Day Everyday: The Pit Analogy and Other Great Works of Art

                I wish I was a better artists. I have a friend in Atlanta who has amazing artwork on her whiteboards. As her semester progresses, she adds cartoons and artistic depictions of her lessons. I imagine her students really anticipating the next work of art that will be on the walls of her classroom. From what I can tell, the art multiplies as the unit or the semester progresses, culminating in a mosaic of individual characters or representations of ideas or concepts that her class is studying. What a gift to be able to represent ideas in such an artistic way. Alas, I will never be a great artist and my students know this. That does not stop me from using drawings to convey complex theological concepts. The Pit Analogy plays a large role in my classes.

                It’s not complex. God is outside the Pit; we are inside the Pit. If we want to know anything that is outside the Pit, we need the assistance of God. God can either tell us (Revelation) what is outside the Pit, or He can help us to get out (Salvation). Christianity says God offers both for us. Either way, we need to develop a relationship with God or nothing will happen. In a way, all of Christianity is about the “ropes” that God throws to us, just trying to get our attention so we can grow in relationship with Him. All God desires, really, is for us to experience His True and Authentic Love. We need Him to help us.

Day Nineteen: Christology Test

                The poster-project was just a review. It was a strategy to help students go over material that will be on the test. One of my goals as a Catholic school teacher is to increase efficiency and effectiveness of instruction. Every minute matters. I remind students exactly how much their education costs per minute when I see them wasting time or being inefficient. I should hold myself to that same standard. The poster-project is a thing of the past. I have moved on to better, more efficient and productive methods of review. This is not to say that I will never use the poster-project again; it depends on who my students are. I will wait to share my next review method for the end of the next unit.

St. Joseph of Cupertino. The Patron Saint of Students and Test Takers.

                My students come into class the next day, Hopefully ready for the test. Their projects have been stored out of sight, and we start with prayer. I always talk about St. Joseph of Cupertino before a test. The “reluctant Saint” who, by all accounts, had not academic or intellectual skill to be a priest. At best, he could have been a servant in the dog-pens at a Franciscan friary. But I tell my students the story of how Joseph said a simple prayer before his test to become a priest: “Dear Lord, I pray they only ask me the questions I know the answer to. Amen.” Of course, he was asked just one question and he happened to know the answer. The prayer is simple, but effective. I just want my students to come into class with some confidence, if not in themselves, then in the Truth that they are Loved by God.