May the God of all knowledge give you peace and recall through your finals.
(Enough procrastination by surfing! Now, back to work!)
SDG
Showing posts with label finals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label finals. Show all posts
God's Final Exam
As we draw near the end of term, and begin to think of finals that are fast approaching, and all the more during Holy Week, it can be a good time to think about the course God has set before us, and the expectations He has upon us for passing.
As I think about life in these terms, I see two parts to the ‘syllabus’ and they are sequential. You have to pass the first part in order for the second part to even count.
The Office of Dead Grandmothers
At a staff meeting this week, I was letting my TA’s know of a student who had been causing some problems, so they could be on alert if he got out of hand, and in the process, told them how he’d emailed me to say he’d had a death in the family and would I let him sign up late for a required oral presentation.
At this point, a senior staff member (and friend) who I remember from my undergrad days, piped up and asked if I’d referred the student to the university’s “Office of Dead Grandmothers.”
Priceless.
Then, today, I got a notice from the dean about another of my students who was reeling from the death last weekend of his roommate. Please pray for him and the roommate’s family.
I warn my students on the first day of class that tragedy has a tendency to strike right at the last week of classes, and that they should have a Plan B for success if it does. It never fails.
SDG
Solomon Sympathizes
For some strange reason, student stress tends to increase about this time of year. We may need an NIH grant to fund research into why.
Regardless, on the last day of class, I flash the following quote up on the screen to encourage the students that their condition is normal and been around since ancient times. It also introduces Scripture to them in a humorous way, showing the wide variety of ways God knows human life. Feel free to use it yourself, I have no hold on the copyright.
“But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.”
Ecclesiastes 12:12
SDG
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