The Classroom

After being interviewed by the school administration, the eager teaching prospect said: "Let me see if I've got this right. You want me to go into that room with all those kids and fill their every waking moment with a love for learning. And I'm supposed to instill a sense of pride in their ethnicity, modify their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse and even censor their T-shirt messages and dress habits. 

You want me to wage a war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, check their backpacks for weapons of mass destruction, and raise their self-esteem. You want me to teach them patriotism, good citizenship, sportsmanship, and fair play, how and where to register to vote, how to balance a checkbook, and how to apply for a job. 

I am to check their heads for lice, maintain a safe environment, recognize signs of antisocial behavior, offer advice, write letters of recommendation for student employment and scholarships, encourage respect for the cultural diversity of others, and…always make sure that I give the students in my class fifty percent of my attention. 

My contract requires me to work on my own time after school and evenings grading papers. Also, I must spend my summer vacation at my own expense, working toward advance certification and a

I am to be a paragon of virtue, larger than life, such that my very presence will awe my students into Master’s degree. And on my own time you want me to attend committee and faculty meetings, PTA [Parent Teacher Association] meetings…participate in staff development training, being obedient and respectful of authority… and I am to pledge allegiance to family values and this current administration. 

You want me to incorporate technology into the learning experience, monitor websites, and relate personally with each student. That includes deciding who might be potentially dangerous and/or liable to commit a crime in school. I am to make sure all students pass the state mandatory exams, even those who don't come to school regularly or complete any of their assignments. 

Plus, I am to make sure that all of the students with handicaps get an equal education regardless of the extent of their mental or physical handicap. I am to communicate regularly with the parents by letter, telephone, newsletter, and report card. 

All of this I am to do with just a piece of chalk, a computer, a few books, a bulletin board, and a big smile, and on a starting salary that qualifies my family for food stamps. You want me to do all of this, and you expect me not to pray?”*

*Adapted from the article, “Subject: Teacher’s Application,” published by Damon Porter

 Whether you have a teaching degree (or not), the way you live your life is educating someone. You see we are all teachers (in our own unique life classroom). Some of us just get paid to do it. What is someone learning from you by the way you live your life?

Please say a prayer of thanks today for the high-quality educators in this world, and the invaluable service they provide to you, your family, and the humankind. Humanity’s mental horizons have been broadened and enriched because of their influence.

So the next time you need to learn an important life skill; try discovering a knowledgeable adviser (or instructor) that can (emotionally or spiritually) help you achieve the results you desire. Maybe the verse below can lead you in the direction of your needed change.

“Show me how you work, God; school me in your ways. Take me by the hand; lead me down the path of truth. You are my Savior, aren’t you?” (Psalm 25:4-5, MSG) The answer to that question is always, “yes.”