What Will They Do With This?

We are three weeks into the school year at Nicaragua Christian Academy. Since the New Teacher Orientation, something has been weighing on my mind. You see, in Nicaragua, education means something vastly different than to parents, educators, and students in the United States. Those of you who know me have often called me a "natural-born teacher." Until recently, I never understood what that title truly meant. I learned that in most Nicaraguan schools, "learning" consists of copying textbooks and dictation from the teacher. Then students would simply memorize key facts and respond accordingly on tests.

Hallway at Nicaragua Christian Academy

My teaching style has always been anything but rote memorization, so you can imagine how I responded to this. How can true learning take place in these little minds?  Then, our director made a point to explain the difference that NCA is making in Nicaragua. Focusing on academic excellence with a biblical foundation- that is the school's mission. After hearing this, I decided to reevaluate the definition of "academic excellence."

Academic excellence is so much more than the regurgitation of facts and figures; it is so much more than letter grades on a transcript. Academic excellence is the ability to think-to think critically, and to solve problems. The true definition of learning requires a change in behavior. We must do something with the knowledge we obtain....Well, I 'll get back to that later.

So, on the first day of class, I asked each of my classes what their individual goals were for the school year.

Each student wrote down a goal and then a way he or she could work towards that goal on a post-it note. Then they stuck each note to our class poster. I took some time after class on the first day to read their responses. To my surprise, the number one goal hands down was to make good grades. The number one way to attain this goal was to study. I decided to pray over these responses and for each of the students who wrote them. I asked God how I should respond to the message they were sending me. "Mrs. Kane, good grades equal success, and I want to be successful." Few of the goals were to "learn something new" or "have fun." God showed me that I needed to think about my goals for the students. Why did He bring me to Nicaragua? To lecture and give tests? No, He sent me to teach the future generations how to think, and how to think critically from a biblical perspective. And He is equipping me daily for this task.


My response to the students' message began on Day 2. I decided to incorporate a collaborative learning

World Studies Students Working Together to Solve Problems

environment where students would have to work together, listen to one another's ideas, and collectively respond to questions like: "What would you have done differently if you were in his or her shoes?" Students have varying responsibilities within the group and everyone's point of view is equally valuable. The environment is created to be a safe way to explore new ideas in light of what we learned. We compare and contrast, analyze and synthesize, and most importantly, evaluate ideas in light of what we know. Certainly, there are facts to be learned, but what they do with those facts is far more beneficial to the mind than simply getting a good grade because they remembered them correctly for an exam.

This brings me back to my earlier point. "Learning is a change in behavior." When we learn, we change our

Future Leaders of Nicaragua and Other Nations

habits, redirect our behavior, and adjust our methods. When we obtain knowledge we must do something with it. We can know all of the facts about the Bible, just like the Pharisees. But, do we have the critical thinking skills to apply what we know to daily life? That is the mission here. To teach students how to use what they know to help future generations.

Each Wednesday, in addition to daily Bible classes, all students attend Chapel. When I attended the first chapel, I stepped back and watched the future generations of Nicaragua, as well as other nations, absorb the Word of God. I found myself asking, "What will they do with this?" My prayer is that true learning takes place in the heads, hearts, and lives of future generations.