Recently, one of the organisations with whom I belong had one of its senior leaders come to speak to me about recruitment for a new position. However, in explaining this, (s)he used his/her hands to visualise a top-down approach to management, i.e. the boss is at the top and is overseeing everyone below them. Although (s)he may not have seen this as intentional, it was the gesture that was made that resonated negatively with me. Furthermore, there was one remark made that really upset me as I found it to be contradictory to my own experiences. How I go about doing things with this organisation in the future is uncertain at the moment, but needless to say, it's not going to be a comfortable experience.
Looking at management, the Wall Street Journal produced an article to talk about different management styles, paraphrasing the work of Alan Murray, who sourced psychologist, Daniel Goleman:
Visionary. This style is most appropriate when an organization needs a new direction. Its goal is to move people towards a new set of shared dreams. “Visionary leaders articulate where a group is going, but not how it will get there – setting people free to innovate, experiment, take calculated risks,” write Mr. Goleman and his coauthors.
Coaching. This one-on-one style focuses on developing individuals, showing them how to improve their performance, and helping to connect their goals to the goals of the organization. Coaching works best, Mr. Goleman writes, “with employees who show initiative and want more professional development.” But it can backfire if it’s perceived as “micromanaging” an employee, and undermines his or her self-confidence.
Affiliative. This style emphasizes the importance of team work, and creates harmony in a group by connecting people to each other. Mr. Goleman argues this approach is particularly valuable “when trying to heighten team harmony, increase morale, improve communication or repair broken trust in an organization.” But he warns against using it alone, since its emphasis on group praise can allow poor performance to go uncorrected. “Employees may perceive,” he writes, “that mediocrity is tolerated.”
Democratic. This style draws on people’s knowledge and skills, and creates a group commitment to the resulting goals. It works best when the direction the organization should take is unclear, and the leader needs to tap the collective wisdom of the group. Mr. Goleman warns that this consensus-building approach can be disastrous in times of crisis, when urgent events demand quick decisions.
Pacesetting. In this style, the leader sets high standards for performance. He or she is “obsessive about doing things better and faster, and asks the same of everyone.” But Mr. Goleman warns this style should be used sparingly, because it can undercut morale and make people feel as if they are failing. “Our data shows that, more often than not, pacesetting poisons the climate,” he writes.
Commanding. This is classic model of “military” style leadership – probably the most often used, but the least often effective. Because it rarely involves praise and frequently employs criticism, it undercuts morale and job satisfaction. Mr. Goleman argues it is only effective in a crisis, when an urgent turnaround is needed. Even the modern military has come to recognize its limited usefulness.
Surely, leaders are expecting themselves to be visionaries, i.e. leaders of a pack who have wonderful ideas that they want to see develop and flourish within a business. However, the immediate problem with this management style is that is fails to recognise the efforts of the team the leader is managing. Furthermore, many visionaries will be so adamant in seeing their visions come to fruition that they will actually develop a commanding management style instead.
Reflecting back on the recurring example of the current state of the British education system, the education minister, Michael Gove, likely thinks he is being a visionary. Unfortunately, though, using these appropriate definitions, Gove simply cannot be managing as a visionary; his ideas are not truly original or inspiring enough to be relevant for that category of management. Teachers all around the country have argued and complained about his style, saying that his expectations are too high under the circumstances, especially in a country that relies so heavily on standardised testing as the only means of assessing pupils (N.B. Assessment for Learning (AfL) is not assessment in the minds of students as they usually associate assessment with reward. In theory, this should not be how it is approached, but in practical terms, we have no other choice as students are not control subjects.). Gove's approaches definitely fit the pacesetting approach, which poisons the climate, as we are clearly seeing from the teachers' unions and the sentiment across all of education with regards to Gove's policies. Unfortunately, though, as there have been many reports of Gove criticising teachers, he is also showing some signs of developing a commanding approach to leadership, which, according to the author, undercuts morale and job satisfaction. Nonetheless, I do not think such remarks are deliberately made under this umbrella as he may simply be trying to discuss his observations based on his pacesetting management approach.
Needless to say, though, after watching the video highlights from his panel discussion with the headteachers' union, it is clear that Gove is acting in a position of power and authority rather than a position of responsibility. In a position of power, you inherently see the people you manage as inferior to you. In the case of Gove, I am sure he will tell us all that he does not do this, but again, it's inherent, so he is not very likely to notice this behaviour. Furthermore, there is more concern over the company than there is for the people within the company and this is much more worrying as you need everyone to work together in order for the company, as a whole, to function properly and grow economically in the world. Education is not a business, as I have sternly made clear previously, but even for someone like Gove, who is enforcing business practices, especially inspections, into the educational environment, the practice of caring more for the company is very dangerous as it inherently assumes that all other aspects, i.e. the staff and the students, are control variables. Even in the realm of business management, the English educational system is continuing to fail to meet the needs of those who depend on it the most, i.e. the students. The management approaches that should be adapted in education are the affiliative and democratic approaches, especially as teachers are trained to teach and assess students effectively and as students are independents who want to see reward for their continuous efforts.
In a position of responsibility, instead of looking at management as a top-down approach, you look at it as being on the same plane, i.e. although there are managers overseeing projects, you work alongside colleagues to support each other and help everyone grow professionally in the company. There is a great emphasis on this model of management back in Canada at Tim Hortons, where I used to work as a supervisor: I had to undergo very specific training as a supervisor and from this training, I learned a lot about effective management with the strongest emphasis being on teamwork rather than a subset of the team working together with the supervisor hovering over them. This experience was very rewarding and I am very happy in knowing more about management now than ever before as a result.
But which style of leadership do I prefer? Well, it depends on the environment, really, but I would see myself trying very much not to use the commanding approach in any case and possibly not the pacesetting approach, either. Different environments will require different strategies, but I have to be ready to work with each strategy as and when needed. If I use the wrong management style, then I am failing as a manager as I am not noticing the needs of the company and those for whom I am responsible. The concept of teamwork, though, is essential in getting the company to work effectively through all of its members. In the personal situation I noted earlier, I do not feel the current management approach is suitable for the environment in which people are being managed. Hopefully, though, things will change so that a better approach is used and that everyone in the organisation can begin to enjoy what they do again.
The Canadian Cat
About Me
- The Canadian Cat
- Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
- I am a Canadian living in the United Kingdom as a mathematics teacher and Ph.D. researcher. I also love cats; putting the two of these together makes The Canadian Clowder. I am also a church deacon in Central London and am involved with two expat Canadian social networking groups, along with a local Mensa social networking group in Cambridge.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Sunday, June 09, 2013
Turning Over The Top-Down Model
Here in the U.K., I am finding it very difficult to want to remain as a mathematics teacher: The minister for the Department for Education, Michael Gove, has no clue what teachers need, which was evident when he appeared before the National Association of Head Teachers earlier this year; his idiotic quotes after the discussions provide even more evidence to support this.
"If people find it stressful that I'm demanding higher standards," the education secretary said to audible groans from the hall, "then I'm not going to stop demanding higher standards."
"What I have heard is repeated statements that the profession faces stress, and insufficient evidence about what can be done about it... What I haven't heard over the last hour is a determination to be constructive, critical yes, but not constructive."
Michael Gove simply is NOT listening to the people for whom he is responsible; instead, he is running the power game, acting a top-down business model in a system that should have absolutely NO business aspects to it. Instead of extracting relevant points and asking what he can do to correct the problems, he has simply listened only to the critical remarks (using his own words) and has responded in like measure to the entire audience. This is not how someone manages a team and the critics have every right to speak critically about him.
Unfortunately for Michael Gove, there is a lot of pressure on him to see the country's rankings go up; this is all based on data from the Programme for International Student Assessment 2009. Therefore, I can understand the pressure he's under, but he needs to realise that it's more likely that an overwhelming number of the teachers and schools for whom he is responsible are not those who were in any way linked to the 2009 assessment. Furthermore, the assessment looked more broadly at the success of the students, not (directly) the effectiveness of teaching. The results focused on the students and what the governments were doing to support its students.
I have also noticed that in many schools, members of the senior leadership team are acting in similar ways, demonstrating power and control rather than responsibility when it comes to their teaching and administration staff; I even experienced one principal talk about leadership directly to me, using his hands to visualise someone at the top and other staff being below them. To manage effectively, you must work alongside your employees, showing that you are not just actively working on similar chores, but that you are also taking in their advice and are investigating all ideas to see what could be implemented and analysing them later to see how effective they are in getting students to progress in their learning. If you use a top-down approach, then those below you will continuously be hanging on, as if they are at the bottom of a rope hanging over the edge of a cliff; if they do not see you supporting them, then they are doomed to either let go of the rope (quitting), watch you let go of the rope (termination), or be in so much pain, they can no longer hold on to the rope (exhaustion). However, if you turn the model over, then the approach sees you building everyone up together rather than individually. If you only move a few people up, then you are simply recreating the top-down model you just turned over, so make sure you work to see everyone improve rather than just a couple of them.
In reflection, I think the following TED Talks Education video explains very well what I would like to see in education (and also what I would like to see removed from it). The man speaking is Geoffrey Canada (WHAT A LOVELY NAME!!!). He is a social activist and educator in the United States. He made it to the Time 100 list in 2011 for his work with the Harlem Children's Zone project in New York City. More information on Geoffrey Canada can be found here. This video is something all involved in education in the U.K. should watch, including Michael Gove and those others whom I've mentioned earlier.
The Canadian Cat
"If people find it stressful that I'm demanding higher standards," the education secretary said to audible groans from the hall, "then I'm not going to stop demanding higher standards."
"What I have heard is repeated statements that the profession faces stress, and insufficient evidence about what can be done about it... What I haven't heard over the last hour is a determination to be constructive, critical yes, but not constructive."
Michael Gove simply is NOT listening to the people for whom he is responsible; instead, he is running the power game, acting a top-down business model in a system that should have absolutely NO business aspects to it. Instead of extracting relevant points and asking what he can do to correct the problems, he has simply listened only to the critical remarks (using his own words) and has responded in like measure to the entire audience. This is not how someone manages a team and the critics have every right to speak critically about him.
Unfortunately for Michael Gove, there is a lot of pressure on him to see the country's rankings go up; this is all based on data from the Programme for International Student Assessment 2009. Therefore, I can understand the pressure he's under, but he needs to realise that it's more likely that an overwhelming number of the teachers and schools for whom he is responsible are not those who were in any way linked to the 2009 assessment. Furthermore, the assessment looked more broadly at the success of the students, not (directly) the effectiveness of teaching. The results focused on the students and what the governments were doing to support its students.
I have also noticed that in many schools, members of the senior leadership team are acting in similar ways, demonstrating power and control rather than responsibility when it comes to their teaching and administration staff; I even experienced one principal talk about leadership directly to me, using his hands to visualise someone at the top and other staff being below them. To manage effectively, you must work alongside your employees, showing that you are not just actively working on similar chores, but that you are also taking in their advice and are investigating all ideas to see what could be implemented and analysing them later to see how effective they are in getting students to progress in their learning. If you use a top-down approach, then those below you will continuously be hanging on, as if they are at the bottom of a rope hanging over the edge of a cliff; if they do not see you supporting them, then they are doomed to either let go of the rope (quitting), watch you let go of the rope (termination), or be in so much pain, they can no longer hold on to the rope (exhaustion). However, if you turn the model over, then the approach sees you building everyone up together rather than individually. If you only move a few people up, then you are simply recreating the top-down model you just turned over, so make sure you work to see everyone improve rather than just a couple of them.
In reflection, I think the following TED Talks Education video explains very well what I would like to see in education (and also what I would like to see removed from it). The man speaking is Geoffrey Canada (WHAT A LOVELY NAME!!!). He is a social activist and educator in the United States. He made it to the Time 100 list in 2011 for his work with the Harlem Children's Zone project in New York City. More information on Geoffrey Canada can be found here. This video is something all involved in education in the U.K. should watch, including Michael Gove and those others whom I've mentioned earlier.
The Canadian Cat
Sunday, June 02, 2013
Planning for Boredom
Over the past couple of weeks, I have been trying to work on various projects. The projects involve a lot of work and planning and so, will take some time to complete. However, there are also deadlines for these projects and I really would like things done as quickly as possible. To do this, though, I need to receive some feedback from others. Unfortunately, though, the feedback simply has not come back to me and now, as a result, I am sitting at a desk, doing absolutely nothing until someone gives me their feedback. Furthermore, as I will be taking a lot of time off during the summer, I really need to make sure that everything will be sorted out for me in preparation for the autumn, but at this point in time, I am very uncertain as to how this will be accomplished.
At my church, I have been told several times now that I try to over-organise things, up to arranging cookies in a tin and making sure everything is clean; I've even been told previously that I may have OCD. However, I was brought up under the idea that to know what to do next, things need to be organised; this will also help others in organising things if left by themselves. I understand and appreciate the importance of planning and organisation, especially where I am a mathematics teacher in the United Kingdom, having to teach students about critical path analysis (i.e. project management) in decision mathematics. Being messy in life is not ideal, yet my church once had an afternoon talk about the importance of being messy. I do not necessarily agree with the message given in that talk, although I understand why it was given. Some people like to be a bit more random, but not myself and if I am to understand things as nicely as I feel I am doing now, then organisation is absolutely important in maintaining this.
For the students I teach, I can very easily see how organisation is vital to their studies right now as they are all working on independent learning projects, even though they still have exams to write. They are under considerable pressure to do well on exams whilst working independently on a time-limited research project that could help them with their applications to university. Hopefully they will be able to organise their time well and learn the importance of organisation from this experience.
Right now, my room is a bit messy; clean clothes are on the sofa in my room and there are various pieces of paper I need to examine carefully. It's not all perfect for me. However, where I am being organised right now is in my daily life with other people. It's what's most important for me, so organisation goes there first... eventually, I will find time to work on my own organising.
The Canadian Cat
At my church, I have been told several times now that I try to over-organise things, up to arranging cookies in a tin and making sure everything is clean; I've even been told previously that I may have OCD. However, I was brought up under the idea that to know what to do next, things need to be organised; this will also help others in organising things if left by themselves. I understand and appreciate the importance of planning and organisation, especially where I am a mathematics teacher in the United Kingdom, having to teach students about critical path analysis (i.e. project management) in decision mathematics. Being messy in life is not ideal, yet my church once had an afternoon talk about the importance of being messy. I do not necessarily agree with the message given in that talk, although I understand why it was given. Some people like to be a bit more random, but not myself and if I am to understand things as nicely as I feel I am doing now, then organisation is absolutely important in maintaining this.
For the students I teach, I can very easily see how organisation is vital to their studies right now as they are all working on independent learning projects, even though they still have exams to write. They are under considerable pressure to do well on exams whilst working independently on a time-limited research project that could help them with their applications to university. Hopefully they will be able to organise their time well and learn the importance of organisation from this experience.
Right now, my room is a bit messy; clean clothes are on the sofa in my room and there are various pieces of paper I need to examine carefully. It's not all perfect for me. However, where I am being organised right now is in my daily life with other people. It's what's most important for me, so organisation goes there first... eventually, I will find time to work on my own organising.
The Canadian Cat
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Predicting the Future
Currently, I am living in the U.K., but I need to renew my passport at the beginning of 2014. Also, though, I will need to renew my work visa at the beginning of 2015. Furthermore, Australia's visa application, although expensive, provides me with the advantage of additional points for my age so that I may actually apply to teach "down under" and the fact the Australian dollar is very strong right now and the annual salaries of teachers in Australia are much better than it is in the United Kingdom... along with the standards and policies of education. I have not one clue what will happen in my future, but clearly, there is a lot I need to begin thinking about.
Staying here in the United Kingdom seems to be the easiest choice at the moment. If I stay put, then I can prolong my time in teaching in the U.K., possibly with additional promotions and with potential for improving educational standards over time. Moving home is quite a pain as it is, but having done this on an international scale twice, I would prefer not to do it again unless I am deciding to make a permanent move. However, the educational standards in the United Kingdom are simply unsatisfactory, although working in an independent school does provide me with excellent opportunities for promoting decent educational opportunities to students. Schools are inspected regularly by inspectors, who can too easily be members of other schools, going into classrooms to see how teachers are teaching and using past research methods to dictate the success of the schools' teachers. Teachers' salaries are soon to go through performance pay structuring, thus creating a stronger business platform and demolishing the educational platform in the process. Furthermore, the minister for the Department for Education, Michael Gove, wants to see such excessive business structures in place, even though teachers' unions have given overwhelming votes of no confidence against him. The next British election will not be until, at the latest, 2015, so I would have to wait at least two more years before policies change in favour of promoting effective educational practices, as shown elsewhere in the world. Also, though, I have made a great number of friends here and am well connected in the United Kingdom with Canadians, fellow Christians of a similar mind (i.e. NOT evangelical conservatives), and am a member of Mensa U.K. However, if Scotland decides to vote to separate in 2014, then an alternative option may appear, especially if Scotland decide to adopt a completely different educational strategy for its children.
Alternatively, Australia is unfamiliar territory for me. For only the first time, I will be heading to Australia for my Christmas vacation at the end of this year. I have no real understanding of costs of living, paying bills, etc. However, I am aware that each Australian state has its own educational system, similar to the Canadian provinces and American states, and Australia has a much better reputation for teaching than the United Kingdom; to be honest, though, there really can't be that many countries, at least in the first-world category, that could be worse than the United Kingdom at the moment. The Australian dollar is incredibly strong in the present, although the future in uncertain, and pay rates for teachers in Australia are very impressive; just from seeing their salaries, it is clear that Australia values its teachers and its educational system. The thought of living with many of the most poisonous creatures, some of which could end up in my backyard or under my toilet, is a bit uncomfortable, though.
One problem I have to encounter in all of this is getting teacher certification; the province of Ontario is making it difficult for me to receive my official teacher certification, so this will be an ongoing process. Another problem is that my Ph.D. appeal has not yet been sorted out in the U.K., so hopefully that will no longer be a problem for me and that I will either receive my Ph.D. degree or will get all of my money back, along with added interest, to pay off my student loans. Also, will I even get a renewed visa for the United Kingdom? The answer is most likely yes because of the type of visa I have, but then again, will they create more problems for me? There are so many things to consider and yet, it seems that I only have the summer to figure it all out, although it is also very likely that something will make the decision much easier for me by the end of the summer anyway.
There's a lot for me to think about over the summer... hopefully I can make the right decision and for the right reasons. Heaven help me!
The Canadian Cat
Staying here in the United Kingdom seems to be the easiest choice at the moment. If I stay put, then I can prolong my time in teaching in the U.K., possibly with additional promotions and with potential for improving educational standards over time. Moving home is quite a pain as it is, but having done this on an international scale twice, I would prefer not to do it again unless I am deciding to make a permanent move. However, the educational standards in the United Kingdom are simply unsatisfactory, although working in an independent school does provide me with excellent opportunities for promoting decent educational opportunities to students. Schools are inspected regularly by inspectors, who can too easily be members of other schools, going into classrooms to see how teachers are teaching and using past research methods to dictate the success of the schools' teachers. Teachers' salaries are soon to go through performance pay structuring, thus creating a stronger business platform and demolishing the educational platform in the process. Furthermore, the minister for the Department for Education, Michael Gove, wants to see such excessive business structures in place, even though teachers' unions have given overwhelming votes of no confidence against him. The next British election will not be until, at the latest, 2015, so I would have to wait at least two more years before policies change in favour of promoting effective educational practices, as shown elsewhere in the world. Also, though, I have made a great number of friends here and am well connected in the United Kingdom with Canadians, fellow Christians of a similar mind (i.e. NOT evangelical conservatives), and am a member of Mensa U.K. However, if Scotland decides to vote to separate in 2014, then an alternative option may appear, especially if Scotland decide to adopt a completely different educational strategy for its children.
Alternatively, Australia is unfamiliar territory for me. For only the first time, I will be heading to Australia for my Christmas vacation at the end of this year. I have no real understanding of costs of living, paying bills, etc. However, I am aware that each Australian state has its own educational system, similar to the Canadian provinces and American states, and Australia has a much better reputation for teaching than the United Kingdom; to be honest, though, there really can't be that many countries, at least in the first-world category, that could be worse than the United Kingdom at the moment. The Australian dollar is incredibly strong in the present, although the future in uncertain, and pay rates for teachers in Australia are very impressive; just from seeing their salaries, it is clear that Australia values its teachers and its educational system. The thought of living with many of the most poisonous creatures, some of which could end up in my backyard or under my toilet, is a bit uncomfortable, though.
One problem I have to encounter in all of this is getting teacher certification; the province of Ontario is making it difficult for me to receive my official teacher certification, so this will be an ongoing process. Another problem is that my Ph.D. appeal has not yet been sorted out in the U.K., so hopefully that will no longer be a problem for me and that I will either receive my Ph.D. degree or will get all of my money back, along with added interest, to pay off my student loans. Also, will I even get a renewed visa for the United Kingdom? The answer is most likely yes because of the type of visa I have, but then again, will they create more problems for me? There are so many things to consider and yet, it seems that I only have the summer to figure it all out, although it is also very likely that something will make the decision much easier for me by the end of the summer anyway.
There's a lot for me to think about over the summer... hopefully I can make the right decision and for the right reasons. Heaven help me!
The Canadian Cat
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Feeling The Hurt
Last night, there was a lot to watch on TV: The season finale of Doctor Who, named The Name of The Doctor, was very gripping and very exciting in the end... thankfully! =:-) However, immediately following this was the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest, which has had a reputation over recent decades of block voting, i.e. particular regions of Europe voting for each other in order to swing the votes. I was very happy for the country that won because I felt they deserved to win, but as I watched the results of the votes coming in, I began to feel very disturbed by the favouritism many countries had for each other, especially the Baltic countries, the former USSR countries, and the Scandinavian countries. The United Kingdom and Ireland both appeared to vote without bias, neither giving the famous deuze points to each other, and furthermore, neither country made it to the top half of the leaderboard; in fact, Ireland was left in last place with their song and both songs were miles behind Greece's Alcohol is Free, which placed 6th, and the Ukrainian Gravity, which placed 3rd and included a 7-foot, 8-inch tall man carrying the singer on stage and has a recently bad political reputation. Sadly, the only benefit from watching this competition was knowing that Turkey had refused to partake after they learned that Finland's accepted performed was ending with two girls kissing each other; without Turkey, there was less bias.
This morning, I replied to one friend's questions about liberal churches. Essentially, there were questions about what liberal churches believe. The divide between liberal churches and evangelical churches has been really annoying for me and although I am aware it is not likely the case in some churches, in most of the churches I have experienced, this is clearly the case. The divide, however, is one-sided, as evangelical churches appear to not want to work with liberal churches, as if they are lost cases.
I consider myself to be a liberal Christian. Freedom is what Jesus was talking about in his teachings and liberation is freedom, by definition, so how not being liberal makes sense to evangelical Christians is baffling for me. However, I also believe in working together amidst our differences in order to bring the kingdom of God here on Earth. The goal is not to divide and conquer, but rather to work together as one. However, I am always feeling as if I am part of a minority as there are so many evangelical churches present these days and most of which still do not appreciate liberal churches.
Interestingly enough, Eurovision's theme for this year was We Are One. Hopefully, more Christians will learn to appreciate that message in the future.
The Canadian Cat
This morning, I replied to one friend's questions about liberal churches. Essentially, there were questions about what liberal churches believe. The divide between liberal churches and evangelical churches has been really annoying for me and although I am aware it is not likely the case in some churches, in most of the churches I have experienced, this is clearly the case. The divide, however, is one-sided, as evangelical churches appear to not want to work with liberal churches, as if they are lost cases.
I consider myself to be a liberal Christian. Freedom is what Jesus was talking about in his teachings and liberation is freedom, by definition, so how not being liberal makes sense to evangelical Christians is baffling for me. However, I also believe in working together amidst our differences in order to bring the kingdom of God here on Earth. The goal is not to divide and conquer, but rather to work together as one. However, I am always feeling as if I am part of a minority as there are so many evangelical churches present these days and most of which still do not appreciate liberal churches.
Interestingly enough, Eurovision's theme for this year was We Are One. Hopefully, more Christians will learn to appreciate that message in the future.
The Canadian Cat
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Choosing Sides
My students begin their exams tomorrow. For me, this is very exciting as it means I do not have to teach them and instead, focus on helping them as they go through this stressful time; it also means I can work on various other projects with the school. However, for my students, it may be very stressful for them, especially where some of them have 3 exams on the very first day; this does mean 4.5 hours of exams, but at least it's not back-to-back 3-hour exams, which some of them will be doing later in June.
Context is very important when understanding stories; we need to listen to all sides of the story in order to then have a good understanding of what actually happened. Biblically, Christians are still needing to learn this very important (dare I say fundamental???) concept of the faith. However, people of all religious beliefs need to be more considerate to context, not just Christians. The world we live in today is not the world people lived in during the times in which the religious texts were written. With so many changes since then, if the people of those times were able to see the world we live in today, then they would likely think we have all either become possessed or turned into evil sorcerers. Therefore, how can someone possibly choose one side to favour without having first investigated all other sides of the story?
There are clear examples of how people are quick to make decisions without first investigating things thoroughly and I have presented many such examples in my previous blogs. The example to which I referred involved Christianity versus homosexuality, looking at the comparative online discussions being made between NFL footballer, Tim Tebow, whose historical background in evangelical, conservative Christianity have turned people away from him, although some people are willing to now assume he may be gay, and NBA basketball star, Jason Collins, who recently came out as gay and has many people supporting him nonetheless. One of my friends noticed my blog last week and found another article about this comparison. However, this article goes one step further in announcing that Collins is indeed a Christian. Therefore, it is possible to be gay and Christian, but those who still believe otherwise clearly have not investigated all sides of the story, especially from a Biblical perspective. Of course, though, as noted earlier, it is in much more than just one topic that people become suspect of such behaviour.
This week, my students face their exams. Will they see them as daunting exams with which they must perform well or as small tests they are to complete over the next few weeks? Should they really choose a side in this case? Perhaps they are not even looking at the correct issue at hand. Whatever the case, for all of us, we need to be much more aware of our surroundings, our teachings, and our beliefs in order to make better sense of the world in which we live.
The Canadian Cat
Context is very important when understanding stories; we need to listen to all sides of the story in order to then have a good understanding of what actually happened. Biblically, Christians are still needing to learn this very important (dare I say fundamental???) concept of the faith. However, people of all religious beliefs need to be more considerate to context, not just Christians. The world we live in today is not the world people lived in during the times in which the religious texts were written. With so many changes since then, if the people of those times were able to see the world we live in today, then they would likely think we have all either become possessed or turned into evil sorcerers. Therefore, how can someone possibly choose one side to favour without having first investigated all other sides of the story?
There are clear examples of how people are quick to make decisions without first investigating things thoroughly and I have presented many such examples in my previous blogs. The example to which I referred involved Christianity versus homosexuality, looking at the comparative online discussions being made between NFL footballer, Tim Tebow, whose historical background in evangelical, conservative Christianity have turned people away from him, although some people are willing to now assume he may be gay, and NBA basketball star, Jason Collins, who recently came out as gay and has many people supporting him nonetheless. One of my friends noticed my blog last week and found another article about this comparison. However, this article goes one step further in announcing that Collins is indeed a Christian. Therefore, it is possible to be gay and Christian, but those who still believe otherwise clearly have not investigated all sides of the story, especially from a Biblical perspective. Of course, though, as noted earlier, it is in much more than just one topic that people become suspect of such behaviour.
This week, my students face their exams. Will they see them as daunting exams with which they must perform well or as small tests they are to complete over the next few weeks? Should they really choose a side in this case? Perhaps they are not even looking at the correct issue at hand. Whatever the case, for all of us, we need to be much more aware of our surroundings, our teachings, and our beliefs in order to make better sense of the world in which we live.
The Canadian Cat
Sunday, May 05, 2013
Completely Opposite???
Recently, a good observation was made on Twitter:
This whole issue over Twitter regarding these two athletes in particular is somewhat interesting, but it is also somewhat baffling as there were speculations being made public regarding Tebow's own sexuality. There are many Google hits that discuss Tim's sexuality, even though there are also many hits that discuss his possible religious views. Most of the hits I found use Tim as a means of separating Christianity and homosexuality completely and Tim himself is then seen as a secondary figure in the entire discussion. One of the hits I just looked up after performing the Google search myself, which I may have referenced previously, directly asks the question, Is Tim Tebow gay? However, even then, an attempt at completely separating the two topics is made and Tebow is once again used only as an example towards the discussion, but at least in this discussion, there is some considerable care given towards him. If Tebow is gay, then he can still be a Christian and live a great, Christian lifestyle, regardless of what many Christians out there still think; it is his choice and his alone to make, but nonetheless, he has many supporters who will care for him regardless and he is (hopefully) aware of that.
An interesting report from the LA Times further discusses the parallels between these two athletes. Unfortunately, due to the previous connections Tim had with controversial groups, his professional career in American football is (currently) appearing to dwindle to almost nothing, although this could still change over time. As for Jason Collins, people are generally happy for him, although some extremist Christians will oppose him and anything attached to him. Jason's journey in the media spotlight is quite new, but he already has a lot of public support and the media do not seem to be against his own straying away from the societal norm. He may also be a Christian and then, that would really open some eyes on these issues, which would be welcoming, but at least he does not appear to have any anger towards Christians and hopefully he does not have any such feelings. Hopefully Jason understands that the two topics are not complete opposites and that he can relate to Christians in the same way that I hope Tim can understand this and relate to homosexuals.
Unfortunately, I realise that while writing this, I, too, have appeared to have used these two men as examples. However, they are not secondary; nobody should be secondary when it comes to such issues. Everyone must play an equal part in understanding how life works because when we all work together, we will probably find the best possible solution to such issues. Tim and Jason are excellent examples of people in the public spotlight who have to defend themselves from the expectations the media has on them. Just like everyone else in the world, I hope they make the right decisions when it comes to understanding each other.
The Canadian Cat
Tim Tebow: "I'm a Christian."Now, before everyone starts commenting, let me put in a disclaimer: I am not against homosexuality; my previous posts will support this claim. However, I do not support the idea of the media openly criticising Christians publicly, as if we, as an entirety, have all committed such huge crimes that we ought to be punished for our identity. This seems somewhat ironic, though, from how things used to be when homosexuals were criticised for their identity. The result of all of this does not seem to be for the better; instead, it is a revenge tactic, where the tables are turned and the same sort of treatment is now being given to the other side, regardless of the individuals over there. There are many Christians out there these days, such as myself, who support equal marriage and will actively defend these views against other people on our side of the battle line. There are many homosexuals who come to church and are actively engaging with Christianity, even though they are also clearly aware of the opposition they face on their own side. Christianity and homosexuality are not complete opposites and therefore, nobody can claim to support one side and use this to then not support the other side.
Media: "Keep it to yourself."
Jason Collins: "I'm gay."
Media: "This man's a hero!"
— Rude Guys (@Rude_Guys) May 4, 2013
This whole issue over Twitter regarding these two athletes in particular is somewhat interesting, but it is also somewhat baffling as there were speculations being made public regarding Tebow's own sexuality. There are many Google hits that discuss Tim's sexuality, even though there are also many hits that discuss his possible religious views. Most of the hits I found use Tim as a means of separating Christianity and homosexuality completely and Tim himself is then seen as a secondary figure in the entire discussion. One of the hits I just looked up after performing the Google search myself, which I may have referenced previously, directly asks the question, Is Tim Tebow gay? However, even then, an attempt at completely separating the two topics is made and Tebow is once again used only as an example towards the discussion, but at least in this discussion, there is some considerable care given towards him. If Tebow is gay, then he can still be a Christian and live a great, Christian lifestyle, regardless of what many Christians out there still think; it is his choice and his alone to make, but nonetheless, he has many supporters who will care for him regardless and he is (hopefully) aware of that.
An interesting report from the LA Times further discusses the parallels between these two athletes. Unfortunately, due to the previous connections Tim had with controversial groups, his professional career in American football is (currently) appearing to dwindle to almost nothing, although this could still change over time. As for Jason Collins, people are generally happy for him, although some extremist Christians will oppose him and anything attached to him. Jason's journey in the media spotlight is quite new, but he already has a lot of public support and the media do not seem to be against his own straying away from the societal norm. He may also be a Christian and then, that would really open some eyes on these issues, which would be welcoming, but at least he does not appear to have any anger towards Christians and hopefully he does not have any such feelings. Hopefully Jason understands that the two topics are not complete opposites and that he can relate to Christians in the same way that I hope Tim can understand this and relate to homosexuals.
Unfortunately, I realise that while writing this, I, too, have appeared to have used these two men as examples. However, they are not secondary; nobody should be secondary when it comes to such issues. Everyone must play an equal part in understanding how life works because when we all work together, we will probably find the best possible solution to such issues. Tim and Jason are excellent examples of people in the public spotlight who have to defend themselves from the expectations the media has on them. Just like everyone else in the world, I hope they make the right decisions when it comes to understanding each other.
The Canadian Cat
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