As I sit here listening to ABC news this morning, they are revealing that the shooter's mother reached out to the school district for help with her son. Before blaming the school, consider that the true problem in education is not found inside the school. The problem with gun ownership is not found within your government and laws. Realize that the problems in your society are not found within the society itself. All of it is found in the way we teach character and the choices we all make as human examples to children. We ARE the cause of our own problems and by our choices we make the world around us collectively.

I am an educator. From my own perspective, I wrote a book on classroom management. The second chapter of my book covers this problem straight to the source of the thing that plagues our society. The primary way of "understanding the underlying causes of misbehavior and underachievement" in students is to find the missing needs that cause the void in a person's life. Seeking knowledge is the only way we can better our lives and seeking knowledge starts with the family and the foundation of love and belonging. Maslow showed this with his hierarchy of needs. It starts with the family. We cannot look to the school or government to solve this problem. We must look to a higher source of truth.

Consider the lead quote from Confucius that I used to outline the second chapter of my book on missing needs and where those needs are founded. If no need is left behind, no student will ever be left behind. Those needs have a foundation and the process is free. Not only is it free, it's a choice from all of us to walk away from the unrighteous behavior we allow in society and in the media. Can we blame the media? Not without blaming ourselves. We are ALL to blame for the foundation we provide our children from beginning to end. Unless we all walk toward a higher source of righteousness, we will linger here in the depths of our overall choices.

Confucius:

“The ancients, wanting to demonstrate illustrious virtue throughout the kingdom, first governed well their own states. Wanting to govern well their own states, they first regulated their families. Wanting to regulate their families, they first cultivated their character. Wanting to cultivate their character, they first set right their hearts. Wanting to set right their hearts, they first sought to be sincere in their thoughts. Wanting to be sincere in their thoughts, they first increased their knowledge. Increase of knowledge was found in the examination of things. Things being examined, knowledge became complete. Their knowledge being complete, their thoughts were sincere. Their thoughts being sincere, their hearts were then made right. Their hearts being made right, their character was cultivated. Their character being cultivated, their families were regulated. Their families being regulated, their states were rightly governed. Their states being rightly governed, the whole kingdom was made peaceful and happy.” Confucius 500 B.C.

Look in the mirror.

Originally posted by EnochWasRight

Confucius:

“The ancients, wanting to demonstrate illustrious virtue throughout the kingdom, first governed well their own states. Wanting to govern well their own states, they first regulated their families. Wanting to regulate their families, they first cultivated their character. Wanting to cultivate their character, they first set right their hearts. Wanting to set right their hearts, they first sought to be sincere in their thoughts. Wanting to be sincere in their thoughts, they first increased their knowledge. Increase of knowledge was found in the examination of things. Things being examined, knowledge became complete. Their knowledge being complete, their thoughts were sincere. Their thoughts being sincere, their hearts were then made right. Their hearts being made right, their character was cultivated. Their character being cultivated, their families were regulated. Their families being regulated, their states were rightly governed. Their states being rightly governed, the whole kingdom was made peaceful and happy.” Confucius 500 B.C.

Look in the mirror.

I don't usually enjoy your threads for a variety of reasons irrelevant here, but I really do appreciate what you are saying here. And 'it was good'.

Best wishes.

Originally posted by KilgoreTrout

Originally posted by EnochWasRight

Confucius:

“The ancients, wanting to demonstrate illustrious virtue throughout the kingdom, first governed well their own states. Wanting to govern well their own states, they first regulated their families. Wanting to regulate their families, they first cultivated their character. Wanting to cultivate their character, they first set right their hearts. Wanting to set right their hearts, they first sought to be sincere in their thoughts. Wanting to be sincere in their thoughts, they first increased their knowledge. Increase of knowledge was found in the examination of things. Things being examined, knowledge became complete. Their knowledge being complete, their thoughts were sincere. Their thoughts being sincere, their hearts were then made right. Their hearts being made right, their character was cultivated. Their character being cultivated, their families were regulated. Their families being regulated, their states were rightly governed. Their states being rightly governed, the whole kingdom was made peaceful and happy.” Confucius 500 B.C.

Look in the mirror.

I don't usually enjoy your threads for a variety of reasons irrelevant here, but I really do appreciate what you are saying here. And 'it was good'.

Best wishes.

The ancients possessed wisdom closer to the source of knowledge and we would do well to pay attention. Thank you for the comments.

Originally posted by EnochWasRight
The ancients possessed wisdom closer to the source of knowledge and we would do well to pay attention.

If that is how you choose to interpret it, that is your call. Confucius though, and many more like him through out history, in all corners of the globe, practiced just what that quote preached. Perhaps it is more likely that that is how one accesses the source and becomes close to it. Polymaths do not possess, they explore and through that endeavour, truth reveals itself always.

Specialism, as Heinlein said, is for insects.

Originally posted by KilgoreTrout

Originally posted by EnochWasRight
The ancients possessed wisdom closer to the source of knowledge and we would do well to pay attention.

If that is how you choose to interpret it, that is your call. Confucius though, and many more like him through out history, in all corners of the globe, practiced just what that quote preached. Perhaps it is more likely that that is how one accesses the source and becomes close to it. Polymaths do not possess, they explore and through that endeavour, truth reveals itself always.

Specialism, as Heinlein said, is for insects.

If a father/mother lives long enough, he/she will see the truth in giving over taking. Virtue development and character come from love and belonging. Self-esteem comes from this foundation and tips the person toward seeking knowledge, which is what a Renascence man is all about. Apart from meeting need on a non-cognitive level, cognitive skills are only used for knowledge apart from wisdom. When wisdom is the foundation, knowledge is a byproduct.

We stress cognitive in school and completely deny non-cognitive. We are forced into this corner. This is the problem. Too many families do not raise children. Instead, they focus on themselves. It's not the job of an educator to raise children alone, yet we must do it each day. One teacher for one hour cannot raise a child. Only a family can raise a child in the way that they should go. A proper foundation allows an educator to do their job well and schools are left to educate instead of defend.

If no need is left behind, no child will ever be left behind.