Merry Christmas!!!

In the craziness that has become the Christmas season, sitting alone and quiet in bed at 12:45am on December 26th after football, dinner, and opening presents feels amazing. Yes, I love throwing down in my kitchen...

(check out the pistachio encrusted rack of lamb, smoky mac n cheese - with bacon, of course - and the disaster of potatoes that I made. 2 outta three isn't bad, right?)

but in the end, a whirlwind day gives way to silent night, and all is well with the world....

just like it was over 2000 years ago, when a whirlwind journey to Bethlehem gave way to silent night, and all became right for Mary, Joseph, and all of mankind. My fellow blogger at July Flame draws an interesting analogy - that Christmas is God's marriage proposal to us.

If you’re a girl, check out the link. If you’re a dude, read on because you’re reaction might be like this:

Dude: “Hold up. I’m a dude – I ain’t getting proposed to. Like, ever. I don’t understand this analogy.”

Putting it in terms that we dudes might understand, imagine that you find the woman that you love with your whole heart. In the chaos and commotion that surrounds you, a moment where time will eternally stand motionless arrives. You get down on one knee. If she says yes, all is right with the world. But, if she says no…?

At the end of this Christmas day, proclaim Merry Christmas to mean that God is with us, on one knee. Choose God, choose love, and all will be right in the world.

Merry Christmas!!!

P.S. - If you haven’t done so already (even if you’re a dude), be sure check out July Flame’s post on Christmas!

There is No Fun in School!!!

My students were hard at work on their daily grammar activity when a student walked into my room at the beginning of my language arts block.

“Mr. Lin, Ms. Bach* wanted me to give this to you. She said it was inappropriate.”

The student handed me a sealed envelope. On the envelope in a child’s handwriting, it said:

I wish I was in your class!!

Mrs. Bach

p.s your so much nicer than Mr. lin

By

******* *******

One of the things I take some measure of pride in is the relationship I have with my students. Although it is most important to me students that my students respect me, it is also a bonus if they like me and like being in my class also. However, it would be foolhardy of me to think that all my students are going to like me. This year, I’ve had a difficult time with Rosanna*, who has made it very clear to me and to other students that she doesn’t like me. Recently, she has taken a passive aggressive approach, and this letter to my science counterpart was just another example.

So… how should I handle this?

Mr. Lin: “Class, thank you for working so hard on your grammar. Before we review the sentences you are correcting, I want the class to see something that was given to me just now."

(As I take out the envelope and put it under the document camera so everyone can see it, I hear a few gasps from some of the students. Rosanna slinks into her chair ever-so-slightly)

Mr. Lin: I have a special treat for you! Rosanna has been so gracious as to provide us with some sentences that contain errors. Let’s fix the sentences she made for us!”

(The whole class cheers)

Student A: “I see the first mistake! The ‘i’ needs to be capitalized!”
Student B: “I think she used the wrong ‘your.’ It should be “you’re.”
Student C: “It should be Dr. Lin instead of Mr. Lin”
Student D: “Lin is a proper noun, so the ‘L needs to be capitalized!”
Student E: “There needs to be a period after the ‘s’ in ‘p.s.’”
Student F: “Ms. Bach isn’t married… yet. You can’t write Mrs.”
Rosanna: “She just got engaged! So she’s now a Mrs.”
Student F: “No, she only becomes a Mrs. after she gets married.”
Mr. Lin: “Great job class! Let’s give Rosanna a round of applause for providing us with some sentences so we can practice our grammar.”

(The students give Rosanna a hearty round of applause)

Student G (to Rosanna): “Mr. Lin is the nicest teacher ever!”
Mr. Lin (glares at Student G): “Save your made-up stories for when we write fiction.”

On the first day of school I tell my students that my job is to teach them, and getting them to like me isn’t in my job description. Along the way, my kids figure out that I’m also pretty fun teacher to have and begin to like me. MOST of them, at least!

To the ones that inevitably don't like being in my class, I hope they realize that the words I speak on the first day of school are words I stand by as a teacher.


*Names changed

p.s. – to my dear friend and mentor teacher Ms. Bach… congratulations on your engagement!!!

Compare and Contrast

My deepest apologies for being so long in between posts! I’ve been working on a special project, and hopefully I’ll be able to share it with you all soon. In the meantime, I’ll be back to my normal 1-2 posts per week. This week’s topic is...

Compare and Contrast

From the Virginia Standards of Learning for language arts:

“Students will identify compare-and-contrast relationships.”

Today we will compare Ndamukong Suh and Rosa.*

Ndamukong Suh is a 6’4”, 307 pound man. He plays defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions. This is his second year in the National Football League.

Rosa is about 4’8”, and she weighs less than 80 pounds. She’s 10, and the person she reminds me most of in the world is Ndamukong Suh.

No, Rosa doesn’t play football. Actually, she hates football. She doesn’t like any sports, actually. So what does a 10 year old child have in common with a mountain of a man who is, by all accounts, one of the most gifted players in the National Football League?

A couple weeks ago in a game against the Green Bay Packers, Mr. Suh grabbed another player’s head and banged it repeatedly against the ground. Then, after getting up, he stomps on the other’s player’s arm. The video is here. This wasn’t Suh’s first violent incident. He has a reputation for being a dirty player.

Last week during silent reading time, Rosa hit another child with a book. The other child’s eye swelled up enough that I needed to send him to the nurse. This wasn’t her first violent incident. She has a reputation for being mean to others.

After the game, Suh denied any wrongdoing. In fact, he claimed the other player instigated things. He thinks this reputation for being a dirty player is undeserved. He thinks the league and media picks on him.

After the incident, Rosa denied any wrongdoing. She felt completely justified in hitting the other child. In fact, she claimed that the other child was at fault because “he was annoying her.” She thinks her reputation is undeserved. She has no idea why most other students don’t like being around her. She thinks teachers pick on her.

As a football person, I love Ndamukong Suh. He’s a freakish athlete. His best years could be ahead of him. He has immense potential.

As a kid person, I love Rosa. She’s adorable. Her best years should be ahead of her. She has immense potential.

As a human being, I’m appalled at Ndamukong Suh’s behavior. I’m even more disgusted by his lack of remorse and his shocking justification of his own actions. If his attitude doesn’t change, he will never come close to reaching his potential. This is unfortunate, because God has blessed him with unique physical gifts. This man was born to play football.

As a teacher, I’m worried about Rosa. I’m worried about her lack of remorse and her shocking justification of her own actions. If her attitude doesn’t change, she will never come close to reaching her potential. This is unfortunate, because God has blessed her with unique gifts. She was born to…

I hope that those of us that have been placed here to guide her can do so effectively with love, patience, and truth. I pray that her future has more contrasts with Ndamukong Suh than comparisons. This way, the world can find out what she was put on earth to do.


*Names are changed