Uncategorized – Every Moment a Learning Moment

I’ve just done something that was a dream come true…..but I didn’t know it. I don’t think it was on my bucket list……but it should have been! I’ve just returned from Israel. What started out as, “I have these miles I have to use before December; what shall I do?”, turned into a soul-stirring memory created by one unbelievable happening after another.

What made it special? Of course it was grand to walk in the very footsteps of Jesus and picture Him walking there before me with “the guys”, to “see” Him on the Sea of Galilee creating miracles of significance for those who watched and were touched, to know that He sat on the hillside and gave His Beatitudes sermon looking down on the sea. We saw Him as we worshiped on the Southern steps of the temple with the hills of Jerusalem as a backdrop, on the rooftop of the TBN building as the lights began to twinkle on and darkness settled over the hills, in the old Roman ruins with magnificent columns still standing and stone steps that have been sat upon for centuries, in the garden next to the empty tomb, and on the Sea of Galilee when three wooden boats were tied together and we quietly drifted on the most peaceful and perfect of days, worshiping the One who made it all.

But what really made it special was the people. They had come from all over the world. What brought them? Hunger. A tremendous and insatiable appetite for more of the One who can lift the soul and satisfy the longings of our hearts. And sometimes, we don’t even know what those longings are. But He does. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3: 5&6

Teachers, it is our privilege to help our students unlock the hidden longings and dreams of their hearts. When I was a little girl, my uncle’s family lived in Hong Kong. As a gift they sent me a hanging laundry holder with a colorful, embroidered little Chinese girl on it. For some reason, I was fascinated with that. I didn’t know at the time, but that was the beginning of a dream and it led me to travel to Asia and to work with that culture myself. I still have that laundry bag. It represents the fulfillment of a longing I didn’t know I had….but He did. I would urge you to pay attention to those “little” leanings of your children that don’t seem to have significance. God can use every moment to help us discover who we are and what He desires for us. We’ll be fulfilling both our dream and His at the same time.

My university students, aspiring teachers, often come back from an observation where they have watched a teacher in his classroom, and think to themselves, “That’s not so hard. I can do that.”

While I like the confidence, I’m also well aware that they don’t have the full picture. They don’t yet know what they don’t know, and thus don’t see the subtleties of the groundwork that has been laid in that classroom and the work that has gone into instituting effective procedures and routines to make the classroom hum with learning.

When I watch ice skaters perform their various twirls, double half turns, and amazing jumps, it doesn’t look so difficult.

That’s because the job of a professional is to make it look easy! And teachers, who are also professionals, “make it look easy.”

You have worked hard to hone your skills, to learn from each professional development session, to collaborate with colleagues, to incorporate standards, to learn new programs…..and the list goes on. Each activity contributes to your growth as a professional and your dedication as a craftsman and artisan.

I love thinking of our profession as an art.

Generally, art involves creativity, inspiration, and imagination, producing a visual product that can be appreciated. Is there any better definition of what we do as teachers?!

Our products are the students who leave our classes, richer in knowledge and character, than when they came to us. And each new crop of students enriches US – both in knowledge and experience – and gives us opportunity to delve more deeply into who we are as teachers.

YOU are the professional! YOU are the artist, the craftsman, the one who has devoted your life to learning how to help our next generation achieve their dreams. I celebrate those teachers who make it look easy.

Category: Uncategorized

Dreams Discovered

The Art and Craft of Teaching

That’s because the job of a professional is to make it look easy! And teachers, who are also professionals, “make it look easy.”

Generally, art involves creativity, inspiration, and imagination, producing a visual product that can be appreciated. Is there any better definition of what we do as teachers?!