Читать книгу 7 Key Qualities of Effective Teachers - Robin Brian Cox - Страница 10

Teachers are those who use themselves as bridges, over which they invite their students to cross; then having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create bridges of their own.

—Nikos Kazantzakis, writer

Why did you choose teaching as a career?

Is your career a response to a “calling”? Or did you have an interest in teaching young people and decide to enter the teaching profession, and you happen to be a Christian as well?

For as long as I can remember, I felt that God had called me to teaching.

I decided to become a teacher when I was about eleven. I was recovering from major operations to remove a cancerous growth from my right jawbone. I had undergone radiation treatment for a few months—two-and-a-half times the adult dose. My doctors, who were unsure if they had been able to remove all the cancer, told my parents that I probably had two years to live.

During this time my mother died unexpectedly. She suffered a pulmonary embolism while recovering from a relatively minor operation. Death was quick. My family was thrown into disarray as we came to terms with the enormity of our loss. Unbeknown to me at the time, God would make good on his promise: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jer 29:11)

My amazing teachers

While undergoing cancer treatment and in the years that followed, some authentic and amazing teachers blessed and encouraged me. They modeled empathy, put up with my nonsense, tolerated my cheekiness, and were far too patient with my academic performance—maybe non-performance would be closer to the truth. They spoke more than enough times to the potential they could see in me and which I struggled to visualize for a long time. They nurtured and guided a shy, disfigured young boy with low self-esteem on an awesome self-discovery and self-empowerment journey for which I shall be eternally grateful.

They identified my passion for sport, the arena in which they would start their work, encouraging me to become the best person I could be once my doctors allowed me to play non-contact sport again.

Peter, my cricket coach, included me in the cricket team. He protected me from possible danger. He used his years of experience as a teacher to help me develop my self-confidence and self-belief as a sportsman. He also drilled into me the importance of teamwork.

John, another teacher, gave me a role as a touch-judge or linesman of the under thirteen rugby union team. I wrote brief match reports, which were placed on the junior school noticeboard. I began to take an interest in writing. My life was gaining meaning and purpose.

Other teachers, coaches and family members fanned my sporting flames, while my academic results remained inconsistent. I eventually graduated from school and achieved state representation in cross-country, cricket, and field hockey, captained school teams, and was appointed school captain (head student) in my final year at school.

My sporting ambitions were curtailed when I was at university because of the increased risk of potentially serious facial damage, a devastating experience at the time. I decided, once over the shock, to become the best teacher and sports coach I could be.

Now that I am retired, I look back on my career with a multitude of wonderful memories—teaching in four countries, coaching and managing sports teams to under-nineteen at international levels, and becoming a school principal at a Christian school and a secular school. I had opportunities to develop peer mentor and peer support programs in three countries and establish youth mentoring programs in New Zealand and Australia.

A key lesson I learned from my school days was that the teachers who positively influenced my life connected with me in the first instance. Some became lifelong friends. They did their best to walk in my shoes for a while as they explored ways to support, encourage, and motivate me. Small wonder, therefore, that my desire to become a teacher never wavered.

Traveling with and without God—

years of confusion

Where was God during this journey?

I was educated at an Anglican (Episcopalian) school during the days of apartheid in South Africa and witnessed first-hand the evils of that heresy. The injustices deeply affected me, and the Christian teaching I received at school about “loving my neighbor” (Mark 12:31) had a profound effect on me.

I was confirmed in the school chapel when I was fourteen and took my confirmation seriously. John Stott’s book Basic Christianity, which we studied in our confirmation class, guided my understanding of the Christian faith to a deeper level.

In the years that followed, my faith walk was inconsistent. Negative peer pressure and the secular world impacted my life choices. My Christian roots, however, were firmly in place. On many occasions I humbled myself before God. He forgave me. “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered: ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times’” (Matt 18:21–22).

I was a slow learner.

Discovering a relationship with Jesus

Each time God welcomed me back with open arms, like the father in the parable of the lost son (Luke 15:11–32). The height, length, depth, and width of God’s unconditional love and grace remain beyond my comprehension.

One night early in my teaching career, I was struggling to discern my role as a teacher modeling Christian beliefs and values to impressionable adolescents. I fell to my knees and asked Jesus to forgive me, yet again, for the many times I had taken my eyes off him. I made a commitment to do my best to follow him for the rest of my life.

There were no bells, whistles, or wonderful signs.

I felt a peace around me, a feeling I had not experienced before.

I traveled a new road—and there were many bumps and challenging potholes along the way—which taught me the importance of establishing a right relationship with God. I prioritized my daily times of Bible reading, reflection, and prayer. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16–17).

I learned the importance of being accountable to God and others for the choices I made. I appreciated, through prayer, intercession, and Christian fellowship, Paul’s words to the Philippians: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:7).

Most important, though, was the evolving revelation that establishing a right relationship with God is, like teaching, a lifelong ministry. I must be kind, patient, and gentle with myself.

Understanding how to become a transformative teacher

In South Africa during the 1980s and early 1990s, with the prayerful support and encouragement of a number of wonderful Christian opponents of apartheid, I fulfilled what I have always believed was a divinely inspired vision to run non-racial symposia. Approximately 6,000 students and teachers attended these symposia. Participants listened to influential speakers, discussed ways to work together to prepare for a post-apartheid South Africa, debated, dramatized controversial topics, played sport, laughed, and cried together. Lives were enriched—my own included—and changed forever as barriers between races broke down.

These symposia painted a picture of what a future South Africa could look like. I worked with a team of like-minded people, most of whom were students. Symposia participants were encouraged to give practical meaning to the great command of Jesus, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31), and become positive change-agents—reformers, transformers, innovators, and visionaries—in a country experiencing transition.

The missing link

As I reflected on these challenging times and on my teaching career, I concluded that a vital resource was missing: a user-friendly, short Christian book for teachers like me.

Let me explain.

I often had tough and challenging situations to deal with.

I felt exhausted from the demanding workload.

I had to deal with the guilt of neglecting my family because of my school commitments.

I felt ineffective and helpless as a Christian teacher working within a secular school environment.

The heresy of apartheid frustrated and angered me.

On occasions, I had neither the energy nor desire to deal with an aggressive and demanding parent, student or colleague.

The weight of responsibility on my shoulders, as a school principal, created times of loneliness and dragged me close to burn-out.

As a teacher, I felt the pain and suffering of a student or colleague, and often felt helpless and inadequate.

I was a fallible Christian trying my best to walk with Jesus as his loyal and obedient ambassador. A user-friendly book for Christian educators that contained simple strategies, practical ideas, and encouraging words to motivate and inspire me was needed. This book would give meaning to the final teaching command Jesus gave his disciples: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt 28:19–20).

This book would feed my soul and allow me to open my heart to God’s reassuring voice. God would remind me of the height, depth, length, and breadth of his unconditional love for me (Rom 8:38–39). God would also remind me that the spiritual truth that leads to freedom is the truth that I belong not to the world but to him.

Jesus, the greatest teacher who ever lived, would stride ahead of me, be by my side, and walk behind me. If I fixed my eyes on him, I had nothing to fear as he would sustain me, even carry me, when I felt exhausted or overwhelmed.

Finding no such book, I decided to write one. My prayer is that this book will encourage and further equip educators as the transformers so desperately needed in our global community.

How to use this book

You can choose from a variety of approaches:

•Read the book from cover to cover in one relatively short sitting and then refer back to the pages that have grabbed your attention.

•Keep the book by your bed or work space and read a chapter a day or a week.

•Set some time aside and use the book as part of your personal retreat as you spend time with God and seek his direction for your life.

•Share some of the information during your staff devotion.

•Share with teacher trainees and new teachers to encourage them.

•Meet with colleagues and share your thoughts about each chapter.

Practical tips and strategies, reflections, and words of encouragement are shared in these pages. Notes written by students, parents, and colleagues are humbly shared as examples of how God uses broken and imperfect teachers to encourage and transform lives.

Each chapter opens with a prayerful reflection that can be undertaken whenever you choose: before, during, or after you complete the reading of the chapter.

Biblical quotes and references are included in each chapter to encourage your faith journey, which should always be grounded in regular reading of the Bible—God’s Word.

The repetition throughout the book is deliberate as we appreciate the importance of taking a holistic teaching attitude into each day. It also enables you to read each chapter as a stand-alone chapter should you choose this approach.

The names of all teachers, students, and parents have been changed to protect their identity, with the exception of my teachers mentioned in this introduction.

7 key qualities of effective teachers

Jesus models both the way we should behave in our community without being of it, and the meaning of living in the Spirit of Jesus. He offers us reassuring words: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16).

A chapter is devoted to each of the seven key qualities of effective teachers that provide the framework for this book:

1.Relationships

2.Christlikeness

3.Empowerment

4.Empathy

5.Humility

6.Affirmation

7.Teamwork

Each of these qualities is briefly unpacked and considered through the lens of a Christian teacher to reassure us that, no matter how challenging our work environment might be, we can positively impact lives, we are making a difference, and we are never alone.

God’s extraordinary servant leaders

Each chapter concludes with examples of how God uses ordinary, imperfect, and fallible individuals to do his extraordinary work. They highlight the importance of the gospel and serve as reminders that we have a responsibility to train disciples. Further information about these “movers and shakers” can be found in libraries and the media.

These stories are shared for two reasons. Firstly, as teachers, we impact the life of every student with whom we interact and invest our time. Any of these students could ultimately become an extraordinary individual—a mover or shaker—doing Christ-centered work with a global impact. Secondly, you might feel a call on your heart to move out of your comfort zone and take your God-given gifts into a new mission field. Maybe one of these stories will inspire you to prayerfully seek God’s direction for your life.

A Christlike attitude

A Christlike attitude will positively impact more lives than we might realize. Kate, a young student I encouraged as she battled serious illness, wrote: “Thank you for being such an incredible supporter and guide over the past three years. Your constant help and faith have strengthened me and given me hope an innumerable amount of times. Thank you for always believing in me, praying for me, supporting me, and guiding me to God’s love. You’ve impacted my life in a very positive way and I can’t thank you enough for that.”

I penned this short daily prayer a few years ago after one of my morning times of Bible reading and prayer:

Jesus, let me see with your eyes,

hear with your ears,

reach out with your hands,

walk your talk with your feet,

connect with your heart

and love with your love.

Let us walk together in the footsteps of Jesus with enthusiasm and commitment, encouraged by these words and, in our brokenness, with humility, take ownership of this truth: Hey, teacher! You are amazing!

Movers and shakers

God calls a variety of people to serve him, such as teachers, writers, army commandos, athletes, people in business or trades, politicians, nurses, and missionaries. We have the responsibility to respond to that call and follow him, no matter the cost. As we respond positively to his call, we sow messages of hope and pour out an abundance of unconditional love in a variety of ways.

Anne Sullivan (1866–1936) was a determined and courageous American teacher who spent almost fifty years working alongside Helen Keller, a journey made famous by the film The Miracle Worker. Anne was almost blind herself, yet persevered through a challenging upbringing. Anne’s mother died when she was eight. Her father abandoned her two years later. Through Anne’s teaching, selfless commitment, and friendship with Helen, the world received the wonderful gifts of Helen Keller, an exceptionally talented blind and deaf woman. Helen Keller was the first deaf-blind woman to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. She wrote twelve published books, was a prominent political activist and lecturer, and also helped found the American Civil Liberties Union in 1920.

It is a rare privilege to watch the birth, growth, and first feeble struggles of a living mind; this privilege is mine. (Anne Sullivan)

Clive Staples Lewis (1898–1963) was a British novelist, poet, broadcaster, lecturer (at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities), and the author of more than thirty books, which have been translated into more than thirty languages. Well-known books include The Chronicles of Narnia, The Screwtape Letters, Mere Christianity, Miracles and The Problem of Pain. C.S. Lewis’s Christian faith, which took many years to develop, had a significant impact on his writing and his life in general. Well-known author J.R.R. Tolkien was a close friend, who helped bring C.S. Lewis to Christ. The writings of Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister George MacDonald also had a profound impact on C. S. Lewis.

We must show our Christian colors if we are to be true to Jesus Christ. (C. S. Lewis)

My vocation is grounded in belonging to Jesus, and in the firm conviction that nothing will separate me from the love of Christ. The work we do is nothing more than a means of transforming our love for Christ into something concrete. I didn’t have to find Jesus. Jesus found me and chose me. A strong vocation is based on being possessed by Christ . . .

He is the Life that I want to live.

He is the Light that I want to radiate.

He is the Way to the Father.

He is the Love that I want to love.

He is the Joy that I want to share.

He is the Peace that I want to sow.

Jesus is everything to me.

Without him I can do nothing.

Give! Give the love we have all received to those around you. Give until it hurts, because real love hurts. That is why you must love until it hurts. You must love with your time, your hands, and your hearts.

—Mother Teresa of Calcutta

To gain a fresh perspective on your world, try actually looking at life through a child’s eye.

—Thomas Kinkade, painter

1. Whanau: A New Zealand Maori word. An extended family or community of related families who live together in the same area. For more information: https://teara.govt.nz/en/whanau-maori-and-family/page-1.