Lessons from the Teachers

Sam has Taught me to Sleep in the Sunshine

Matthew 13:13 NIV
"This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand."

Mr. Chips, from Goodbye Mr. Chips, by James Hilton, stole my heart.  It's no wonder I became a school teacher as his character demonstrated so clearly the power a teacher welds in the lives of others.


My real life teachers impacted me as well, especially the high school teachers. I learned how to teach by observing their interactions with my classmates and me.  


My chemistry instructor, Mr. Brandt, found creative ways to teach. I'll always remember hundreds of ping pong balls, which sat precariously upon mousetraps, exploding in a nuclear reaction when he tossed a ping pong ball into the midst of the carefully hinged spheres.  Furthermore, I recall his patient help after school as I muddled through complicated equations. 

From Mr. Brandt, I learned creativity and hard work will overcome difficult challenges.


My choir director, Mr. Duncan, spent countless hours perfecting our voices in Concert Choir as the numerous awards we won at contests proved. Not only did he work with us as a whole group, but he also took time to work with us individually. He helped our little girls ensemble group for four years. We formed on our own, but he was our constant support.  He also encouraged me to grow musically when he allowed me to perform as an occasional accompanist on the piano.


From Mr. Duncan, I learned to trust your students and encourage their creative talents to flourish.


My senior English teacher, Ms. Richards influenced me to help struggling English students like myself who despised the subject. As a result, the course of my life has been richly blessed.


From Ms. Richards, I learned no matter how much students say they don't care about a subject, many desperately want to succeed and are only using their defensive walls to protect them from feeling stupid and inferior.


Oh, there were negative role models as well who taught me what not to do to my students. There was the geometry teacher who slammed the textbook in the faces of two of my friends and me when we asked him to show us how to prove a theorem we had been stumped on for several hours the night before. As the thud of the book hitting the desk sounded, he looked at us, and said, "Go figure it out on your own. I don't know how to do it."  That moment I lost interest in math.


From him I learned to master my subject material.


I learned one more important  lesson about teaching from the greatest teacher of all, Jesus, who taught in parables.  He broke down complicated ideas into short stories to illustrate his message. Stories like the Prodigal Son and the Widow's Mite are powerful tools he used to show God's love for us and our need to sacrifice all for Him.


From Jesus, I have learned the story-telling tradition is an effective way to teach.


When I watched Goodbye, Mr. Chips as a child, I cried at the end. However, now I am older, I look at this story from the angle of a teacher, not so much as a student who has lost a favorite instructor.  I think back to the lives which have passed through my classroom doors, and although I didn't reach them all, I know I did my best with the talents God gave me.

God has blessed me throughout life with role models who have formed the basis of my teaching philosophy.

For this, I am a grateful student.
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Thank you Lord for those who teach by example.