One of My Teachers

A good student has the ability to learn from anything and anyone. But, as we all know, that is much easier said than done. And as those of us with children also know, there are plenty of lessons that we can learn from our kids.

Since moving to Canada our family has increasingly been learning about humility and courage. We are finding that it takes both of these qualities to learn and practice a new language. Humility because to attempt to speak a new language among those that call it "their" language is to sound like a child. Not a well-spoken, articulate, polished, educated eighth grade kind of child. No, we are talking two-year-old here. And you need courage because you have to be bold and courageous to risk sounding like the aforementioned two-year-old for the sake of practicing and learning your new language.

Today, Thea was my instructor in both humility and courage. This week her class had the task of writing a report on any influential figure they chose and then giving an oral report on that person to the class. Now this is the kind of assignment that Thea could have easily bowed out of. She has only been in her French school for about six weeks and her teacher would have graciously consented to letting the anglophone sit this one out. But she chose not to and she dove into the deep end of the pool.

For the topic of her paper she chose Francesca Battistelli, a Christian singer that she really likes. This week she wrote her paper in English and then, with some help from her trusty iPod, she translated it into French. She wrote about Francesca's background and career, but the focus of her paper was Francesca's faith in God.

Today, after working with her French helper to make sure that her paper was ready, she stood at the front of her classroom and gave her first ever public presentation. And she did it totally in French.

When she got home today her excitement was contagious and caused her parents to feel great gratitude to God for the tremendous blessing of an encouraged young girl. And I was reminded that good learners can learn a lot about humility and courage from a fourth grade American girl living in Canada trying to speak French, fit in, and please her parents and her Lord. I still have a lot to learn.