Labor in the Pulpit

by Carol Stephenson

Now, of the many professions we've been talking and thinking about today, the one that I come in contact with most is teaching.  I have two children who are in public elementary school in San Jose, so I see the work of teachers through my kids every day.  It's hard for me to explain the admiration that I have for teachers, so I'd like to tell you a story that can help me do that.

When my oldest was in first grade and my youngest was four years old, the first graders were to perform one evening after a parent meeting.  The first graders were to wait in their classroom until it was time for the performance, so I went to drop off the first grader before heading to the meeting. The teacher waiting with the kids was not my child's teacher, but she had set up a game of Duck Duck Goose in her room for the kids while they waited.  This in itself was impressive since she had pushed aside the desks and was allowing children to play this chasing game inside, but that is not my story.

It was towards the beginning of the school year, so we didn't really know this teacher, but she invited both my kids to stay and play, so that the four year old wouldn't have to leave the fun.  I stayed for a few minutes to see that they got settled.  A girl was walking around about 15 kids sitting in a circle touching each in turn saying "duck, duck, duck"  then she touched my four year old on the head, shouted "goose!" and ran.  My daughter jumped up and chased the older girl, couldn't catch her, but now it was her turn to be the ducker.  So she walk around the circle saying "duck duck duck"  When she shouted "goose!" it was on the head of the biggest and oldest child in the room who jumped up and easily caught my daughter who was then, of course, put into the mush pot.

Now I didn't think much of this, except that maybe she was bound to end up in the mush pot as the little sister.  But the teacher came over to me and said "you know, that's very interesting that your daughter chose the biggest and oldest child in the room, because usually children choose someone smaller than themselves when they play this game."  Well, Now I'm thinking that my daughter is not really up to speed in the game of duck duck goose, but the teacher went on.  She said "that really shows that your daughter is adventuresome and willing to take risks."  How about that?  And she said " I can tell your daughter has a sense of humor and maybe she even knew that that biggest and oldest child was not going to get chosen to be the goose."

That is what I love about teachers!  She could take this one small incident, this tiny interaction and see strengths and uniqueness in my child.  Then she could show those traits to me and allow me to see my daughter in a new light.  But this isn't just this one teacher.  Teachers do this every day with a roomful of kids while doing all the academic work and whatever else children bring to class with them.

This is relevant to us here today, because that is the first principle; to find the inherent worth and dignity in every person.  Teachers live that principle.  In living it, they also show all of us, me, my children, how to do that as well.