It takes a special heart and lots of patience to be a school teacher. As the new school year begins, I wanted to reach out to all those who take their place at the front of class each day and prepare the hearts and minds of our little ones.
Please join me in welcoming a fellow blogger and friend Kristine Brown as she tells her story- one you will NOT want to miss!
I’d had it.
Just a few weeks into the school year, and this class already knew how to throw me off track. I tried every technique in the book to maintain order, but nothing worked. They wouldn’t settle down so I could start the day’s lesson.
My heart raced. Frustration rose. I should’ve taken a deep breath and kept my mouth shut, but I didn’t.
I lost control. Harsh words escaped with the power of a freight train before I had a chance to put on the brakes.
An abrupt silence fell over the rowdy class, and a room full of 7th graders stared at me wide-eyed and confused.
Any seasoned teacher knows that once in a while, you’ll have a more challenging class than the others. It could be a mix of personalities that blend a certain way, the time of day, or a hundred other factors affecting the dynamics. Even so, I had no excuse. I couldn’t believe I’d let frustration take over.
I wanted to forget it ever happened. Go home, get a good night’s sleep, and live to teach another day. But God had a different lesson plan in mind.
That evening as I wallowed in defeat, I prayed about the day’s events. I felt compelled to write down one thing I loved about each student- not just that class, but all of my students in all of my classes. Then, I clearly felt the Lord urging me to read the list aloud to them the next day.
“I pray that your love will overflow more and more and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.” (Philippians 1:9 NLT)
Every teacher’s heart is the desire to love, nurture, and watch students flourish. In the same way, God— our Master Teacher— loves seeing his children “grow in knowledge and understanding.” His plans sometimes involve hard lessons, but the goal is for our lives to glorify him.
So the next day, I let God take the lead in my classroom. I arranged the desks in a large circle. I wasn’t sure how they’d react, but God’s instruction was clear. I told the kids how I felt responsible for letting our classroom atmosphere turn negative – and I wanted it to change. I read the compliments I’d written, and peace filled the room.
Priceless smiles replaced the looks of confusion from the day before. Gentleness brought healing and comfort to us all.
From that experience, I learned a valuable truth. If I wanted to be the best teacher I could be for my students, I needed to follow God’s lesson plan instead of my own, beginning with these three steps:
- Seek God first.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33 ESV)
2. Obey him, even when his ways go against human understanding.
“If you love me, obey my commandments.” (John 14:15 NLT)
3. Trust that God is using you.
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 ESV)
The new lesson plan God gave me changed my perspective and kept me on track for future kids who walked through my classroom doors. But he didn’t stop there.
God’s goodness overflowed three years later when I found a note scribbled on orange paper resting in my mailbox in the teacher’s workroom. A young lady from that rowdy class had written it.
The 10th-grade teacher assigned writing a letter to someone who’d made a difference in their life. This is what her note said:
“I’ll never forget the day you yelled in class. Then, even though we all deserved the rebuke, the next day, I walked into class to find the desks arranged in a giant circle with you in the middle of it. You kindly apologized to a rowdy group of junior highers and talked to us like we were family. That was one of my favorite days in your class. Thank you for being such a good influence, teacher, and role model.”
My human mind couldn’t fathom how God could possibly turn my mistake around. I didn’t feel like I deserved to be a teacher. Yet there I stood, holding evidence in my hand of the fruit of a life lived in total dependence on a gracious God.
Teacher, are you struggling to know your worth? Do you feel overwhelmed with the responsibility of the students in your care?
Take heart, then take hold of the great plan God set in motion for you. Whether you’re in a classroom, at home with littles, or leading Sunday school, let his perfect lesson plan for your life point the way.
Welcome Home
“Teach me your ways, Oh Lord. I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.” Psalms 86:11
