Tuesday, February 15, 2011

faith and school: the joy of facilitating


i have mentioned that i lead a breakout group of students each friday. last semester, i had all freshmen. this semester, though, i have 16 transfer students, ranging from freshmen to seniors. it is certainly a different vibe. additionally, i have significantly more men than women--a huge rarity in any class at a small school.

this past friday, we had the most magnificent discussion i have ever facilitated. i was glowing as we sat there. i barely had to say anything--the conversation really carried itself.

i much prefer the one-on-one coffee dates i get to have with my students to our larger discussions, but the way this dialogue unfolded was so excellent--it made me so happy and proud to be a part of this community.

we had some heatedly different points of view (on rather volatile topics)...and anyone who wanted to had the chance to share their thoughts. the way my students handled themselves--the openness with which they received opposing ideas, the grace they poured out in their responses to one another, and their deliberate choices to really hear each other...WOW.

just one of the many reasons why i love what i am doing in this stage of life. :)

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