get a chance for a reflective break at the beginning of the year, one of my favorite things is to take a balcony view of my staff and students and ask ...

• Why did God assemble this specific group of staff and students specifically at this time and in this place? 
• I wonder what God is doing? 
• What does He want us to learn from each other? 
• How does He want us to use this combination of gifts to heal our wounded world?

These are all karass questions.

The beauty of a karass is two-fold. 

First, a karass is a diverse group of people and that is beautiful. If everyone possessed the same worldview, background, experiences, and gifts, nobody would learn anything and nobody would solve problems. We need different perspectives, expertise, and talents to grow and to see obstacles from a different viewpoint. Diversity is the key to learning, growing, and advancing as an individual and a community, and it provides energy to our world. What a blessing diversity is, especially in education.

Second, a karass is unified to accomplish a higher goal and that is beautiful. While most schools and organizations have a mission statement that intends to unify their students and employees, the beauty in a unifying purpose comes from it being God-centric. Many schools and organizations champion a mission that is solely self-serving and egocentric ... that is not beautiful, and ultimately, that is not unifying as each individual strives for their own gain. The beauty comes from the unifying purpose being selfless, spiritual (even a little mysterious) and reformational.

Universities

Educational systems have been unifying diversity with a common mission for years, and they are called "universities." As the name implies, uni-versities take a diverse set of subject areas (versity) and unify them under a single mission (uni). Many universities began as a karass (a diverse group of people unified for  a spiritual purpose). Unfortunately, the karass beauty is lost in most schools today because the unwritten (and sometimes written) mission of the school is egocentric and self-serving. A learning environment only becomes a karass if it has a purpose greater than the individual; thus, many schools are not beautiful karasses.

Body of Christ

Christians are familiar with the concept of a karass, as it is closely tied to the "body of Christ" metaphor (I Cor. 12). When the body of Christ imagery is used in the Bible, it refers to the twofold beauty of a karass. Each body part is diverse and specifically formed with a unique function, and all parts are unified to help the body accomplish an ultimate goal.

Your Classroom Karass!

Does God assemble a diverse group of people to fulfill His ultimate purpose?  Absolutely and beautifully. The master weaver takes the amazing human diversity found in His creation and carefully places each individual in a group for a reason that only He knows. This happens each year when he places specific students into a classroom with a teacher.

As you start the year and see your students for the first time, look closely and ask ... 

• How can my classroom be a karass?
• Why did God place these students together (with me) this year?
• What is God doing? 
• What holy purpose does God want us to accomplish?  
• What does he want us all to learn from this diverse combination?

From this perspective, grow your classroom into a beautiful karass! Celebrate diversity and work to achieve God-centric objectives this year.

Healing more than Fixing

As a Christian, I believe that all of life has been impacted negatively by the Fall; Romans 8:22 refers to the "whole creation ... groaning" under the curse of sin. This biblical concept is affirmed through everyday life. It is easy to spot creation groaning today: a pandemic, racism, police brutality, climate change, pollution, political corruption, and I could go on and on. Our world is broken, and I have more often than not referred to this groaning as "brokenness." At least until recently.

In Steven Garber’s book A Seamless Life, he refers to this concept as the “wounded world” instead of the "broken world." While this may seem like an insignificant difference, I am reminded again how much words matter. Sometimes paradigms pivot on a word, and that is what has happened for me.

The phrase "wounded world" is pregnant with meaning, and significantly richer than "broken world."

Broken or Wounded

Clearly our world is broken as it is not working like it should. Work is toilsome rather than joyful, wickedness and greed is rewarded instead of virtue, and families are broken (yes, we literally use that term). From Adam’s Fall, the world has been broken and in need of fixing. Although we clearly understand this perspective, this is a very industrial (and American) perspective. If I see something that is not working optimally with efficiency and effectiveness, it needs to be fixed. 

However, "broken" is a passive term that implies something not working properly.  "Wounded world," on the other hand, implies the creation being actively and violently attacked.  

A wounded world is a more accurate description of the world’s fallen state and, especially, Satan’s continual assault. Sin did not just break the world at the Fall, it is an ongoing infliction of pain and suffering by Satan. Like brokenness, we can see examples of creation being wounded wherever we look. When a person demeans a group of people with a racial slur, people are wounded, (and Satan is the only one truly laughing). When a husband is tempted to look at pornography, it is an active attack to wound a marriage. When a company pollutes a river to increase their financial bottom line, it is greed's power wounding the creation. When a prayer group turns into a gossiping circle, relationships are wounded by Satan’s subtle whispering. The problems being faced in 2020, like COVID-19, racism, rioting, political divisions, and corrupt leaders, are each a result of the Fall and are actively contributing to wounding the world. 

Fixing or Healing

Not only is our overall view of the Fall impacted by using a different word, so is our response, and I propose this is the more influential shift. When I see something broken, I simply want to fix it; if I see the same item as wounded, I am challenged at a deeper level to heal it. While “fixing” needs to happen, healing connotes a much richer and more personal interaction with what is fallen.

The broken needs fixing to help it run properly again. I can “fix” something with very little personal investment in the broken item. It is actually getting easier to fix things, thanks to YouTube. When my car breaks down, I look up how to fix it, and it usually involves removing a broken part, discarding it, and replacing with a new part (okay, I am speaking theoretically; it is very unlikely that I will be able to fix it, but you get my point). I can fix a yard filled with weeds (clearly a result of the Fall) by pulling the weeds. However, my “fixing” is at a superficial level. Marriages also break because of sin, and, unfortunately, our mindset is similar to fixing a car ... remove the broken part and replace it with something new.

What a difference a word makes! If I think of broken things as wounded things, my paradigm (and the accompanying call to action) changes significantly. My perspective becomes instantly deeper to restoring a car, a yard, or a marriage ... healing these aspects of a fallen world. Wounded things need healing, and that takes a personal investment, an active compassion. Think of a nurse caring for a wounded soldier through months of rehabilitation or an elderly spouse caring for his wife stricken by Alzheimer’s, or the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37) ... they are not just fixing something that is broken, they are providing healing and wholeness. Remember the term used in Romans 8? "Groaning" aligns much more with being wounded than being broken.

Healing our Schools

My blog usually addresses topics that relate to education ... so how does this change of a word translate to education? Sin impacts schools, and it is easy to see examples of this in our teaching, learning, processes, and reactions ... in addition to the fallen people who fill the classrooms and hallways. So, do schools need fixing or healing? I've heard that we need to fix school much more than I've heard we need to heal schools, but let's look at these words in a school setting. 

The first thing that comes to mind is classroom management and discipline. As a principal, I can fix a student who misbehaves through detentions, suspensions, and expulsions, but am I really “fixing” anything? Maybe I am fixing the situation similar to when I fix a car ... remove the broken part. Restorative Practices is a "healing rather than fixing" approach to discipline. A healing perspective in school discipline is primarily concerned about restoring broken relationships, taking the time to listen well, asking deep questions to uncover wounds, and intentionally designing the discipline from a discipleship mindset ... to, ultimately, bring healing and restoration.

Teaching and learning is also impacted by the Fall as learning can be difficult, students and teachers can become frustrated, and it is easy to blame each other for the lack of student success. Some teachers will “fix” the brokenness in student understanding and parent complaints by decreasing the rigor of the class, inflating grades, or letting gaps in understanding slide without correction or re-teaching. You could say that these teachers "fixed" the problem, but did they really fix anything? Teachers with a healing paradigm will care deeply about student learning, identify the wounds in understanding, take the time to meet with each struggling student to assess the confusion, scaffold and rebuild a faulty foundation, and design specific lessons/homework so that a student can be restored to the level of understanding. Excellent teachers are healers not just fixers who will continue to challenge and support students to prepare them fully for the next level. 

Encouraging students to embrace a wounded world perspective involves hard work. Most students have a broken world perspective, and they will take the quickest and easiest route to fixing the problem ... as they’ve been taught their entire life. However, quick fixes usually result in more problems and little holistic healing. The complexity of the Fall and how it manifests itself in multi-faceted problems cannot be easily fixed (regardless of what you read on social media). Instead of fixing the problem quickly, educators and schools should structure learning so that students are required to look at the root causes of problems (which is sin) and seek answers that heal. This paradigm shift will lead to deep learning, restorative projects, and final assessments that make a difference in the community. 

I have confidence in both educators and students that we can shift from "fixing the broken" to "healing the wounded." It may mean that our schools need to look more like hospitals and rehab centers than factories and repair shops, but there is nothing wrong with that. 

This simple switch of a word can lead to significant changes in schools and the world. To be counter-cultural on this matter is a daunting task, but an important one to undertake.

Masks and Flannery O'Connor

To wear a mask or not to wear a mask ... that is the question. I am unsure about what to think about mask wearing. You can quickly Google and find half a dozen articles that "prove" that mask wearing is ineffective, and you can find equal numbers of articles supporting the benefits of wearing them. Regardless, of what side you land on, most of the pro-mask arguments concede that wearing masks is more to protect others than to protect yourself. This was one of the first things that I heard about masks.  Along with the mask requirements, we were implored to "Don't wear a mask for yourself", but do it for others (The Atlantic, April 22, 2020). 

I think that may be the problem. Let me explain.

Our culture in 21st Century America is very self-centered. It is difficult to get people to act unless there is a direct self-benefit. 

I wonder if we would be more inclined to wear masks if the opposite was true; what if wearing a mask was a guaranteed protection from contracting COVID-19 (or any disease)? I bet we'd see a higher percentage of people wearing masks in public. However, we are asked to wear a mask to protect others, and that argument just hasn't been embraced by some (most) in our country. Although this can be (and has been) presented as a way to "love your neighbor" (Jesus' second greatest commandment), many Christians refuse to wear a mask ... I know that the issue is complicated, but the act of putting a mask on is a simple one.

Americans deeply value our freedoms and wearing a mask, for some, has turned into an attack on those freedoms. This is not new; we've seen this with protests against seat belt laws in the 1980s ("Before Face Masks, Americans Went to War Against Seatbelts") and, more recently, against motorcycle helmet laws ... and both of those are intended to protect the individual wearing the safety item. Knowing that about America, of course, we are going to see objections when required to wear a mask that protects others. Of course, it doesn't help the cause when high profile public figures refuse to "mask up" in public. 

This debate reminds me of Flannery O'Connor's short story, "The Life You Save May Be Your Own." The title is the key to unlocking the themes in this story, and it comes from a road sign in the story that reads, "Drive Carefully: The life you save may be your own."

                                                    

The genesis of this story title comes from a safe driving billboard campaign in the 1950's that targeted our human nature towards self-preservation. Those charged with promoting public safety knew their audience, i.e., more people will drive carefully to protect themselves than to protect others.

You need to read this classic O'Connor story (pdf linked above), so I won't spoil it for you, but as you read, remember the title and its not so subtle hint about our sinful human nature and our bent towards self-centeredness and away from self-sacrifice.

I'm not sure how helpful this blog has been to answering the original question of "to wear a mask or not to wear a mask." However, as O'Connor would suggest, because of our human nature, "mask laws" will be difficult to enforce unless definitive evidence comes out that face coverings protect the person wearing it. 

Regardless of your personal or political position on masks, we should all reflect on how, in our time (like in O'Connor's time), we can deny our natural self-centeredness and make sacrifices for others. 

College Student Retention: Academic Preparation and Institutional Fit

For this blog, I want to jump back to my years in college student development. As a dean of student life, I focused on retention. Many internal and external factors impact retention, but two of the most powerful, in my experience, are: 

1. Academic Preparation -- How well a student is prepared academically to meet the rigor of the specific college.
2. Institutional Fit -- How closely does the student fit the institutional mission and culture of the specific college.

In theory, if a student is prepared well academically AND agrees with the mission/culture of the college, he/she will be retained and progress toward graduation. Admissions and student development staff need to work together to improve retention and should focus on these two areas. Admissions staff members should be looking for these two elements as they recruit students, and student development staff needs to be implementing support and activities to grow these qualities.

Academic Preparation

Academics is the primary reason that colleges exist, and each college has a different level of academic rigor. In the admissions process, colleges evaluate the data to identify students with an academic preparation that aligns with its level of rigor. Logically, the colleges and universities with high academic rigor are looking for students who are well prepared academically, and vice versa. While we can debate the validity of these data points, college admissions committees still use the objective data of high school grade point average, class rank, and standardized test scores to evaluate a student's academic preparation. 

If students are not prepared in such a way to align with the academic rigor of the institution, they are going to have an academically frustrating college experience and, ultimately, will be at risk of leaving the institution. While admissions teams are always looking for students who are academically prepared, there are times (especially when enrollment numbers are down) when students are admitted who are not as prepared as they should be academically. Identifying these "at risk" students early (using admissions data) and putting academic interventions in place can help to support these students well, reduce academic frustration, and increase the likelihood of retention. 

Institutional Fit

In the business world, "culture eats strategy for breakfast" (Drucker 2013). Likewise, in the world of college student retention, "institutional fit" eats other retention factors for breakfast. If a student believes in the mission of the college, embraces how that mission is lived out, and is a "raving fan" of the college, they are going to fight to overcome the other retention obstacles that he may encounter.  

Institutional fit can also include an academic side to retention. Students need to be prepared to exert the expected academic effort in and out of the classroom. Unfortunately, whether they are academically prepared or not, some students don't want to work hard in college and will likely face a rude awakening ... do I stay and work hard or transfer to an easier college? Institutional fit also includes programming. Many students transfer because the college does not offer a desired major; even if a student is a raving fan in all other areas of the institution, she may be a retention risk due to programming. 

I am most familiar with small, Christian colleges that have distinct mission statements, aligned with theological and philosophical worldviews. If a student doesn't fit with the theological or worldview perspectives of these institutions, he will become frustrated with faith or lifestyle expectations, and, ultimately, will be at risk of leaving the institution. Additionally, small Christian colleges, also, may not be able to offer all the majors and programs that a large university can, thus, impacting retention.

Of course, colleges understand the importance of institutional fit as it pertains to student retention, and they have entire departments dedicated to strengthening institutional fit and creating raving fans through new student orientation, fun social activities, and student development programs. However, these are usually not student specific. It is essential for student development staff to identify any student who doesn't fit with the college and implement intervention strategies to help strengthen this important element.

Categorizing Students

While not everything about retention can be put into a graph, I like using a quadrant graph to help categorize students based on these two important factors. A quadrant graph allows the staff to specifically identify each student and subsequently implement intervention strategies to help the student. Each student would be ranked in academic preparation (x axis) and institutional fit (y axis); both would use a 0 (low) to 10 (high) scale.

 The graph would identify those students who fit into the different categories below:

Ideal Students -- Quadrant A (top right) 

• These students are well prepared academically and believe strongly in the mission of the institution. 

Fit Students -- Quadrant B (top left)

• These students fit the institution well (and may even be your raving fans), but they need academic support to be successful.

Prepared Students -- Quadrant C (bottom right)

• These students are very well prepared academically, but they don't fully embrace the mission of the institution.

At Risk Students -- Quadrant D (bottom left)

• These students are not prepared academically AND they don't fully embrace the mission of the institution.

Using the Data 

Identifying these students is an important start to creating an action plan. In the graph below, the following students are ranked and placed into the four categories.

Ideal Students -- JK (9,9), HI (8,8)

Fit Students -- BC (4,8), AB (1,7), CD (2,6)

Prepared Students -- FG (7,4), IJ (7,2), EF (9,2)

At-Risk Students -- DE (3,2), GH (1,2)

Clearly, the main goal is to increase your number of Ideal Students (quadrant A). This can be done through the admissions process by rejecting applicants with lower gpa/test scores or those applicants who do not fit the mission of the college, but many college admissions offices are not in a position to take this step in a drastic way. 

Increasing the number of Ideal Students can also be done through interventions. 

Ideal Students - Quad A

Don't forget about these students -- the worst thing that could happen would be to lose these students! Celebrate and invest in them! Often these students received scholarships and positions of leadership; use them and rely on them to both promote the academic rigor and to be the "raving fans" for the college. Utilize them for campus visit days as hosts and ambassadors to recruit new students (and pay them). Invite them to be a part of special lectures, field experiences, research teams, or trips.

Fit Students (but not prepared) - Quad B

Invest significantly in the academic support of these students; they are your "raving fans" and will help to promote the college to others. Use peer tutors from your Ideal Students and your Prepared Students to reduce the academic frustration that these students may feel. If identified early enough as needing academic support, offer a free class to them in the summer to help boost their academic preparation. Connect them early with your most supportive professor / academic advisor and support, support, support.

Prepared Students (but not fit) - Quad C

Although these students may be the top of the class academically, they are not (yet) loyal fans of your college. They may not agree with your theological or philosophical worldview and lifestyle expectations ... and they are smart. It is going to be more difficult to retain your Prepared Students than your Fit Students because they tend to have a perspective that they can "take their academic abilities elsewhere"; therefore, it is vital to get them to embrace who you are as an institution. Provide a summer reading or orientation session that dives deeply into the fabric of your institution, and give them time to ask questions. Connect them early with "raving fans," those professors, student development staff, students (Quad A&B) who truly live and breath the mission of the institution. Invest in these students as they will shine academically for you if you can turn them into raving fans!

At-Risk Students - Quad D

Unfortunately, these students have to move significantly in both academic preparation and institutional fit to become an Ideal Student. Now, any movement will help them be less of a retention risk, but the investment still might not result in these students making it to graduation. With unlimited funds, a college can invest deeply into these students in both the institutional fit and academic areas, including individual tutors, peer mentors and a ton of human/time resources. While every student is a valuable part of the community, students who are not academically prepared or are not a good fit for your institution may become culture killers and detract (rather than attract) future Ideal Student. Be careful, especially if the percentage of at-risk students on campus begins to approach a tipping point (20-25%). Watching this percentage is also an important reason for putting students on a graphing.

In order to increase the number of Ideal Students on campus, colleges must start with an admissions staff with a laser focus on what academic preparation and institutional fit means for their specific college ... followed by ranking them on these two factors. Finally, the student development staff must implement interventions specifically designed to move students into the Ideal Student quadrant. 

Each college will have unique interventions that are effective for their context, but hopefully this provides a framework to improve college student retention.