Tag Archives: Education

John Green and Stupid People

Posted on by
Reply

I write to stay off a steady diet of chocolate chip cookies and chips.

Notice I said–steady.

Sometimes I write an essay and then shelve it because it is too personal or polemic.

You can imagine how rough these pieces may be.

One such unpublished essay was, on review, well-spoken, passionate, and almost entirely wrong.

I had misjudged a man by a meme.

A man I now deeply respect and a quote taken out of context.

Yes, I still believe that we should not refer to people as “stupid.”

But as a current rabid fan of the Crash Courses on YouTube produced by John and Hank Green, I thoroughly endorse the Green Bros. and their ability to teach. They rock and they make my job as an educator much more fun and engaging.

Nothing stupid about that.

Rabbi

Posted on by
Reply

Let’s say you want to learn to swim. You would need water, a bathing suit, and a teacher. And while the bathing suit might be optional, the teacher knowing how to
1. Swim
2. Teach
Would not

The other day I heard a very smart man complaining that his students lacked motivation. I thought, that is your job, make it fun.

Yesterday I saw a man teach a kid to do something nuanced and physically challenging. He is good at what he does, both doing and teaching.

I say all this because at the heart of the Jesus question is–
Can he really do what he teaches?
Can he teach me to do it?

Most of us think the gospel is words. We are wrong. The gospel is the pop quiz, the open book test.

The real thing?
Can you rise from the dead?
Can you love like Him?

Everything he says is just the instructional course. Everything he does is life everlasting.