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How do you imbed the fruit of the Spirit into your classroom? Or, if you haven’t previously considered this, how might you go about it now?
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With my middle school student, I have the opportunity in language arts specifically to point out traits in the characters that reflect or do not reflect the fruit of the spirit. It gives us the opportunity to discuss the consequences and blessings of being obedient to God in a relatable way.
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My students are reminded of the fruits of the spirit that they are displaying. This year, I plan to use each fruit of the spirit monthly as a lesson. This takes us through the entire school year. This is something that has been done at the elementary level, but I think needs to be reiterated at the high school level. These are important for life especially in the times we are living.
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I reward my students for exemplary behavior. I talk to them about why a student gets the candy or sticker. I have a poster with the fruits of the Spirit listed. I have the students figure out which fruit was displayed.
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One simple way our school encourages students to practice the fruit of the Spirit, is by giving out the Christian Character award at the end of each semester. Each classroom picks one boy and one girl who really showed the fruit of the Spirit and we recognize them before the school. One way I do it in my classroom is at the beginning of each year we write out actions the students want to be rewarded for and I tell them it must be an action of the fruit of the Spirit. When I see that action throughout the year I may give them a piece of candy or verbally recognize them.
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I try to keep coming back to a society people want to live in will be a biblical society. We all want to be treated with kindness, courtesy, compassion, patience, and humility. We don’t like when there is not trust, love, forgiveness, and it is just harsh criticism. No one likes to be bullied or scorned or hated. We all want to live in a society where we are accepted and embraced with human dignity and respect. These are biblical values. I try to get students to get outside the idea that there are all these rules that they have to follow, but what would it look like for them if there were no rules. Would they really like being picked on, beat up and put down. Christian values, the fruit of the Spirit does not allow those things. It precludes them by treating people with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, always trusting, always forgiving. Proverbs repeatedly exhorts us to be people of thought. We don’t just act out of emotion. We act out of the knowledge of God’s principles he has set in place so we could live free.