Standardized Testing
Stories
Object:
Contents
"Standardized Testing" by C. David McKirachan
"Reward of Righteousness" by Peter Andrew Smith
* * * * * * * *
Standardized Testing
by C. David McKirachan
Genesis 22:1-14
I teach. I teach the Bible, spiritual development, Evangelism, prayer, history, pastoral calling, stewardship, worship leadership, confirmation, sex education, and leadership at my church. I teach critical thinking, argumentation, rhetoric, public speaking, debate, and collaborative problem solving at the university. I teach bonsai, sailing, and paying attention in various other environments. In short, I teach.
I consider teaching an art form. It's not about information as much as it's about perception -- mine and the students'. It's about relationships and respect. It's not something that can be crammed into a standardized test. I tend to get rashes from such attempts to evaluate the art form. Try standardizing Michelangelo or a five-year-old with a set of paints.
Tests are silly and tragic unless they are built as a learning exercise for the student. To use them as a tool of judgment is to abuse the student and the fragile trust offered to the teacher. Perhaps this is one reason we have so many angry students who have such a difficult time learning in school. They feel judged, disrespected, and abused.
Such is the case with most systems devised by human beings. We seek control in a chaotic world. Pagan religions are full of this kind of dark judgment. The gods are to be appeased, bought, or bribed with our offerings and sacrifices. Only by such mechanisms do we have any hope of avoiding their dark and fatal displeasure.
So it was that Abraham bound his son, his only son, and prepared the knife and the fire for the sacrifice. This was the final exam. There was no debating this. It was the way things worked. At the command to jump the only question was "How high?" Blood sacrifice was as normal as the Standardized Aptitude Tests. Substitute a knife for a #2 pencil and you're there. This is how you make it in a dog eat dog world, right?
But the teacher had something else in mind. A harsh lesson plan perhaps but the teacher wanted this seared into the consciousness of his students far beyond the end of the semester.
The story stands, iconic, disturbing, and powerful. What does it mean? That is for us, the students to determine. You see that is the genius of any decent teacher. They let the students take it and run. But one thing is clear. This God does things differently. Buckle up folks. This class is going to be a wild ride.
C. David McKirachan is pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Shrewsbury in central New Jersey. He also teaches at Monmouth University. McKirachan is the author of I Happened Upon a Miracle and A Year of Wonder (Westminster John Knox).
Reward of the Righteous
by Peter Andrew Smith
Matthew 10:40-42
Once there was a town where people raised their families and worked for a better future. The residents went to church, cared about the well being of their neighbours, and tried to live faithful lives, which made the town a nice place to live.
One year, there was a small surplus in the town budget. Some of the people believed that spending the money on children was not only prudent but was a way of giving thanks to God and investing in the kingdom that God was bringing around about them. They thought that the children of the community were a gift from God and so the money should be used to help the next generation become better people, become more aware of God's word, and to better develop their Spirit-given gifts and skills.
Everyone agreed that children were a blessing from God, yet there were those within the town who believed that the community had a divine obligation to care for every resident. Those people argued that the best use of the money was to buy more equipment for the fire department. They felt this action would honour God by taking steps to preserve the town in the event of an emergency.
The question of what to do with the surplus began as a friendly exchange of ideas with people showing the merits of their point of view and disagreeing with the other perspective. As time went on people listened to each other less and less. When words and arguments failed to bring about a consensus as to what to do with the money people began to take the debate personally. The people who wanted the money for the school questioned if their opponents really loved children while those who wanted the money for fire prevention asked why the other people didn't love their neighbours as Jesus commanded.
It wasn't long before residents on different sides of the disagreement stopped talking to one another and the possible solution that was raised -- to have a vote on what to do with the money -- only inflamed passions and rhetoric. Proponents of both sides began to attack the character and morality of those who opposed them.
Into all of this uproar arrived a stranger. He visited the sick in the hospital, he taught the children stories of Jesus, and he helped care for families going through difficult times. He went to the rallies and listened to the conversations. He read all the material that both sides put forward.
The people in the town began to notice the stranger because he never said anything about the money and what they should do with it. He let the residents say what they believed but never voiced his personal opinion.
After some of the local teenagers got into a brawl over the debate everyone in this quiet faithful town was horrified and demanded the mayor call a town meeting to decide once and for all what should be done with the extra money. Those who believed that the surplus should go the schools sat on one side and those who thought it should go to the fire department sat on the other.
Speaker after speaker got up and said that the real problem was how the other side was looking at the situation because they never had problems with teenagers fighting before this whole issue came up. The meeting was going nowhere until someone noticed that the stranger was sitting in the corner by himself, not with one side or the other. Soon everyone was quiet and watching the stranger.
"You are not from here and seem like a righteous man," the mayor said. "What do you think we should do with the surplus money?"
"You have a good school in this town."
There was agreement in the room.
"I watched your fire department do first rate work in the time I have been here."
No one disagreed.
"God has blessed you," the stranger said. "So give the money away to another town."
Shouts arose from all around the room as people said that made no sense and wondered why they were listening to the man.
The mayor finally got the meeting back under control. "Why do you say we should do that with our money?"
"Because you are tearing yourselves apart over what to do with this surplus," the man said. "When just down the road there is another town that was flooded by the river this spring. Their school was damaged so they are looking to rebuild it not add extras to it. Their fire department lost equipment so they are worried about being able to put out fires not having newer equipment. You claim you want to honour God's way and love your neighbour? Then look outside of your town."
With those words the man got up and left the meeting. There was dead silence in the room.
One of the promoters of the school additions got up and suggested that the money go to the neighbouring town. One of the promoters of the new fire equipment seconded the motion. The decision was unanimous. In fact the town didn't just send the money. They went to help rebuild and they shared their fire equipment with their neighbours.
As a result the town that had been a nice place, filled with good people, became an ever better more faithful place to live.
Peter Andrew Smith is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada who currently serves at St. James United Church in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He is the author of All Things Are Ready (CSS), a book of lectionary-based communion prayers, as well as many stories and articles, which can be found listed at www.peterandrewsmith.com.
*****************************************
StoryShare, June 26, 2011, issue.
Copyright 2011 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
"Standardized Testing" by C. David McKirachan
"Reward of Righteousness" by Peter Andrew Smith
* * * * * * * *
Standardized Testing
by C. David McKirachan
Genesis 22:1-14
I teach. I teach the Bible, spiritual development, Evangelism, prayer, history, pastoral calling, stewardship, worship leadership, confirmation, sex education, and leadership at my church. I teach critical thinking, argumentation, rhetoric, public speaking, debate, and collaborative problem solving at the university. I teach bonsai, sailing, and paying attention in various other environments. In short, I teach.
I consider teaching an art form. It's not about information as much as it's about perception -- mine and the students'. It's about relationships and respect. It's not something that can be crammed into a standardized test. I tend to get rashes from such attempts to evaluate the art form. Try standardizing Michelangelo or a five-year-old with a set of paints.
Tests are silly and tragic unless they are built as a learning exercise for the student. To use them as a tool of judgment is to abuse the student and the fragile trust offered to the teacher. Perhaps this is one reason we have so many angry students who have such a difficult time learning in school. They feel judged, disrespected, and abused.
Such is the case with most systems devised by human beings. We seek control in a chaotic world. Pagan religions are full of this kind of dark judgment. The gods are to be appeased, bought, or bribed with our offerings and sacrifices. Only by such mechanisms do we have any hope of avoiding their dark and fatal displeasure.
So it was that Abraham bound his son, his only son, and prepared the knife and the fire for the sacrifice. This was the final exam. There was no debating this. It was the way things worked. At the command to jump the only question was "How high?" Blood sacrifice was as normal as the Standardized Aptitude Tests. Substitute a knife for a #2 pencil and you're there. This is how you make it in a dog eat dog world, right?
But the teacher had something else in mind. A harsh lesson plan perhaps but the teacher wanted this seared into the consciousness of his students far beyond the end of the semester.
The story stands, iconic, disturbing, and powerful. What does it mean? That is for us, the students to determine. You see that is the genius of any decent teacher. They let the students take it and run. But one thing is clear. This God does things differently. Buckle up folks. This class is going to be a wild ride.
C. David McKirachan is pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Shrewsbury in central New Jersey. He also teaches at Monmouth University. McKirachan is the author of I Happened Upon a Miracle and A Year of Wonder (Westminster John Knox).
Reward of the Righteous
by Peter Andrew Smith
Matthew 10:40-42
Once there was a town where people raised their families and worked for a better future. The residents went to church, cared about the well being of their neighbours, and tried to live faithful lives, which made the town a nice place to live.
One year, there was a small surplus in the town budget. Some of the people believed that spending the money on children was not only prudent but was a way of giving thanks to God and investing in the kingdom that God was bringing around about them. They thought that the children of the community were a gift from God and so the money should be used to help the next generation become better people, become more aware of God's word, and to better develop their Spirit-given gifts and skills.
Everyone agreed that children were a blessing from God, yet there were those within the town who believed that the community had a divine obligation to care for every resident. Those people argued that the best use of the money was to buy more equipment for the fire department. They felt this action would honour God by taking steps to preserve the town in the event of an emergency.
The question of what to do with the surplus began as a friendly exchange of ideas with people showing the merits of their point of view and disagreeing with the other perspective. As time went on people listened to each other less and less. When words and arguments failed to bring about a consensus as to what to do with the money people began to take the debate personally. The people who wanted the money for the school questioned if their opponents really loved children while those who wanted the money for fire prevention asked why the other people didn't love their neighbours as Jesus commanded.
It wasn't long before residents on different sides of the disagreement stopped talking to one another and the possible solution that was raised -- to have a vote on what to do with the money -- only inflamed passions and rhetoric. Proponents of both sides began to attack the character and morality of those who opposed them.
Into all of this uproar arrived a stranger. He visited the sick in the hospital, he taught the children stories of Jesus, and he helped care for families going through difficult times. He went to the rallies and listened to the conversations. He read all the material that both sides put forward.
The people in the town began to notice the stranger because he never said anything about the money and what they should do with it. He let the residents say what they believed but never voiced his personal opinion.
After some of the local teenagers got into a brawl over the debate everyone in this quiet faithful town was horrified and demanded the mayor call a town meeting to decide once and for all what should be done with the extra money. Those who believed that the surplus should go the schools sat on one side and those who thought it should go to the fire department sat on the other.
Speaker after speaker got up and said that the real problem was how the other side was looking at the situation because they never had problems with teenagers fighting before this whole issue came up. The meeting was going nowhere until someone noticed that the stranger was sitting in the corner by himself, not with one side or the other. Soon everyone was quiet and watching the stranger.
"You are not from here and seem like a righteous man," the mayor said. "What do you think we should do with the surplus money?"
"You have a good school in this town."
There was agreement in the room.
"I watched your fire department do first rate work in the time I have been here."
No one disagreed.
"God has blessed you," the stranger said. "So give the money away to another town."
Shouts arose from all around the room as people said that made no sense and wondered why they were listening to the man.
The mayor finally got the meeting back under control. "Why do you say we should do that with our money?"
"Because you are tearing yourselves apart over what to do with this surplus," the man said. "When just down the road there is another town that was flooded by the river this spring. Their school was damaged so they are looking to rebuild it not add extras to it. Their fire department lost equipment so they are worried about being able to put out fires not having newer equipment. You claim you want to honour God's way and love your neighbour? Then look outside of your town."
With those words the man got up and left the meeting. There was dead silence in the room.
One of the promoters of the school additions got up and suggested that the money go to the neighbouring town. One of the promoters of the new fire equipment seconded the motion. The decision was unanimous. In fact the town didn't just send the money. They went to help rebuild and they shared their fire equipment with their neighbours.
As a result the town that had been a nice place, filled with good people, became an ever better more faithful place to live.
Peter Andrew Smith is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada who currently serves at St. James United Church in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He is the author of All Things Are Ready (CSS), a book of lectionary-based communion prayers, as well as many stories and articles, which can be found listed at www.peterandrewsmith.com.
*****************************************
StoryShare, June 26, 2011, issue.
Copyright 2011 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
