My last couple newsletter articles have discussed the topic of leisure. The first article explained Josef Pieper’s definition of “leisure”: that leisure is one’s attitude of rest, contemplation, and happiness with God, the world, and one’s own place in it. My next article showed how leisure is greatly supported by the study of the liberal arts (language and math), since they teach man to delight in his unique human capacities and equip him to wonder at and receive from God. Now, in this article, it’s time to get practical. We understand what leisure is, and we know the liberal arts help us get there, but what exactly can a teacher do in the classroom to cultivate leisure among her students?
Pieper gets pretty practical on the “how” and “where” of leisure. “The soul of leisure,” he says, “lies in celebration,” because celebration brings together all the key elements of leisure he previously defined. He continues, “The most festive festival it is possible to celebrate is divine worship. And there is no festival that does not draw its vitality from worship… There is no such thing as a festival ‘without gods.’” This means that the wellspring of leisure at school is not in the classroom. It’s in church! There we have true festival: a feast of rest and joy in the worship of God. Man is fulfilled beyond utility: he is raised to communion with Christ Himself. It’s unfortunate that Pieper’s Roman Catholic background comes through on this point about worship. He emphasizes the centrality of the sacrifice of man for God. True divine worship is exactly the opposite: we have rest and joy only because of what Jesus does for us.
Practical point number one: Regular church attendance and daily chapel establish a culture of leisure, because divine worship is the source of all leisure.
Of course, the leisure we have in church isn’t quarantined to the sanctuary walls. The life of the church naturally flows into the life of the home and school. There are plenty of direct but natural ways a teacher can channel this: relating chapel sermons to religion lessons, aligning memory work with the current Sunday’s readings, singing familiar hymns, or celebrating special days of the Church Year. The point here isn’t to make school as much like church as possible, but to show students that God’s service in worship bears fruit of rest, happiness, and contemplation of His Word throughout the ordinary day.
Practical point number two: A classroom culture that normalizes the life of the Church also nurtures leisure.
While the activities listed above are wonderful, leisure in the classroom isn’t limited to Bible history and hymns. It is good to remember that leisure, by our definition, is an attitude. A leisurely classroom is neither idle, finding boredom in learning about the world; nor utilitarian, seeking only a product of finished homework at the end of the day. Instead, while transitions and procedures may be clean and crisp, actual class time is warm with interest, deliberate, perhaps challenging, but not rushed. Unanswered questions or undiscussed topics can be revisited next time, and lesson plans are flexible.
Practical point number three: The day can be structured to maximize quality leisure time.
In order for students to have an attitude of leisure during class, the teacher needs to model that attitude. Students should be able to see cheerfulness and peace in their teacher’s tone and expressions. They should be able to know, from her attitude and behavior, that all is well. If the teacher is frazzled, terse, or gloomy, they will wonder what’s wrong. “Something must not be as it should be,” and the atmosphere of leisure evaporates. Being at leisure so much can be a tall order for the teacher, who is just as human as anyone and can’t feel peaceful and cheerful all the time. But it’s the reality, and it is important! Even on bad days, the foundation of leisure in divine worship does not change—and all really is well, thanks be to Christ.
Practical point number four: The teacher can foster leisure in the classroom by being at leisure herself.
As important as the teacher’s attitude may be, leisure in the classroom is also affected by the students’ attitudes. Students need to know that all is well between them and their classmates, and a culture of confession and forgiveness is essential. Students should also learn to assume the best about one another, and to show kindness and attention to one another. When a student knows he is reconciled to his classmates and doesn’t have to worry about secret grudges or drama, he can really be at leisure while he works and learns with them.
Practical point number five: When students know they are at peace with each other, an atmosphere of leisure can flourish.
Christians have every reason to be at leisure. We have peace with God and each other. We have a place in the world that we know is good, because God put us here. We have the most beautiful things to contemplate. We have the happiness of belonging to Christ. Leisure is a wonderful gift of God, born of His divine service to us. May we use and teach it well!
In Christ,
Miss Hahn
