Teaching Tips from I Corinthians 13

Teaching brings out the best and worst in me.   Some days I feel like I have hit a home run.  My students are engaged and understanding what we are learning.  Other days I feel like I strike out.   I do everything I can to explain a concept and I get no where.  Or the students decide to not even try thinking it is too hard.  They are too interested in the friend next to them or what is going on outside the window of our classroom.   Some days I am patient.  Some days I am not.  It is a work in progress.  So here are a few reminders for me from I Cor. 13 to help me through this last nine weeks.
1.  Love never gives up.  Great reminder as I try to find another way to explain a math concept to a students that didn’t understand the first two ways.  
2. Love cares more for others than for self.  When I am having a bad school day, I tend to take it personally. Instead I need to remember our school motto which is living for more than me.  If I don’t model this, who will?  But again, it is a work in progress.
3. Love doesn’t fly off the handle.  Are you tired of hearing its a work in progress?  This year is better than last year partly because I am learning to take action and have a plan rather than giving threats and lectures.  It is still a major prayer each day for help in this area.
4. Love doesn’t keep score of the sins of others.  Not sure about erasing those demerits but looking at each day as a clean slate might help.
5. Love puts up with anything.  Of course as a teacher we do have boundaries but for me this would mean loving those who are unloving even when it is hard.  Right now I have a challenge student.  Over winter break, his younger brother fell off their roof and died from a head injury.  Even before break this student was a challenge so it is hard to know when his acting out is just who he is and when he is needing attention.  He’s moody and has trouble concentrating.  I know he is hurting.  Finding a balance of grace and toughness has been a real challenge which leads me to the next one.
6. Love trusts God always and always looks for the best.
7. Lastly for those days that I feel discouraged because I have blown it again.  Love never looks back but keeps going to the end.
God, My love is so inadequate.  I can’t do this without you working through me.  Love through me.  Help me to be patient and kind.  Help me to have boundaries and grace.  May I each day remember to die to self and my wants and live for more than me.  Amen

2 thoughts on “Teaching Tips from I Corinthians 13

    • Author gravatar

      Thanks for the words of wisdom, Teresa: needing it as I plug along in the teaching these days!
      miss you, friend,
      anna

    • Author gravatar

      Oh this was encouraging to me! I had a BAD home school day today, so your advice about not taking it personally was what I needed to hear. I explained predicate nominatives for the 178th time to my daughter and my son made a 56 on a Chemistry test, first time ever low grade. So all of this was good to hear!

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