In addition to instruction in Biblical topics, one important aspect of Living Education-Charlotte is the opportunity for students to learn practical life skills. The experiences and education offered at Living Education sets students up for success, and equips them to be more competent, conscientious young adults. In this past week’s forum, Mr. Jonathan McNair shared a series of PSA videos on safe driving principles to help better equip students with safe habits.
Keep Others in Mind While Driving
Mr. McNair reminded the students that accidents can happen at any point. It’s important to remember your priorities: keeping you, your loved ones, and others out of danger is a critical mindset while driving. To this point, he shared a video by the Smith System group, which further emphasized the importance of keeping a selfless, family-oriented focus while driving.
Smith System Keys to Defensive Driving
The Smith System method of defensive driving incorporates five distinct steps, each with an instructional video:
Even if you consider yourself a safe driver, it’s no guarantee that others are as careful as you are. It’s important to stay alert, remain focused, and remember to look out for others—especially your own passengers. Having a proactive, defensive attitude while driving can reduce the risk of accidents and ensure the safety not of your own vehicle, but everyone around you.
David Markopoulos is a Living Education alumnus from the 2023-2025 school years. Originally hailing from Chicago, he currently works for the Living Education program.
https://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/driving-7351259_1280.jpg8531280David Markopouloshttps://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/logo_basic-website-300x94.pngDavid Markopoulos2025-10-01 12:12:102025-10-01 12:12:11Mr. Jonathan McNair: Safe Driving
Mr. Bob Rodzaj, a regional pastor overseeing the Northeastern United States, delivered a forum message to this year’s Living Education students, encouraging them to learn an important, often-overlooked skill. Whether you’re a manager, employee, teacher, or engaged in some other profession, one important ability that can greatly boost both your professional career and personal competence is the skill of running effective meetings. Mr. Rodzaj noted that at some point, it’s likely that all of us will be in a position of some responsibility and will need to run a meeting. In his forum, Mr. Rodzaj gave the students six keys to running effective meetings.
Make Sure You Even Need to Have a Meeting
Running effective meetings involves preparation behind the scenes beforehand. An important aspect of that preparation typically involves evaluating the priorities and objectives of what the meeting is trying to accomplish. A small handful of minor points that can be addressed privately may not be the most effective reason to call a meeting. A well-run meeting should clarify, not create more questions.
Consider Who Really Needs to Have a Meeting
Not everyone in your team may need to be involved. Involving every person in every meeting may be an unproductive use of their time, and could actually hinder progress. The right information should be addressed to the right people.
If Possible, Schedule the Meeting at an Optimal Time for All Attendees
Meetings can be hard to coordinate. It’s good to plan a time that works for everyone well in advance, and clearly communicate so that everyone has time to prepare. We should consider a person’s situation: there may be circumstances that make it difficult for someone to attend a meeting, and we should be prepared to work around that. Time management is also important—a general rule for most meetings is to keep it between 30 and 60 minutes. It’s important to be mindful of other peoples’ time, and to clearly communicate not only what the meeting is about, but also the time frame.
Prepare an Agenda
Preparing what you’re going to talk about is important for organizing your thoughts. It’s important to arrange it clearly, logically, and systematically to prevent confusion on your part or the parts of anyone who reads it. It should establish what the meeting is about, not create more questions.
Distribute the Agenda Ahead of Time
Share the agenda with your team ahead of time to let them know what will be discussed. A quick pre-meeting message can help remind them of a few important points and address anything they might need to review to prepare.
Start the Meeting on Time, Keep it on Track, and End on Time
Keeping others’ time in mind is critical. Start the meeting promptly, lay down ground rules, and maintain control before it gets too far off track. Encouraging collaboration and creativity is important within the bounds of reason, and it’s helpful to exercise moderation as we let the conversation flow. If the meeting begins to get off-topic or disruptive, keep a hold on the discussion and keep it flowing in the right direction. Finally, be sure to end your meeting on time and promptly.
When running meetings, it’s important to be personable, organized, and balanced. This is an important skill that can serve us throughout our lives and careers as we develop the ability to lead and manage others. Whether you’ve ever run a meeting before, understanding these skills can help us later on in the event we ever are in that position, and can help us strengthen existing skills to be an even more effective member of our team.
David Markopoulos is a Living Education alumnus from the 2023-2025 school years. Originally hailing from Chicago, he currently works for the Living Education program.
https://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/office-1516329_1280.jpg8481280David Markopouloshttps://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/logo_basic-website-300x94.pngDavid Markopoulos2025-10-01 11:53:022025-10-01 12:07:53Mr. Bob Rodzaj: Running an Effective Meeting
Mr. Wyatt Ciesielka, a regional pastor serving in the eastern United States, delivered a forum message to the Living Education students. In his message, Mr. Ciesielka addressed a major doctrinal topic with important theological implications: the doctrine of the Trinity. The Trinity is one of the most important topics of discussion among theological circles, and many denominations have varying beliefs about it. However, as Mr. Ciesielka points out, the truth about this mainstream Christian doctrine is different from what many people realize.
Origins of the Mystery
Where did the idea of the Trinity originate? Long before Christianity, the ancient Babylonians worshiped a triune deity that formed the superlative basis for their pantheon. Alexander Hislop, in his book The Two Babylons, stated: “In the unity of that one Only God of the Babylonians, there were three persons, and to symbolize that doctrine of the Trinity, they employed… the equilateral triangle, just as it is well known the Romish Church does at this day.” Mr. Ciesielka presented numerous historic quotes as well as pictures of ancient artwork, statues and stele on display at museums ranging from the Louvre to the Vatican. This ancient art and artifacts depicts not only ancient Babylonian worship of a triune godhead, or often a three-faced deity, which represented the principal member of their pantheon, but as Mr. Ciesielka demonstrated these same type of artifacts were also found in ancient Egypt, India, Persia and elsewhere.
Christianity Adopted Paganism
Over time, a change in how this early deity was most commonly depicted occurred. Rather than a single god with three faces, a “triune” god-head began to be worshiped as three distinct gods. The reason for this change is shown in the story of Nimrod, Semiramis, and Tammuz – three figures who embodied the role of a major god, his consort, and the reborn son. This concept of three primary deities over all the rest was found in every major world religion, including in “pre-Christian” times. As fledgling Christianity came into contact with the cultures of various nations, it was not difficult for syncretism to occur. Will Durant, in his book Caesar and Christ, pointed out: “Christianity did not destroy paganism; it adopted it… Christianity was the last great creation of the ancient pagan world.”
The Catholic Church
Today, the Catholic Church holds the doctrine of a triune God as its central theological pillar. Catechism 234 of the Catholic Church states that “The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God in himself. It is therefore the source of all the other mysteries of faith, the light that enlightens them. It is the most fundamental and essential teaching in the ‘hierarchy of the truths of faith.’” And Catechism 738 states that it is the Catholic Church’s “mission” to “spread the mystery of the communion of the Holy Trinity.” As Mr. Ciesielka noted, it is no understatement to say that trinitarianism—the origins of which can be clearly proven to be pre-Christian and pagan—is the most important doctrinal point of the Catholic religion.
What is the Holy Spirit?
If God is not described as a Trinity in the Bible, how can we account for the seeming presence of a third member of the Godhead? Most people assume the Holy Spirit—often referred to as a “He”—is a deity in itself, which not only the Catholics teach, but as was demonstrated, Protestant and many Messianic or Hebrew Roots churches also teach. But this is based on an incorrect interpretation of Scripture that is used to justify what can be proven as a false, pagan doctrine.
The Holy Spirit is never addressed as a person by the apostles, as opposed to the Father and Jesus Christ, and Mr. Ciesielka presented numerous quotes from Dr. Meredith, Mr. Weston, Mr. John Ogwyn, Mr. Armstrong, and others to help make this point. As he explained the Church has long taught, in the Greek language of the New Testament, just like in French or Spanish, or many other languages, the use of the masculine pronoun, “he”, does not necessarily mean that the thing being referred to is a “male” in gender, or is even an animal or a person. However, one grammar argument which he wanted us to be aware of, and which some advocates of the Trinity will use to make an erroneous grammatical argument, is based on John 14:26, where a neuter noun is used. Mr. Ciesielka showed an example of where some trinitarians will use this Scripture to argue that the writer had “a choice” in whether he used a masculine or neuter pronoun.
Since the Gospel writer supposedly “chose” to use the pronoun “he”, instead of “it” in this passage, then the argument goes that that was supposedly a way in which the Gospel of John is conveying that the Holy Spirit is “a person.” However, in reality, in John 14:26 the “he” pronoun refers to “the Helper, the Holy Spirit.” The term for the Holy Spirit in Greek, pneuma, is a neuter word which, in this context, serves as the apposition to the word for Helper—parakletos—which is a male noun, and the subject of the sentence. The pronoun used in this sentence must take on the gender of the subject (Helper), rather than the apposition (Spirit)—so the writer had no “choice” in which pronoun he used. This has been frequently cited as an important verse proving the nature of the Holy Spirit, when in reality the opposite is true: the Holy Spirit is not a “being”, but is God’s essence and His power, enabling us to be transformed into the very nature of the true God Himself.
What God Tells Us
Throughout the pages of the Bible, God has never been secretive about how He wants to be worshiped, or who He is. He has never demanded that we accept an “unknowable” God, or an “unknowable mystery”, which is how Trinitarians describe the nature of the Trinity. Instead, we find consistent examples affirming that God does not operate or reveal doctrine through “mystery religions” or sacramental ritualism. A Scripture Mr. Ciesielka used to make this point was Jesus’ own words in John 4:22, where He stated: “You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship.” God has always been clear, consistent, and honest with His worshipers about what He expects from them, as well as on the subject of His own divine nature—and the description of a triune God is nowhere to be found in Scripture. As believers in Christ and partakers of His Holy Spirit, we have what no other god offers—the chance to truly know our God and Savior, and to become like Him as part of His Family.
David Markopoulos is a Living Education alumnus from the 2023-2025 school years. Originally hailing from Chicago, he currently works for the Living Education program.
https://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/home-2571088_1280.jpg8531280David Markopouloshttps://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/logo_basic-website-300x94.pngDavid Markopoulos2025-09-30 13:48:422025-09-30 18:46:30Mr. Wyatt Ciesielka: Is God a Trinity? Ancient Origins and End-Time Implications
Mr. Wayne Tlumak is a faithful elder serving as one of the core theology instructors at Living Education, and a native New Yorker. Before being employed by the Church, Mr. Tlumak worked as a manager and trainer for the New York City Housing Authority. It was during this time in his life that he experienced one of the most impactful experiences of his life—something that not only changed him, but the world as a whole.
On September 11th, 2001, terrorists from the extremist group al-Qaeda attacked the United States. They hijacked multiple airlines, and used them to attack multiple important locations—in particular, the World Trade Center in New York City, and the Pentagon in Washington DC. As an eyewitness of those attacks, Mr. Tlumak delivered a forum message describing his experience to the Living Education students as an important reminder of our nation’s history.
A Dark Morning
Mr. Tlumak’s day began early. A training facility that he managed had been broken into the night before, and he was in the process of inspecting it. Calling the police, he was quickly interrupted by the sound of sirens everywhere. At that very moment, a coworker informed him that a plane had just crashed into one of the twin towers—the main fixtures of the World Trade Center complex. Mr. Tlumak asked the officer on the line if that was true. The officer confirmed that it was, and that every officer in the city was headed to the scene. Hanging up, Mr. Tlumak rushed to the roof to see what was happening.
The moment he reached the roof, a second plane struck the South Tower. It was at that moment that Mr. Tlumak—and everyone watching—knew that the United States was under attack.
Mr. Tlumak recalled to the students the great collective excitement of when those mighty towers were being constructed—as a youth, he had watched them being built. “Now I was watching them burn,” he said.
A National Tragedy
The images that Mr. Tlumak witnessed are seared into the memories of many who witnessed that terrible attack. Over the course of 102 minutes, both buildings burned, their internal structures damaged, until finally collapsing to the ground. Almost 3,000 people died as a result, and an unprecedented level of damage occurred in the surrounding area. Smoke billows covered the city, and many people breathed in toxic asbestos. As Mr. Tlumak walked around, taking in the horrific scene, he was overcome by the scale of the tragic violence.
In addition to the towers, another plane was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon in Washington DC. Another plane was hijacked, but passengers onboard fought back, taking over the plane before it crash-landed in Pennsylvania. Its target can only be speculated. All in all, 9/11 claimed almost 3,000 lives, and affected countless more.
Providence
Mr. Tlumak will long remember that day, but he added that while the tragedy was terrible, God spared us from even greater destruction. Even in the midst of a horrific tragedy, God’s hand was evident. First, Mr. Tlumak explained that no one above the floors where the planes had hit could have survived. If the planes had struck any lower, even more lives would have been lost. Second, a wall on the western side of Manhattan prevented the Hudson River from pouring into the city. When the twin towers collapsed, a crack formed—but didn’t burst. God held back the waters from flooding both the streets and the subways below, sparing the city from countless more deaths. Even in the face of horrible suffering and tragedy, God’s hand was present.
Never Forget
We as a nation can never forget the horrible tragedy that occurred that day. It changed the world in many ways. From our security processes to our collective view of religion, 9/11 has had a powerful butterfly effect on almost everything in the modern world. It even prompted a brief national sense of unity and focus on God—but, as we see today, that may have been short-lived.
Our world is in a state of decline, and the lessons that God wants us to learn through 9/11 should not be lost with time. As with all tragedies, God allowed this terrible day to come for a reason. It is not for us to wonder, or be angry, but to accept His purpose and live our life right. We should remember the lives that were lost, and learn to be ambassadors of a better nation—the heavenly Kingdom to which God has called us.
David Markopoulos is a Living Education alumnus from the 2023-2025 school years. Originally hailing from Chicago, he currently works for the Living Education program.
https://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tribute-in-light-4470713_1280.jpg7201280David Markopouloshttps://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/logo_basic-website-300x94.pngDavid Markopoulos2025-09-18 15:54:302025-09-26 13:54:06Mr. Wayne Tlumak: Remembering 9/11
Mr. Joshua Lyons, a pastor serving in the Upper Midwest area of the United States, began a recent forum message by asking the Living Education students a question: “Do you like money?” While for most of us the answer is “yes,” Mr. Lyons—previously serving as the Assistant Financial Controller for the Church—pointed out a sobering fact: few people actually have a grounded understanding of how to handle their finances.
Having a good handle on your personal finances is one of the most important skills you can learn in life—and there are many who never learn it. Further, most ignore important biblical principles that contribute to financial stability, such as tithing and giving offerings. Mr. Lyons stressed that while having practical financial literacy is important, there are godly principles that can be applied to handling our money. His forum message covered 12 practical financial principles:
Have at Least $1,000 in an Emergency Fund
Making sure you have some spare money in savings is critical. Emergencies can happen at any time, and having an emergency fund that you not only never touch, but continuously contribute to, is fundamentally important.
Intentionally Build and Maintain a Good Credit Score
While it’s easy for some to view credit cards as an easy way out—or, conversely, the greatest evil ever conceived—carefully building good credit is very important and beneficial. This takes both discipline and intentionality—avoiding credit card debt by promptly paying it off helps build a good credit score, and helps earn benefits.
Buy Things Used
Buying name-brand items and expensive retail products can be tempting, but the obvious problem is that we tend to spend more than we should. We can avoid going into debt over high prices by thrifting. Buying used furniture, clothes, and other items is an intelligent way to get what you want/need without unnecessary overspending.
Keep a Personal Balance Sheet
Mr. Lyons advised the students to run their personal finances like a business. Carefully track your expenses, cash flow, and liabilities. Making sure we know where our money is going is critical to having a firm handle on our own money. Developing your own method for tracking finances will be extremely helpful later on.
Avoid Credit Card Debt
While it’s easy to hear, it’s harder to put into practice. Credit card debt can be a dangerous black hole that sucks the money right out of our wallets. While building credit can be helpful, if we recklessly spend money we don’t have, we incur unnecessary and dangerous debt. We should be vigilant of our credit card usage, and have the discipline and foresight to avoid debt.
Never Invest in Anything You Don’t Understand
If you don’t know what you’re getting into, you shouldn’t do it. There are all kinds of places to invest your money, but we should apply discernment before we put our money into something. Investments can be an important way to help build wealth, and it’s important to understand exactly what we’re getting ourselves into.
Never Gamble.
Gambling can be a temptation for many seeking an easy way to get rich quickly. But not only is it risky and irresponsible, it is also a serious issue laden with spiritual implications. The money we have is given to us by God, and we have a responsibility to take care of it in a responsible, godly way. On this point, Mr. Lyons referenced a relevant sermon by Mr. Jonathan McNair on this very issue.
Make Sure Your Biggest Decisions are Good Ones
Small purchases here and there might not destroy your bank account, but the bigger ones can have heavy implications. We should think through our biggest purchases first before making a decision. It’s important to consider the implications of our choices and whether those decisions will impact us later. If we’re going to make a big financial decision, we should be sure that it’s a good one.
Choose a Good Career & Get a Good Job
Connected to the previous point, one major decision that we make is our choice of career. While there are many factors that go into that decision, one should certainly be the financial considerations. We want to be able to take care of our families and have a solid hold on our money. Particularly for young people who have not yet decided, making educated decisions about your career is a critical element of long-term financial success.
Always Spend Less Money Than You Make
While it may be easier said than done, this point takes a great deal of discipline and intentionality. If we spend more than what we make, we’re putting ourselves in a serious financial situation that can be hard to escape from. Making sure we live within our means is a critical way to maintain financial stability.
Make Your Money Work For You
Making solid investment choices can be hugely beneficial to our financial stability. It’s important to be educated on investment opportunities, side hustles, and other ways to make our money make more money. Your assets can earn you even more money if you know how to wield it properly.
Spend Time Educating Yourself on Personal Finances
As with all things, becoming competent with your personal finances takes time. Becoming financially literate is a long-term investment that will pay off as we build stability in our lives. We should put forth the effort to educate ourselves and live responsibly as we put good habits to practice.
Understanding how to handle money is more than a practical skill—it is an essential aspect of our lives, and we must ensure that we have a disciplined approach to our personal finances. The financial blessings we enjoy are gifts from God, and He lets us learn to take care of what ultimately is His money. With this in mind, it’s important to be good stewards of the gifts God has given us, learn to practice discipline, and build good personal financial habits.
David Markopoulos is a Living Education alumnus from the 2023-2025 school years. Originally hailing from Chicago, he currently works for the Living Education program.
Author: Katelyn Wissinger| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2025-26
This past Sunday, we traveled to Sunset Beach, NC, for a relaxing afternoon and a welcome reprieve from the past week. While a trip to the beach is quite dependent on the weather, and ours was cut short because of the unwelcome rain, we enjoyed it nonetheless and got our fair share of the sun.
Around 8 am, we packed up the vans and headed off on the road, full of anticipation for what lay ahead. At about 12.30 am, we arrived at the beach, and thankfully, there was little trouble in finding a close parking space that made our walk to the sand a whole lot shorter. Once on the beach, students and faculty set about putting up the gazebos and setting up the camping chairs. Scarcely were we there for more than a few minutes before students eagerly dashed towards the beckoning blue expanse in front of them. Others, a little famished, stayed back and dived into the prepared pasta salad bowls for lunch. The sun was at its full height as it shone strongly on all the beachgoers. Some of the students took the opportunity to rest under the gazebos on the warm sands, but most eventually made it into the waves and enjoyed rolling and jumping into them. As expected, some got to experience the taste of the delightfully briny water a little too much. As the afternoon rolled on, the ominous grey clouds in the distance and the echoes of thunder drew closer and closer. Students and faculty prepared themselves, repacking our belongings as we closely watched the droplets of precipitation getting ever closer. The downpour eventually hit our location, and we all made a mad dash for the vans.
While the beach trip may have been cut short due to the gloomy weather, the time we did enjoy on the coast made memories and allowed us to appreciate God’s creation. For some, it was their first time they were able to go so far out into the water to jump waves, and for others, it reminded them why the beach is such a beautiful place.
https://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_3479.jpg11251500Katelyn Wissingerhttps://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/logo_basic-website-300x94.pngKatelyn Wissinger2025-09-12 17:00:002025-09-18 14:37:49A Beautiful But Brief Beach Trip
In a recent forum message, Mr. Wallace Smith reminded the Living Education students of the important opportunity that they have during the course of the program. While the Living Education-Charlotte program offers many opportunities to learn, grow, and have new experiences, Mr. Smith encouraged the students to use this time as an opportunity to deeply reflect on the foundational pillars of their worldview.
Belief
Everyone has beliefs that shape their worldview. Even small, unimportant opinions are supported by larger, foundational beliefs that make up the core structure of our perception of reality. We look at the world through the lens of those beliefs, and everyone has a different worldview as a result.
In our Christian journey, the beliefs that we hold in the context of our faith are often supported by a set of more specific, core beliefs—beliefs that frame the very foundation of our understanding of reality. The exact nature of those beliefs may vary to each of us, but no one can deny their importance to our worldview and our lives.
What Should Our Beliefs Be?
While we believe the Bible and what it says, the things that we believe about it really stem from more specific truths—i.e., while we believe that pork is unclean, there are several truths that come before that point that are important for us to internalize.
Mr. Smith took the time to share his personal set of three core beliefs that framed his worldview, establishing the foundation for everything else:
God Is Real
The reality of God’s existence is a fundamental point for us to understand and internalize. Mr. Smith referenced Romans 1:20, stating: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” If we don’t first make God’s existence a core aspect of our fundamental belief system, we compromise the integrity of our overall worldview and its stability.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God
If the Man who walked the earth 2,000 years ago preaching the Gospel was not really God’s Son, then an important aspect of God’s plan is missing. We must understand that Jesus was the Son of God and that His death covers our sins. Mr. Smith quoted 1 Corinthians 15:12-18: “Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? …If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile.”
The Bible is God’s Word
The final of Mr. Smith’s proposed pillars is the validity of the Bible. We must recognize its authority and importance, and remember that what it says has been divinely inspired by God. As John 17:17 states, “Your [God’s] word is truth.”
Establish Your Pillars!
It’s important for us to evaluate our priorities and make sure that we have an accurate perception of reality—one that is grounded in the truth revealed in God’s word. As we continue to learn and develop as Christians, it’s critical for us to make sure our worldview aligns with what God has ordained by His will. As students of Living Education have the opportunity to evaluate their personal beliefs and develop a more well-rounded worldview, we all have the responsibility to establish a strong, biblically-grounded worldview that is focused on God.
David Markopoulos is a Living Education alumnus from the 2023-2025 school years. Originally hailing from Chicago, he currently works for the Living Education program.
In a recent forum, Mrs. Christy McNair began by asking the Living Education students a question: how do you take notes? It should come as no surprise that note taking is an important aspect of learning, and Mrs. McNair’s forum offered sound principles of effective note taking.
The Problem With Notes
Taking notes may seem straightforward, but the quality of our personal notes can easily be affected by distractions, lack of engagement in what we’re hearing, and our own lack of organizational prowess. The problem is all too common: passive listening leads to disorganized, poorly written notes that don’t actually benefit us later on.
The Cornell Method
Mrs. McNair introduced the students to the Cornell Method of taking notes. This style of note taking is used to neatly organize information for handy reference and help reinforce active listening, rather than passive—allowing us to more easily remember what we’ve learned.
Consisting of a left-hand column—in which you put your key points and cues—a right-hand column—in which you put important points relating to your cues—and a bottom section summarizing what you’ve learned, this method simplifies the randomized, chaotic notes that many tend to create out of habit.
This method is particularly effective when used with other principles in mind. Mrs. McNair stressed that it’s important to not try and write down every word: pick out the main points, and use the Cornell Method to organize what you’re hearing.
Reread Your Notes
One other important piece of advice that Mrs. McNair related was to go back over your notes within the next 24 hours. Even a short ten minutes going over the material can greatly add to your understanding of the topic and help you remember it for longer.
The Cornell Method and the other principles Mrs. McNair shared with the students are important lessons, not only for taking notes but for becoming a more effective student and learner. Our efforts to be a disciplined, resourceful, and successful student of whatever we’re taking on requires careful planning, active listening, and an organized mind.
David Markopoulos is a Living Education alumnus from the 2023-2025 school years. Originally hailing from Chicago, he currently works for the Living Education program.
As the brand new Living Education school year takes off, building effective study habits is important for each of the students. In this latest forum, Mr. Jonathan McNair introduced the students to several study habits to better equip them for success, both during the school year and throughout their lives.
Marty Lobdell: Study Less, Study Smart
Mr. McNair began by playing a video by Marty Lobdell, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Pierce University. In the video, Professor Lobdell gave sound principles of effective study habits based on years of teaching expertise, as well as examples from his own time as a student.
Many students who trudge through studying for hours don’t actually learn anything of value. “Things that are reinforced, we tend to do more of,” he said. Professor Lobdell’s study method emphasizes prioritizing time and maintaining focus. In his time teaching, he noticed that it only takes about 20-30 minutes for a student to lose focus while studying—once you begin to lose focus on what you’re reading, stop and take a 5-minute break before coming back to it. This way, you maximize your focus and are able to train yourself to focus for longer.
Professor Lobdell also encourages his students to eliminate distractions around them. If you’re studying in the bedroom, the temptation is to lie down in bed—if you’re studying in the kitchen, the temptation is to make food. Having a designated study spot and staying disciplined in the face of distractions makes a huge impact on your study habits. It especially impacts our ability to understand the difference between facts and concepts—a distinction that is crucial to our comprehension of the material to which we are exposed. Professor Lobdell noted aptly, “If it doesn’t change your behavior, you haven’t learned it.”
Dr. Andrew Huberman: The Top Study Habits to Improve Learning
In another video, Dr. Andrew Huberman discussed a survey of students that examined habits of successful students. These habits are an important example that can be incorporated into our own approach to studying.
Successful students designate time to study without distractions. Similar to Professor Lobdell’s advice, students who establish disciplined habits and remove distracting stimuli have an easier time focusing. Successful students also make the habit of teaching other peers. A good rule of thumb is to watch someone do it, do it yourself, and teach it—watch one, do one, teach one.
Dr. Huberman stressed that focus and attention are finite resources, but they’re also renewable. Even with a strain on our focus, we can build our resistance to outside distractions and renew what we’ve used up. Regularity and consistence are key—we need to have a good handle on our priorities and schedule. Dr. Huberman also emphasized motivation—the highest-performing students not only enjoy what they do, they have a long-term vision and the drive to fulfill it. If you love what you do, you have a strong advantage.
Being Smarter Students
Whether we’re still in school or past that stage of life, the reality is that we learn every day. We are called to be students of God’s word, and as such, we have a responsibility to take ownership of our learning. While these habits are especially geared toward students, these principles apply to all of us as we take the time to become more effective learners.
David Markopoulos is a Living Education alumnus from the 2023-2025 school years. Originally hailing from Chicago, he currently works for the Living Education program.
https://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/desk-3076954_1280.jpg8521280David Markopouloshttps://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/logo_basic-website-300x94.pngDavid Markopoulos2025-09-05 10:39:032025-09-26 13:57:01Mr. Jonathan McNair: How to Get Smart
Author: Katelyn Wissinger| Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2025-26
At Living Education, one of the courses we take is Life Roles. When we look at the world around us, there is so much confusion about what it means to be a man or a woman, or even about the differences between them. Mr. McNair addressed this in the introduction to the class.
To provide context for the reason for the course, Mr. McNair examined both masculinity and femininity. The world sees men as toxic, useless, and irrelevant. It sees women as oppressed and in the bonds of patriarchy. Yet God’s word challenges us to view men and women differently and to accept that they have complimentary – roles and responsibilities – a fact society around us wants to ignore. Godly masculinity is defined by the characteristics described as relating to a man in the Bible – not society. And godly femininity is likewise defined by the characteristics described as associated with a woman in God’s word.
The men’s and women’s life roles classes this year will teach skills and provide knowledge so that we can fulfill the roles God has designed for us in life. I, for one, am excited for women’s life roles where we’ll learn things like how to provide a healthy and nutritious diet for ourselves and our family, how to beautify and improve our life and life for those around us, how to care for ourselves, our husband and our family, and how to serve our church and our community. A number of ladies from the Charlotte congregation provide expertise in a wide range of topics, bringing their knowledge and experience to bear – and also building bonds of friendship with our Living Education women.
https://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/DSC2960.jpg10001500Katelyn Wissingerhttps://www.lcgeducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/logo_basic-website-300x94.pngKatelyn Wissinger2025-08-29 17:00:002025-09-05 09:24:57Why A Life Roles Class?
