Christ in Your Classroom

Treating people in a loving way does not mean that we “pretend” to love people, or that we tell them we love them when in truth we do not feel love for them. Such an expression would be insincere. In Romans 12:9, the Apostle Paul reminds us, “Love must be sincere.” Kids can be masters at identifying whether a person is sincere or not. Even when they are not old enough to understand the concept, little warning bells sound in their heads. Tweens and teens are masters at detecting insincerity and hypocrisy. One of the most important and effective things a teacher can do is establish a relationship, a connection with his or her students. Many students will distrust your sincerity and will test your interest in and commitment to them. Most kids will respond positively to you when you act in a loving way toward them and when you take the time and show an interest in making a connection with them. These students will generally work harder for you and will be more open to your correction. They will trust you more and be less fearful about opening themselves up to you. “There is no fear in love. Perfect love puts fear out of our hearts. People have fear when they are afraid of being punished. The man who is afraid does not have perfect love (1 John 4:18 NLV).” In Chapter 10 of John, Christ tells the parable of the Good Shepherd. In this parable, Christ is the Good Shepherd. However, the example is one that is applicable to our relationship with students. Are we a shepherd to our students or are we overlords? Does a loving and trusting relationship exist between us and our students or not? Verse 4 says, “When he (the shepherd) puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.” This isn’t meant to suggest that our students follow us blindly and thoughtlessly like zombies. Rather, they come to us because they know they are cared for, valued, and that we will look after them. A shepherd is a comfort to his flock. Teachers who do not have a loving and trusting relationship with their students do not instill that kind of comfort in their students. In John 10:12-13, the “hired hand” could symbolize the teacher who does not have a shepherd-like relationship with their students. Without this kind of connection, these teachers are far less capable and perhaps willing to love and care for students who are struggling emotionally, behaviorally, socially, or academically. Jesus says in verse 11, “The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” In contrast, “The hired hand, and not the shepherd, who is the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them (verse 12).” The lives of our students are full of wolves. They may be full of hired hands who have fled to look out for their own interests. We may be the only “shepherd” some kids have in their lives.