WHY DO I TEACH? (Group/Intro Lesson)

My Favorite Teachers

Open with Prayer

Opening Story:             

              Fourth grade was a pivotal year for me. It was my pink high-top Converse, overalls, and ponytail in a baseball cap stage. This ensemble was usually topped off by my dad’s old lab coat from work, which had a hidden pocket inside for my spy notebook and magnifying glass. This was also the year I kicked ballet to the curb and started playing baseball with the boys—and I was good. I discovered Sports Illustrated for Kids, Oregon Trail, and Carmen Sandiego. But my favorite part of fourth grade was my teacher.

              Harvey Waldrep was a jovial guy with somewhat of a belly. He told jokes, made word plays, and kept us laughing. He played along with my creative shenanigans and never blinked an eye at my unique style in clothing. When his first granddaughter came along, he even bought pink high tops, overalls, and a ball cap for her because of the impression I left on him. Mr. Waldrep included tons of out-of-the-box teaching ideas and enrichment for us, but the part I remember the most was creative writing.

              I don’t recall the specific day or lesson, but I remember the excitement I felt when I wrote that first creative story. The feeling was euphoric and I couldn’t stop writing. Ideas flowed like a river onto the pages in my messy fourth grade handwriting. A secret world, hidden under the ground, until the fateful day it was discovered and everything changed. I can still remember discovering the narrow entrance in my mind, climbing down the ladder, and meeting the hidden people and world underground. Something came alive that day and only grew from there.

              Rosie Knox was my English teacher for the next three and half years and she picked up where Harvey Waldrep left off. She fueled the creative fire through literary units, contemplative discussions, and higher-level thinking. I was never bored in her class, but instead I left challenged and ready to change the world.

              Over the years that followed, Susanne Griffin, Dianne Phillips, and Cissy Adelburg passed on their love of literature, writing, and excellence. Each of them added depth to my love for writing and reading. We read books that pushed social norms and caused deep conversations. Units focused on self-awareness, personality styles, and how we best learn shaped my future as a college student and eventual teacher. There was good writing and then great writing, and these teachers all held me to the standard of greatness, never letting me sluff off by submitting second tier work. They pushed me and shaped me into who I am today.

              These teachers, plus so many more, showed me what real educators look like. They cared about their students, the environment, and classroom. Each lesson mattered and every topic deserved in-depth planning. They all believed their students’ minds were to be shaped, molded, challenged, and opened, not talked at or lectured. These teachers included their students in the learning process and let them make conclusions and discoveries along the way. I never remember them worrying about if we’d see something on a test at the end of the year, but I do recall their problem-solving techniques and pushing us out of our comfort zone. These teachers demonstrated solid teaching and paved the way for my journey toward education without ever realizing it.

              If I could go back and interview each one of these teachers, I guarantee none of them would say they entered education to help kids perform on a test. They wouldn’t say they taught to make the high gains or best scores on their hallway. And none of them would claim they taught because they wanted an easy paycheck. These teachers would all say they wanted to shape minds and challenge students to become the best versions of themselves. They would each have individual goals for helping students overcome obstacles, challenge “normative” thinking, and have plans for improving self-esteem, personal growth, and educational direction. Their idea of “No Child Left Behind” would be literal, not figurative. This would include home visits, attending students’ extracurricular events, one-on-one lunch conversations, and anything that would benefit the growth of their students.

              I’m grateful for the example of these teachers; they showed me how to be a teacher. They taught me the value of one voice and the importance of a single adult caring for a student. I learned how much it means to be seen and how that can change the course of a student for a lifetime. And I learned that teaching is about changing lives, one at a time.

Scripture Reading:

Read Proverbs 3:1-12, 27-35 (NIV)

My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”— when you already have it with you. Do not plot harm against your neighbor, who lives trustfully near you. Do not accuse anyone for no reason— when they have done you no harm. Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways. For the Lord detests the perverse but takes the upright into his confidence. The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous. He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed. The wise inherit honor, but fools get only shame.

              The instructions in this Proverb are about how to live a good life and get the best reward. It’s about teaching a person how to become a better human being and honor God with their life. We are all connected to education in some capacity. Do our words to our students sound like this?

Discussion

1.      Who was your favorite teacher and why?

2.      Why did you become a teacher?

3.      What is your goal in your classroom with each of your students?

4.      Why do you think God has you in the position you are in for this season?

Homework     

Read all of Proverbs 3. Reflect on the instructions and apply them to your own life.

Personal Reflection

              Is your favorite teacher still alive? Have you ever told them how much they meant to you? If you’ve never shared, take time this week to write them a letter and send it to them. Tell them how impactful they were on your life and career choice.

              Think about your personal goals for your classroom. Not performance or test scores, but those deep-down goals that drove you to the classroom in the first place. Are you meeting those this year? Or has life distracted you? Make a list of the reasons you first began teaching and place it somewhere visible as a reminder on days when it’s easy to forget.