“Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works,
and in your teaching show integrity, dignity,”
~Titus 2:7
“The calling of the teacher.
There is no craft more privileged.
To awaken in another human being powers,
dreams beyond one’s own;
to induce in others a love for that which one loves;
to make of one’s inward present their future;
that is a threefold adventure like no other.”
~George Steiner
As we prepare for the school year, we are caught up in making sure our kids are ready, making sure WE’RE ready! Ha!
So it’s easy to forget to be praying for the person who is going to be spending hours each day with your child – the teacher.
Your child’s teacher is preparing for 9 months of teaching a classroom full of kids he or she hasn’t met before. Each child will have their own strengths and weaknesses, and come from their unique background. It is no simple task for a teacher to teach those kids all year and try to ensure that each child improves, learns, and excels. So with that said, where do we start? How should we pray for our children’s teachers? Here are some suggestions:
- First of all, pray for their home life with their families. We all know that circumstances at home affect us even when we’re not at home. A struggling marriage, a sick child — these things can weigh on a teacher’s shoulders, and it’s impossible to NOT bring it into the classroom in some way. So pray for their home. Pray that their relationships will remain strong, that their family will be healthy and that there will be balance and peace in the home.
- Pray for encouragement throughout the year. Any job, no matter how tough, it always easier to face when you have encouragement behind you. Pray that your child’s teacher will receive encouragement from their colleagues, parents and their own families. Pray that at the end of each day, even the really LONG ones, they will feel a sense of accomplishment and that their work is meaningful.
- Pray for their classroom. That proper rules will be set up and enforced consistently. That the kids will respond well and listen to their teacher. Pray that there will be a culture of respect in the classroom, that the teacher will have patience with each child, and that they will see each boy and girl through compassionate eyes.
- Finally, pray for their teaching! Pray that they’ll get through all the content they need to during the year, and that they’ll be able to communicate it effectively to their students. Pray for creative approaches that will help keep the children’s attention, and even inspire them. Also, pray for wisdom as the teacher encounters each child and their learning differences.
As you can see, there is plenty to pray about for your child’s teacher this year. This is not an exhaustive list – you may think of other things to pray for. Please do! Regardless what you come up with as your prayer list, just carve out 5 minutes today and go before the Lord for this teacher. There’s nothing that says you have to stop there either! Pray for the rest of the faculty, the staff and the administration. They all have quite a challenge ahead of them as the new school year starts.
Tomorrow, we’ll be praying for our kid’s friends and classmates!
My Crazy Haven 