Some days not all that much. Then there are those other days when my mind just wanders in and out of Memory Lane with such ease, I am amazed at how many places I have been and things I have done. Now, what I really need to do is jot down what is valuable so I can Blog on it. That never seems to happen however.
Yesterday I had a few moments of meandering through some Seminary Teaching experiences I had enjoyed. That goes back quite a few years now. Never the less, I find it enjoyable to glance again on those times when I had such great classes to spend time with.
I was fortunate enough to teach in three Stakes. The first was in Kern County, the original Stake at the time. Low these many years there is more than one Stake in that area. I was just starting in Seminary then, but I did have some exciting things take place. I believe the one that I recall with vivid pleasure is when John Miller, a Senior, and major player on the Taft High Football team decided to start looking like a Latter-day Saint on "Game Day". You would usually see the players arrive at school wearing their football jersey. John had already had the team saying a prayer before they went on the field, with the Coaches approval of course. Then one Friday he showed up in a white shirt and tie and dark slacks. You might imagine in a Farming Community like Taft, that was a real "stand out" outfit where jeans, tee shirts and tennis shoes were the norm. The idea caught on and the whole team followed suit. This was their winning year as it turned out. No one told John to do that, he just decided he wanted to add some dignity to the day when they were to play the "big game". One simple act, by just one person, turned into such a wonderful experience for the school, and one Seminary Teacher.
We moved to Anaheim after that and I was "called" to teach in the Anaheim Stake. There were a number of great classes during my time there. I remember one particular one. Neat kids. They dedcided to put forth a great effort on Scripture Mastery. They worked every lunch period. They staked out a place on campus - very visible - they gathered crowds to watch as they got out their scriptures and tested each other. Before the "mastery contest" they had put in many school hours as well as after school in learning and becoming swift in getting to the challenges set forth by their piers. They even asked me to meet with them in the evening to help them get better prepared. It was thrilling to see the dedication these 5 had. With what they had learned in class and the time they had spend preparing themselves, they won the compitition, hands down. I was so thrilled for them I went out and bought each of them a #1 charm. The girls got bracelets and boys tie tacs so they could show off their trophy. I think the thing they were most proud of outside of winning was they were the only class who remembered what the "Ramiumpton" was.
My final time in Seminary was in the San Luis Obispo Stake. Here I was back in an area where the kids were raised in a rural setting. No city kids here. They were dedicated and very good at attending, and learning. The year we studied the Book of Mormon I decided to make Chapter 11 of Alma more meaningful to them. I was able to design and print every denomination of money outlined in that Chapter. The kids earned their Onti, Senon, etc. by various things they accomplished in the Class. Some were eager to earn a lot, because I promised an Auction at the end of the Semester. The more money, the more they could bid on. What an experience that was. I spent the year shopping for great buys on worthwhile tokens for them to earn. The last day of the Semester the room was full of the goodies I had found. Some more expensive than others, so the challenge to spend would make for a great experience. The students with the most money of course were able to take the best of the pick. What it turned into, however, was a great surprise to me. Those with the most money soon started sharing with the ones who had little. The prizes were quickly shared and fairly so with everyone in the class. What might have been a pretty sad ending to the semester, turned into one of the most rewarding I had ever seen. The kids cemented friendships, and shared the experience with an unexpected and generous gesture I had little expected.
Oh, and while in Anaheim, I had a reward for those who completed reading, and sharing. I would take those students to Knotts Berry Farm and spend the day riding all the rides with them. Now I am not a "ride" type person, so this was a real challenge for me. We would go when the park opened, and stay until it closed. Then, one ticket, allowed a person to ride as many rides and as often as you could ride any in the Park. I got wet a number of times, and was swung in the big swing more times than I can count. The kids loved it, and of course, I endure to the end.
I don't know if those Students recall those days with the same feelings I do, but I never shurked doing my part while we were there. Stange the things you do when you are "young and foolish".
Jay thought I had lost my mind. It was more my nerve that I was worried about!
In all I spent 17 years in one Seminary Class Room or another. I have had Hundreds of Students and Thousands of experiences. What a "ride". If I was able to give 1/10th of what those years gave me, to those who sat in those classrooms, we were all well compensated for the time.
I taught Institute Classes to some parents who brought their kids to Seminary for 5 yeas after I retired from Seminary. We were not bound on a set group of studies. We did the regular set for the four years and the fifth we studied the "Lectures on Faith". This was a great experience. So many people haven't taken time to read the Lectures, so going through them in such fine detail was enlightening for everyone. It was during these years the class members bought me a copy of the "Christus". I have truly appreciated their thoughtfulness. No reward is ever expected when setting forth on the path of teaching. One never realizes while they are envolved in doing the "job" what the total outcome might be. A few times, you run into someone who "thanks" you for what they learned. Then there are days when "Facebook" turns up an unexpected "thank you" from one who sat in classes way back then. One, in your feeble mind, you don't even remember. Now that is humbling, humbling indeed!
Written this 24th day of May 2010
by: Eileen C. Rosenberg
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