“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Is. 41:10
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
Fall Finals Week is a major occupational hazard for all teachers. The stress of grading final papers and final exams is overlaid with the stress of holiday preparations. Students who have been blase about their performance all term suddenly appear with requests for extra credit, pleading that they “just HAVE to get a B” when they have produced nothing better than “D” papers. Even as I write this, a whiny email appears in my box to further test my patience. This time is perhaps an even more perilous time for the teacher who is a Christian. We are tired at the end of a long semester. All of those calls to be kind and generous and loving to one’s fellows are threatened by a growing ball of bile ready to explode into mean-spirited tirades. Usually what happens is that teachers commiserate with each other (gossip?), telling stories of this semester’s offenders and wondering what it is that they’re teaching kids in schools these days.
I was in the midst of just such a perilous time yesterday. Charity was running low. But. Then. Yes. A Christmas Miracle.
It is my practice when I give a final exam to allow students one page of notes, a cheat-sheet, if you will. Their notes must all fit on one side of the paper. They can handwrite or word-process. They can use as small a font as they like. They can color-code. Whatever they can fit on that one page, they can have with them for the test. I collect their notes with their exam. Partially because I want them to know I’m checking that they only have one page; partially because I’m interested in how they prepare for their tests.
Yesterday, one student handed in her exam and there, at the bottom of her notes, in a slightly larger font than the notes, set off with extra spacing, taking up significant space, were the two Bible verses that head this entry: one from Isaiah and one from 1 Peter.
First, the student took to heart my instructions for the note sheet. I said that they were welcome to put anything on their note sheet that they thought they would need to do well on the exam. For various reasons, students often don’t believe you when you say things like “You may put anything you want the sheet.” They think it’s a trick of some kind. I’m glad this one took me at my word.
Second, the student, I think, accurately diagnosed one of her problems in performing well and included something that would help that problem. This is a student who has very little confidence in her own ability. She talks with a high-pitched lispy baby-girl voice that does little to inspire confidence in anyone who hears her speak. Yet, while not wowing the audience with the insights on par with Plato, she demonstrated through the term an ability to write an “A” paper in Freshman Composition. The girl just needs some confidence. Her choice of 1 Peter was astute.
And so, when given a choice of what to place on her note sheet, when given the freedom to provide herself whatever help she thinks will do the most good, she turns to the promises of God.
My cynical side casts a suspicious eye on students who seem to be playing into the religious identity of our college. I have seen too many students try to manipulate through the quoting of Scripture. I have seen too many students fool themselves by asking for Divine intervention when their own preparation was sorely lacking. I am not easily moved by outward signs of devotion on a conservative religious campus. However, the rest of the note sheet demonstrated a clear understanding of the kinds of things that would be useful for the exam. Also, given the demeanor of the student throughout the semester, I am sure that this is no last-minute sympathy play.
So, to that student, thank you. Thank you for giving me a positive to end the term. Thank you for being the good student that most of our students are. Thank you for reminding me that being prepared does not mean being confident. And thank you for giving me another reason to continue my one-sheet-of-notes policy for the final exam.