No matter where we teach, we should be striving to show Christ to our students. Here's 10 ways we can do that each day.

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10 Ways to Show Christ to Our Students

If you're a Christian teacher, it shouldn't matter where you teach. Our goal should be the same - to show Christ to our students.

Some of us can be more open and apparent, but all of us can and should be intentional about showing Christ and His love in every way we can.

When I think about sharing Christ, the first thing that pops into my head is talking about Him. And while we should certainly take advantage of every opportunity we get to talk about God & His truths, just talking about Him isn't enough. Our students need to see Christ in us. We need to showthem who He is. And that's something every one of us can do - no matter where we teach.

I wish I could say I'm always a perfect model, but I'm not. None of us are. But with God's help we can continue to grow closer - in our personal walk, in our testimony, and in our portrayal of Him.

Let's look at a few ways, in particular, that we can model Christ in our classrooms.

How to Model Christ in Our Classrooms

1. Love our students. God is love, and if we want to show Him to our students, we must also love them - all of them. Even the one that's driving us crazy. And it's not enough to just say we love them. We need to show them that we love them. We discuss how in my post "How to Show Real Love to the Kids (Even When They're Not Acting Lovable)."
2. Be kind and understanding. When we're mean or grumpy, we turn students off and are a poor model of the Savior we serve. We must be kind and understanding of our students' struggles. This doesn't mean that we are a pushover. But we can be kind and firm at the same time. And, in fact, we must be.
3. Care more about our students than our policies. Too often we get so entrenched in our policies that we miss the point - that we're here to help our students grow. Sometimes a student needs some mercy. Sometimes we shouldn't be fair. Sometimes what's best for a student doesn't line up perfectly with our plan. In these cases, we must pray for wisdom and remember that the growth and maturity of our students is our main goal.
4. Have high expectations and hold students to them. Caring more about our students than our policies in no case means we should start letting everything go. On the contrary, we must have high expectations. And we must hold students to them. If we're pushovers or wishy-washy, we are a poor example of Christ's authority and leadership.
5. Value integrity. Our society today has little value for integrity, yet we all respect it when we see it. Model integrity in your own life and expect it of your students. Teach them what it looks like, and put forth the effort to help them develop it.
6. Counsel students; don't just hand out punishments. I know that in a busy day, it's much easier to just hand out a detention and be done with it. But if this is all we ever do, we're not going to make much of an impact on our students. We need to take the time to counsel them - whether it's about their behavior in our class or an interpersonal dispute or a tough situation they're facing. Be approachable and show them that you're there to help them grow.  (Check out the post "How to Counsel a Student" for more insight.)
   
   
7. Let His truths permeate your conversations and lessons. God's truths should be such a part of us that we can't help but speak them in our daily conversations and in our lessons. And lest those of you in public schools think this doesn't apply to you, realize that God's truths are universal. Our students need to hear them, even if they can't be told straight out that they come from the Bible.

Check out this post here for details about what is legally allowed in public schools.

1. Model Christlike living. Our lives should portray Christ, and our conduct should be an example. The Spirit should be evidencing His fruit - love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control. And our lives should be marked by integrity and purity. We would never want our sin to be a stumbling block for our students.
2. Be humble. Servant leadership is a powerful example of Christ and will draw students to Him. When we can set aside our pride, admit our mistakes, and not be easily offended, our students will see a very real difference.
3. Be real. Above all else, we have to be real. Genuine. Ourselves. Students can sense hypocrisy a mile away, and it will turn them off faster than anything. We are not perfect. And we don't always have it all together. When we're authentic about our own struggles, we show them that our faith is real and model how God can work in us to change us and mold us into His image.

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Are you nervous, even anxious, about the coming school year? Join us as Trish Lott shares lessons she learned through her "nightmare year of terror" - specifically, how to overcome back-to-school anxiety.

Download your free Who I Am in Christ Biblical Affirmations at www.teach4theheart.com/backtoschoolanxiety.

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When God wants to stretch me, He doesn’t consult me because if things were left up to me, my life would always be comfortable.

After completing my second year of inner-city teaching, urban education seemed way too challenging, so I applied to teach at a private Christian school because I thought it would be my dream job and let’s be honest more “comfortable”.

The truth is, I have spent most of my life seeking comfort while avoiding my long list of fears: you know, fear of embarrassment, fear of failure, and fear of not being liked just to name a few.

During my 3^rd year in the classroom every one of my worst teaching fears came true.

My anxiety was so consuming that I wanted to give up nearly every day, but I couldn’t run this time.

I was forced to face my fears.

Thankfully, the Lord met me in that dark place, and I have never been the same.

Let me tell you about the season I have nicknamed… “My Nightmare Year of Fear!”

My Nightmare Year of Fear

Within the first 3 weeks of school, the principal’s son started a petition to get me fired and a third of the 8^th grade class signed it before the boy felt bad and stopped. I found out months later, but the damage was already done.

Another teacher’s son spread a vicious lie to the parents accusing me of looking at inappropriate materials on the internet and cursing in class. The parents believed it and never checked with me. I found out by accident and was completely broken hearted.

Before Christmas break, I found out that my students created awful memes making fun of me and spread them throughout the school via social media. I was crushed to know that I was a joke to my students.

Hoping to build relationships, I shared my testimony with a few of my classes only to have some of the students invent graphic details that I never said and once again enrage the parents based on lies. I felt helpless in my attempts to build relationships.

The students were incredibly intimidating and challenged me publically day in and day out!

It seemed that their favorite game was “test the teacher!” Every “trick” I had learned up to this point just didn’t seem to work on these kids.

Each day felt like I was auditioning for my right to be a teacher at their school, and the “judges” were not nice.

I had students that were actually looking for me to make mistakes, so that they could tell their parents. When I didn’t mess up they would make things up. Many parents treated me cruelly—when they bothered to talk to me at all—and I cried myself to sleep most nights only to face more tears in the morning.

Sadly, I could go on and on about how I was lied about, made fun of, verbally attacked and intimidated by parents and students for a whole year while the administration did nothing but blame me.

The Lord taught me some powerful lessons during that difficult year.

Sometimes as a teacher your worst fears do come true, but with God’s grace you will make it through stronger, wiser and more skilled!

Lessons I Learned During my Nightmare Year of Fear

1. Don’t be intimidated by anyone because God is your defender and your protector!

A teacher’s world is filled with potentially intimidating people and situations. Yet Proverbs 29:25 says, “Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the LORD means safety.”

Normally we fear people because of what we think they can do to us. The fears can range from the fear of being mocked to the fear of being fired.

During my Nightmare Year of Fear, it seemed like intimidation was lurking around every corner.

Parents. Terrified. Me.

Some parents would send scathing two page emails at the drop of a hat.

Other parents would skip right over speaking with me and go straight to the principal or even higher before I had a hint that anyone was upset.

A few parents ripped me to shreds face to face.

Since students were constantly lying about me for fun, I was never sure which parents were mad at me, and I didn’t know if the stories they were told were even true.

My school’s administration wouldn’t tell me about most of the complaints, but I constantly found out in odd little ways. (I believe God exposed plots against me time after time.)

I really had to battle fear of the future because I feared that lying kids, gossiping parents and an administration that catered to the whims of powerful families were ruining my dreams.

As crazy as it sounds, in spite of everything, I really wanted to stay and be successful at that school. I cared about the kids and wanted to make a difference.

Yet I had to surrender my desires to the Lord.

God taught me that my future was in His hands and that mere mortals could not ruin my destiny—especially a bunch of mean spirited 7^th and 8^th graders. (Thank goodness!)

God was so faithful to shine light on the schemes of my enemies and vindicate me in so many ways, and He will do the same for you as you trust Him!

I encourage you to surrender all your dreams to God afresh, and don’t fear what any person (or group of people) can do to you—especially when you know you are doing your best before God and man.

2. Perfect love casts out fear, so don’t be afraid to speak the truth in love!

Because of the fears I have battled, confrontation has always been difficult for me.

In addition to fearing the parents and administrators, I found myself very intimidated by the students. I felt like a baby bunny in a room full of hungry vultures.

Due to the dynamics of the school, the power balance fell in favor of the students which left teachers on the bottom. Sadly, the students were very aware of the impact their parents had on the school, so they felt empowered to intimidate teachers.

My attempts to discipline students was a joke to them. When I tried to give consequences, the parental responses were so outrageous that I became afraid to hold students to high standards knowing that I was unsupported.

When parents spoke to me in hurtful and unacceptable ways, I felt powerless to speak up.

I knew I needed God’s strength to help me overcome my fear of speaking the truth because it was eating me alive and allowing grievous sin to go un-confronted!

I learned that in order to overcome fear, I had to ask God to help me love the parents, students and administrators.

2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power, and of love, and of wise discretion.”

Although it was way outside my comfort zone, I chose to hold students to high expectations, and tell their parents the truth about their children’s behavior whether they chose to listen or seek revenge.

I had many conversations with the administrators about what I was experiencing with the parents and students and how it was affecting me. I also lovingly spoke with my superiors about the ways I felt unsupported and blamed.

That year God have me courage to speak to many intimidating parents (who happened to be board members) about their children—even though they were NOT happy with me for it.

God gave me the boldness to speak with the Head of the School after literally dozens of attempts to get help from my Principal and the Dean.

Even though it was hard, I reminded myself that telling the truth and confronting sin is the most loving thing to do—especially when you are in a school that is representing Jesus Christ!

In tough situations, seek guidance from the Lord! There is definitely a time to speak and a time to hold your peace, and as you seek God He will give you wise discretion regarding what to do in sticky situations.

However, never let fear be your motivation for staying silent—especially when you need to discipline a student or speak with a parent! Remember speaking the truth kindly and gently is an act of love.

3. Walk in humility; seek continual growth, and make excellence your goal.

As a teacher our mistakes are often public. This reality lends itself to teachers getting lots of criticism — sometimes constructive and sometimes... not so much.

During that tough year, God actually exposed a lot of areas of pride in me and it hurt!

Due to my fear of embarrassment and the mean spirited culture of my school, my goal for each day was to make it through without any major instances of humiliation.

To make matters more stressful, I was still relatively new to teaching, and I had jumped up 4 grade levels (going from 4^th grade to 8^th grade). I went from having 19 students the previous year to 103!

I struggled to learn the unfamiliar content, teach it and be organized.

I was also transitioning from an urban public school to a ritzy private school, and it seemed like every instructional strategy and classroom management tool I had been taught was opposite of what the students were used to.

It was a hot mess.

As you can imagine, I had people lining up to tell me that everything I was doing was wrong, wrong, wrong!

The torrent of criticism felt unceasing, and some of the messengers were filled with such spite and anger that I simply shut down.

I became defensive because I felt attacked, and I could not separate good suggestions from attempts to hurt me because it was all coming at once.

Eventually I was able to pull myself together and sort through what people were saying.

I had A LOT of room for growth, and I truly needed to improve. Some of the criticism I faced was warranted even though it was done in the wrong spirit.

I set out to learn my content better, be more prepared and read awesome books on teaching.

By my 4^th year of teaching all the learning and growing paid off. I switched schools and received the highest evaluation score possible and was promoted to team lead for the next year! (So, there is a happy ending. Yay!)

I still struggle when receiving criticism, but I have found that the place of humility is the safest. When you humble yourself, God promises to be the one to exalt you!

One of my favorite motivational speakers always says, “Fight fear with a plan!”

The plan I recommend is prayer first! Ask God for strength, and ask Him to lead you to the right people, places and materials to help you grow as a teacher!

Then I would recommend spending 20-30 minutes per day learning (or brushing up on) your content so that you feel confident to teach it.

I’d also recommend reading or listening to something motivational for teachers daily. There are so many great blogs and podcasts (like the one your reading) to encourage you when you feel beat up or afraid as a teacher.

4. Give yourself grace, and don’t see failure as final!

Most would agree that teaching is one of the hardest professions on the planet. Anything difficult takes time to master.

Movies often give the impression that brand-new educators routinely walk into their first year of teaching with legendary skills that transform the toughest students instantly!

The truth is that champion teachers have mastered a complex set of skills that often took them years to develop. Don’t get discouraged (especially as a newer teacher) if you feel like you still have so much to learn and achieve.

Admittedly, administrators, parents and your students will probably have super high expectations for you (which is understandable), but you must give yourself grace when you make mistakes (because many people don’t think to give teachers grace).

See failure as evidence that you are learning and remember that mistakes are normal.

Challenge yourself to learn from your missteps. I recommend keeping an informal journal where you write down mistakes that you don’t want to repeat along with the goals you want to implement next year.

5. Place your identity in Christ and refuse to let anyone or anything define you but God!

I have battled with insecurity since childhood, and I found that the teaching field can be brutal on my identity if I’m not careful.

You may feel the temptation to see yourself through the eyes of parents, administrators and even students. There is pressure to make sure everyone thinks well of you. You may even want to be popular or everyone’s “favorite” teacher. I know I did!

When lots of people are affirming and encouraging you, it feels great, but the danger comes when you feel shame and accusation coming at you from all directions. Whether it is due to low test scores, a less than stellar evaluation, catty coworkers or critical parents and students, it is easy to internalize disapproval and wear condemnation and failure like a cloak.

This is why we should see ourselves, first, as a son or daughter of God! We will experience healing of our identity as we choose to dwell on God’s love for us!

Head to www.teach4theheart.com/backtoschoolanxiety to download a PDF of Biblical affirmations that will remind you who you are in Christ. Read them aloud every day or meditate on them during your quiet time.

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Starting at a new school can be intimidating and present a unique set of challenges. But with a little effort, administrators and teachers can make the transition a whole lot easier.

Join us as we discuss 8 ways administrators and teachers can help support new teachers at their school.

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The first day of school sets the tone for the whole year. Here are 10 things to avoid on the first day of school.

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What NOT to Do the First Day of School

The bell rings and the students come pouring in to the first day of school. Excitement and a bit of chaos fill the air as well as some nervous anticipation – not just from the students but also from the teachers.

Yes, the first day of school is extremely exciting, but those first few hours with your students are also critically important. In fact, they can actually make or break the entire school year.

10 Things Not to Do on the First Day of School

1. Let the little things go. The biggest mistake I made during my first year of teaching was letting little things go. A little talking here, a student with their head down there – no biggie, right? Wrong. When we let the little things go, we give our students the impression that we either don’t notice or don’t care about their behavior. And the problem is that those little things won’t stay little; they’ll quickly escalate to full-blown problems. The answer? Simply address the small things with a simple statement such as “Greg, please sit up. Thank you.”  Check out my post “The Tiny Mistake that Could Ruin Your Whole Year” for more details on this topic. 
     
2. Lay down the law. My personality doesn’t lean this direction, but I’ve seen teachers, in an attempt to avoid letting the little things go, take the opposite extreme. They decide they need to lay down the law and show the kids who’s boss. So they jump on any small infraction and whack the kids with the biggest punishment possible to show them that they will not tolerate misbehavior. This isn’t a wise approach either. Yes, you need to address the little things, but often all that’s needed is a verbal correction. And if consequences are in order, give appropriate ones; don’t inflate them just to scare the students. Check out my posts “Should Teachers Lay Down the Law?” for more thoughts about this. 
     
3. Make it a “fun day.” Okay, yes, the first day of school should be kind of fun and exciting. But you shouldn’t intentionally make it a “fun day” or a “party day.” If you do, you are setting a very bad precedent and are just asking for your students to be out of control. Instead, start off the school year as structured as possible. Then, once the students are used to structure you should be able to add in some fun activities without losing control. 
     
4. Go over all your procedures. Please don’t torture your students by spending the whole class going over a sheet that contains all your procedures. This is so boring, and it’s probably also what every other teacher is doing. Yes, you absolutely need to teach your procedures, but you should teach them as they come up, not all at once on the first day. And if you have procedures written on a handout, just let your students read them for homework. (p.s. if you’re wondering how to teach procedures, check out my posts “How to Teach Procedures that Your Students Will Actually Follow.“)
     
5. Spend more than 30 seconds talking about fire drills. Okay, if you teach elementary you might be justified in taking more like 2-5 minutes. But for middle school and high school, please don’t. Just don’t. These poor students are hearing about fire drills in every class, and it’s not like they’ve never done one before. Furthermore, it’s not as if they’re going to remember exactly which direction they’re supposed to leave the building in each of their 8 classes. Instead, go over fire drill procedures as quickly as possible. Then later in the week you can go over them in more detail when the students’ brains aren’t being overloaded with procedures. 
     
6. Dress down. Even if you typically dress somewhat casually, the first day of school is not the time to dress down. Your students only get one first impression of you, so the first day of school is the time to pull out the most professional outfit you have. Check out the posts “Do Teachers Really Need to Dress Professionally?” and “How to Dress Professionally on a Teachers’ Income” for more thoughts on when dressing professionally actually matters and how to do it on a budget. 
     
7.  Just wing it. If you try to wing the first day of school you will probably survive it just fine, but you’re also wasting an incredible opportunity to start the year off right. Instead, plan every minute so that you are prepared, confident, and organized. The best way to start class is to have some type of simple assignment ready for the students as they enter the class. This will keep them occupied while you deal with the inevitable confusions of the first few moments of class. 
     
8. Let students choose their own seats. Even if you plan to allow students to choose their own seats at some point in the future, you still want to assign seats on the first day. Why? First, because it will help you learn their names more quickly. And, second, because allowing them to choose seats and then trying to figure out who is in which seat wastes a whole lot of time. In addition to having a seating chart ready, plan a way to tell students their seats as they enter class instead of after they’ve already sat down. For example, have the seating chart displayed on a smart board or projector. Or, have each students’ name and seat number on a post-it note on the wall so they can quickly find theirs and locate their seat. 
     
9. Pass out textbooks one by one. This may not seem like a big deal, but it can really waste a lot of time to call your students out one by one to come up and receive their textbook. Instead, come up with a way to hand them out quickly. I typically had them set out at the end of each row, and the students would simply pick up their stack and pass them back. This means I invested time beforehand writing down all the #’s and putting each student’s name in their book, but it was worth it to help streamline the process.

   Your goal should be to actually teach something in each class

10. Waste a single moment. Plan through each procedure and activity and find the way to do it as efficiently as possible. Your goal should be to actually teach something in each class. And that’s not going to happen unless you’re very intentional about being incredibly efficient and focused.

Be Ready to Go on Day One

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