Faith and the Teacher
How is faith demonstrated by the classroom teacher?
We all want our children to be successful students in their pursuit of a career. And we want them to develop values that guide their way of thinking and behaving in life for positive outcomes. So, in addition to social and intellectual development, what influence does the teacher play in faith or spiritual related character development?
All expressive or modeling behaviors by the teacher: verbal, listening, gestures, and facial – if done with love and kindness demonstrates a level of care and faith in what s/he does for those in the classroom. As stated, “children learn what they live,” and during an academic year, the classroom is the dominate space. Lots of love is expressed in the management of the social and learning environment.
For this writing, from the students’ perspective, faith is trust and confident that the teacher cares about them and is going to help them succeed. The teacher has faith in the students’ ability to learn and comply with the social expectations, although some might require adjustments or extra time to meet learning expectations.
If we associate Biblical meanings of faith, “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1); “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17); and “For we live by faith, not by sight” (Corinthians 5:7). Each of these Biblical sites can be associated with students’ hope and work for the best grades and conduct, and the fact that they should have faith and confident in their ability to learn and improve.
In terms of equal access to a peaceful, safe, kind, loving, and caring learning environment where all students feel welcome and embraced, it would be a neglect of duty to avoid the faithfulness of the teacher.