Tips 4 Teachers

By Mrs Alison Wheldon

Posted on 07 September 2009

Loving Your Students

In my previous article I talked about how difficult it is to love some students, yet how essential!

In John 13:35, John exhorts us to demonstrate our faith in Christ by showing our love to others. That's not always easy with a ‘special someone' in your class who just knows how to trip your patience circuit-breaker!

Here's an idea that I've found works for me:

1. Print off a class list and mark today's date on it.
2. Using a colour or other code, indicate those students you relate to well.
3. Indicate those students who constantly ‘rub you up the wrong way' or trip your switch regularly.
4. Indicate the rest.

Firstly, and this may not be what you were expecting, pray for those students you identified under point 4. Why these? Because these students generally get little feedback from you. These are the students who sail happily along and rarely give you cause for concern. In the busyness of a school classroom, when you are trying to extend the more able students, trying to support the students with learning difficulties, trying to control the more challenging ones, these kids can often go weeks without any personal real interaction with you.  Then make sure you tell them that you value them and appreciate their cooperation.

Secondly, ask God for patience for those students you identified under point 3. It's very difficult to love these students in our own strength. You've probably realised that the hard way! Pray that God would help you to be positive and to really love them. You may even be surprised at your own change of attitude when you do this!

Thirdly, thank God for the students you identified under point 2 who make it pleasurable (or bearable!) to teach the class.

Keep the class list and over time note any changes to your perception of how you and your students relate.

Prayer changes things. Guaranteed.

(No need to keep the receipt!)