Category Archives: Encouragement

Books on Character for Giving this Season

Today, we run a wonderful conversation with Carl Sommer, the owner of Advance Publishing, former public school teacher and Machine Shop owner. Such a wonderful memory of meeting Mr. Somer and his family! Amazing machine shop. Really great contribution in his writing and researching, coming out of being a NY public school teacher. Now, retired from business, he continues to run the publishing house and a TV show on Christian television. You will want to hear his story. Very encouraging.

You may also want to pick up some of his books. Here is the website for Advance: http://advancepublishing.com/ nThese books will be great for Christmas/Hanukah. They are exceptionally great for giving as gifts to public libraries and government schools — who need some replacement books, don’t you think? Each book demonstrates a character moral, but none is overtly religious. Mr. Sommer wrote them especially for elementary level public schools.

How to Think Better: Love the Truth

This is our capstone episode in our series on how to think better — although it might not be the last. We have talked about the necessity of realizing that there is such a thing as Truth. Today, we will talk about the necessity of aligning with, pursuing the Truth, even loving the TRUTH.

I have made some argument that I hope and expect that non-believers will understand. Of course, I use some words of Jesus. I don’t assume that everyone who listens is already a Christian believer. I do think they will understand, if they are just patient with my explanations aimed at those who don’t already know Biblical language.

This is really vitally important, but overlooked in the discussion of how to think better, and how to tell what is truth. And that discussion is often overlooked for students with learning disabilities. Look, what is true and false, what is good and bad is not some esoteric subject that only graduate philosophy students can grasp. It is just that they know how important it is, and have language as well as motivation. This is an important subject to all people — if they want to have successful, happy, good lives. So, let’s not overlook it. Let’s directly teach it, especially to students who maybe don’t get it as quickly simply because they are immersed in the tedious aspect of academics!

And surely, if children are not “getting it” then it is time to directly teach it.

Self-Reliance, Resiliency, and Overcoming Learning Problems

Thinking about the recent storm devastation, we are inspired by the self-reliance, resiliency, and innovation in face of challenge. Let’s apply these lessons to learning challenges.

Overcoming Learning Problems Instead of Labeling into Entrenched, Weaponized Disabilities

Our position is that as parents and educators, we want to overcome learning problems, rather than labeling our children as disabled — thus intentionally failing to do our job, thus damaging children, thus increasing resentment in order to overturn “the hegemonic order.”

Problems need solving. Learning problems need to be solved or worked around — or in some other way to be overcome. This is the path to a successful and happy life. This is the path that works.

This is also the Biblical was to proceed. We are called to be overcomers — by faith, and woks. The Word of God and the example of Jesus and the leadership of Holy Spirit in all ways invites us to have hope, faith, hearing of good ideas, selfless service, and long-term blessing.

By contrast, there is another path. One that insists on labeling problems as either insignificant thus unaddressed — or as “disabilities.”  Disabled? meaning not able!  Labeling theory, long and strongly accepted in Psychology, Sociology and Education disciplines shows how people live up — or down — to labels. Nowhere is this more true than with children and social environment of school. Please see academic paper by Sales connecting JD and LD in the 1990s. Older, more well known work is widely known by Rosenhans, Schiff, Becker and others.

Diagnosis can be used as death knells, or as I encourage, as direction to parents and educators. However, if diagnosis are used for labeling (and they inevitably are in schools) the path is turned away from solving problems. Educators do not remediate but rather accommodate — at best. Look around. Notice, as the oldest research in teachers’ behavior showed, that teacher treat anyone with LD diagnosis/label as less intelligent. Thus, they get less, rather than more, quality education. They get pulled out of class, so they miss more. They have abbreviated curricula, missing more. They get drilled over and over again at what they are weak in, thus insuring demoralization.

But there is much more. If you have read James Lindsay, or Alex Newman, or Paolo Friere you might even be able to detect it in the critiq2ue of what we are doing by the conventional LD podcast. It is important in Marxist thought to always tear down whatever is considered normal. It is important to weaponize one group against another. Marx himself said in Das Kapital that he cared nothing for science, but only wanted to increase conflict, in order to improve society. Marx originally was thinking of class warfare. However, in the United States, where nearly everyone thinks of themselves as middle class, other conflicts have been intentionally excerbated. Whereas once the government school could not be  bother about  learning problems, and parents worked to get education for their children, since oh about 2000, public educators have been grooming students and their parents to be hostile to educators in a way to ensure the greatest conflict. Teachers are constrained by school rules; schools insist on being in complete control of any move regarding the “learning disabled.” Thus, fewer problems get fixed; fewer even than when the problem was not recognized.

This is in larger context, also a Marxist ploy. In our 5th generation warfare environment, in our cold WWIII, outside forces that have taken over the elite, are ensuring that our youth are not educated. Not in academics. Not in social skills. Not developed in anything — except perhaps in being weaponized, emotionally triggered pawns.

Once you see this, listen again to our detractors. You choose. Do you want to spend your time and money in resentment and conflict and status squabbles? Or would you like to have learning problems solved, and weaknesses overcoming by strength, and faith applied to find good ideas — for success and total well-being. Two paths. You decide.