Thank God for Teachers!

Around here, school starts tomorrow, and I now have two teachers living in my house—one math, one science. It’s been a buzz of activity for several weeks. Prep has been going on all summer. I have had a chance to see the life of teachers up close for years and I just want to tell you all that good, dedicated teachers—especially Christian teachers–are an absolute treasure. Let me tell you why.

Teachers work incredibly hard.

Ask anyone who lives with one! Think about every homework assignment, quiz, test, and project—all that time spent with your children in fulfilling the necessary requirements for advancement. Your child’s teacher not only prepares the class lectures, but also plans the homework, writes quizzes and tests, and then spends hours and hours grading it all. They work all day and most of most evenings.

Teachers work hard in spite of low pay.

It is a good thing we do not pay teachers by the hour. Imagine that–the hours plus overtime! Teachers need an income to live, but they do not teach for the money. Yes, they have the summers, but usually, that time is spent with continuing education and planning for the coming year. They are worth every penny we pay them and so much more.

Passion for children and an area of study.

How many times have I heard a teacher say, “I love junior highers!” Whether it is elementary or secondary students, teachers have a passion for the children they teach and for the subject matter they teach. Their great passion is to impart that love to a new group of children every year. They take such great joy in watching their students go on to excel in the subject they teach.

They help children see God in His creation.

Christian teachers help children see God in the process of history, His creation, and in the God-ordained natural laws that govern His universe. They communicate a biblical world-view. Christian Schools are not just about the rules, preaching in chapel, or good academics. They are about communicating a biblical philosophy of everything. Teachers make that happen in the classroom every day.

Every day I live with teachers, I appreciate them more. I hope you all do too.