Who Am I as an Educator?

Teaching is a bifocal reality of the present and the future. It sows the seed and waters it but will never see the fullness of its glory. Hence, teaching is a calling to nurture the seeds grounded in hope of shaping the tomorrow. –ROEmaraya

In everything, I want to thank God for all the insightful and life-changing opportunities he has richly blessed me with over my growing career in the teaching profession and throughout my life as well that formed me who I am today. The experiences I have been gaining have taught me continually the admirable value of a teacher in the lives of the learners. I reckon on the truth of a verse in Proverbs which says, “In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” This simple yet truth-revealing verse displays a fresh level of encouragement in my heart whenever I read this aloud or in silence. The planning for what we want to take and live out in this course of life is one of the many realities from which we all cannot escape. However, out from my desire of doing things on my own, I know His plans will prevail and I am directed and re-directed to the plan He purposed for me which is to become an educator!

To be an educator is a daunting task. It exposes you to a lot of heavy workloads and various dynamisms in terms of planning reports and lessons, teaching executions and whatnot. More than the intense work is the demand that presses heavily on me; it is the responsibility of honing and ensuring the educational well-being of every student that walks into my classroom. With that on my hands, I take everything I do and teach with utmost accountability as I start molding the minds and influencing the lives of these individuals who, themselves, are the image bearers of God.

As a teacher, I desire to work with my students by embracing them as they are and lovingly nudge them to explore and discover this world, the life there is and things outside of themselves. I want to teach to fire up in them a passion for learning and to help them uncover the gifts and skills God has given them that they can use in every aspect of their life. It is my prayer to treat them the way God does and to consider the school campus as a mission field – the mission to teach my students to the best of my ability; guiding them to make sound decisions, and providing them a safe place to learn where they can be who they are and freely desire what they want to become! While keeping the role of a teacher, I wish to appropriately get to know my students at the most comfortable level and impact their lives. I believe that building responsible relationships with them is a great way for me to understand where they are coming from and what they operate in. Allowing such connections would aid me to craft lessons that are going to impact them and bring about a good change in their life. It is my hope to see my students walking in the truth as they live out their life on earth.

When it comes to learning, it is human nature to be uninterested or lazy or an image of ‘I-don’t-care” attitude. I understand because I myself had been in their shoes. It is hard for them of any age to go to school, sit in a classroom for more than half an hour, complete assignments, read textbooks, and take assessments. As a teacher, I wish to make their time with me a time of fun-filled learning by relating with them and showing them what they are learning fits into the real world. I want to create a classroom environment where students feel free to participate, ask questions, and voice opinions; an environment where everybody is heard and listened to; an environment where they have the opportunities to create and re-create; an environment where they are appreciated and corrected; an environment where dynamic teaching-learning designs are employed; an environment where multiple changes to be better are present, and an environment of adaptive-active learning while having fun! To accomplish fun and active learning in my classroom, I would display a comfortable classroom mode; be open to suggestions and initiate innovations. Though I may use lecture as a tool for communicating information, I would do it in such a way that I can hear thoughts from the students, and from that create meaningful discussions.I believe that simple discussion can be a far greater tool for learning than a cold, straightforward lecture. I would guide these discussions toward the main focus, whatever it is I want the students to learn that day. I would also diversify my teaching styles and employ various teaching models to foster dynamic yet adaptive learning in my classroom. I will expose them to multiple laboratory activities and assignments that would test the students’ understanding of the concepts, group and individual projects that would bring out their creativity and personal skills and online activities to cater the 21st Century craze of my students.I have found that students, who are given the opportunity to express and show their own opinions and gifts, respectively, and see that the teacher is truly interested and concerned, are more ready to learn and participate. With that in mind, I would utilize collaborative teaching-learning in my classroom!Also, I will call to mind the learning preferences of his students as I plan my lesson activities. I should never leave a student feeling lost, misunderstood and left out! It is important that students leave the classroom with a grasp of the subject for that day.

When it comes to choosing a path to take, as a teacher, it is my role to guide them in this process. Society can be a cruel place for students fresh out of high school and even college. Society is not always very accepting and it can be difficult for them to transition from “students” to “career persons.” My hope is to prepare my students for their future and for what life has in store for them.It is my desire to place in their hearts the hope of life – the hope that does not disappoint; the hope that reminds them of their good future!Further, a school should not be about academics alone but rather a place where students discover that everything about life intertwines and goes back to one central source: God!School should not only be a place where students simply learn the irreducible complexities of cells but that they also are given the opportunities to learn and appreciate how these amazing cell structures relate to the Word of God and to the way of life today.Students should graduate and not just leave with a diploma or a degree but with a better grasp on the world and the way they can impact it for the glory of God.

In light of all of these goals, my overarching goal is that my students would find their faith, trust, and individuality in the Lord and discover the gifts and talents He has given them and learn how to use those for His glory in everything that they do.Though I will never know the plan that God has for each and every student, I desire to see His will complete in their lives, whatever that may be.And though I believe that parents and the home should be the main source of discipleship, I also believe that part of my role as a teacher is to create a partnership with the parents to help the students along holistically.The unfortunate truth is, in most situations, that teachers spend more time with the students than the parents. I want to use that time to the benefit of the parents as well as the students.

Further, itis good to have opinions about what education should look like and how it should be done but it is quite different to actually do it and put them to use.The philosophical and the methodological part of education cannot stand-alone; one cannot go without the other. The way I perform education comes from my philosophy on what education is and how it should be done. Likewise, to just have a philosophy but no methods are useless. Education is important and teachers hold a serious position. If teachers would realize the opportunity they have, as I hope to do, to positively impact the young people, they come in contact with, to improve in their academics and in life and go on to be all that God has called them to be.

In a nutshell, I would like to end with this Bible verse in 3rd John chapter 1 verse 4  which says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in truth.” Truly, I have no greater joy as an educator, than to see that my students whom God has entrusted to my care, are walking in the truth – the truth that they are loved and cared for; the truth that they are the hope of the next generation; the truth that they shouldn’t be shortchanged of the learning and experiences they ought to gain at school; the truth that they are called to greatness and the truth that they are destined to soar and reign in life as a highly autonomous functioning individuals! As their help, I will do my role to the best of my ability to bring them to greater heights and uncover the purposes that God has given to them and for them. I am an educator!