As long as there are kids in the classrooms, teachers will pray, here is an excerpt from a prayer book I began writing years ago.
1. Lord, help me to love each child as a whole person. Each with immeasurable potential to do good in this world. May I keep in mind that the classroom is not the only measure of a person's worth, nor is it the only place these children will be in their lives. May the connection between the real world and our little classroom be open and fluid today.
2. Today I gave some extra worksheets to a teacher who I think doesn't like me. I gave it to her because I wanted to overcome my own feeling of rejection and isolation. She did not thank me, but it doesn't matter. I gave and am learning to love those who are not so easy to love. Thank you, Lord.
3. Lord, may each individual child know they have unique qualities. help me to observe them and encourage them as they go along this day. Especially I pray, you help me to see the excellent beauty in the most difficult of children in my class. Although all need to know today, let me focus on that one child who is a bother to me.
4. Why do I teach? Is it for the money? Vacations? The hours? Yes, I need the money, like the vacation and hours, but why do I teach? I teach because I believe that each child I touch is incredibly important. Each teacher I meet, whether warm or cold, has something to teach me. And so I teach to touch, to learn, to grow as a person, to break through my own fears as well as see children conquer theirs. I teach because, I'm driven by faith and love for my country and the future of our government. I teach to carry on the message that no matter happens, we can learn and grow and change. I am a change agent and a change maker. These are just a few reasons why I teach.
5. I heard a new teacher say, "I love to hear myself talk, I'm going into the best job for me." "Ah" I replied, "I used to think that doing a lot of talking was teaching too, when I first began, but then, I realized that a good teacher talks less, and gets their students to talk and think." I went on, "An EXCELLENT teacher can organize and watch her students learn as she guides, leads, models and directs. Being a good talker is NOT necessarily the equivalent to being a good teacher. If you like to hear yourself talk, maybe acting is a better choice of a profession for you."
I teach because I'm driven by the insatiable desire to affect others in a positive way. I teach because I can feel for my students and see life through their eyes.
6. May I never become too comfortable in my classroom. May I keep in mind that there's always something to improve upon and that I have NEVER "arrived" as a teacher. May I be mindful that teaching is a dynamic, on-going experience. I must remember that I need to learn, change and grow as a person and teacher in order to provide a healthy atmosphere of growth in my classroom. If I think for once that I have arrived, Lord, please remind me of how much there is to learn and grow.
7. One year I had a child who constantly complained, finally I began calling her a "whiner" in my class. "Oh don't be such a whiner." I'd say or "Stop whining…" I don't know why I did this… Maybe I though it would change her, or maybe I just need to put her neatly in a box…. a "whiner box" so along we went in the year… everyone was pretty happy, except of course, "The Whiner" . Then one day while we were practicing for our class play I directed a little boy to stand next to Erica (The Whiner) He said, "No! I don't want to stand next to that whiner!" Erica stomped off the stage in anger and despair. "Oh my God!" It hit me! "What have I done?" I thought. "Stop the play!" I shouted. "Everyone sit down… I want to ask Erica's forgiveness in front of all of you for calling her a "whiner". A teacher should NEVER put a label on student." I continued, "We ALL have bad days, when we complain, it doesn't mean we're stuck to complain for the rest of our lives." I turned to Erica, "Erica, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. Teachers aren't perfect." Erica quickly got back on the stand and practiced the play. We learned a big lesson that day about labeling people, humility, and forgiveness.
Lord, Grant me the humility to see my wrongs and correct them in the classroom.
8. Everyday we are faced with a million choices, judgments, and decisions. Some are helpful, some are not so helpful. My students too, have a million judgments and decisions. Does one bad judgment make a child bad all the time? Two, three? How many does it take before we begin putting that child in a box called, "bad" ? God forbid, I place another child in that place of bad all the time. We all have choices each day, may I help each child to see that they have choices and can choose the good, more than the bad.
Lord, Help me to help children choose good things, but when they choose the wrong as I do and they will, may I gently correct and guide …. Never place in a box and label.