Nametag on the forehead

The greatest need of the human heart is love, not knowledge

by Li-hsuan Yang, Michigan

About six years ago when I started teaching in a university, I often worried that I did not have enough knowledge and skills to plan lessons and handle students’ questions. One day I mentioned this worry to a missionary deeply embracing the Focolare spirituality. After listening to my worry he said, “Remember this, Li-hsuan: The greatest need of human hearts is love, not knowledge!” I have remembered this piece of wisdom ever since and tried to live it in every encounter I have with my students.

Last semester I was teaching a course that helps prospective teachers develop knowledge and skills for teaching science to K-12 students. One of our class activities is to go into a middle school classroom. This year we visited a school located in an urban neighborhood facing serious challenges associated with poverty. On the day of our classroom visit, the teacher instructed her students to rotate through multiple stations where my university students would be assisting them. In order to help us address her students more easily, she prepared a nametag for each of her students.

The first student moving to my station was an African American young man. He caught my attention right away because he placed his nametag on his forehead instead of his shirt. It was an awkward situation, yet I felt as if the Holy Spirit was right there, guiding me so I could welcome Jesus present in that student. Instead of pointing out that his behavior was inappropriate, I took a genuine interest in his name: Xavier. I asked him, “How do you pronounce your name?”

I couldn’t help sharing my excitement, because Francis Xavier is one of my favorite saints. He nodded his head a few times while listening, and started working on the station. As he was recording his observations, I shared my enthusiasm and provided encouraging feedback, “Is that what you noticed in that slide? That’s awesome!” “Can I see it too?”

“I am so impressed with the details you included in your drawing!” “It’s really thoughtful of you to arrange the slides for the next student.”

When the classroom teacher signaled students to rotate to the next station, my eyes followed Xavier. He paused briefly, pulled the nametag from his forehead and gently placed it on his shirt. Then he walked to the next station, looking like a student fully prepared to learn. His peaceful demeanor conveyed to me a beautiful message. I had thought I was the one who had tried to love him and welcomed him as I would have done for Jesus, by giving him encouragement, but love is never a one-way flow. The encouraging remarks I shared with Xavier were rather small, but he gave me the most powerful encouragement a teacher could hope for!
-with Maria Villar

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