"Most people love Christmas, and it's a lot of people's favorite holiday because of the presents. Christmas is my favorite because it was the day the Lord was born. That's why we all celebrate it. We just forget it because of all the presents and business with family. That's what Christmas is all about, and that's why I love it."
"Some people might love Christmas because they get presents. I like Christmas because it is all about God. I think that everybody forgets about God and just thinks about what they are getting for Christmas."
So much of what I am learning about teaching is about just trying to understand how and what students are thinking. This is especially difficult with middle school students who, as my friend Brandon decided, may not even be human. I did these things so long ago I'm constantly trying to remember what it was like, what is is like now. Anyway...
We're going over how to write a well-structured paragraph as preparation for a literary analysis. (I know what you're thinking...One paragraph? Psshh... piece of cake! But asking a 7th grader to do it is like asking them to run a marathon.) To practice the specific writing structure for their paragraphs we just went over, I asked them to write about their favorite holiday. I know that there's really nothing about the words above that is new knowledge to me (or to hardly anyone). It's not rocket science. Still, when I read 40 essays about how kids love Christmas because they don't have school and get presents, anything different sticks out. Watching someone piece together the difference between celebrating Christ and celebrating themselves makes me feel like I'm learning that lesson for the first time too.
I recently told Zoe that I find myself getting choked up really easily now that I work with students all the time. I've morphed into some super-sensitive weirdo. Here's a prime example of me getting all sentimental and moved by a couple paragraphs. If God is this sensitive, it must have really really sucked to send his son for us.
2 comments:
That is crazy that they are thinking about Christmas in that way. I know when I was in 7th grade I was probably not really thinking about Christ at all and was focused on the gifts. Awesome Bets. Congratulations on your snow day as well : )
If you really want to bawl...watch The Stoning of Soraya M.
Yeah I think about how God must have felt when he sent Christ to die. Actually I watched said movie last night and it really got me thinking about these things and how there is so much injustice in this world and how can God get anything accomplished because if I were him I would be weeping all of the time. Looking at the beautiful creation that I had made and how my people had completely destroyed it. Really we should probably weep more often than we do.
Also-have you seen "Amelie" you should watch that too. It's quirky and I love it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UGqSW_eeHI
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