Threatening F's or Inspiring A's
I’ve had classes with teachers who love to teach. They breathe life into the subject matter and get excited when their students get excited too. I’ve also had teachers who phone it in. They talk like they’re experts on the subject, but then leave it up to the textbook to teach it. Instead of inspiring A’s, they threaten F’s. I learned a lot more from teachers who love to teach.
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When I think of the scribes, I don’t picture teachers who loved Jewish law and had a passion for sharing their passion. I see them more as sullen old guys who were there to spell out the consequences of not following the law to the letter. Kinda like preachers who hold hell over their parishioners heads, instilling fear instead of inspiring faith. By contrast, Jesus loved teaching and loved his students. He didn’t have to threaten pop quizzes and terrifying final exams to get his students to listen. He inspired them. And he is still inspiring us.
“They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”