If you’ve ever spent more than five minutes with Jody, you’ve likely heard her two distinguishing sounds: her whisper and her laugh. (The camera flash is a close third!).

During my recent two-day visit to her newest school, Grace Academy, I had the privilege of hearing both…multiple times!

Her laughter can be heard often in the halls at Grace. And whether you are the one laughing with her or hear her down the hall, the only possible reaction is to smile, outwardly and inwardly.

Outwardly, her laughter is contagious and compels you to laugh along with her, even if you don’t know the joke. Not to worry, though, Jody loves to share with others, so even if she doesn’t bring you into the joke immediately, you will probably hear about it in an email, a staff meeting, or the Grace Gazette.

Jody’s laughter is for everyone, to help them feel joy during the school day – something that is so obviously lacking in far too many schools today.

Inwardly, Jody’s laughter puts you at ease and makes you feel warm, like Christmas morning. The impression you get is not of someone who prefers to joke around rather than work but someone who jokes around while they work. Isn’t that a much better way to approach life, especially the school life?

When you hear Jody laugh, you know you’re allowed to laugh, too. Perhaps that’s the greatest gift of all: a boss who doesn’t just crack you up – which she often does, so be careful! – but wants you to laugh throughout your day, whether it’s with your students, your child, or your coworkers.

Yet the infectious laughter is not the only memorable sound Jody makes. She also carries with her the opposite auditory stimulus: a whisper.

Now, this isn’t just any old whisper. This is a soft way of speaking that forces you – and the students, she would add – instantly to become quiet in order to hear what she’s saying.

It was because of this whisper that I first gave Mom the name “The School Whisperer.” Just as Cesar Milan can simply enter a room and immediately every dog there knows this guy is in charge, so, too, can Jody quietly walk down a hallway or enter a classroom and command everyone’s attention, from age two to eighty-two.

The trick is, she does it without ever raising her voice.

Some drill sergeants use toughness and intimidation to get these kind of results. Some educators, wanting the same results, mimic those drill instructors. And for many of them, it works. Or at least it shuts the kids up.

The problem is that schools are not military institutions; they are places where children are meant to develop, grow, and blossom.

You do not yell at a flower to make it bloom. You water it, provide it with sunlight, and surround it with healthy soil (you might even talk to it if you’re Jody Capehart!)

Jody takes the same approach with children. Her laughter makes them feel at ease, and her whisper gently leads them to the behavior necessary to make school life succeed: quiet, focused, attentive, and respectful of others.

No one knows how she does it, but somehow Jody simultaneously makes people laugh like a comedian while remaining engaged and diligent in their work, and display manners and respect like a drill sergeant yet without fear or anxiety.

The result is amazing: the entire school reflects her demeanor.

From Marianne DeWree’s Pre-K kids engaged and excited for circle time to Cindy Gibson’s use of humor, patience, and encouragement to reach each first grade student to Ann DeSantis’ soft, gentle spirit while reading and answering her second graders’ questions about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Heather Burgess’ simultaneously humorous and insightful Bible lesson for third and fourth graders to Angie Zeuhsow’s incorporation of music into her fifth grader’s daily life to Sarah-Graham Turtletaub’s Latin lesson that included learning opportunities for every learning style to Stewart Kouba’s entertaining and instructive chapel message for the entire student body – Jody’s presence can be felt even when she wasn’t in the room.

And that’s exactly what her teachers told me when I got the chance to speak with them individually. Many of their insights will be part of the School Whisperer book I am helping Mom write, so I’m saving them for now.

But I will share my favorite moment from my two days at Grace. While observing Mrs. Burgess teach about the Fruits of the Spirit, the trait “gentleness” was discussed. Mrs. Burgess asked the class, “Who at Grace Academy do you see displaying gentleness?”

Before she even finished the question, every hand had shot up.

“Mrs. Capehart,” said the first girl. So did everyone else.

The reason for this is simple: they had all encountered a Head of School who hugs them whenever she sees them, shakes their hand as they exit chapel, and tells them every opportunity she gets how much she loves them and how much God loves them even more.

These kids feel safe. They experience joy on a daily basis. And they know they are loved.

Not just by Jody, either. The entire staff and faculty exemplify these traits. As second grade teacher Ann DeSantis said so perfectly, “It trickles down from the top.”

The entire school climate is one of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

The most amazing thing is that Jody’s schools exhibit this spirit regardless of size. It’s not just the smaller ones that do. As long as she is there, the family feel is there, too.

Unfortunately, often when she leaves, that spirit leaves, too. Some former parents, teachers, and students have seen it firsthand, and they always say, “It’s just not the same without Jody.”

I have to admit it was quite a treat for me to experience that climate again. Having grown up in Jody’s first Grace Academy as well as taught at Legacy Christian, being there struck a deep chord within me. Her schools are unlike any other, and I’ve been in quite a few successful schools in both Dallas and Austin.

As I spoke with each teacher, it became clear to me that I was not the only one who had realized how special Jody is as an educator. One teacher even stated an almost exact quote of something I said when I gave a tribute to Jody once while she was still at Legacy:

“When you walk around the classrooms and hallways here, you are walking inside Jody’s heart.”

If you ever have the privilege of visiting Jody’s schools, teaching in one, or enrolling your children, you will likely have to lower your voice to hear what she has to say.

But once you do, you’ll be glad you did. You might hear the kindest words of encouragement you will hear all year. Or you might hear a story that sends you running for the nearest bathroom before you pee in your pants with laughter!

Either way, you’ll know you were in the presence of The School Whisperer, an educator unlike any other.

The reason I want to help Mom put this new book together is because I believe that all this – and all that she is – needs to be captured for those who never get to be a part of her schools.

Of course it’s impossible to capture all that Jody is, but if we can get even a fraction of her ‘magic’ on paper, it will inspire other educators and serve as a lasting example of her legacy as a Christian educator – one that will stand long after she is gone from these hallways and classrooms.

That is why I want as many voices to participate as possible. Jody’s voice will be the foundation, but even as self-aware as she is, it is only in combination with the many students, families, and teachers that she has touched over the years that a complete, HD, full-color, 3-D picture can begin to form to show the readers what it takes to create a successful school climate, whether in start-up mode or forty years into existence.

As one of Jody’s colleagues who has worked with Jody at five different schools wrote to me, “Jody is the whole ‘package’! She has been gifted with a gentle, kind spirit which comes from her deep personal faith and her obedience to the Lord to use the talents He has given her. She has an authentic love of children, parents and teachers that cannot be faked or taught – kids especially can sense the truth of this!”

Since this book is not simply Jody-on-Jody but others-on-Jody, I hope you will add your own voice to accompany her wonderful, joyful laughter and soothing, soft whisper.

If you ever visit Grace Academy during lunchtime, you will find the students sitting at round tables with linen table cloths and flowers, listening to classical music, using good manners, and being relatively quiet. Of course they’re allowed to talk, but I want them to be able to hear the music, and so we use our soft ‘inside’ voices.

There are several different reasons for this, but the one I want to explore today is this: the soothing music helps calm the reptile in them.

Don’t worry, you don’t need new glasses; you read that correctly: the reptile.

THE “TRIUNE BRAIN”

The late Dr. Paul MacLean’s study of the human brain led him to form an interesting theory about the “triune brain.” And while I do not agree with everything Dr. Maclean does regarding the origins of human beings, I think his theory presents an interesting and even helpful way of thinking about our brains’ structure.

MacLean’s insight was that the human brain is quite complex and appears to be operating on several different levels. The three categories he identifies are: reptilian, mammalian, and human.

When it comes to understanding children, this can be a very useful way of interpreting their various actions.

Children, more than adults, are susceptible to the powerful, instinctive, non-thinking, and often irrational impulses generated by the ‘reptilian’ part of their brains, which is concerned with things such as searching for food, grooming, establishing territory, and forming social groups.

Or put it this way: most of the problems you encounter during recess stem from the ‘reptilian’ part of their behavior!

For example, children form cliques, tell others “you can’t be part of our group,” guard the swing so no one else can use it, become very anxious when they aren’t allowed to join in a game, and eventually get hungry and ask you “when can we line up for snack time?” during which they brush all the dirt out of their hair and off their clothes so they look presentable again. Well…some kids do this

THE REPTILE IN ACTION

Children throwing a tantrum are deep in the ‘reptilian’ state of mind, during which it does little good to try and reason things out with them logically.

Junior high students are notorious for such behavior. Any teacher or parent has likely watched them and wondered whether or not they care about anything besides how they look and to which group they belong!

By the way, adults display this ‘reptilian’ behavior, too. (Mine manifests itself as an overwhelming desire for chocolate!)

As an adult, though, you have experiences and brain connections that allow you to deal with these instincts more efficiently and calmly. So before you dismiss this part of the brain as immature and impossible to handle, realize the important role you play in helping your children or students cope with this part of their natures.

After all, they might act reptilian at times, but they’re still human beings, and precious ones at that!

RESTORING THE HUMAN BRAIN

If you’ve ever seen a student incessantly biting their fingernails during a test or have a child who is terrified to read out loud in front of the class, you have encountered an individual in a paralyzed, reptilian state of mind. And as long as they are in this state of mind, they will have difficulty moving beyond that behavior.

Cesar Milan, the Dog Whisperer, often reminds dog owners not to reward their dog until they are in a calm, submissive state. Meaning, owners see an excited dog wagging its tail and get right in its face, petting it repeatedly while saying “Who’s a good boy, huh?! Who’s a good boy? You are! That’s right, you are!”

They do this thinking the dog is happy, not realizing that the only message the dog is getting is my pack leader prefers that I be in an excited state of mind. Then the owners don’t understand why the dog barks so much when the doorbell rings or they see another dog during their walk. The truth is, the owner told the dog that’s exactly the behavior they desire.

Children, too, need to be in the right state of mind for learning and meaningful interaction to take place.

That is why I play classical music and encourage teachers to provide a loving, calm, safe, and encouraging climate in the classroom.

My son has told me that this is why he first called me “The School Whisperer” – he said I have a calming effect on children. If I do, it is something I have developed over time.

It starts with helping children feel safe. Before they can enjoy the benefits of learning and higher cognitive functioning, they must have their basic needs met: needs for love, nurturing, exercise, and nutrition. If a school or home neglects these, even if in favor of “higher learning,” the child will not be able to progress and develop naturally or fully.

Instead, left to their ‘reptilian’ state, they will seek first to protect themselves, preventing them from engaging in the deeper aspects of their natures, the mammalian and human – and I would add spiritual to Dr. MacLean’s list.

Sometimes it takes a lot of concentrated guidance to help a child work through these issues, such as a deep-seated fear of public reading, a problem that is reinforced each time they encounter it, leading to a spiraling down effect and increased anxiety.

But sometimes a calm hand on the shoulder or speaking in a soft voice will do the trick to help them snap out of it and back into a higher state of mind.

So please don’t yell or use aggressive physical actions. That only drives children deeper into the kind of thinking you were trying to pull them out of in the first place.

We desire peace for our children and for our students. God desires peace for us, His children. 1 Corinthians 14:33 states, “For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace.”  People often share that Philippians 4:6-7 as one of their favorite passages in the Bible. I believe it is because it address that inner need we have for peace.

We may have our reptilian physical needs and urges, but deep inside each of us is the soul’s longing for peace.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understand, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Hello again! This is Jody’s son, Chris, writing to let you know that we need your help!

By “you” I mean anyone. Whether you are a blog reader of Jody’s, a parent/teacher/student at her school, a former parent/teacher/student, a close friend, a colleague, or family member, we need your input and opinions to help Jody write her newest book.

Better said, to help us write her newest book.

As you may or may not know, Jody recently underwent surgery on her right eye to repair a detached retina. Jody’s left eye is her bad eye. Technically speaking, she’s legally blind in that eye, leaving her with a blind eye…and a basically blind eye. Does that stop her from writing, responding to emails, and working at the school? Of course not!

Not even super glue in her eye can stop this lady!

However, for this next project I (and her family, I might add) don’t want her straining her eyes to write. Jody will require a second eye surgery sometime in the near future, making it even more imperative that she try and slow down where she can. Not an easy task for her, as many of you know!

Now, this next book is one that we really want to be special and unique. As most of you probably know already, Jody is a unique educator and has accomplished more than most educators could in five lifetimes.

However, Jody has yet to write her definitive book on education. She has books on learning styles, parenting styles, becoming a treasured teacher, A.D.D., children’s ministry, discipline, and on and on. There’s even an autobiography that’s quite funny! Yet there is no book that really puts all these pieces together the way she does so seamlessly in the schools she starts.

I started brainstorming this project recently, and when mom’s eye problems suddenly emerged, I realized that I wanted to be involved in the writing process and that I would like to interview mom and use her responses for most of the content.

Yet I still felt something was missing. And that’s where you come in. I want voices of those she has touched over the years to be involved, too. Not that this is a tribute book to mom (though she deserves it!). Instead, I feel that mom is so multi-faceted that one person’s perspective of her, even if that perspective is her own or someone close to her, is insufficient at capturing all she does in schools and churches.

At this point in the project, I am open to any and all opinions. What I want to know from you is your answers questions such as these:

• How has Jody’s approach to education affected you or your family?
• What attracted you to Jody’s school? What made you stay?
• What do you see Jody do that other educators don’t?
• If you had to boil Jody down to her essence, what would that be?
• What questions would you like to ask Jody? Maybe you’ve always wondered why she emphasizes learning styles or blends different educational approaches? This is your chance to ask!

You don’t necessarily have to answer these exact questions. Just something like these. Add any insight you can, make your answers as short or as long as you want, and don’t worry about spelling, grammar, or anything like that. You can ramble and gush as much as you want!

We will use these early responses to start putting together the content and structure of the book. Later on, as we begin to see more clearly what we want to create here, we might ask to interview you, too — if you’re up for it.

Thanks for all your help! I’m sure Jody has touched each one of you in some way, and nothing would make her family happier than to see her wisdom and experience captured in writing so that she has a written legacy of all the incredible things she has accomplished in her 40 years in education.

So please help us. Send in your responses to jody.capehart@jodycapehart.com, and PLEASE forward this to others, post it on Facebook, share it on Twitt, etc. We want as much input as possible!

Thanks so much and Happy New Year!

Chris

In all my years as a parent, an educator, and children’s minister, I’ve never experienced, witnessed, or heard of a child who, after scraping a knee, being bullied by their older sibling, or being scared at night, cried out, “I want my Legos!!!”

Nope. Hasn’t happened and probably never will.

Unless, of course, Legos are some kind of comfort toy (It’s possible). Or your child is a master manipulator. (That could be the case).

But most likely, your child will cry out, “I want Mommyyyy” or “I want Daddyyyy” in these times and will not choose Legos.

Or any toy for that matter. Not even their very-best-most-favorite-coolest-Christmas-gift-in-the-history-of-all-time could replace their parent.

And not just in times of need. No. Children place you at the top of their most-desired item list.

Some of you tired, sleepless parents might already know this all too well and might be hoping that some new Christmas distractions could buy you some much-needed silence and rest. Even if only for a half hour. Or three minutes!

Take heart in knowing that children are not the only ones who place you at the top of the “Children’s Needs List.” Scientists, child psychologists, and developmental neurobiologists do, too.

WHEN NURTURING IS NEGLECTED

Dr. Jane M. Healy, author of an in-depth book on brain development called Your Child’s Growing Mind, tells a story about a group of adopted Romanian orphans who had experienced extreme neglect and abuse. These children, born of poor parents and raised in an understaffed orphanage, had been fed gruel from bottles and received virtually “no interaction with peers or adults, physical or emotional stimulation, language, toys, or any of the other necessities we normally take for granted.”

Some instances were so bad that the parents and child development experts were afraid that many of their developmental milestones might never be attained, that the window for them was already closed.

Fortunately, they discovered that the brain’s incredible plasticity enabled many children to overcome major cognitive obstacles and catch-up with their American peers.

However, the area of social and emotional development proved to be the most difficult to acquire. The early neglect had created deep-rooted conditions for these children that would take years of struggle just to work through, if ever.

Dr. Healy concludes from this “that meeting a child’s needs for nurturing by a loving and dependable caregiver is even more critical than trying to develop intellectual skills.”

NEW YEAR’s RESOLUTION #1

All parents worry about whether they’re doing the best job they can, whether they are giving enough or too much intellectual stimulation.

But the truth is each child is unique and develop at their own pace. Continue to provide them with learning opportunities and things will take care of themselves. There is no universal process for cognitive growth, so relax.

What your child needs even more than brain-games and exclusive (expensive!) pre-schools and the latest trendy brain development toy is simply you.

So at the top of your New Year’s Resolution, put “time with my child.” It doesn’t always have to be an amazing experience or trip to the zoo or even something that costs money. Love is spelled T-I-M-E, and all they need from you is your time.

I’m sure many of you already give and give and give. So take heart in knowing that your giving is being received in more ways than you even realize.

Happy New Year to you as you provide your child(ren) with the emotional and personal nurturing they need so desperately that can only come from you.

For those hwo are interested (and I know it’s a few million of you, I’m sure!), here’s what the Capehart family has been up to this past year!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone!

Capehart Christmas 2011

At this time of year we often sing the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” We may even act them out or change the words to make them even more funny and applicable to our home, school, ministry or business. However, if you travel back in time, you will be amazed to discover that the original words were written for early Christians to share their faith without persecution. Each day’s gift had special significance.

First day: The original gift of Christmas is Jesus and the Pear Tree represents the cross.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17)

2^nd Day of Christmas: The two turtle doves represent the Old and New Testaments.

3^rd Day of Christmas: French hens were valuable poultry during the 16^th century.

“When the wise men saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.” (Matthew 2:10-11)

Some believed it also represented faith, hope, and love.

4^th Day of Christmas: Four calling birds represent the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30-31)

The 5^th Day of Christmas: Gold rings are among the most valuable and treasured of all gifts. The five golden rings represent the first five books of the Old Testament, the Torah, or Law. These are treated with great reverence and worth more than gold.

“No prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face…for no one has even shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.” (Deuteronomy 34:10)

The Sixth Day of Christmas: In many cultures, eggs symbolize new life. Six geese a-laying reminds us of the six days of creation when God, by His Word, brought forth life.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.  And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.” Genesis 1:1, 31

The Seventh Day of Christmas: Seven swans-a-swimming symbolize the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Just as baby swans grow and change form “ugly ducklings” into beautiful and graceful birds, so do God’s children grow and change through the work of the Holy Spirit. The various gifts of the Holy Spirit are distributed for the benefit of the entire body of Christ.

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given us…” (Romans 12:6-8).

On the 8^th Day of Christmas: Eight maids-a-milking represent eight unique teachings of Jesus called the Beatitudes. These words came from Jesus, from His Sermon on the Mount, nurture and strengthen us much the way milk nourishes a child. (Matthew 5:3-12)

On the 9^th Day of Christmas: My true love gave to me nine ladies dancing reminds us of the nine different fruits of the Holy Spirit produced in the lives of God’s children. Just as these ladies are dancing, these gifts cause us to rejoice in great celebration!

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

On the 10^th day of Christmas: Ten lords a-leaping symbolize God’s ten basic laws, otherwise knows as the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 20-3-17)

On the 11^th day of Christmas: Eleven pipers piping represent the eleven apostles who were chosen by Jesus that remained faithful to him. Like children joyfully following a piper, these disciples followed Jesus and called others to follow Him. They piped an everlasting tune of great joy: the salvation message of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.

“These are the 12 appointed: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter), James son of Zebedee and his brother John..Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaes, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him” (Mark 3:16-19).

On the 12^th Day of Christmas: Just as drummers beat out a loud, steady rhythm for marchers to follow, so too did the Apostle’s Creed sets forth the beliefs of those who call themselves Christians. The twelve drummers represent twelve points of belief as stated in the Apostle’s Creed.

It is important for children to not only know Christmas carols and hymns, but the stories behind the great carols and hymns of our faith. We believe it is part of the heritage that we are passing down to this next generation.

May you be blessed with the hope, peace, joy, and love of knowing and celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, this Christmas.

Today’s message comes to you from Chris, Jody’s son.

The reason for my writing today is to inform everyone that the blogs may not be coming in as regularly for a while due to medical complications Jody is currently working through.

Last week, Jody had emergency eye surgery to repair a detached retina. Needless to say, this is her top priority right now and is a very serious situation that must be handled properly. Unfortunately, the eye with the detached retina has no eyesight for the next few weeks and is her ‘good’ eye. The eye that she has left to do things with is her weak eye, which is straining mightily to do all the work right now. Again, it is imperative that she rest and allow her good eye to heal in order to restore her vision.

Her family is trying to get her to rest, which is not exactly what she does well.  During this time, you might see some repeat blogs or some that she dictates/discusses with me. I have already been helping behind the scenes, so we hope there won’t be too much interference with providing new content here for you.

However, the most important thing is for Mom’s eye to recover, and we will keep you updated as much as possible. We appreciate your prayers and patience as Jody works through this difficult situation.

Thank you,

Chris

Two recent TED talks shed some interesting light on a couple of fascinating questions: when does learning begin, and what do babies think?

The answers given by both speakers present new scientific findings that not only run contrary to common sense but present conclusive evidence that the inner-life of babies is far more rich than we ever suspected, even 20 years ago, let alone 20 centuries ago!

LEARNING BEGINS…WITH THE FETUS

In the first talk, science writer Annie Murphy Paul presented details about all the many messages being sent to babies while they are still only fetuses.

The most interesting fact? That these messages are being received. And these messages we send that they receive are already forming the types of adults they will become! Amazing, isn’t it?

I recommend you watch the video, but a few examples will show you how important this period of development is.

The study of fetal origins, which emerged only a couple of decades ago, has found that life is deeply affected by the time spent in the womb.

This may not be news to some mothers, but a baby develops a preference for its mother’s voice while in the womb. What might surprise you, even you mothers, is that not only that, but babies have even displayed preference for certain sounds, such as theme songs of shows women watched regularly!

Also fascinating, babies will cry in the accent of their mothers’ tongue. So French babies end their cries with a rising tone while German babies descend. Again, how amazing that the mother and child are so connected even before birth!

And not only do babies show preference for sounds heard during their time in the womb, but they also display preference for the foods the mother eats while pregnant. The mother is literally teaching her child about her culture’s language and taste preferences before birth ever occurs.

Important to note is that babies can also be negatively affected by certain circumstances while in the womb.

Babies born to mothers who lived through what is known as the “Dutch Hunger winter” later displayed higher levels of obesity and heart problems.

Babies born to NYC mothers who were pregnant during the September 11 attacks showed affects of their mother’s post-traumatic syndrome, which was sometimes passed down to the child.

The findings of the study of fetal origins clearly show that we are learning about the world before we ever enter it, a fact that, to me, has important consequences that need to be seriously considered when thinking about getting pregnant. The choices we make have real connections to a real human being, so we must not take our responsibility lightly.

BABIES CONTINUE TO LEARN AFTER BIRTH

Of course, you probably already know how much children learn. But you may not have given much thought to how much they learn while they are still babies.

Allison Gopnik, whose studies I have mentioned here before, has explored the richness of the prolonged period of childhood that only we as human beings experience.

In fact, there is a direct relationship for all species between the length of childhood and the size of the species’ brains and the complexity of their intelligence.

Humans, of course, have the greatest of all intellectual capacities. Consequently, we have the longest childhood.

Where we went wrong in the past was assuming that babies are essentially empty, unfilled vessels that needed us to keep them alive until they were old enough to pour knowledge into.

We now know how profoundly wrong we were for centuries about babies’ capacities.

BROCCOLI VS GOLDFISH

One study by Gopnik wonderfully illustrates how much a baby can change in only a short three-month span of time.

She did a study comparing 15-month-olds to 18-month-olds in which the children were presented a bowl of broccoli and a bowl of delicious goldfish crackers. Of course, not surprisingly almost all children prefer the goldfish.

What interested Gopnik was whether children could understand that another human being had a different preference from theirs.

To test this, she would vary her response to trying out the different foods the children had been presented. Sometimes she would act as though she loved the goldfish but disliked the broccoli. Other times she would do exactly the opposite.

After clearly displaying her preference in front of the babies, she would ask them to give her some, not indicating which one she wanted.

Almost every time, the 15-month-olds would give her what they preferred, regardless of which one she had indicated she liked.

In contrast, the 18-month-olds almost always gave her what she professed to enjoy most, even if it was different from what they preferred.

BABIES AS SCIENTISTS

Again, how amazing are children? How incredible it is to see such a huge developmental milestone achieved in such a short period of time. And so universally, too.

What Gopnik found is that babies achieve these milestones in a similar way to how scientists work: by testing and retesting theory after theory.

This means they are not merely passively taking in knowledge that we pour into their young minds. Instead, they are forming ideas about the world and then seeing how accurate those ideas are.

Of course, they cannot put these ideas into words, even when they acquire language. But the process is happening nonetheless. So while they might not be able to explain all that they are thinking, it would be preposterous to conclude that that meant nothing of real importance is going on inside those brains.

In fact, Gopnik argues that it is the complete opposite: babies’ consciousness is expanded, the same way ours is when we are in a new environment or a new situation.

She makes the analogy like this: a baby’s consciousness would be like ours if we were in Paris for the first time and fell in love after taking five espresso shots!

My purpose in combining these two scientist’s findings is to again bring attention to the richness of childhood – not only when they start talking or when they are born – but far sooner. The unique journey of human life begins while still in the mother and has achieved more than we are even aware of still today before the first word is spoken or letter written.

Childhood is a time unlike any other, and so we must protect it and allow it to last as long as it needs to develop fully its beautiful richness.

Psalm 139:13-17 says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordined for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

In a recent November issue of Time magazine, two separate articles each pointed to one area that America must focus on in order to improve our country: education.

One article, entitled “What Ever Happened to Upward Mobility,” identified the roles that technology and new markets will play in shaping the future and stated, “The best hope in fighting the machines is to improve education, the factor that is more closely correlated with upward mobility than any other.”

Truly, America’s greatest ideal is that no one’s future is determined by their birth into a particular social class. However, theory does not always hold up perfectly in practice, and the result is that America has fallen behind several other countries in  terms of upward mobility.

Author Rana Foroohar examined all the many reasons for this and found that education is the single most comprehensive factor in taking advantage of America’s possibilities for moving up.

Of course, much more could be said about this complex topic. But my purpose here today is simply to remind us that education is the key to the future.

Which brings me to the second article in Time, entitled “When Will We Learn?”

After giving many of the usual negative statistics about America’s current public education system (dropout rates, achievement gap, relation to crime/poverty, where we rank in the world against other developed countries, how much harder Chinese and Korean students work than ours), author Fareed Zakaria offered an interesting solution:

“The U.S. should truly fix its educational system by emphasizing the basics – like hard work – again but also by renewing its distinctly American character. We will succeed not by becoming more Asian but by becoming, as the writer James Fallows put it once, ‘more like us.’ That’s what made America the world’s most dynamic society – and it can make it so again.”

What gives even more weight to Zakaria’s words here is that he went through the Asian educational system up until college. He found that yes, that system gave him a strong foundation base of knowledge and taught him how to study “hard and fast.”

However, he writes, “When I got to the U.S. for college, I found that it had not trained me that well to think. American education at its best teaches you how to solve problems, truly understand the material, question authority, think for yourself, and be creative. It teaches you to learn what you love and to love learning. These are incredibly important values, and they are why the U.S. has been able to maintain an edge in creative industries and innovation in general.”

I think his general assessment is spot on. Interesting, too, that he does not identify our current hyper-focus on standardized testing as a strength. Zakaria realizes what the good educators already know: education is about a love of learning that inspires a person to think for themselves as they solve problems.

In both articles, the authors raise a number of complexities involved in the educational and economic infrastructure of America.

And in both articles, the authors identify simple solutions: create schools that teach our future generations how to work hard and love creative learning.

Let’s go back to keeping that as our primary focus and not let all the other “stuff” get in the way.

It’s been one of those December days with so many things on your calendar that you finally had to put the events in abbreviations. But now your calendar looks like Alphabet Soup and even you can’t remember what the letters stand for anymore.

BSFP…bring snack for party? But what party? Your child’s party at school? Your Bible study Christmas party? Your husband’s office party?  And what snack did you commit to bring?

Oh, dear. Where did the Merry go in Christmas?

Regaining Our Focus

We get so busy doing Christmas that we can easily lose our focus on what is important.

Advent is a way to help us find the hope, peace, joy, and love of Christmas that we long to experience with our families. It is a tradition that can grow with your family.

With little ones you may light the candle(s), sing a Christmas carol, and say a prayer. As your children get older, you can add scriptures about the Christmas story, and lessons about hope, peace, love, and joy. You are building in traditions, teaching scripture and more in-depth understanding about Christmas is really all about, and you are spending a special, quiet time with your child each night.

So, what is Advent?

Advent comes from the Latin adventus which means “coming”. It is a time for us to prepare our hearts to celebrate and reflect on the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Rich in tradition, Advent is a wonderful way to usher in the Christmas season with your family and/or classroom. As a parent, grandparent, teacher, school administrator, and minister to children, I have used Advent as a time of wonder, worship, and time in the Word with children of all ages.

Symbolism of the Advent Wreath

The evergreens form a wreath to represent the eternal life we have with Jesus as our Savior. There are four candles on the wreath to represent hope, peace, love, and joy. We light the candles to represent Jesus as the light in a dark world. You may also put a large white candle in the middle to light on Christmas to represent the birth of Jesus.

Each week you light a new candle starting on the 4th Sunday before Christmas. The first week’s theme is HOPE.  For each day you may read scriptures about HOPE, share stories and lessons to encourage HOPE in your children, sing Christmas carols, and pray together.

Learn More About Advent

There are wonderful resources on Advent in book stores and information on the internet. A book that I found especially helpful is A Family Advent published by Thomas Nelson.

Last year I also picked up a small book, the Family Book of Advent by Carol Garborg and published by Summerside Press that can fit into a purse, pocket, or briefcase with ideas to share with your family, and the cost is minimal.

Another wonderful resource is the Jesus Advent Tree. This is a small Christmas tree with 25 beautiful red velvet bags that have a scripture lesson and ornament to hang on the tree. You have an activity and lesson all ready to do for each day leading up to the birth of Jesus.

Check www. Amazon.com for these excellent resources.

People ask me about the Advent Calendars. It isn’t quite the same as celebrating Advent in the original tradition, but if you find one with scriptures that points the way to Jesus, it can be a way to begin your journey, especially with little ones.

The key is to stop the hurried and hassled part of the Christmas season. Stop and listen to the silence. Pause, ponder, and pray as you point the way to Jesus. The wonder of Christmas will return.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or if I can be of service to you. My prayers are with you for a meaningful Christmas with your children.