Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
We Were All Once Impressionable Youth
One of my fondest memories was a series of times when I used to go to school and call my kindergarten teacher “Mommy.” Then I’d go home and call my mom “Ms. Batson.” Both my teacher and mother were kind, caring, attentive, and loving, and they spent a great deal of time with me every day. My mother can never be matched for who she is to me. But there is no way I couldn’t have developed such a strong bond with my teacher.
Who I am today is not just because of my parents and family. Ms. Batson, and many teachers after, showed me an incredible heart and purpose that I desired to emulate. I know I am not alone in this mentality. Throughout my years, I’ve had conversations with many friends, classmates, and individuals in general who have all had a teacher or a few who have shaped their lives in such a way. Truly, the gifts teachers have are undervalued, and unfortunately, too often, they are underappreciated.
Luke 6:40 “The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.
Why Should We Value a Teacher?
A teacher, simply put, is one who shows or explains how to do something. This makes what a teacher looks like versatile. For example, Jesus was called a teacher by his disciples and those he preached to alike. Other versions of teachers we have are sports coaches, preachers, music instructors, cooking teachers, and more Teachers share similar qualities such as nurturing, always teaching, being more than just a teacher, and unfortunately, having their value go unnoticed.
Nurturing Nature of Teachers
If we didn’t feel safe with those who instructed us, we wouldn’t absorb what they attempted to instill in us. The Book of Proverbs, written by King Solomon, shows us this concept. Proverbs is chapter after chapter of important lessons. Throughout my current study of it, I see the instruction applies to every part of my life. Some lessons call me out, and like everyone else who has ever been called out, I get defensive. I find myself trying to explain my side, reason with the words on the page, and formulate any kind of permission for my actions that are contrary to what was said. It’s not a fun time.
King Solomon, like any other teacher, makes you examine and adjust your behavior and mindset, and I can only truly examine and adjust after I remember that King Solomon addresses us as his children in Proverbs. He continuously reminds us that the correction is for our benefit. It is this nurturing nature of teachers that makes them vital and effective in their job. Because I remember that everything he writes is for my benefit, I realize the error of my defensiveness and can then try to act differently with his correction.
Proverbs 15: 1 “A soft word turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Wise people learn from others; some learn only from their own experience; fools won’t learn.
Teachers Are Always Teaching
Exodus 18:20 “Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave”
Teachers aren’t perfect. Just like anyone, they are always learning, whether it be how to instruct better, or about what they are instructing. King David is my perfect example of this. Psalms, just like Proverbs, is full of lessons, but it is also full of praise, repentance, and forgiveness. As a child, learning that David was “a man after God’s own heart” made me want to do every single thing he did because then I could maybe have a title so highly. And then I learned about every single thing he did. God is FULL of grace. AMEN. With that said David didn’t let his shortcomings or bad decisions stop him from continuing to share wisdom so we don’t make the same mistakes. The passion that he had to share what he learned, to continuously teach no matter the circumstance, is another quality that makes teachers so influential.
Teachers Are MORE Than “Just” Teachers and Deserve Value
My best friend has been teaching for the last 3 years. Her experiences with this new generation of high schoolers are always storytimes. The stories she tells always make me realize that she has to be more than a teacher to her students. She is an empathizer, a parent, a supporter, and a confidant, the list is endless and only during her work hours. When she leaves work she becomes a daughter, sister, friend, roommate, and more yet others do not see the multiple hats she wears. Too often, this is how we see all teachers and it’s why times like Teachers Appreciation Week are important.
Teachers are servants to our younger minds and go through so much in their day-to-day that isn’t even part of their true job description. However, many do not see their 150% effort. The constant underappreciation and exhaustion can have a serious negative effect on their mental health. Not only does that terrorize a whole group of people, which is in itself awful, but what we fail to realize is that teachers are not expendable. If they all finally decide they can no longer do this work, who will instruct, uplift, support, care for, and teach the generations to come?
Celebrate Teachers this Teachers Appreciation Week
So, as this Teachers Appreciation Week arrives, remember to express your gratitude to them for their important role in all of our lives so they can feel appreciated. Pour into the people who have been pouring into you and your children or family members. You can give gift cards, baked goods, cards of appreciation, or a homemade self-care basket. Give anything to show them that you see them and you are thankful for their constant and continuous work.
Proverbs 11:25 “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”
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