Book excerpt: Teaching Tips from Week 36

As we come to the end of our school year, I just wanted to share a few pages from my book that will help you coast your way to the end.  Sometimes you just need a little reminder...  

Ten Tips For Better Teaching

1. Purpose – Remember that you have been destined and designed for this.  Regardless of what you think, God has created you, everything about you to impact the life of your students.          Jeremiah 1: 5
2. Prayer – Continue to pray without ceasing.  Be specific in what you desire and what you need. God has promised to give you wisdom and rest.  Just A.S.K. (ask, seek and knock)  Matthew 7:7 and Matthew 11: 28-30
3. Power – Understand that you have been given power from on high to trample the enemy.  Your words, God’s Word spoken again by you are weapons against the enemy and they are life to your every need.  Speak life.           2 Corinthians 10: 4-5
4. Preparation – Plan up to the very end.  Kids who have nothing to do can and will begin to get on your nerves.  You don’t need the bible to tell you that!
5. Pollinate – Although you may feel a little stretched, be willing to speak encouragement or help out a fellow teacher (especially the new ones) during this time of year.  Help out those who need help in growing. 
6. Perseverance – 2 John 1: 8 Says it best: Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.  Don’t give up now.
7. Personality – Nehemiah 8:10 says that “the joy of the Lord is your strength”.  Now’s not the time to be a sourpuss.  Draw joy and love from Jesus so that you can be a reflection of His joy, His compassion, His loving kindness towards others.  Let your light so shine…
8. Pleasing – Hebrews 13: 20-21 says “May the God of peace,… _v21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ…”  Allow God to do the work in you so that you will be pleasing to Him.  In doing so, you will also become pleasing to those around you.  
9. Placement – Jeremiah 29:11 God knows the plans He has for you.  This tip on placement is not just about a choice in grade level, school or district, but it’s much deeper than that.  It’s really about trust.  Trust God to place you in situations, in ear shot of conversations, around your colleagues so that you can be used HOWEVER God needs for that particular need.  Someone may just need your smile or encouraging word and God places you two in the hallway alone.  Every time, every situation belongs to God.  
10. Peace - Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.  Trust in God and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct you paths.  Peace comes directly from God. Seek Him and you will find it.

Hold His hand and finish this race.

Remember keep starting your Monday with the Master.

Young, T. (2014). Start Your Monday With The Master. Sandston, Virginia: JDI Publisher Co.

Image retrieved from:  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/471611392198706215/

My Mouth and My Heart

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight,

O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

-     Psalm 19:14 NKJV

When I first started writing this Moment to Reflect workplace devotionals about three years ago, I would always insert a picture of a mirror near the title.  I wanted anyone who read it to know that each entry was as much written to me as it was written for  my fellow teachers.   While most of the reflections ended up intertwining humor with something God had been showing me throughout the week, there have been a few entries when I poured out my frustrations as a teacher.

Today's soul bearing entry comes from me looking into the mirror concerning the words of my mouth,and the meditations of my heart, or as I like to say, "the stuff I want to say but have too much upbringing or reputation to uphold" kind of meditation.

 

Therefore, I have to come clean.  These past few weeks, I have listened to me chime in on the latest gossip, chime in on the complaining, start the complaining, listen to the cursing without walking away, and even chime in on the cursing in the meditations of my heart…and behind my teeth.  I’m not having the best of school years and I didn’t mind letting anyone who would ask know it.

  The bible says faith without works is dead. Soooo, although I can read and pray the Forty Days of Prayer for Education,   if my mind is not renewed from the things that God is showing me about myself, what I believe and know God to be able to do for myself, students and school will never manifest.

Here are some "good" points
to having good conversations.

The hard look in the mirror came again today as I was reminded of the parable of the wheat and the tare (weed). Growing side by side, they looked almost the same which made it impossible to pull up the weed until it was harvest time.  This, I likened to the  "good" and "God" growing side by side in me.  There are good things that I do and a way I can project being a good person, especially if I keep my mouth shut.  But what about my heart? I would rather have God as the sole proprietor of my heart doing good works through me, than for me to try to do good things with a quiet, complaining, angry heart.  

 Here are Godly points on having a Godly conversation! 

My hope for total transformation is found in the example of Lydia, a business woman from the New Testament book of Acts. This woman was already a woman of God doing good things.  However, the bible says that God, "opened her heart to respond/pay attention/ heed Paul's message".  

Thank you Jesus, there is always another level to go in You. So, God I lift up this heartfelt prayer to you:

Father,

You are a heart regulator. In this story with Lydia, You are showing me that even those who worship You,  still need a transforming word to change our hearts.  Cleanse me from my secret faults and keep me from presumptuous sins.  Help me to understand being good on the outside is not good enough. Knowing the good way to speak into my situations is not good enough. Open my heart to Your ways and cover my heart with Your language for out of the abundance of my heart, my mouth will speak. Show me the Godly way to speak. Your word gives me hope that when I call, You will answer and make me bold and confident with new strength in my life. It may be difficult to be different, but I desire You more than popularity.

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight. May they come up before You visible and pleasant as the sweet smell of incense. 

Father, may You open others' hearts to respond to this message as You did for me.

In Jesus' name,

Amen

The Lord is with you and you are love,

Toni 

Please enjoy this week's song!