Of Bread and Ham and Joy

I am too happy to be productive!  So here is a blog post!

There is some endorphin, I am sure of it, that is released into a teacher when she nails a lesson and the lights go on in her students’ eyes.  There is something about that moment of ‘ah-ha’!  And when they laugh and enjoy the moment along with you, oh it makes me giddy!  We are playing together.  Because the best learning happens when we play!

This semester I am teaching three classes: Rocks & Mineralogy, English Conversation, and English Writing for ET (a technical writing class).  At the end of our first English Writing class I gave my students a simple assignment.  “Write me directions for making a ham sandwich.”

Today, they handed in their assignments, some hand written at the last minute on a strip of paper, others neatly printed with steps, and one written in flowing handwriting with a photograph showing each step.  This last one I put at the bottom of the pile.  It would be a grand example of exactly what I would look for in their writing in the future.

They were not expecting what happened next.  Bread, ham, mayo, mustard, tomatoes, onions, pickles.  A knife and cutting board.  And paper towels for plates.  The students 'oh-ed- and giggled as the 'materials' for today's demonstration were placed on the desk.

I picked up the first student's directions, placed a paper towel in front of me, and got to work.  I read each student’s recipe aloud, and painstakingly followed every step that they had prepared for me.  Exactly the way that they wrote them.  I did not add any extra interpretation of my own.  I just followed their directions.

The results were hilarious!

Some sandwiches ended up with pieces of bread covered in mayo.  Yes, both sides of each piece.  That is what they had specified in the instructions: “cover both pieces of bread in mayonnaise.” So I did it.  Some said to just put the ham on the bread.  They didn’t tell me to slice it.  But I didn’t think it would be fair for them to have all of the ham, so after I put the whole block of processed meat on the bread I took it off and gave them a slice.

Many told me to just put the parts of the sandwich there.   Where?  Hmm, I could see no specific instructions about where the parts were to go.  So the ‘plate’ had every ingredient of the sandwich nicely laid out side by side.

Laughter filled the room.  By the end of the class the point had sunk down deep into a happy place in our hearts.  Writing, especially technical writing, must be clear and complete.  If not, you end up with sandwich pieces all over the plate or mayonnaise-drenched bread.  Or something worse!

I love my job!  I cannot tell you how grand this is!

What is this source of joy?  Could it be the Spirit of God?  Could it be that He enjoys watching us learn?  He knows everything, but when the lights go on in our eyes regarding the truth He speaks over us, does His heart leap with joy like mine did today?

I think it must be so.  We are, after all, made in His image.

(I SO wish I had pictures of today - as you can imagine, the work was a bit too messy for me to handle a camera.  But if any students took photos, I'll pass those along!)