Train up a child in the way he should go; Even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)
Many kids are getting out of school this week, and like most kids, they are looking forward to the lazy summer days ahead. Sleeping in late, playing outside, swimming, vacations, bbq’s, fireworks, lightning bugs, and just laying on a blanket under the warm sunshine. It’s a time of life that we adults fondly remember. It’s a time of life that should be enjoyed to the fullest. But before we pack that last lunch and catch that last bus to school, we need to think about the sacrifices that were gladly made by our children’s teachers over the last 9 months. The many late nights that were spent doing lesson plans, the weekends they came in to decorate their classrooms for the special seasons, and the hours they spent finding just the right approach to teach our children the lessons that needed to be taught. All of this done, while working around 20 different personalities and learning styles. They came to work each day because they have a vocational calling to teach. Like us, they believe in our kids, and (the good ones) feel like an extension of our own family.
What struck me to the core this week while listening to the news reports about the devastating killer tornado in Oklahoma, was that so many teachers sacrificed their own well being to take care of their students. Laying on top of their students, like human shields and taking the brunt of the physical harm so that hopefully these children would make it out alive and as unharmed as possible. Heroic. Selfless. Doing the work that God called them to do: Teach.
As a mom who has home schooled in the past, I can attest to the fact that you moms who selflessly give of yourself day in and day out to teach your kids at home are heroes too! Being a wife and mother are huge jobs by themselves. Adding the job of teacher to our daily work is something that God calls many of us to do, and I truly believe that He alone gives us the strength to see this calling to fruition! There can be no EGO in the heart of a homeschooling mom. She does it purely out of a selflessness that puts her child first. Heroic. Selfless. Doing the work that God called them to do: Teach.
So whether you are a home school teacher or you have taken your child to a brick and mortar school this year, it’s important that our kids learn to be grateful for the gifts of knowledge, character, and responsibility that they’ve learned over the past nine months. They have grown so much over this period of time!
Here’s a sweet poem from DLTK’s Crafts for Kids about teachers, which I’d like to share:
God Made Teachers
God understood our thirst for
knowledge, and our need to be led
by someone wiser;
He needed a heart of compassion,
of encouragement, and patience;
Someone who would accept
the challenge regardless of the
opposition;
Someone who could see potential
and believe in the best in others . . .
So He made Teachers.
Thank you teachers. Thank you for all you do for our children. Not because of the monetary wealth to be found, but because you are following a calling that God placed in your hearts. We are forever grateful for your positive influence in thei lives. Have a great summer…you’ve earned it!
Lisa Strnad is a weekly contributing writer/blogger to What’s in the Bible? and Jelly Telly. She has been a homeschooling mom of two, who works independently in Christian media in the areas of writing, promotions and marketing. She lives with her husband and children in Nashville,TN. Follow her personal blog posts on Talking Like A Girl.
