-
How does your understanding of mankind’s fallen nature impact your work in the classroom?
-
It impacts how we teach our students and how we approach the problems of the world and the problems our students may be facing. As a high school teacher, I see how broken the world is and how my students are struggling with the brokenness of this world and how social media is trying to get them to conform to something they may not be and not what God has created them to be.
-
It helps me understand my students better, including their motives and behaviors. It helps me understand myself better as well. Furthermore, it impacts how I show grace to those who need it as well as accountability to those who need that.
-
It helps me to remember that none of us is perfect. Showing students that everyone makes mistakes, and how to own, recover from, and atone for those mistakes, is invaluable. I also show them that emotions such as anger or disappointment are not bad in and of themselves, but that it’s how we respond to them that makes the difference. By not pretending that I am perfect, or anybody is perfect, it leaves students with opportunities to try things without the fear of failing (because we all fall short)…and to grow.
-
It helps me to know that we are not all prefect and we are going to make mistakes. It helps me to talk with the child and get them to see how their choices impacted themselves and others. Then ask them how they could do things differently next time. I let them know that I still love them and that I know they will make better choices in the future. I love on them just as Christ loves us.
-
Knowing, and remembering this should allow to us offer compassion to students, we all make mistakes, we all error and sin and through God’s grace we receive forgiveness it is important that we offer that same love to our students.
