August 20, 2006

Lemonade from Lemons: A Perspective for Teachers

A new school year is upon us. Are you ready?

Teachers have dozens of things to plan for and organize: first-day procedures, initial lesson plans, the year’s scope and sequence…to name just a few. It’s easy to get lost in the details.

But, in the midst of all that, I encourage you to step back and consider whether you are really ready, in the most important way you can be: in your heart, with your attitude.

Christian educators probably realize that teaching is more than a job; it is a calling and a mission. You are an ambassador for Jesus to the young people God has put on your class roster this year—yes, God put them there!

If you teach in a Christian school or homeschool, you have the freedom to teach about Christ every day. But, if your heart and attitude don’t match up, you are a clanging gong to your students (I Corinthians 13:1).

And, if you serve in a public school, your outlook and demeanor are all you’ve got for sure…until you are asked to give the reason for your hope (1 Peter 3:15). Make them want to ask!

It is an understatement to say that teaching is demanding. But this year, instead of suffocating in the big pile of mental and emotional “lemons” that can dominate your professional life, how about something different? Purpose instead—in how you choose to approach things—to make a little “lemonade” for your kids.

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