The Element of Surprise

Greetings:

"Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth, and she asked Balaam, 'What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?'" Numbers 22:28 (HCSB).

A teacher gave the ending of the Three Little Pigs by shouting "The wolf leaped over the boiling pot and ate all three pigs!" The 2nd graders all sat up and responded - "No! That's not what happened." They had heard the story so often that they were tuning out - until the teacher surprised them.

So many thing in life are predictable. Ever watched a mystery on TV only to be disappointed that everything was so predictable. The ones I like are the ones that get me saying - "Wow - I never saw that coming!" Frank Perretti has a book entitled "Monster." It has a double twist at the end of the book - so that just as you figure it out, you have to change your perspective - and then do it again. I totally enjoyed that book.

God got Balaam's attention by shocking him with a talking donkey. Not a scary shock - an arresting one. One that got his attention and focused him.

Today - try something totally unexpected in class - and get ready for some shocking results!

For Kingdom Education,
Doc

From WTB Teaching With Style (c) 1994