Education starts at home. Parents do it. Grandparents do it. Kids learn to cope and start over and to evaluate their own progress right at home. There are some difficult lessons, some fun lessons and some ongoing learning projects. Who hasn't said, "My Mom taught me...." or, "Grandpa always said..." or, "Now that I've grown-up I see what my parents put up with..."
All parents want a better life for their children. Sometimes parents do too much for their kids, and the kids flounder when they're on their own...or come back home to get a refresher course through that revolving door of love and concern that parents pretty much keep open, forever.
Education is important. As a licensed teacher and as a nurse practitioner ,I value my education and my teachers--well most of them, not all of them! One excellent teacher was my high school biology teacher. She influenced me to study health care. I see it isn't so much the money involved in education that assures educated students...it's the way teachers inspire and motivate. It's parents and teachers developing potential -- a way of life that includes life long learning and gives kids hope for greater things. Empowering students to critique their own lifestyle, and to make a good choices and then to make a good difference in the world, this is the task of teachers. Yes, bad parenting and bad teaching are out there--this can make us cynical and we lose hope. The too often problem of suicide stops life long learning and education. Choosing life, and life long learning prevents hopelessness--even prevents lost lives. Teachers must believe in the potential of each student. They must believe in the future! As a teacher I've found that failure is never final. Failures merely re-direct life and learning toward new successes. Starting over is very American--and very Christian.
