Active Participants

Day 2

The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields. Luke 10:1-2 (NLT)

I asked my daddy to teach me how to drive a stick shift truck. It was a nice, sunshiny day with a coolness in the air. Confident I could master this “easy” skill, I pranced myself down the driveway to begin my lesson. Put the truck in gear, place foot on clutch, put other foot on gas, and slowly ease off the clutch as I hit the gas. I could do this, no problem.

Dad showed me several times. I hopped in and knew I’d get it the first try. I manipulated my feet just like he did. The easing of the clutch was amazing. Then I stalled out. Frustrated, I did it again. And again. I was getting so angry and frustrated I yelled at my dad and he went inside, leaving me with my arrogant self. Three hours I worked at it. And three hours I failed.

I finally quit for the day, too frustrated to even think straight. That night, all I dreamed about was driving that stick shift. Surely, there was something I missed. The next morning, the arrogance was gone, now replaced with sheer determination. Once in position, I took a deep breath, moved my feet just so, and the truck started driving. I was so surprised I didn’t stall out I removed both feet and stalled out anyway. But now, I knew it was possible.

The only way I was able to learn how to drive a standard shift truck was by being an active participant. The only way your students will truly learn the content is if they become active participants. Like Jesus sending out the disciples to complete his work across the territories, we must present opportunities for our students to dive into the material and actively participate, taking ownership as they dive in. Reader’s Theater, escape rooms, group work with individual responsibilities, and creating solutions for everyday problems they already experience are great ways to engage these students in active learning.

As educators, we should always be learning. Like the disciples looked to Jesus for direction, our students should be able to look to us and see ways we are regularly adding knowledge to our storehouse. They will do what we do and often love what we love. That’s the model of our master teacher, Jesus too. He taught the disciples to do what he did and love who he loved. Are you adding good things to your storehouse?  Are you adding God things to your storehouse?

Do the Heart Work

1.      How are you tapping into your students’ curiosity to create moments of active learning and participation?

2.      Are your students hearers only or have they become doers?  (Did you hear a little bit of James in that question?)

3.      How do you actively participate in your walk with God?

Digging Deeper

Read Matthew 14:13-21 (NLT)

As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

That evening the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.”

But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.”

“But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish!” they answered.

“Bring them here,” he said. Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave the bread to the disciples, who distributed it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. About 5,000 men were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children!

              Jesus could have made the food appear with only a word, but instead, he chose to use the fishes and loaves of a little boy—an active participant. He also had the disciples distribute the food and collect all the left-overs—active participants. Their participation changed everything. Being fully present and a part of the miracle impacted the rest of their lives.

If You Get Spare Time 

              Recall the times in your educational career where a teacher allowed you to actively participate. Maybe it was your internship. Or during a science class. Maybe it was through a dramatic reenactment. Or a field trip to the Holocaust Museum. If you never experienced this type of learning, imagine how it would have impacted you as a learner. How can you create opportunities daily for active learning in your classroom? How can you involve yourself as an active participant in your relationship with Jesus?