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Making the Grade

Album: 20: A Journey of Choices

Episode: 264

Lesson/Theme: Personal discipline; the importance of education.

Bible Verse: Proverbs 12:1

Characters: Donna, George, Jimmy, Mary

Writer: Paul McCusker

Sound Designer: Mark Drury

Original Air Date: April 16, 1994

Last Air Date: January 28, 2009

Description:
The Barclays are celebrating Mary's pregnancy and George's acceptance into seminary. At the celebration, Jimmy tells his father that he thinks he'd like to be a paramedic someday. George thinks it's a wonderful idea and wholeheartedly encourages Jimmy. The next day, Jimmy meets with a career counselor who enters Jimmy's career goal into a special computer. It matches Jimmy's goal with his current educational status. The counselor will present the results to a paramedic, whom Jimmy and others in his class will later visit. To prepare for the meeting, Jimmy borrows a dummy to practice CPR. Then Lawrence shows up to talk with Jimmy. Lawrence is upset. Lately, he's had trouble getting his schoolwork done. Now, his mother is really badgering him about doing his science homework. Jimmy empathizes with Lawrence, but he continues practicing mouth-to-mouth on the dummy. At the meeting, one of the first things the paramedic tells Jimmy and the others is that the job involves much more than driving around in ambulances and giving people mouth-to-mouth. Later, the paramedic also informs Jimmy that the profession involves a lot of math and science. Jimmy doesn't believe him until the paramedic grills Jimmy with several math- and science-related questions that are frequently used in paramedic work. Jimmy returns home that night, feeling defeated. George comforts him. George reveals that he, too, is unsure of himself, especially now that he's heard how demanding seminary is. But George has resolved to just buckle down and develop the discipline to do the job. He wants to be the best minister possible. Jimmy understands. He agrees to take math and science more seriously, and he starts by going over to Lawrence's house and helping him with his homework.

Questions:
Why didn't Lawrence want to do his homework? Have you ever felt that way? What's the best way to develop discipline? Why does it take so much math and science to be a paramedic? What do you want to be when you grow up? Are you studying hard for it right now? Why or why not?