Day Thirty-One

Day Thirty–One // March 24 // Teaching

“Kids don’t remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are.” – Jim Henson –

Jesus was the greatest teacher who ever lived. He constantly shared lessons about the nature of God. His example of relating to people showed us how to put into practice what He taught. We, who have been touched by His voice, must understand that we are all teachers of the Gospel. We never know who is watching or listening to what we say. But we teach nevertheless! A few months ago, I was having dinner with a friend. My friend asked our waiter for some salt, and the waiter misunderstood and brought us a refill of a basket of bland, tasteless muffins. We thanked the waiter and smiled at our misunderstanding. As the meal continued,

93

my friend quietly ate one of the muffins. He did not say a word about what he believed about respect and kindness. He did not say a word about how difficult that waiter’s job was during COVID-19. His simple action taught me volumes about what Jesus’ life was about. We are all called to be teachers of the Gospel. We should spend some time reflecting on what it means to be a good teacher. We all have our own personalities, talents, and strengths. And yet, there are some basic traits that all effective teachers have. We must be mindful of these important attributes: • Importance of communication. Communication is both verbal and non-verbal. We need to have a sense of whether we are connecting with others. Good communicators desire to connect. When we are not understood, we should paraphrase, illustrate, or take another tact entirely. • Superior listening skills. As the Turkish proverb says, “If speaking is silver, then listening is gold.” Good teachers ask important questions; more, they then listen intently to what learners have to say. They have patience in the process. • Develop strong relationships. President Theodore Roosevelt said: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” A sense of empathy allows people to connect at a deeper level than merely the subject at hand.

94 PERFECTLY WOUNDED

• Passion for the subject. William Butler Yeats put it best: “Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.” When we are excited about the Gospel and fired up to help people, our enthusiasm is contagious.

Through the centuries, Christ still teaches; and today, He wants to use our voice to get His message out. Lent challenges us to consider the important lessons of life and the power of the faith we are teaching!