Teaching an embodied spirit

When I asked my students why they want to become teachers, one of them said it is because it is fun, another one said she wants to touch lives and surprisingly no one said because it is one of the jobs that offer good salary.

Being in the classroom for almost 16 years, indeed teaching is fun, in the sense that you are a part of their daily lives. You are with them in their joys, sorrows and tantrums. It is fun and fulfilling too when you see them learning and smiling to you as a sign that they learned from you.

However, more than being fun, teaching is an extraordinary profession. It is a mission that one has to carry out.  Teaching does not limit only in giving the basic skills and concepts of the different subjects to be taught. Teachers serve as the model and good influence to their students.

A teacher should always consider that each learner is a personified spirit, that each has body and spirit. For this, we should feed not only the body but as well as the spirit of these young individuals. We need teachers who are not just intellectually giants but teachers who have the big heart to care for their students, who not only give knowledge but bring our children nearer to God.

Dissecting the lots of problems in society right now brings us to the realization of lack of value system. The Bible says: “Man does not live on bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God”.  Most of our learners are hungry for the word of God since most parents are busy in coping with the financial needs of the family tending to forget the spiritual need of their children. This is where the role of teachers as second parents plays.  They should feed their students not only physical knowledge but spiritual knowledge, as well.  They should not forget to inject proper values by not just simply talking about it but by modelling it to them. By then, we can hope that each student that pass under their hands be developed holistically –material, physical and spiritual which is the very nature of each learner.