I’m having a hard time lately knowing that this is the last month of the school year. In only a few short days I won’t be going to my computer every morning to see what substitute jobs await me, to see if one of my favorite teachers (yes, there are several) needs someone to come in for her today, or maybe just to fill in the afternoon.
what i love about teaching
There are two things that I love about being a substitute teacher. First and foremost are the students (or “friends” as they are now called). If I ever need a reminder of God’s beauty and creative genius, I need look no further than the young lives that are being molded and shaped right before my eyes. Truly amazing.
The second thing that I love about being a substitute is seeing the enthusiasm and the creativity of the teachers. They also are truly amazing. Whether it is preparing the lessons for that day or cutting out the parts for their Pilgrim hats or bringing wonder to their students’ little faces as they watch a video of amazing animals in the wild. Each teacher does it with great enthusiasm. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” The teachers that I know have great enthusiasm, excellent skills, and a passion for children. But there is one thing many teachers do not have, and that is a saving knowledge of Jeus Christ. So, what can we do?
how to pray for teachers
May I suggest prayer. I know what you’re thinking. Prayer? Isn’t that our last resort, isn’t that what we do when we can’t do anything else? Not exactly. In 1 Timothy 2:1 it tells us, “I urge, then, first of all, that request, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone.” “Everyone” includes teachers who are ministering every day to children who need to know Jesus.
So, how can we pray? First, pray that they will have a good relationship with their students and to love them as Jesus would love them. Sometimes certain students can be difficult to love, and we may not give them the attention they desire. Teachers in a public-school setting can’t really talk to the kids about their faith, but they can treat them with kindness, gentleness, and grace. Children will remember how they are loved by their teachers.
Pray for our Christian teachers, that the Word of God would fill their hearts and lives. Pray for their opportunities to share Jesus with their colleagues. It is always easier to minister to someone that you are in the trenches with every day. And finally, may we say with the apostle Paul, “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the Saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you. Remembering you in my prayers.” (Ephesians 1:15-16)
students remember their teachers
Little Johnny will benefit greatly from the enthusiasm and the creativity of his favorite teachers, but when he reaches the point in his life when he begins to ask those spiritual questions, he will ask the people he trusts the most: his parents, his teachers, and his friends. Then he will remember that person who stands out, who only tells him the truth, who loves him despite that horrendous year he has had. Yes, he will remember his school teacher and his Sunday School teacher. Hopefully, he will know what living like Jesus means!