The month of March is recognized as Women’s Month, and on Palm Sunday, March 29, Dr. Pamela Manning was the guest speaker for the morning worship at Saint Andrews Presbyterian Church.
Palm Sunday is celebrated just as Jesus was celebrated as he entered into the city of Jerusalem with excitement, waving branches and shouting, “Hosanna, Hosanna.”
“We’ve got to listen, and we’ve got to teach our children to listen to God,” said Dr. Manning, assistant professor of education at McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois.
Dr. Manning painted a vivid picture of how we listen to the words that people say from the beginning of life and how it can effect one’s path in life as she gave a testimony of her life—as a story told in the form of a fairy tale.
As a child she was told negative things from some adults in the school system and in other areas outside of her home. While in her home, she heard only positive reinforcements from her mother and others.
Dr. Manning experienced the inability to speak following the break up of her parents. She later decided to study speech pathology. Because she did not talk for a time, she was told that she would never be able to speak in public.
“Yet here I am today, speaking with you!” she said.
She noted that she never had friends, and now she has spoken all over the world and now has friends “all over the world!”
Dr. Manning was educated in the public school system in Nashville, Tenn. and later received her B.S. in speech pathology and social work from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn. She received her Masters degree in Virginia at Hampton University and then her Ph.D. in St. Louis, Mo. from St. Louis University.
As a teacher, who has traveled abroad with her husband during his tenure in the military. She has met kids from all walks of life and finds that it is extremely important that students receive the best positive reinforcements possible. She said kids have more than one teacher. It is the job of parents and teachers to create a healthy society for kids.
After all of her relationships with kids and people, Dr. Manning decided to share information through a book. She is the author of My Child Would Never Do That—“famous last words uttered by parents in every school and every school district across the country when they are surprised about something they believe their child would never do,” Manning said.
“In my experiences students of all ages can make poor choices due to peer pressure, poor parenting or behavioral concerns. Students can stand and do great things as well. For those few students that do shocking things, I am presenting 12 principles for parents which will prevent them from falling into an embarrassing scenario and they would be able to truly know, ‘My Child Would Never Do That!'”
Following the morning worship service at St. Andrews, she held a brief discussion of the book and a book signing.
