From Fifth to First with a Biblical Twist

I've become a fan of sequals lately. Awhile back, I wrote THIS post and have been similarly inspired by some f words yet again (just go there, it'll make sense)...

Well, as you all know, I'm in the middle of my student teaching semester! Goodness gracious, I can't believe I haven't posted any of the trillion stories I have with these little stinkers. I started out in fifth grade and have been with first for just over 3 weeks now. I've loved both for completely different reasons... but one reason remains the same: these kids have absolutely won my heart over.

Every day in my little first grade class, we have 15ish minutes of independent reading time. The class is full of books of every shape, size, and level you could imagine and they just pick whatever interests them and go to town. Well, today something happened during this time that absolutely tugged at my heart. I hadn't noticed that one little boy had chosen the Bible off the shelf as his book of choice during this particular day. Precious in and of itself. As a first grader becoming confident in reading, I'm sure the Word of God would've seemed far too intimidating for me to attack without assistance or pictures, but this little boy didn't hesitate. It got brought to my attention when he came up to me mid-read and asked me what a word was. Precious thing was somewhere in Genesis and had gotten to the word "serpent" and couldn't read it. We read it in the sentence and sounded it out until we got it. I then got to explain what a serpent was and why it would be in the book of Genesis in the Bible. AT A PUBLIC SCHOOL. Granted, it was Genesis and I'm not sure what his comprehension level was exactly, but I am firm believer that time in the Word is never ever wasted. Even for a first grader. I encouraged him as much as I could with His selection of text and sent him back to his seat to read on. Praise the Lord.

Little did I know, though, the Lord was using this little boy in my own heart. I was taken to a passage in Matthew 18.... verse 3:

And he said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

Don't get me wrong.. like I said, I loved my fifth graders for their own unique reasons, but can't help but compare the so many differences I've seen just in the small age gap between my 7 year olds and 11 year olds. There is such an innocence that we somehow manage to lose along the way. To my first graders, I'm teaching things that I feel come so second nature to me. Things that are so simplistic and fundamental. Things that aren't clouded with "exceptions to the rules", "logic and reasoning", "how-to equations", or anything else that begins to invade higher level curriculum. In first grade, we simply have the occasional "cross your t's" and "dot your i's" (ok, so it's a little bit more rigorous than that... but you get the picture). And, not to mention the questions and comments they make are so naïve and innocent. It's beautiful, really.

Today, this little boy taught me more than he'll ever know. Child-like faith is often talked about yet so rarely practiced and even completely understood. I was thankful to have had a more tangible reminder of this today through this little boy in my class. I need to return to his eagerness. his inquisitive spirit. his diligence. his optimism. his shamelessness. his joy.

.....Let's return to what really matters.