In my last post, I briefly mentioned buxiban schools.
Buxibans are extremely popular here in Taiwan.
A buxiban is a cram school.
A parent's future directly ties into the success of their children.
A successful child will be able to support and take care of their aging parents.
That success begins with school. Anything to give their child a head start, an edge over their classmates, is taken. Even in the primary grades, finals are given and class rankings assigned.
Normal school is not enough. So after a full day of school, students go to school- a cram school. These after schools are usually subject oriented. English and math are popular.
Many of my Asian business kids attend math buxibans. It makes teaching frustrating at times.
This past week, one of my students was bragging that he was working on fourth grade math in his after school cram school. In other words, he already knew how to subtract two-digit numbers. He had mastered the age old standard algorithm. It was old hat.
His purpose was to impress me.
I wasn't.
He had memorized the steps, the procedures.
But did he have the understanding behind the standard algorithm? Could he explain why it worked? I tried to explain that being able to follow the steps to completion did not necessarily mean he understood the concept.
Math and I were not friends growing up. Sure, I could follow the steps, but no one never took the time to explain to me why we did what we did. I was a mathematical disaster.
But, then I realized something.
How many Christians are doing the same thing?
Each week, they show up at church, complete the expected steps, and leave feeling . Or through out the week they do the things Christians are expected to do- read their Bible, pray, worship, but in reality all they are doing are going through the prescribed procedure without ever truly grasping the understanding of discipleship. Their goal is to get through the steps, not necessarily become more like Christ.
What about me?
Am I becoming more Christ-like?
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