The great comedian, W.C. Fields, is credited with the line, “Never work with children or animals.” If you give 4 minutes of your life to watching the video below, you will understand why he came up with the aphorism. The video is from the brilliant BBC TV series “Outnumbered” and accounts for the decidedly English manner of speech.
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As a teacher for many years, let me assure you–there is always one in every class!!!
Betty, in a Jesuit high school class there are usually more than one.
Paul, I am trying to imagine Jesus with that kid. I would like to hear His responses. Of course, that would assume that the boy gave Him a chance to respond before charging on to the next off the wall question. That boy is certainly a creature of our culture.
Now you all know why the mere thought of teaching 1st graders seriously scares me. It’s challenging enough when there is just one but when you put 2 or more together. Wow!
Truthfully I don’t know what is scarrier a class full on little one’s who ask abstract questions and want concrete answers or the knowledge that I was that kid. ( God love poor Sr. Cecilia for putting up with me!)
I guess that gives me a sence of hope knowing that they ( as I did) have deeper questions than we give them credit for and they are not just indeffrent lumps who could care less.
All I can say is I’m grateful that there was no one filming in my car one day on the way back from a Christmas childrens choir practice, which had ended with the reminder that they were singing at the “Feast of the Circumcision”. I had a car full of 3rd grade boys when one (Irish, he would be) asked me “so what is that circumcision thing?” Downhill from there…
Awkward Questioners,
I’m with Maura – I’d be terrified to try and teach First Graders and have nothing but admiration for those, like Betty, who are prepared to do it. As for Michelle’s experience with circumcision…
Eric, I think Jesus would have handled the kid with great aplomb. He would have found some way to speak to his heart.
I’m also a teacher and a mother to two. I believe that Jesus would NOT have been at the head of the table; he’d be right in there with them and he would have made sure that those kids didn’t have to wait much longer to eat! Food is love~
I’ve only now stumbled on this – the children are adorable although I wouldn’t want to have been in that young man’s place.
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At the dinner table, my eldest son at age 12 asked why he hadn’t been having wet dreams yet since his teacher explained to his co-ed class that at their age, the boys would be experiencing this. My husband stuffed his face while I explained it didn’t happen to all at exactly then same age and that when it did, he would have to make sure he changed his sheets, and wasn’t he glad he didn’t have to do that yet? The kids had a good laugh out of that one.
My youngest son at age 3 asked how we could be sure that it (Jesus, bible, the whole religion thing) was not a joke? I gave him a history and life of the saints type of answer that bored him to death although he did say “Poor Jesus.”