Prudence 

Prudence is the virtue that helps us decide the best way of reaching our goals and that helps us work against obstacles standing in the way of reaching them. To understand the necessity of prudence, we only have to reflect on our purpose as Christian educators. We cannot compromise our mission or hinder its progress by acting imprudently in directing our schools.

Society does not permit us the luxury of mistakes in this area: Often it takes just a minor imprudent act to ruin the reputation of a solidly established school. Teachers and administrators must take extra care to employ prudence so that they don’t prejudice the people in the area around the school. It would be helpful to new teachers if they had a greater experience of people and events in the area before they come to teaching, but only a limited experience is possible. Teachers in a school are of necessity in contact with three different groups of people: the students, the parents, and the society in which the school exists. These groups place different demands upon the school and the teachers that must be satisfied in order for the school to exist in reasonable peace with each group. No matter what skilled teachers do, it is likely that some opposition will arise against them from time to time, especially among those who already look upon a particular school with an unfavorable bias. Teachers should expect to be criticized regularly in their careers: some people will complain about their way of teaching, others will complain about their discipline; some will say that their students don’t make any progress, others will say that they are unjust in giving awards.

Teachers who always act with prudence will know how to make light of all this complaining insofar as it is false and unjust, and they will be able to take care of those areas in which they should make some improvement. The best way to avoid such accusations is to use the following principles: study and distinguish the makeup of students in order to treat each one according to his or her specific needs, and prepare classes well. By reviewing the materials that make up the subject matter of lessons there will be no confusion of ideas and there will be clarity of expression on the part of the teacher. These two principles will assist teachers who believe that their mission is important. It is impossible for a teacher to educate well without fully preparing for the task daily. Cleverness can never substitute adequately for preliminary work and preparation, and most of the time teachers who rely on their own cleverness fall into the use of old materials, repetitions, and digressions. Often some teachers have the illusion that the lesson or material is so simple, so easy, and so elementary that they require no preparation.

No teaching, however, requires more preparation than the teaching of young people. There is nothing more difficult than helping young minds begin building a fund of knowledge—minds often with small capacity and very few ideas. It is not easy to help students with inattentive and unskilled minds move toward study and reflection. Teachers must practice becoming like young people, borrowing their language, taking their ideas, and placing all they say into the young people’s limited area of knowledge. This kind of teaching requires real skill and devotion. Teachers who do not prepare for it are acting outside of the counsels of prudence. Consider teachers who are imprudent enough and presumptuous enough to dare running a class without looking ahead to what they are going to say or do. They enter the class without books or materials. They tend to talk at the top of their voice when they should be silent, saying whatever comes into their minds without considering the worth of what is being said or the importance of their opinions. They do not ask for anyone’s advice and do not even listen to those with more experience. There exists great disorder in their explanations, making them incoherent and practically unintelligible to the students. They deny one day what they have rashly advocated on a previous day, and they often contradict what they have said before. The result of all this is boredom and dislike on the part of students. The students, condemned to listen, yawn or sleep and do not know what to do during the class. They waste their time and begin to take on a dislike of learning and study. This dislike may stay with them for a long time, since that is one of the peculiarities of youth: The impressions and experiences of youth tend to leave an indelible trace during an entire life. It is important for young people, then, to learn early the habits of work and application. A skillful and prudent teacher is able to profit from this peculiarity of youth and give students a good and solid education from the beginning.

Prudence, then, is of the greatest importance. Experience is one sure path for acquiring it, but there is another upon which we must all rely: an openness to the Lord, especially in prayer. Ask the Lord for prudence; pray to the “author of all wisdom” that you will be given the light and necessary graces to direct and lead you in everything with the prudence and wisdom necessary to teach. §

Meditation — Colleen Richards

Blessed Basil Moreau instructs us in the ways of true prudence.  Prudence is practical, it solves problems, and it is idealistic in preserving the mission.

Criticism comes regularly to the teacher or school leader.  The number of words in the complaint directly corresponds with the recipient’s blood pressure, so temperance and charity are in immediate need, and silence, too, at least temporarily.  The prudent response to the criticism must be:  Which of these claims are true or even partly true?  What should be done about them?  Honesty separates the prudence of the world from the prudence of God.

Fortunately, Bl. Basil Moreau provides guidance for preventing such things.  Be attentive to the needs of your individual students.  Prepare your lessons thoroughly. You are called to “help students with inattentive and unskilled minds move toward study and reflection;” this only happens with careful preparation.  Bl. Basil vividly contrasts the characteristics of prudent and imprudent teachers.

We don’t want to take the name of prudence in vain.  “Prudence” is sometimes used to cover cowardice and self-promotion.  Our caution in acting should have the glory of God and the salvation of souls as its aim.  The prudence of the world wants to preserve my reputation and the things I want.  The prudence of God seeks the best ways of carrying out His will, not always without risk.  Sacrifices are required to prepare our lessons and consider the needs of our students.  Commitment to these tasks brings joy!

Examen

Where could I help my students delight in the discovery of truth?  Have I prepared that path for them in my lessons?  Do I use mediocre lessons because, “It’s from the book, so I know it’s good,” when the opposite is true?

What does each of my students need?  What academic deficiencies are they showing me? Have taken time to address them?  What does their demeanor show me they need?  Have I spent time considering the right way to help them?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, what a cloud of deception can undermine this virtue, prudence!  How are we ever to live it?  Give us pure hearts, genuine willingness to label our faults, and firmness to commit to reform them.  Show us the joy that comes from doing our duties well.  And give us the loving spirit that seeks to know the needs of our students, and searches out how to provide for them.

(Please also offer one Mass and one Rosary some time this month for the intentions of the members of the Confraternity.)