Ecc 12:13 Here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
As a young and inexperienced teacher I would often be frustrated by the silly mistakes that students made on their Maths’ exams. I had taught the concept and observed them solving the problem in class but now, when it counted, they did something that defied imagination and got the wrong result. Is it a silly mistake or was there some other reason?
My Head of Mathematics at that time told me, in his opinion, there are no silly mistakes! Imagine an airplane pilot forgetting to put his wheels down before he landed – a silly mistake? I don’t think the Civil Aviation Safety Authority would accept that as an excuse. A silly mistake really meant that they had just not practised enough!
Every Friday afternoon, the musical cast practise and practise. They are going over their lines and rehearsing their roles. When the musical “Fame” opens on the 6 June all the hours and hours that each person has put into rehearsals will pay off. Isn’t this always the case! The work put in to lay a strong foundation pays huge dividends in the end.
In our Sports programs I see keen sportsmen and sportswomen training hard to perfect their skills. At the recent Sunshine Coast Dance Eisteddfod, I saw the result of hard work and diligence on the stage with students who have trained hard for this event. Perfection is never achieved by doing something once.
This same principle of laying strong foundations must be applied to the academic field as well. Mathematics is a subject that, over time, builds upon previous skills developed throughout the child’s education. Those students who, for one reason or another, missed out on certain foundational concepts in earlier years soon start to crumble in Senior. They have been trying to build onto a poor foundation.
Jesus told a parable about two men who went out and built their houses. One built on a firm foundation whilst the other built on shifting sands. Of course, when the pressures of storms hit, the house built on the rock stood firm while the other simply crumbled. Jesus said that the person who hears His words but doesn’t put them into practice is like the man who builds without a proper foundation. As parents and teachers we want our children to build on a firm foundation. Otherwise all the knowledge in the world will be meaningless to them in the end.
We are almost halfway into this term and very soon students will commence their end semester examinations and so we need to uphold them in prayer during this stressful time. Their knowledge and skills will be tested. Those who have laid a firm foundation and practised diligent study should find that they do well. Those who have cut-corners in their study may find that their efforts are in vain.
Of far more importance though is how our young people handle the stresses of life. It is our hope that students will have discovered that, by building their lives on Christ and his teachings, they are able to handle the difficult storms that come their way.
God Bless
David Heyworth, Head of Senior School