Purpose Driven Classroom

The purpose of this blog is to encourage Christian Educators to recognize their high calling as a teacher. We will be studying the Book of Esther for the next few months. Join us for this ten part study and don't forget to comment on how you think this applies to the classroom. May God help you to see your purpose for Him as a missionary in our schools in America.

Day 7

My dear teachers,

When anything in creation fulfills its purpose, it brings glory to God. (Rick Warren - Chapter 7, The Purpose Drive Life) Can you imagine our public schools filled with purpose driven educators? Can you envision the impact that teachers, administration, and paraprofessionals can make on the students?  Bringing glory to God is our main purpose in life.  I listen to this incredible pastor, Alistair Begg, daily as a podcaster. He will often say, “According to the shorter Scottish catechism, man is to come to know God and enjoy Him forever.”  I cannot stress enough how important it is to recognize that God has placed you in education on purpose and that you were made to give Him glory in the school setting. When you really live each day with this focus, your classroom impact is magnified.

 Most of you are wrapping up that incredible time of relief, reflection and refocusing. The 2006 - 2007 school year is about to begin. Isn’t that hard to believe? We are so blessed to be teachers.  What other profession is given the privilege to start anew? During this school year, I challenge you to ask Him each day how you can live on purpose for Him during the school year?  Ask Him to show you how you can display the fruits of the Spirit in your classroom: love, joy, peace, goodness, kindness, gentleness, patience, self-control and faithfulness.  (Gal. 5:22-23…..against such there is no law.)
 May God bless you are you reflect on all the things you wished you had handled differently last  year and yearn to be an even better teacher this year.  This is the perfect time to renew your relationship with the One Who designed you to be a teacher.  He will make you a great one in order that He is given the glory.

From Rick Warren: Roms. 11:36  For everything come from God along.  Everything lives by His power and everything is for His glory.

From me: Roms. 12:1 - So brothers and sisters since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to Him.  Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to Him, which is the spiritual way to worship.

Prayerfully yours,
Karen

by: seddonk at 16:39 | link | comments (3)

Day 6

My dear teachers,

As we enter the sixth week of the Purpose Driven Classroom focus, “Day 6” is an intriguing study into our temporary assignment here on earth.  Rick Warren has often thought that Christians should carry a “green card” or temporary visitor registration card with them at all times.  I thought it was most timely as we struggle in our nation with the huge illegal immigrant problem.  While an immigrant may be here for just a short time to make some money and then return home, if they have a “green card,” they are allowed to work and maintain their citizenship at home.  Isn't that who we are - temporary workers waiting to go home?  We have been granted a temporary assignment to work in this world that is clearly not Christian, and while we are here, we need to carry our “green card” so that we are constantly reminded that we want to maintain our citizenship with home.

This is profound in our classroom duties.  Each of our students are being taught by an alien! Christian educators have a temporary assignment to be “Jesus with skin on” for their students each day.  I wonder if having a “green card” would help us to remember this privilege that is so easy to forget.

I thought it was such a cool concept, that I made a green card for myself.  I would be more than happy to make one for you also. I am going to carry it with me and when I mess up, I will run to the mercy seat and seek forgiveness and restoration so that I can be an effective ambassador for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  If you would like a Temporary Green Card, simply drop me a line at karen@ceai.org and I'll send you one in snail mail.  Don't forget to send me your address where you would like them sent.

Thank you, my dear teachers.  This is a noble profession we have been blessed to have a small part in.

 

From Rick Warren: 2nd Cor. 4:18 - So fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

From me: 2nd Cor. 5:20- We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us.  We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God..

Prayerfully yours,
Karen

by: seddonk at 15:38 | link | comments

Day 5

My dear teachers,

Rick Warren teaches us this week that the Bible offers three metaphors that teach us God’s view of life: a test, a trust and a temporary assignment.  As you begin to see yourself through these God views, teaching becomes even more important. Every day in the classroom is a test of our character.  How do we handle our confrontations?  How do we give our students hope?  Do we treat everything we are given in school as a trust?  Is that paper clip that we used returned to school? Are those children in our classes treated as if they are entrusted to us?  These are very hard questions, but exceptional ones to ask ourselves on a daily basis.  When we don’t get it right, can we quickly go to Him for mercy, forgiveness and grace?

Rick Warren also asked how we would define our lives.  What metaphor would you use to describe your life?  I thought about it and for now I would like the use sunrises as my metaphor.  Each “day” I post a different sunrise for your pleasure, but hadn’t really thought about it as a metaphor for my life until now.  I go to the beach at sunrise as often as I can to be like Jesus when He prayed.  Luke 5:16 - He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.  During a sunrise prayerwalk, many things are evident.  I see His vastness across the ocean and the sky. Hab. 2:14 - For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. And I see the intricacies of his creation in the sands of the sea and the creatures that scurry all around.  Gen. 22:17 - I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and a s the sand on the seashore.

However, this metaphor of a sunrise is one of hope, when morning by morning new mercies, I see. Lam. 3: 22-23 - The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

Be encouraged my dear teachers. Classroom difficulties are done at the end of the day.  Each morning when you rise, you are given a new sunrise.  You don’t have to go to the beach to see His mercies, just look outside, step outside and thank Him for His new mercies and a new day to try again.

From Rick Warren: Luke 16:10  - Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won’t be faithful in large ones.

From me: Titus 2:7  -  In everything set them an example by doing what is good.  In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

Prayerfully yours,
Karen

 

by: seddonk at 05:58 | link | comments (1)

Day 4

My dear teachers,

I am on vacation in beautiful Ocean City, New Jersey and have the privilege of hearing two mighty men of God, Dr. Barry Black, our United States Senate Chaplain and Guy Doud, National Teacher of the Year in the late 80's.  If you have never heard Guy Doud speak, make it a point to get his video or go out of your way to hear him.  He truly understands the significant of being a Christian in the classroom.  He has lived, as he puts it, being "Jesus with skin on" for the kids. 

This week in our Purpose Driven Classroom study in Chapter 4, Rick Warren reminds us to think in terms of eternity.  We were made in the image and likeness of our Eternal God and he wired us to think eternally.   Yet, it is very hard to think in terms of living forever with Him.  How can this life that we lead now truly be only the tip of the iceberg with the rest of eternity all that stuff below the iceberg?  This is my favorite line in this chapter, “Frankly, the capacity of our brains cannot handle the wonder and greatness of His kingdom.  It would be like trying to describe the Internet to an ant!”

What does this mean to us as a teacher? All of us understand that we have the power to impact our students, but do we really get it?  Knowing that our impact is eternal, puts a different light on our words and intentions.  You’ve heard the expression, “Think globally, act locally.”  Christian educators need to “Think eternally, act daily.”  Every step we take, every word we speak, every lesson we teach has eternal implications.  We must take it seriously.  Begin this week, by asking God BEFORE you say one word, plan or teach one lesson to your students to help you guard your lips.  Rick Warren asked us this question, “Since I was made to last forever, what is the one thing I should stop doing and the one thing I should start doing today. STOP running your classroom by yourself and START inviting God before you begin the day.

out of the way and give the Master Teacher the opportunity to plan this new school year.  May you be blessed in ways you have never imagined and when you are praise Him and tell others what He has done for you!

From Rick Warren: 1st John 2:17  - This world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever.

From me: Psalm 141: 3 - Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.

Prayerfully yours,
Karen

by: seddonk at 21:12 | link | comments (2)

Day 3

My dear teachers,

In Chapter 3, Rick Warren addresses the question, "What drives your life?"  Hmmmm...... I believe the answer is elastic.  Depending on what I am going through at the moment, different things can become the driving force in my life. Sunday night has also been my preparation time in the classroom. No matter how organized I tried to be, there were finishing touches to be done for Monday morning.  I could always tell what was "driving" me. In the years when I had my classroom under control and the students were achieving, the driving force was creativity.  In those years when I was experiencing difficulties with my students and/or the overall atmosphere in my classroom was not positive, my driving force was desperation.  Even in what should have been my most experienced years, I felt like a "survival" teacher grabbing at anything that would bring peace and success to the learning environment.  I was often driven to my knees.  There is nothing comforting about Sundays when you are under pressure with a difficult classroom environment.  It drove my every thought and I actually felt physically sick at times.  However, through those difficult and weak times, our God is the strongest.

 

This week, I hope that you will consider what drives your life.  In a time of difficulty, be driven by prayer.  God's specializes in turning evil to good.  If you are at the end of a very difficult year, ask God to heal you and to help you to learn from this difficult time.  He will do miraculous wonders in your classroom next year, but you will need to step out of the way and be driven by Him. If this has been one of those years where you have had success with your students, then be driven by prayers of thanksgiving.  Appreciate those Sundays of preparation with joy and thank Him for a great year.

 

What a blessing it is to be a teacher, in good years and the not so good years.  When you understand your purpose as a teacher, all things you do will be "driven" by His will and purpose for you.

 

From Rick Warren:  Isa. 26:3 -  You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in You.

 

From me: Phil. 2:3-4 - Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Prayerfully yours,
Karen

 

by: seddonk at 06:00 | link | comments (2)