May 11 - “STAARS of the show”

We were assigned Cailyn pick up from school duty the other day, and while waiting outside I noticed some interesting behavior from the youngsters as they exited to head home.  Students in some of the older grades had been doing the dreaded STAAR testing.  In an effort to motivate them as they had arrived that morning, someone had taken sidewalk chalk and plastered catchy, inspirational phrases all over the sidewalk approach to the front door.  “You can do it.”  “You are the real STAARS.”  Things like that. 

Now to the interesting part … watching the younger age classes (kindergarten through second grade) as they exited the building.  I guess part of it was the novelty of seeing the letters upside down, but I began to notice every so often a little girl’s head would bob up and down.  Then, after a few minutes, another would do the same.  I readjusted my positioning so I could better see what was happening.  Sure enough, girl after girl, in separate classes and totally devoid of any overt contact with each other, was doing her best to play hopscotch through the maze of letters.  Hey, chalk on the sidewalk.  What else could it possibly be for?  Right, girls? 

My interest now fully piqued, I began to notice the boys.  No hopscotch for them.  No way.  That’s too girly, I guess.  The guys, in that same totally random matter, upon seeing the chalk, immediately and inexplicably began dragging their sneakers.  Some even walked sideways, or with one foot dragged behind them like The Mummy in a horror movie.  And again, there was no obvious concerted effort or publicized management.  The responses just came naturally.  That’s when I realized what they were doing.  It had become their task in life to surreptitiously erase the chalk.  Again, I totally understood.  Guys are just naturally helpful beings, right? 

Ah, observation of human behavior.  As Mr. Spock would say … Fascinating.

Hebrews 7:27 says, “Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.”

Father, watch over those youngsters as they do all that testing from year to year.  And be with their teachers as they work to prepare them and encourage them.  Amen.