“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” 2 Timothy 4:2
Katie came home from work yesterday and her first words were, “You’re not going to believe what happened today!” “Do tell,” I replied. She said, “Today was ‘Firefighter’s Day,’ when the local fire department brings a BIG Firetruck and the Firefighters teach and impress the kids about Fire safety. Today, one of the Firefighters was a former student… I’ve got a picture!” When she showed me, I said, “He’s a big one!”
Katie started teaching our kids in 1980 and did an EXCEPTIONAL JOB. When they grew up, she began teaching other’s people’s kids. She started her current job at the European Academy in Nokomis in 1998. About 2005, John came to the school for a couple years… only a MUCH smaller version of him than now. Yesterday’s reunion was filled with pride and joy as she got to see how he turned out. She was all smiles.
Teaching and Preaching are really the same things, just in a different format. Katie and I had been teaching kids in church for years before we had our own. My dad threw me into the teaching process when I hit 9th grade and no one could handle me as a student… and it worked! But teaching brings its own set of rules, the first being, the teacher needs to first KNOW the material being taught before passing it on.
I’ve had teachers in the past that took up the job, apparently because they didn’t plan anything better to do. You know the kind. The teacher who throws the book at you, passes out a pre-made test … then grades on a curve! Katie doesn’t do that. She not only knows the subject, she knows the students as well… AND SHE CARES! And they care back! A couple days ago she got face-timed by a student no longer at her school!
Passing along information that helps people grow up to be smart, caring successful adults is one of the most noble professions one can have. But it always comes with a cost. Investing in people’s lives can be rewarding, but also painful. Especially when they don’t take the material to heart and make it a part of them. It shows when life throws out a test. When I see a smart caring grown up I taught, it ALWAYS makes me smile.
Yesterday Katie got an email from John’s mom! She said, “I can’t believe you remembered him… Oh, and you look just the same as you did 17 years ago!” Which is exactly how teacher are SUPPOSED to look… caring, and engaged and ALWAYS TEACHING. Are YOU one?
