A TEACHER’S BELIEF By Chrystal Gilkey “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” (Mark 9:23 KJV) I think one of the key attributes of a good teacher is belief in your students—that every student can be successful in something, that every child holds a possibility for greatness. This belief stems from our belief in God—that God designed us all for a unique purpose. When we lose this belief as teachers, we lose our students. They know when we do not believe they are capable. I remember the first time in school I felt like a teacher really took an interest in me. I was in the third grade and had made a picture of a clown in art class for her. She gushed all over the picture and displayed it on the wall. Not only that, but I went back to visit her classroom when I was in a later grade, and she still had the picture on her wall. She made me feel so special and important. I’ve never forgotten her.
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Think of the hope and love Jesus, the Master Teacher, instills in us, as believers, as disciples of His Word. He gives us individualized instruction and special attention every day. He says that when we truly believe what we pray, He will give us what we desire (Mark 11:24). I think we sometimes forget how precious and special we are to Him. It is imperative we reflect that hope, love, and attention to our students and those around us. Jane Haining, born June 6, 1897, was a Scottish missionary at a girls’ home in Budapest. Regarded as one of the school’s best matrons by her students and her colleagues, Jane ministered to Jewish and Christian girls alike. Students said she was kind, welcoming, and warm. When Scotland called its missionaries home in 1940 for safety reasons, Jane declined to leave. She is known for saying, “If these children need me in days of sunshine, how much more do they need me in days of darkness?”
