I have always loved Anne LaMott’s writing — my dissertation director introduced me to Bird by Bird when I was in the throes of dissertating angst — and when I first read this essay ["Wailing wall" from Grace (Eventually)], sitting in an airport two years ago en route to a teaching event, I knew that I really wanted to share it with students as a lens through which we could think about Sunday school. I hope that our engagement this week might challenge your understanding of what religious education can be, and renew our hope in learning community.

We viewed this week’s text and story from the viewpoint of assessment.  Assessment and self-reflection is supposed to be a part of every curriculum, so that teachers are able to upgrade their tactics and lessons.  One of the things we learned this week is that in assessing a situation, good or bad, right or wrong are simply not applicable or encompassing enough to use.  Instead we used three sets of verbs and principles that were at use in her story, and looked at how she used each.

First we had the Bloom list of verbs.  We identified these verbs in action in the psychomotor section (where I suspect much of the learning occurs at that age): Play and Build.  Clearly, the students identified the most with the lesson when they were involved in the creation of a world both inside and outside of their heads.  Through both the physical learning and their little mini-lecture we found these cognitive verbs to be the intended outcome: identify, compare, apply, and examine.  The children were encouraged, by examining a different culture, to find a way back to their own.

Within Vella’s list of verbs there were a few that really stood out as well used principles in this situation.  First was sequence and reinforcement.  She had a very well structured class, and the kids knew what to expect and what was going to happen.  They were eased into their discoveries.  The next one as well, reflection, seemed to be a primary goal, building self-awareness.  They definitely learnt by feeling, and feelings, and engagement, as I’ve already mentioned was there as well.  Also safety, because she created a safe space by separating the known offenders, having a helper in the room, using safety scissors and also by establishing a place where everyone is loved and chosen.

We also looked at the six facets rubric, which sets criteria for the learner to achieve (presumably over time) moving not so much from ignorance to knowledge, as from unawareness to mastery of concepts.  It was very interesting that although these kids were too young to be at anything but the very lowest rung for nearly everything, she still managed to lift them (hopefully) in the empathy category.

To summarize, there is no right and wrong when dealing with assessment, instead we try to maximize the fulfillment of these principles and verbs.  Even through the kids were young, and the story was short and not exhaustive, we all seemed to agree that she should pat herself on the back, and perhaps get an icepack for her neck.

What are the stories of the individuals involved? What are the stories of the church or churches?
We noted that the teacher has prior experience with the children in the class. She seems to know them and what to expect from them. She is grieving a loss or losses in her life and transfers this to the lesson, wanting to help the children let go of things in their lives as well. The author mentions a long dark winter of illness, death, and grief. The church seems to be a refuge and a place to rest during difficult times. The lesson’s theme is “letting go” and involves people pouring their hearts out to God.

What learning emerges from this history? Is it helpful for religious identity, or are there some elements of that learning that an educational leader would want to challenge and shape in a different direction?
The Wailing Wall is part of our faith history, connecting us to our past. People have prayed to God since the beginning. The theme of letting go might be too abstract and beyond the understanding of 3-6 year olds; however, even if it doesn’t exactly click, they could recall this lesson in later years. She does mention that they may not get it and that seeds are planted. This is our hope for people of any age.

What learning emerges?
The teacher believes that children learn best when they are relaxed, knowing they are loved, and hear a great story. She connected the story of the Wailing Wall with the stories of King David and King Solomon. The children look at pictures of children sticking prayers in the cracks of the Wailing Wall and later create their own Wailing Wall and stick their own prayers on it. They learn to let go and depend on Jesus.

Take Mary Boys’ grid and see if you can figure out some basic answers to her questions, using the focus situation as the raw data.
Revelation: I think helps the learners engage with Jesus Christ, especially at their young age, in tangible ways. The ideas are quite abstract, but are presented somewhat concretely. Even if they do not grasp it now, they may recall it in later years.
Conversion: The activity has more to do with a deepening of the spiritual practice of prayer rather than fostering directly to a conversion. There is a deep spiritual need for prayer in our lives especially our students’ life.
Faith and belief: They are taught that they are “loved and chosen.” Each person is individually validated. The assertion that God hears our prayers is made.
Knowledge: They listen, speak, and move/do. Multiple intelligences are addressed in the lesson. Through story, activity, discussion, hands-on learning, the kids are being engaged in a variety of ways.
How is God Revealed? How is Jesus Christ revealed?  God is revealed as the source of comfort in time of distress.  The children learn that God loves them and has chosen them as God’s own.  Jesus Christ is revealed through the demonstration of letting go.  The child discovers that in letting go of sorrow, hurt and anger, that they can be fulfilled and their thirst quenched through Jesus Christ.
What does the curriculum look like?  The lesson engaged students at a variety of levels.  The teacher provided support to engage different learning types through the auditory (storytelling), visual (pictures), and kinesthetic (building the Wailing Wall) activities.  The lesson was grounded in the biblical story and revealed both God’s love and Jesus’ grace.  The lesson built a bridge from the ancient story to the individual child today thereby making the lesson relevant and meaningful. 
Theology- The activity points to the understanding that God wants to be in relationship with us and is here with us in our struggle of pain and suffering.  The activity can help us connect with the idea of God being open to our communication with him through prayer.
 
Most important learning goal: to know that God is in a loving relationship with them at all times, and to know that God walks with them no matter what the circumstances and regardless of what they do. to focus on what the understanding of our relationship with God is like.  Also, the holding on to too much and what it means to be able to let go of the other things in our life.  Although for kids as small as this, it may be a hard concept to understand, the example of the markers and wanting a drink was great.  So, to show how we can connect with God through prayer and not just when we need help but also when things are going well. God is never absent and always listens to our prayers, no matter how big or small.

Education during the Sunday School morning depicted in this week’s reading contained a great deal of ritual, both explicit and habitual.  Ritual was significant both in the classroom environment (students led by teacher), as well as within the educational leader herself.

In the classroom, intentional ritual included such elements as:

• setting the learning space: welcoming and introducing the students, separating those who routinely interact distractively, three-fold “preparation for learning” (relaxation exercise, loved and chosen identity exercise, ‘good story’ from the Bible read), and clapping for attention;
• symbolic rituals: lighting a candle, ritual positioning for prayer; and
• enacted rituals: public mourning ritual of wailing, letting go exercises of markers object lesson and paper-cramming, building a wall in which their larger community will participate with them.

The educational leader also practiced her own rituals, bringing them in at various levels of effectiveness in the learning environment: preparation of materials prior to Sunday morning, letting-go prayer ritual of stuffing written prayers (which the full class shared in), relaxation exercises (questionable success with energetic young boys), and the loved-and-chosen exercise of unconditional acceptance and identity (wildly successful with the class).  The leader also yearns for her own “grown-up” church rituals at the pivotal point in the chapter at the peak of her frustration that her teaching is not getting through to the amateurs, recognizing how her ritual needs differ from the children’s needs.  Finally, a mental ritual practiced by the leader is the ritual of worry and anticipation of continued bad news.

A point that remained unsettled for us as a group was that of the comment about the loved and chosen ritual: “each of them turned out to be loved and chosen, which does not happen so often.”  If the author means that each of the children are loved and chosen every time this ritual is performed in her classroom, as opposed to their experience in the outside world, then this would seem a good reinforcement of God’s unconditional love.  If, however, she means that this morning they were all loved and chosen, as opposed to other Sunday mornings, when some are excluded, then this would seem a very dangerous practice: are they loved and chosen more when they behave properly? Does God play favorites?  And so forth.

Christian meaning is embodied in many of these rituals as the class learns about God.  For example: welcoming and introductions is thematic for the expanding relational koinonia of Christ’s body (though the early class period of isolated-learner chair-sitting works against this somewhat); loved-and-chosen is central to our identity as unconditionally loved children of a God who initiates relationship prior to our behavior, out of which we are free to live in community with other equally-loved children of God; lighting a candle reminds us of Christ as the light that we are to carry into the darkness; and releasing our prayers to God not only fulfills our emotional need to feel good but in fact enables God to act in God’s ways outside of our control, and invites the children into prayer as frank relationship with God.  It was noted in our discussion that the symbolically-enacted learning points are worth discussing explicitly in relation to how God is at work in our lives (in ways the children can hear, as opposed to the opaque adult generalization of the letting go exercise).  Otherwise, to use “loved and chosen” as an example, the students may simply learn that the leader loves and chooses them.

We are asked to select the most important aspect for the educational leader to focus on in this situation.  Our responses all centered around the work of God: from emphasizing the affective need filled by God in the central identity of being loved and chosen, to recognizing the limitation on our ability to participate as best as we can in the learning environment and then releasing the learning in prayer, to the work of the Holy Spirit.  A centering verse from the Psalmist may be helpful: cease striving (be still) and know that I am God.  From our identity as children of God we can live in freedom to do all things in Christ who strengthens us, in the power of the Holy Spirit who unites us in community.

Our group discussed how the biblical texts and various biblical metaphors and narratives were engaged in the focus situation “Wailing Wall” as presented by Anne Lamott.

Anne Lamott tells the children the short version of King Solomon and the temple he build for God as well as the purpose of the temple. Lanott through her telling of the story was able to capture the attention of the boys in the group and bring across the learning points of God’s constant presence in our lives. We talked about how Lamott engaged the students in the theme of letting it all go to God by way of the Wailing Wall through the narrative of the Old Testament texts that describe the building of the temple and then the subsequent destruction by “the bad guys from the north” four hundred years later.

We also saw many other biblical metaphors arise throughout the events that unfolded in the focus situation. For example, the Parable of the Prodigal Son was an image that emerged as part of the “Loved and Chosen” activity that Lamott did with everyone in the group. Lamott discussed how she had difficulties with her friend Tom’s reminder to her that everyone is loved and chosen  – forgiven and welcomed home into the eternal kingdom of God.  We also engaged John 15:16 , in this activity of “Loved and Chosen” where Jesus says, “You did not choose me but I chose you.”  The hymn “All are Welcome” reminds us that we are chosen and welcome in God’s house. In addition, we talked about Lamott’s preparation for this class and were reminded of Jesus not only welcoming children but teaching others to do the same (Luke 18:15-17). The children praying together and the bowing of their heads, folding of their hands brought to mind various scripture passages that refer to how people prayed: on their knees in 1 Kings 8; bowing down in prayer in Exodus 4; on their faces before God in 2 Chronicales 20, Matthew 26 and 1 Kings 8.

The Great Thanksgiving in the Holy Communion Liturgy and Lamott’s theme of letting our issues go to God remind us that no matter how heavy our hearts, we are invited to lift up our hearts to God and that “letting go” is a right, a duty and a joy. Like coming to the wall – we come to the altar and “let go”.

The students are learning that they are loved and chosen by God. No matter what they do, God will always love them and not forsake them. The image of the Wailing Wall is a reminder that no matter what happens in our lives, what events or circumstances that leave us broken, lost, destroyed, crumbled or trampled, God does not leave us. God’s love remains. God’s love stands tall, is strong and is the place where we are invited to abide. Romans 8: 37-39 – nothing will separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. The physical example she gave them of dropping the marker to pick up a juice box helped them understand the concept of letting things go. The children are learning to let go of worry and ask God for help. The students are also learning the practice of prayer in community and she provides them with a particular way they can physically prepare their bodies to engage in prayer.

The most important learning goal that an educational leader would focus on is that God is always present in our lives. Telling of the story is important but knowing the story through the Loved and Chosen activity allows the students to: experience God’s faithful love and how that feels as well as; understanding that God chose them and the affirmation of this by it being spoken out-loud. God is present in their life even when everything feels like it is crumbling down around them.

Additional resources that were identified include a view of the Western Wall in Jerusalem via a live web cam as well as a sacred space website which gives attention to prayer and reflection in your day.

“Wailing Wall”- Learning, Group 4

1. Who are the teachers and learners in the situation? What explicit teaching is going on?
Most of us identified the Sunday school teacher as the teacher & the students as the learners. One person noticed that throughout the course of the class, the clear boundaries because more fluid, as the teacher began learning from her students and working with their abilities.

The teacher had some clear examples she had prepared, like showing them that she couldn’t drink a drink box when she was holding a pen, and needed to let go. It also included the story of the wailing wall, taught in a manner that would interest children of this age.

2. What is the implicit message?
One student commented that implicit learning occurred when the teacher was shocked and shouted out; while she may have had no other intentions, this action may have sent mixed messages and confused them about whether or not she cared for them.
Another person saw that the fact that she continued teaching even after she was sat on, likely gave them the message that she really cared for them.
One person saw implicit learning that God loves them and they are special through the Chosen game. Also, the open space and interactive activities shows them that they are free to be imaginative and sensory.

3. What do they learn though null learning?
Perhaps the lack of prayer at the beginning and end (although it was in the middle) may have sent mixed messages about what the focus of the class was.
Neshama learned that over everything is not always the solution because you’re not the one doing the work.
Null learning also occurred in the fact that the classroom was not regimented, meaning that it would not be a sterile environment, but would adapt to the needs of each child.

4. Depending on which angles you take on each of the previous questions, you get different answers as to whether or not the three types of learning in this situation create a coherent whole. I think that general, it is often the case that something that is implicit or null learning contradicts the explicit larger picture, because a teacher cannot think of ahead of time every possible null/implicit learning that could result from his or her classroom setting, and because teachers, too, are only human. I think it is particularly interesting to attempt to think about them as a coherent whole, however, because it forces us to try and identify the implications of every choice in the classroom and then rectify it to the larger goal of the class by possibly behaving differently or making different choices, if necessary. This way of thinking forces the teacher to be intentional about every choice.

5. Everyone seems to agree that the teacher worked hard to have activities which were appropriate for their ages, and allowed them to learn things through their senses. Nurturing Your Faith mentions welcoming each child in the 5-6 age range, and the text mentions that the teacher does this, but the teacher also plays the Chosen game, which clearly does a good job of making them feel welcome and special.

In summary, the group in general seemed to think that the teacher did a very good job adapting her plan to the age group, and keeping them engaged. We varied as to what was considered null or implicit learning, but we all saw both going on, as well as a lot of really solid explicit learning.

Prayers & Peace,
Group 4 (Julie Bender)