Code Switching

I teach my students about code-switching: you know, that thing we all do when we use language in different ways for different purposes? 

In an effort to set some guidelines for writing with an academic voice, I began at the opposite end of the spectrum, that really casual space where they live:

·      We talked about the characteristics of a tweet and then wrote some. Yes, we Tweeted in English class.

·      We talked about the characteristics of email and then wrote some. This activity doubled as a method to ensure that students have my school email address correctly into their contact list. 

·      We talked about the characteristics of real mail – oh, what blessed treats brought by the United States Postal Service! Handwritten and heartfelt epistles, glowing from the usual stack of junk mail. And then we wrote some mail:  thank you notes, to be exact.

The tweets and the email both highlighted one really amazing thing that happened over the summer. Some tweeted and emailed about going to Disney, some about a new phone, some about an especially supportive and listening ear during a difficult time.  

Following that pattern, students wrote thank you notes to the person or people who made those amazing things happen in their lives. They practiced salutations and formal language; they wrote first drafts and then copied them into thank you cards I had picked up at the Dollar Store; they addressed envelopes and identified where the postage goes.

But the nugget of Truth came when we talked about the importance of writing – and sending – notes of gratitude. I told them that, when I was a kid, I wasn’t allowed to spend birthday or Christmas money until I had written a thank you note. A very few of them nodded in approval of such a restriction, but most thought the requirement ludicrous.  So I went to the cross…

“God has made us to crave gratitude. Haven’t you ever done something nice for someone who acted like it didn’t even matter? It hurts, doesn’t it? Imagine how God feels when we act like the sacrifice of His Son doesn’t matter? On the other hand, imagine what joy it brings Him when we live our whole lives in appreciation for what He did! Surely a thank you note to someone who took you to DisneyWorld or got you a new puppy or took you to see Wonder Woman is a small way to practice a life of gratitude.”

I don’t know if this seed will bear fruit, but it was planted in the hearts of freshmen on Tuesday of this second week of school.

Thank you, Lord, for your sacrifice – coming to earth, dying for us while we were sinners, conquering death, filling us with your Spirit. Let us live so that our appreciation is always evident.

Now, excuse me while I go write a thank you note to a former student who brought me a lovely gift just before school began.

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