THE RECORD Online

Fall 2002

The President's Column: Education is about Motivation

A recent advertisement on CNN—for Dell computers I think—shows two junior high children lured into the back of the family station wagon with visions of a summer trip to the water park! They are shocked when they see books on the floor and horrified when their parents in the front seat exchange a meaningful look, clamp down the door locks, and wheel them off “back to school.” Unless my memory betrays me—and often at my age it does—there was a day when—“back to school” was exciting. It meant trips to the store to pick out clutches of pencils, pink erasers, new 3-ring notebooks, and cellophane-wrapped 300-count blue-lined paper. Maybe there were even some new clothes and sneakers. Each of these held out promises of seeing old friends and a fresh start. But if the Dell ad is right,“Where has all the motivation gone?”

"Greenville College graduates can step in where others will not or cannot."

What about the motivation of teachers too? I am told that last year there were over 2600 teaching jobs left unfilled in the state of Illinois, with over half of those in Cook County surrounding Chicago. And perhaps most sobering of all, I hear that the average time a new teacher stays in the teaching profession is less than three years! Considering it usually takes at least four years to become certified, that statistic is simply tragic. If it takes a new Dell to “bribe” students back, and if even teachers don’t want to stay, I fear for the future of education in our culture. We can have the best curricula, finest facilities, and richest resources in the world…and I suspect that in most of our schools we do. But without motivation it will come to nothing. As an alumnus, I sometimes conduct admissions interviews for my alma mater, M.I.T. The director of admissions there says we should look past the students’ grades and SATs to assess their motivation. That is what will make the difference.

Interwoven with our historic commitment to the liberal arts, Greenville College has always excelled at producing teachers. Even today as many as 30% of our students are preparing to teach. Our graduates in education have been welcomed with open arms in districts around the region, known to be unusually well-equipped. My impression is that they do well because along with the techniques for teaching taught in any good teacher preparation program, our graduates participate in a kind of study that enlivens their minds by opening wider perspectives. These perspectives come from seeing the character and work of Christ Himself. I hope this allows them to see their teaching as more than job; it is a form of service and even of ministry. I also hope they are transformed in character in such a way that they are equipped internally to persist despite discouragement that can come from heavy government regulation and from students who would rather be at the water park.

I am delighted that our education faculty do not lack for motivation. They sometimes weary with the regulations imposed on them from outside, but their passion shines through in the pride they take in each of their graduates.

This year, their reach will be extended to inner city St. Louis. With the recent college acquisition of a building adjacent to the renovated Adams School and community center, some of our student teachers will soon have opportunity not only to train in the inner city but also to live there. What better way to prepare for those tough assignments left unfilled elsewhere! Greenville College graduates can step in where others will not or cannot.

I am also delighted that this year the impact of our education faculty will be extended to graduate students. Two new master’s degrees will be offered. Permanent certification may soon require an M.A., and with so many of our own graduates teaching in the area, it makes sense to help them take this step. The other degree, an M.A.T., will provide college grads who are non-teachers looking to move into teaching, a way to switch without going back as undergraduates. The beauty is that both programs will be offered in evenings to facilitate the process for adult students typically already working. The rapid approval of these new degrees on campus and in the North Central Association is further testimony to the quality of our education faculty and the hard work of Deans Longman and Holden, Dr. Blue, and many others. These are exciting days of moving our mission into the future.

Last updated: January 17, 2003