Outside the window of my classroom is a large garbage bin. As with all garbage bins, it must be emptied from time to time. This task is accomplished with a trash truck, and not just your run of the mill, everyday truck, but a shiny, dazzling bright blue trash truck with an automated kid magnet. Watching the trash truck is highly exciting for some of my students, and I can’t say that I blame them. However, there are times when the trash truck comes and the automated kid magnet pulls all the students’ heads to the window and distracts from the lesson and learning.
One day, I asked students to set a goal for their growth on benchmark testing, and to create an action plan on how to achieve that goal. Most actions plans were as expected, “Do my homework,” “Stop talking during class,” “Study for tests,” etc. However, there was one goal that I took a double-take with, “Step 1: Stop focusing on trash truck.” After a second read of the goal, I realized it was ideal. The student thought about what distracting him from learning, and he made a goal to change it.
Now, let’s be honest, we all have trash trucks in our lives. Maybe they are physically trash trucks, or maybe just symbolically. Whatever the case, they are things that distract us from doing what the Lord has for us to do. Colossians 3:2 tells us, “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” To do this, we have to stop focusing on our trash trucks.
Kaitlyn Roman
Thursday May 1, 2025
