You may have seen the television ads from AT&T that use the slogan that “just ok isn’t ok”. There is the one about the tax professional, another about a doctor. It was strange that I couldn’t figure out why these ads bothered me. Then I realized why. Simply put, I used to think that saying I just ok was a sign of being less egotistical and being modest about my profession. Now, I can’t stand to say that I am “Just ok”.
Let me say right off the bat, I do not think that all of my students love me. I’ve had complains about teaching too much, giving tests in religion, having them write essays in religion (I know, the nerve) and not just handing them an A because Jesus loves them. That being said, I believe I do a great job of helping them make connections to the faith they are being taught, and connecting that to a variety of areas in their lives and the world.
Sometimes I wish it would be as easy as teaching them how to solve an equation and always get the correct answer. Instead we have myriads of history and theology (as well as a slew of other subject areas) that brings them to more questions than when they began. Let me give you an example in the last unit that I taught.
We looked at the persecutions (sometimes the lack there of) to the early Church in the first four centuries. While looking at the impact on those persecutions, we had to give attention to Christian theological developments in the early Church and writings that preached the truth about Jesus and the Church, and ones that didn’t. The funny thing is, one of the biggest observations from the students is that they had never heard of some of the writings in the early Church. I admit that in elementary school these would have caused confusion with the students. Now with the intellectual maturity that they possess, they are faced with examining the text for themselves and understanding the writings role in history and why they were eradicated from history. The students now have a greater understanding of what happened, but also see that people have been confused about God for centuries.
Teaching hurts my heard. Being able to wrestle with challenging issues myself and then translate that into student friendly language while still holding theological integrity… ouch. But a sore head and being proud of being a good teacher, a least to me, is better than just being ok.
Thanks Adam. And figuring out exactly what the objectives are when you want your students to take that information and knowledge and apply it to their own lives. I run into that in my psych realism class when I ask them to "apply" the psychological concepts to their own experiences and where they are as young adults. I think it hurts their heads too. But to provide the opportunity for students to gain greater self-awareness and an understanding of what they believe, in your case helping them reflect on what God means in their life, is certainly worth it š
A former Carondelet teacher liked to say "How would it make a student feel if she flunked God?" All of that teacher's students received A's. I commend you for teaching religious history. It is vital to understanding all history. My U.S. History students generally do not know the difference between Catholic and Protestant. They have no idea that Catholics have been persecuted throughout the history of the United States.
Teaching hurts my head, too. How much do you expose young minds to the raw history of their country (or their church)? Slavery, sexism, imperialism, white privilege, global warming, and so much more need to be discussed along with democracy, freedom, and justice.
Bringing your questions to the attention of your students is necessary for any true education. Propaganda, such as found in many of our history books will get you nowhere. Faith is a delicate thing. Faith not reflected in each student's worldview and founded on factual information will crumble.
I love what you are doing. Students will have stronger faith and stronger respect for you.
Adam you must be commended for blogs that are so very honest and feel like they are speaking from the heart… The English teacher in me loves to analyze words and find the meaning behind the meanings… don't worry I won't analyze the text out loud… but did want to acknowledge that it was seen (in more than a superficial way)
Mitch one of my favourite experiences here at CHS has been sitting in your class when I shadowed Delaney Dunn. Seeing the students understand that the war on drugs had intentionality behind it (regarding discrimination of races) was amazing. When I've spoken to students that have taken your class and also learned about Mass Incarceration in the Junior religion curriculum they are truly able to zoom out and see the truth of what has happened (and is happening) in this country.
Keep it up Mitch!