I was a middle school teacher for 17 years. I can pinpoint the moment my creativity spawned a wonderful learning environment for my fifth-grade class. As spelling class began, I asked my students to turn to a specific page in their book. When they did, I heard a collective groan. You see, the unit they opened was a “review” lesson. It required the students to do some research on a national monument of the United States and write a paragraph about it using words from the unit. They had done this type of assignment before. One of the girls called out, “Sister, can we do something creative with this assignment?” I replied, “If you give me a few minutes of total silence, let me think of something that you would enjoy.” I began to pace back and forth in front of the room. I had 22 sets of eyes following me as I paced. A few minutes later, I came up with a creative way of fulfilling the assignment. I told them that they should select a national monument, search it on the internet at home and print out information to bring to class the next day. As this was a time before the internet was widely used, they could use an encyclopedia for information.
The next day, I divided the students into groups of four teams. I told them to read the material about their monument. Then, we brainstormed descriptions that made something a national monument. They came up with three classifications: unique archaeological sites, geological formations, or a place of cultural or historical event. As a group, they were to invent their own national monument to illustrate one of the three classifications. They were to create a brochure, a bumper sticker, a billboard and a 25-second commercial. Suddenly, the class that everyone hated, was one that everyone loved! They were thrilled to have spelling class that week! I can still remember that one of the monuments was Lip Gloss Geyser. I had fun standing back and watching the excitement as I got more work from them than I had ever dreamed about!
I am reminded of this story as I continue my reflections on the 7 Keys to Spiritual Wellness by Joe Paprocki. Key 7 is “Unleashing Your Imagination.” In this chapter, Paprocki asks, “What sparks a fire in your heart? … a hoped-for reality – an alternative reality for ourselves, for those we love, for our community, for our world.… To be spiritual is to enter the realm of mystery – the more – and to see a reality that is hidden from plain sight.”1
He goes on to explain, “Imagination is at the heart of the gospel message. … Love requires great imagination. Spiritual wellness is all about the loving relationship we have with a personal God, not with some nebulous vapor or impersonal force. Spirituality is not something we dabble in.… Ultimately, we have to trust that the God who has shown such generous and faithful love throughout salvation history will do the same for us.… [This is] an indispensable way of seeing. Imagination is a prerequisite for hope. To be imaginative is to develop a way of approaching reality that brings us into contact with mystery.”2
So perhaps, each of us is a monument that illustrates God’s life, God’s love and God’s mercy in and around us. I wonder what your personal commercial will be like as you illustrate this for others to see.
1Paprocki, Joe. 7 Keys to Spiritual Wellness: Enriching Your Faith by Strengthening the Health of Your Soul. Loyola Press, 2012. Pg. 96.
2Ibid. Pg, 103
By Sister Geralyn Schmidt, SCC, Special to The Witness
