| Rosemary Vincent, probably in her fifties at the time, | | | | of us hated to study and learn these things! How she |
| was my science teacher in the seventh and eighth | | | | tried our patience, denied us our comforts, and refused |
| grades. Although she made science interesting, at the | | | | to let us be lazy! |
| time she was my not my favorite teacher. She made | | | | As I look back, as your children will also do someday, |
| us "toe the line." It was no problem for her to handle | | | | Mrs. Vincent was the best teacher I had in Junior High. |
| our class of 34 students who eventually graduated | | | | Mrs. Vincent, as I see now, was the teacher who |
| from eighth grade. She demanded good behavior, | | | | loved us the most. It was her love for us which |
| insisted that we learn great quantities of facts and | | | | motivated her to prepare us for the difficult "other side |
| ideas, and quizzed and tested us constantly to make | | | | of life"- the adult world. This was a life she knew all |
| sure that we were learning what she told us to learn. | | | | about, but we didn't have a clue about what was |
| Although not a Christian, she required that we bear the | | | | coming and what was to be expected of us as adults. |
| yoke and expected us to obey them that have the | | | | She ran head on into our old nature, and she was |
| rule over you. Lam. 3:27 Heb. 13:17 Mrs. Vincent's | | | | victorious. We didn't know (and wouldn't have cared if |
| attitude toward us was, "This is what we are doing, | | | | we had known!) that she was building into us |
| this is how we will do it, and this is what you will be | | | | self-discipline, the ability to manage time (through |
| required to know when we finish. There are no options | | | | homework and studying for tests), the work ethic (1 |
| given, no excuses allowed, and no arguments | | | | Tim. 5:8), study skills, determination, knowledge, and yes, |
| accepted." | | | | a love for learning! |
| Mrs. Vincent believed that the teacher was the expert, | | | | There is a false idea today that if children have fun |
| and she taught us what we were to learn. We didn't | | | | while they learn then they will want to learn all their |
| get to "discover and learn on our own." But, we were | | | | lives. What is wrong with this idea is that what is fun in |
| children, and even though this was back in the 60's and | | | | childhood is usually left in the past. What a child is |
| discipline was more severe, our foolishness was alive | | | | forced to do habitually is eventually what he enjoys |
| and well. A fool hath no delight in understanding, but | | | | doing as an adult! I've lived over a half century now, |
| that his heart may discover itself. Prov. 18:2 Acting the | | | | and still buy science magazines, get science books out |
| part of the fool, we had no delight in understanding, and | | | | of the library, research scientific topics on the internet, |
| we were experts at discovering ourselves- thinking of | | | | and love learning more about God's creation (although |
| those things that just might please our fleshly nature. | | | | Mrs. Vincent did not tell us it was God's creation). Mrs. |
| Somehow Mrs. Vincent figured us out every time. We | | | | Vincent knew what we needed, and although she |
| couldn't eat in class, talk to each other, chew gum, go | | | | understood that we would not enjoy it, she knew that |
| to the bathroom during class, pass notes, or slouch on | | | | forcing us to fight against our own personal "good |
| our hard wooden seats (this really made us suffer, | | | | feelings" was what would make us stronger and more |
| because most of us were very active outdoors and | | | | prepared for the adult life. |
| consequently a bit bony). Mrs. Vincent didn't even allow | | | | Today we think it almost cruel to make children learn |
| us to vote or voice our opinion on class procedure, to | | | | facts, but that idea is playing right into the devil's court. |
| decide which textbook we would use, or to decide | | | | Those who are ignorant in the area of science (as |
| what area of science we wanted to study! The | | | | many Christian adults are) are those who see very |
| classroom wasn't set up as a "coffee house" so that it | | | | little of the power and ability of God through the |
| fit our young teenage desires and so that we felt | | | | creation. A dumbed-down population easily falls for the |
| welcome. Everything seemed against us - she | | | | idea of evolution! A dumbed-down population knows |
| thwarted our every move to make life in science class | | | | so little it must follow someone who "appears" to be |
| more bearable. | | | | wise, like the devil - and someday the world will gladly |
| We actually thought she was unconcerned about us | | | | welcome the rule of the anti-Christ who will seem to |
| and that she only loved her subject. She was pleasant | | | | have ability, power, and intelligence. (Rev. 13) |
| if we behaved ourselves, but she wasn't syrupy | | | | Mrs. Vincent helped to prepared me for high school |
| sweet, and she didn't even seem concerned about us | | | | and six years of college. When chemistry came along |
| if we got light-headed during a dissection (and she | | | | in high school, I was ready for this advanced learning |
| gave us no option to escape either). We didn't get to | | | | because I knew the symbols for the important |
| make any choices on our own, and we got nowhere if | | | | chemical elements and knew some characteristics |
| we went home and complained to our parents. You | | | | about them. Without that I would have "gone under." In |
| see, I'm sure we tried our best to twist the truth just a | | | | addition, thanks to my other Junior High teachers, |
| bit so that our parents would call our teacher and | | | | algebra wasn't a desperate struggle because I had |
| "straighten her out" in order to make life a little more | | | | been forced to learn all of the multiplication tables (and |
| bearable for us. Unfortunately, our parents were well | | | | we didn't even get to use calculators - they hadn't |
| pleased with her, and even if not, she was not to be | | | | been invented yet). English was bearable because I |
| manipulated in this way. | | | | had already been forced to learn hundreds of rules of |
| Worst of all, Mrs. Vincent didn't even make an attempt | | | | grammar. All of the public schools of today promote |
| to soothe our tender little feelings by assuring us that, | | | | the religion of humanism (mankind is the god), so |
| "It won't be hard. This will be fun!" She had no interest | | | | education becomes man-centered instead of |
| in the "sing-along science," which we would have | | | | Christ-centered. The child is a little "god," and his |
| enjoyed, and she had no use for the "slow and steady | | | | feelings are considered first at the expense of |
| get me ready" style of material. She was actually | | | | behavior, the teacher, and the things that need to be |
| rough on us- even forcing us to memorize masses of | | | | learned. Hopefully this does not exist in the |
| facts such as the chemical symbols for the elements | | | | Christ-centered homeschool! |
| on the periodic table. This was not a one time | | | | Copied from ANCIENT LANDMARKS by Gary |
| occurrence, but she forced us to work hard all year, | | | | Maldaner. |
| and she even required science projects! Oh, how most | | | | |