God Became a Teacher

                                                      God Became a Teacher
This weekend I read the book titled God Got a Dog by Cynthia Rylant. This delightful book and my musings on the meaning of the Incarnation led me to imagine what it might be like if God became a teacher.

God became a teacher
Just for a week to see what it was like.
God knew that teachers often invoked His name
To request a snow day or give voice to despair and sometimes delight
To plead for patience on long afternoons before a holiday break

But mostly God became a teacher because He liked children of all ages and
He liked learning.. and wonder.. and awe
He wanted to be the kind of teacher who taught kids to notice everything that was good
And to not think they were ever too smart to learn more.

God was surprised to see all the things teachers did that have nothing to do with teaching:
Tie shoes, wipe noses. pick up trash, open lockers, solve technology issues and answer emails about bullying and the teachers' skit for the assembly.

But God tried to focus on the teaching and the learning and never ever say the words "state assessment" or "response to intervention" or "even "common core" even though it would make him sound like He was in the know about such things. He just tried to get his students to read a little longer than the day before, to edit another sentence and to realize that the Devil, his nemesis, didn't invent fractions. In fact God took the credit for that. After all, how can you understand the Trinity or unconditional love or make sure all your friends get cookies without fractions?

God took the light into the rooms of fellow teachers and patted the shoulder of the novice teacher crying and told her it was okay and that He loved her optimism. God listened to the veteran teacher bemoan "today's kids" and reminded her that one student that day had raised his hand and cited text evidence when all the time she thought he wasn't listening. God sat at the end of the crumb covered lunch table in the staff break room and beamed at the motley crew of overworked and underpaid saints who started out on this path for all the right reasons. God reminded them that whatever we do to the kids who drive us crazy, the parent that gets upset with us, a colleague who annoys us and those people somewhere who write stupid tests, we do to Him, to God. "So, love them anyway," God said.

"Keep up the good work, " said God as He ended his twenty minute lunch and headed back to the classroom. "They are right about teaching though. It isn't rocket science." God picked up his lesson plan book, a stack of papers to be graded, and three detention slips. "It's harder."




Based on the book: God got a Dog by Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Marla Frazee.
Beach Lane Books; New York

Show me the Evidence: Close Reading of the Gospel

Show me the evidence. Go back to the text. Support your claims and cite the examples. These are some of my stock teacher phrases these days. One of the best things about the new common core standards is that there is an emphasis on students supporting statements by citing relevant text evidence. I consider it good because if done well, we help students study text more closely and to analyze the author's techniques. If we have selected good text, we want our students to read, reread, and embed the pieces of knowledge in their own arguments or essays. It has been a little awkward to teach but in spite of my novice stabs in the dark, the students are coming along nicely.

 Before giving a test last week, I told my students I needed all complete sentences and appropriate punctuation as well as the required three pieces of text evidence.  The txting gen often totally forgets capital letters and punctuation marks and I for one don't LMAO when i c that kind of writing in their wrk. So, the thoughtful young author of the essay below was sure to include circles around his periods so I wouldn't miss them. In the margins of his paper he also included arrows pointing to the first piece of evidence, second piece of evidence, and finally the required third. Just in case I wouldn't  recognize them.

Sunday's gospel (3rd Sunday of Advent) was essentially about evidence. When asked if he was really the one who is to come, Jesus pointed to the evidence, "Go and tell John what you hear and see; the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised and the poor have good news proclaimed to them."

This is the best news of Christmas. I love the excitement and the sharing, the music and the lights but I'm so over the frenzy and the gift lists and the overindulgence. I want my life to show evidence that I know the Prince of Peace and the one who came to fill the hungry with good things. I want to trust that he will lift up the lowly and remember his promise of mercy. As should we, followers of this baby King.

My hope is that my life will reflect evidence of the good news of the gospel.

Advent Blessings,

~Ellen~