From Pathetic Loser to Successful Student

  I love to learn. I know, those of you who know me think that's unbelievable because I sound "dumb as a box of rocks." But, it's true. My dream career would absolutely be professional student. That's one of the many reasons I love my job. It forces me to learn. The best motivation for learning about a topic is having to teach it. My love for learning and teaching is also the source of one of my greatest frustrations. I want everyone to learn and I want everyone to love to learn. But, alas, I am a High School teacher and love for learning is sadly, not the norm.

  That's why in my classroom, I've developed what I like to call my "Personal Accountability Sessions." I utilize this method with those of my students whom I know are smart and completely capable, yet they choose to NOT learn and to NOT apply themselves. The method is a bit unorthodox but I use it anyway. It goes as follows: Student is smart. Student is assigned reading/assignment. Student fails to do assignment due to sheer laziness and lack of interest. Student makes failing grade. Mrs. Lanier gets frustrated and calls student to desk. Mrs. Lanier conferences with student and ensures reason for failure is indeed laziness and lack of interest. Mrs. Lanier coaches students on reasons to be more diligent. Then, Mrs. Lanier has student raise right hand and repeat: "I am a Pathetic Loser. I chose to not complete my assignment. In order to change my status from Pathetic Loser to Successful Student, I promise to apply myself, thus benefitting my grade and Mrs. Lanier's sanity." I've actually secured several successes employing this method and will continue to use it in the future.

  Tonight at church, the Pastor brought a message from II Timothy 4. He discussed the lives of Luke, John Mark and Demas and contrasted their spiritual journeys. Luke lived a faithful life from the moment of salvation and pleased the Lord with all his life. John Mark backslid on God, but returned to Him and finished strong. Demas forsook God and the ministry and presumably never made his way back. The application was that Christians should study the lives of these three men and learn how to maintain a steady relationship with Christ. The first requirement for maintaining a steady relationship was to develop a delight for the Word of God. The Pastor talked about how learning God's word could save us from learning life's lessons the hard way. Since I am a teacher and love all things analogy, I wrote down the following: "Life's trials are pop quizzes from God. When test time comes, will I have studied the Book well enough to pass the test?"

  I thought it was pretty clever at the time but moved on and listened to the rest of the sermon. On the way home, however, God called me to his desk. He said to me, "Raise your right hand and repeat the following: I am a Pathetic Loser.  I choose to not complete my assignments. In order to change my status from Pathetic Loser to Successful Student, I promise to apply myself, thus benefitting my life and my relationship with You. Now, stop being a DemAS and move on!" (I know, but I couldn't resist. who says God doesn't have a sense of humor!!)

  What I realized about myself is that while I do love to learn and I get extremely frustrated with my students who are completely capable, I do not always apply myself to the fullest of my capabilities. And just as I get perturbed with my students because I know that because of their lack of dedication, they are going to fail tests, God also gets put out with me. And, if I really want to pass the test, I need to better LEARN the material. I need to more fully develop a delight for the Word of God. I hope whoever is reading this will hold me accountable as God does. And, that you will also realize, we could save ourselves a lot of failures if we would read and study the Book.