{"id":6906,"date":"2016-03-10T06:25:05","date_gmt":"2016-03-10T06:25:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/?p=6906"},"modified":"2016-03-09T16:49:15","modified_gmt":"2016-03-09T16:49:15","slug":"life-without-levels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/50plus\/life-without-levels\/","title":{"rendered":"Life Without Levels"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>If you have any school connections you will be aware that school reports usually indicate what level the student is working at.<\/p>\n<p>This has a number of undesired effects:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The level acts as a label.<\/li>\n<li>Those with a low level will be convinced that they can never achieve more than their level and may give up before even trying.<\/li>\n<li>Those with a high level will pat themselves on the back, reassured that they are ok and will not challenge themselves any further.<\/li>\n<li>Students will quickly learn how to do just enough to get by without getting into trouble.<\/li>\n<li>They will work to achieve what is expected of them &#8211; the level they have been labelled with rather than the best they could be.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The challenge the teaching profession currently have is that they have been told to stop using levels but not told what to replace them with.<br \/>\nThis is a cunning move as they are having to use the same principles \u2013 they have to come up with methods of marking and reporting that are intrinsically without levels.<\/p>\n<p>I think this has an application to our Christian walk as well &#8211; it is very easy to compare ourselves to others and settle for less than God wants us to be.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Luke 18:9-14 (NIV)<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: \u201cTwo men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: \u2018God, I thank you that I am not like other people\u2014robbers, evildoers, adulterers\u2014or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.\u2019<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> \u201cBut the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, \u2018God, have mercy on me, a sinner.\u2019<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> \u201cI tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The challenge is that we should be always learning and growing.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Philippians 3:12 (NIV)<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Part of the briefing I received on life without levels suggested that the key is having the right mindset.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"border: none;\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Growth-v-Fixed-Final.jpg?w=550\" alt=\"Growth-v-Fixed-Final\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Philippians 2:5 (NIV)<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus\u2026<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The good news is our mindset can be transformed.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Romans 12:2 (NIV)<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God\u2019s will is\u2014his good, pleasing and perfect will.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Getting older or retirement does not mean we stop learning or growing \u2013 there is more for each one of us.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Image Credit: <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.coetail.com\/wayfaringpath\/files\/2014\/12\/Growth-v-Fixed-Final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Reid Wilson<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"linkwithin_hook\" id=\"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/50plus\/life-without-levels\/\"><\/div><script>\n<!-- \/\/LinkWithinCodeStart\nvar linkwithin_site_id = 897245;\nvar linkwithin_div_class = \"linkwithin_hook\";\n\/\/LinkWithinCodeEnd -->\n<\/script>\n<script src=\"http:\/\/www.linkwithin.com\/widget.js\"><\/script>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.linkwithin.com\/\"><img src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.linkwithin.com\/pixel.png?w=750\" alt=\"Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...\" style=\"border: 0\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you have any school connections you will be aware that school reports usually indicate what level the student is working at. This has a number of undesired effects: The level acts as a label. Those with a low level will be convinced that they can never achieve more than their level and may give [&hellip;]<\/p>\n<script>\n<!-- \/\/LinkWithinCodeStart\nvar linkwithin_site_id = 897245;\nvar linkwithin_div_class = \"linkwithin_hook\";\n\/\/LinkWithinCodeEnd -->\n<\/script>\n<script src=\"http:\/\/www.linkwithin.com\/widget.js\"><\/script>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.linkwithin.com\/\"><img src=\"http:\/\/www.linkwithin.com\/pixel.png\" alt=\"Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...\" style=\"border: 0\" \/><\/a>","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":6909,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[319],"tags":[555,808,1231,1232],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Growth-v-Fixed-Final.jpg?fit=550%2C413&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7PoLK-1No","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9905,"url":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-cvm-team\/code-unleashed-modelling-the-better-way-part-5\/","url_meta":{"origin":6906,"position":0},"title":"CODE UNLEASHED: Modelling the Better Way (Part 5)","date":"22 August 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"A while back I was asked to speak at a church I had never been to before. I think they had been told about CVM Cymru and that I was a good person to fill a \u2018pulpit\u2019 slot that would have otherwise been difficult to fill. Now don\u2019t get me\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Team CVM&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Codeunleashed-1.jpg?fit=610%2C291&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3263,"url":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/50plus\/man-sunday\/","url_meta":{"origin":6906,"position":1},"title":"Man Sunday","date":"8 November 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Level Four evangelism \u2013 \u201cman-friendly church\u201d was once a far-off, lofty place we only aspired to one day reach. In the meantime, there was a whole stack of work to be shifted in getting Levels One and Two off the ground. (To the uninitiated, in CVM\u2019s Four-Level Evangelism Strategy, these\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;50 Plus&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/CVM-50plus-blog-640x360.jpg?fit=640%2C360&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7623,"url":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-cvm-team\/the-10-most-important-things-you-need-to-know-in-life-pt-410\/","url_meta":{"origin":6906,"position":2},"title":"The 10 Most Important Things You Need To Know In Life (Pt 4\/10)","date":"4 July 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"OK, we are looking at No 6 \u2018The 6th grade level of talking\u2019. I think this is about how we can learn skills to talk and share our views by developing really clear and uncomplicated levels of communication. By intentionally talking at a 6th Grade level it is being suggested\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Team CVM&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/7-needs.jpg?fit=565%2C350&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9380,"url":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/50plus\/f1-in-defence-of-the-gospel\/","url_meta":{"origin":6906,"position":3},"title":"F1 In defence of the gospel.","date":"15 April 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Paul wrote: \u201cI am put here for the defence of the gospel.\u201d Philippians 1:16 NIV The new formula one season has begun and I have been intrigued by a documentary series, \u2018Driving - to survive\u2019. A year-long intimate account of those involved in F1. The documentary,\u00a0among many other things, is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;50 Plus&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/f1-BLOG.jpg?fit=610%2C291&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9616,"url":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-cvm-team\/day-1\/","url_meta":{"origin":6906,"position":4},"title":"Day 1","date":"13 September 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"This week my brother Ben and I are trying to cycle from St David\u2019s in Wales right across the widest point of the UK to Lowestoft.\u00a0 When I dreamed this Grand Challenge up in lockdown it seemed like a fantastic idea and made perfect sense, now as it begins today\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Team CVM&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/BLOG-biketub.jpg?fit=610%2C291&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6968,"url":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/50plus\/creativity\/","url_meta":{"origin":6906,"position":5},"title":"Creativity","date":"14 April 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"God created the universe and He made man in his own image....... this is mind blowing! Therefore may I suggest that we think outside of the box and focus on how each one of us could be more creative this week. This may be with our hands such as photography\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;50 Plus&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6906"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6906"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6906\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6916,"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6906\/revisions\/6916"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6906"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6906"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6906"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}