Author: StaceyKirk89

StaceyKirk89 http://stacelace89.wordpress.com
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The greatest of these is LOVE

1 Corinthians 13

Possibly the greatest and most powerful definition of what it means to love, of what God intended love to be about. As teachers in our little corner of the world, we have a profound responsibility to influence and as I woke up this morning, this entire chapter was laid on my heart, which got me thinking….

We can have all the book knowledge in the world, but if it is not taught and passed on in a loving way, it is just that, knowledge.

We can have all the degrees, accolades and honorary titles to our names but if we remain boastful and self-seeking, striving for a worldly definition of success rather than to teach with a humble heart, then we fail to love.

We can have all the best resources at our disposal but if we are not inspired and motivated by love, lessons will simply be lessons, and the opportunity to really move and transport our children into a realm of the impossible made possible will be missed.

We can have deadlines to meet and schedules to follow, but if we do not slow down and demonstrate true patience we may never open ourselves up to the life lessons presented to us through the eyes of  struggling yet persevering young heart.

Within the confines of our four walls, and when we find ourselves stressed and under pressure, how often are we slow to anger and quick to love? As both teachers and lifelong students, the key is to remain humble in all things. Easier said than done right?

Kaylen Yoder says this;

“When you live love out loud, you tell people they matter. When your life tells people they matter, you’re bound to make a much greater impact than you could ever imagine.

Love doesn’t care wh6014763afda967e06eed66b203d2405dether you are the top dog or the low man on the totem pole.

Love doesn’t care whether you failed the test or passed it with flying colors.

Love doesn’t care if you colour outside the lines or paint a masterpiece for all the ages.

The bottom line is this:

People don’t care how much you know. They just know how much you care.”

 

1 Corinthians 13 for Teachers

If I teach with the best educational techniques, and provide stimulating and motivational lessons,

but have not love,

I am but a time-wasting information processor.

If I spend hours preparing my lesson plans with the clearest instructional objectives,

but have not love,

I am just an over-organized ideologue.

If I utilize the most eye-catching visual aids and the latest classroom technology,

but have not love,

I am just a high-tech visionary.

 

A loving teacher is kind and patient with every student,

regards each student as an important individual,

and treats their personal problems with confidence.

A loving teacher does not merely talk at, but relates to, the students,

and provides a exemplary model of life to those in the classroom.

 

A teacher’s love is not condescending,

does not play favorites,

does not gossip,

does not publicly humiliate,

is not easily agitated or discouraged,

and does not blow-up or give-up on misbehaving students.

 

A teacher’s love bears the responsibility of instruction,

Believes that student’s minds should not be wasted,

Hopes that every student will achieve their potential,

and endures all disturbances in the process.

 

The latest text-books will soon be out-of-date.4131e37a526689b901c1eb48f5e804d8

Contemporary teaching methods will become outmoded.

Educational technology is obsolete before we know it,

but a loving teacher can affect a student’s life forever.

 

Now abideth preparation, instruction, and love,

But the greatest of these is a teacher’s love

that seeks the highest good of the students.

~ Jim Fowler

 

Aside

Breaking the mould

To many, the role of a teacher is simply – to teach. My personal response to that question is to teach what exactly? The world of knowledge is so incredibly vast, where do I even begin?

We all have had that one teacher who throughout our teaching career stands out as the one who left a huge imprint on your heart. That teacher who made you feel like you were special and that absolutely anything was possible.That teacher who came up with creative and exciting ways to bring learning to life and whose rhymes and songs for teaching maths made it seem effortless. That teacher whose kindness and gentleness shone through with every smile and made you understand what it means to have passion. That teacher who challenged you to stretch yourself beyond your limits and to think for yourself. That teacher who helped you find your voice and empowered you to be bold in your actions. The role of a teacher should never be underestimated.

It is sometimes very difficult to sum up exactly what it is that we as teachers do to those who are not teachers, especially when the preconceived notion is that teachers simply teach, mark and have the benefit of long holidays. Teacherhub.com provides some interesting metaphors for describing the various different roles of a teacher which I found very relative to my own personal views on teaching.

WE as teachers are:

  • A coach and personal trainer – coachAs many of us who have ever played sport or made use of a personal trainer to help reach our fitness goals can relate, a coach has the ability to drive an athlete to absolute exhaustion. To push them to be their very best and to motivate them to reach deep within themselves and believe that they are capable of achieving anything they set their mind to. A coach expresses disappointment when an athlete fails and utter joy when they succeed.

 

  • A 911 dispatcher – The very first person you hear when you dial for help is the dispatcher, who from the other end of the line assesses your needs, encourages a belief that all will be OK, coaches you through the first steps of response and then sends the necessary resources needed to rescue you. With this analogy in mind, I like to view my classroom as my own private ER wherein the emergency rescue lshutterstock_2773830771ies not only in the assisting to learn but also in the equipping of life skills and advise needed to overcome whatever personal challenge a child may be facing.

 

  • A tinder and flint – What is one without the other? On their own they don’t do much. Strike them together and under the right conditions they ignite a flame, one large enough to spread a wildfire of knowledge and influence. Personally, I love this image because it rings so true to what I have always believed about teaching and that is that we as teachers have as much to gain and learn from our students as they have from us. Just as I like to think that I try encourage, challenge and motivate the children in my class, they challenge and motivate me on a daily basis and the spark we ignite together should never be something that is contained within four walls. Instead, our influence on the children we teach should be our influence on the rest of the world. ignite-770x380
  • Juggler – Ever wonder how they do it? How jugglers are able to effortlessly fling 3,4,5 objects into the air without letting them fall? The answer – practice and co-ordination, both of which come with experience. We as teachers don’t always get it right, trust me I knsuspended in emptinessow! Managing meeting the needs of our students with Department criteria and number crunching, as well as touching base with colleagues and communicating with parents, marking and prepping for lessons all while somehow trying to have a personal life is a fine balancing act. The keyword being “balance” which for me, is a work in progress.

 

 

Artist – As the caption to to this site states, “teaching is a work of heart” and along artist-53-02

with that comes passion, emotion and great attention to detail. We as teachers should view the children we teach as masterpieces capable of going on to make their own mark in the world and leave lasting impressions on the hearts and minds of those who view them. You see, we don’t just mould minds, we mould hearts too.

Should you think of any creative metaphor to describe the role of a teacher, please comment and share:)