Cotopaxi

All Learning Skills are important and some of them are hard for some student to acquire.

Follow directions the first time is one of my 5 classroom rules.  It is a very important Learning Skill.  Successful students readily listen, take notes and follow directions.  Most unsuccessful students struggle with following directions.  There are many factors that cause this.

First, they have Heart and Head issues.  They see themselves as struggling students and this belief system becomes a self-fulling prophecy, and it also impact the desire to learn... Why try to learn some thing that I know I can't?  I am continually encouraging, challenging, exhorting and instructing my students to help them with their belief system.

Second, some of my students are simply willful.  If they are asked to do something, that will be the last thing they will want to do.  They have a rebellious attitude about them that often leads them down roads   covered with poor choices.  I have to be loving, patient and still firm with these students.  These are the students that can take the longest to come around.  The key with these students is to stay in HOPE land and keep yourself in the place where you continually have a good attitude.  DON'T LET THEM MAKE YOU MAD!!  For some of these students, that is their goal.

Third, some simply are not at the place of truly trusting me and respecting me.  This is evident as they struggle with obeying me by following direction right away.  For some students, I have to earn their trust and respect.  They are watching and evaluating me.  I tell my students, that if they don't think I'm a good teacher, to ask their parents to transfer them out to another teacher.  I simply want them to learn, grow and succeed.

Fourth, some students simply are not that good at following detailed directions.  But with practice, patience and encouragement, they improve.

I tell my student the following story to make my point about following directions.

When I was 42 years old I taught at a missionary school in Ecuador called Nate Saint Memorial School.  My entire family went and lived there for the year.  During this time I became friends with many of the parents of my students.  A few of them were interested in climbing some of the mountains down there.  Ecuador has 10 mountains over 16,000 ft tall.  So we started training to climb Mt Cotopaxi.  It is 19,340 ft in elevation.  I tore some cartilage in my right knee about 6 weeks before our scheduled climb date.  So I took a month off from training.  Two weeks before our climb, I started training again.  This was not enough time.  A week into the training and with only one week to go, my knee started bothering me again.  So I stopped.

I am an X wrestler.  One thing wrestling teaches is NEVER QUIT!!  I am a lousy quitter.

We hired guides.  We drove to about 14,000 ft to park the van.  We hiked up to the REFUGIO (Which reminded me of the rough tavern up in the Himalayas in Raiders of the Lost Ark)  We did a practice climb on the edge of the glacier, late that after noon.  Then we went back to the Refugio for dinner then off to bed.  The problem with trying to sleep at around 15,500 ft elevation for me was, the air was too thin.  I had to take deep breaths every 3rd or 4th breath.  Plus I was excited.

We got up at about midnight.  It was a full moon that night by out planning.  They say you get better weather on full moons... or at least that is what we were told.  It worked out well that night for weather.  It had been over 3 weeks since the last group had successfully climbed Mt. Cotopaxi.

We hiked up to where the snow and ice line was and started putting on all of our equipment.  There was 9 of us total.  3 guide and 6 hikers.  One guide, named Oso (bear), quickly picked his two hikers and tied them up on his rope and was getting ready to head out, when the head guide stopped him and told him to take me also.  They we speaking in Spanish fast, I am not fluent, but I got the gist of what was going on.  Oso looked me over and wanted no part of me.  The argument continued... finally Oso gave in and briskly walked over and without a word tied me in on his rope about 25 ft behind him.

I don't know about you, but I don't like being told that I'm not going to be able to do something.  I was not in good enough shape for the climb, but I had 4 things going for me. First, the verse, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  Second, I am a lousy quitter.  Third, I really wanted to make it and had just be told ... in so many words... that I wasn't going to make it.  Fourth, I had a great guide.

I decided right then and there that I was going to be the best climber Oso ever led up the mountain.  I decided that when he steps, I will step and where he steps, I will step.  The rope will N EVER hit the snow.  He will NEVER feel me behind him.  It took us about 7 hour to reach the summit.  The other  two groups did not make it.  Only our group made it!  It was one of the most difficult things I've ever done in my life.  It was also one of the coolest things I've ever done.

Oso had summitted the mountain about 100 times already.  I trusted Oso.  I respected Oso.

I tell my students that I've climbed this mountain of Algebra about 25 times already.  Step where I step.  Step when I step and it will be the easiest it can be.  It still may be very difficult.  I can't carry you,  but I know the best way to the top...TRUST ME, OBEY ME, FOLLOW ME TO THE TOP!!

Day 18