Author: A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection
www.alittlefaithlift.com
AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Assoc.)
School will start soon. We need to pray for our teachers. Since the time Covid kept students out of the classroom, teachers have attempted to correct the physical/mental/emotional damage done to these children. Add to that the use of A.I. to keep students “thinkless,” and the task of teaching well creates monumental problems.
There are few jobs that require the number of hats teachers must wear. They are mentors, psychologists, nurses, seamstresses, food preparers, EMT’s, confidants, mediators, resource officers, role models, listeners, organizers, researchers, and technology gurus, for the short list.
For centuries, a teacher’s responsibility was to expect students to follow his/her lead. “Do as I say and your day will go well.” No longer. Now, teachers are expected to offer rich, tailored learning experiences to each child. Their job is to nurture healthy curiosity in their students, and considering their classroom contains a range of I.Q.’s, home life situations, economic opportunities and personality styles (all changing over the six classes taught each day), the job can seem overwhelming.
Educators teach to make a difference; that is their reward. But the job has become increasingly stressful. Students sneak cellphones into the classroom. Many parents defend their children, even when there is proof of guilt. Now, kids can wear pajama bottoms and slippers to class, and the school system is forced to give multiple chances for a student to pass a class.
As I run into educators in our community, the stories do not change. “How much longer until retirement?” “I used to think I would teach until I drop. No longer. Now the students are running the show and many parents don’t have our backs. I can’t wait until I can retire.” “We still have not recovered from the Covid mess where few students actually participated in the Zoom calls, and unless we wanted to visit them at their homes, there was nothing we could do.”
Over 40 times in the Gospels, Jesus is called a teacher. The apostle Luke writes in Acts 1:1 that his Gospel is a “record of all that Jesus began to do and teach.” Ephesians 4:11 says it was Christ “who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers.” Good teachers are a blessing.
In “Keep Believing Ministries,” Ray Pritchard wrote, “You don’t have to be famous or brilliant to teach. You don’t have to be highly educated. You don’t have to be clever or witty or unusually attractive. You don’t have to be anything but willing. It won’t cost you anything but your life. If you don’t mind being a sower, you can be a teacher. There are hungry minds and open hearts all around us. The door of opportunity is wide open.” Jesus knew that. Jesus had a way of speaking that caused people to listen.
Next month, I will be coming out of retirement to teach again, and one of my classes is “Introduction to Education” which I will rename “So, You Want to be a Teacher!” I pray that I can encourage my students to understand their calling: God doesn’t ask everyone to be a teacher, but should they choose this job, they need to pray that He will give them a love for their students that supersedes all the negativity causing people to quit. I pray that you make that your prayer as well.