ASSIGNMENT
Part of being an educator is having this perspective of the children under our care—to wipe away a child’s tears. What does it mean for you and me—as educators—to have as one of our tasks to uplift the faces of the children we teach, to give them hope, to bring grace and mercy and light to their dim worlds? What does it mean to mentor and guide children in ways which encourage their spirits? which reconnect them with their special dignity and worth? And what does it mean to bring righteousness and peace to the spaces they inhabit every day? What ‘bold actions’ might we—as educators—need to take in order to bring order and light to their school, their homes, and their communities? to restore their hope?
- Initial Post (300-500 words):
- Identify a Psalm which expresses a sense of despair and hopelessness.
- Rewrite the Psalm from the perspective of a child who feels downtrodden. Be creative. Change the subjects to be subjects which are more believable and age-specific for a child. Express the same emotions and feelings of the Psalm with the issues and words of a young child (you can pick the age and circumstances). Here’s an example taken from Psalms for Young Childrenby Marie-Helene Delval.
When I trust in God,
it’s like being wrapped in a warm blanket.
With God on my side,
I am not scared of anything –
not during the day,
not during the night.
Psalm 91
- After rewriting your selected Psalm, respond to the prompt above.
- Be sure to divide your initial post with appropriate headings to make it easier to read (e.g., “My Rewritten Psalm”, “Encouraging the Downtrodden”)
- Follow-Up Posts: Guidance for quantity and quality of Followup Posts is provided below under the heading “Point Boosters for Follow-up Posts.”
