For all the Teachers Who Yelled at Me!
Written by: Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. ”
Elementary school was not easy for me. Second grade was great. We were living with my grandparents in second grade and I had a wonderful teacher, because she had patience. I know you cannot believe this, but I was a bit of a talker, who moved almost every year and committed to finding friends to be of greater import than intellectual stimulation. Oh yes, I also had a propensity for daydreaming. This is the double whammy that made me an elementary school troublemaker. I believe I set the sixth grade record at O’Henry Elementary School in Richardson, Texas, for writing the most pages from the dictionary as a means of discipline.
Now, you may be asking yourself how my pre-adolescent disobedience relates to any kind of devotional. Well, I’m glad you asked. While I do not have time to address my ill-mannered need to converse while teaching was taking place, I do have time to address this issue of day dreaming. Gustavo Razzetti affirms my negative behavior when he says, “Boredom is a powerful tool - it invites you to rethink your relationship with the world. Idle time is not dull but an opportunity for appreciation and learning.” Often my daydreaming was about something the teacher was saying, daydreaming was part of learning from my teachers. Sadly, they didn’t see it that way.
If I knew how to contact my kindergarten through sixth-grade teachers, I would introduce them to Razzetti’s understanding, “The research on learning is clear - study for a while and then unwind. The mind can’t hold attention for more than 10 minutes - your short-term memory gets filled quickly. Neuroscientists recommend letting our brain forget something we learned.” So, the fact that I can no longer remember fractions is actually a benefit that makes me more of an intellectual!
Beyond the kidding, another way of saying daydreaming is “Idle Time.” Idle time is important in order to organize and contemplate what you’ve learned. Rest is also vital. The same way our brain needs eight hours of sleep to renew our body and mind. Idle time is also required for intellectual renewal. Today, consider how you are working and resting your brain. Make sure you are able to take time to daydream and rest. Most often, the Holy Spirit speaks in the restful moments. God speaks through a still, small voice and cannot be heard during busy times. Prayer is often most effective in solitude. Give yourself permission to take a break, unless you are in elementary school. If you are in grade school just suck it up and wait until you get home and ignore your parents.
