Teaching is truly a calling from above. Not only must you have a passion for the subjects you teach, but a teacher must also have an above average sense of self-control. Patience is a virtue, especially in working with teenagers.
I have enjoyed my twenty years plus as an educator in the public and private realms. Many times after a long day at the helm of a classroom, I have questioned whether the children have learned what they were taught. Not just information to pass a quiz or to complete a report, but truly absorbed knowledge in the pursuit of wisdom and application to life.
As our physical bodies age, educators understand the importance of structure and believability in the classroom. If there is an age bracket gifted with the ability to recognize hypocrisy, it’s teenagers. Hence, teaching must be a calling from above.
As humans we have an over heightened sense of the need for immediate response and gratification, but as a teacher our instruction may take decades to be seen demonstrated in the lives of our students. Patience must guide a teacher, or else gloom and a sense of failure steal the joy to shape lives.
I have coached various athletic teams over these two decades in education and have enjoyed shaping lives in that capacity. That has to be a calling as well, or the kids will see through it and be less likely to have a passion sparked inside of them.
Life is too short to be overly focused on oneself. As I age I see the truths of Christ more applicable in every day circumstances. He was quoted as saying, “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” As I teach, coach and serve this school, and my community, I realize the importance of self-control, patience and a calling from above in maintaining a love for students and my neighbors.
Teachers, there will be good times, tough times and trying times. Stay true to the calling from above and grow in self-control.
Jesus Christ was an excellent teacher, His lessons still hold true today, especially in teaching.
You must be logged in to post a comment.