I asked the department chair of the Theology department at a local high school for some words of advice, from a person who had been teaching for 13 years or more. I asked her this before I became a teacher. I said, “If you could only give me one piece of advice, the most important thing you have learned about teaching, what would it be?” She replied with a serious face, “Love them, love your students.” I thought to myself she must be crazy.
Now I am a teacher and I believe that some of my students will take some of the skills I have taught them about meditation and creative prayer into their own lives and hopefully a new found faith and prayer life. However, I have learned it is not what you are teaching that they remember. It is how you taught them. It is the respect you give them, the understanding and yes,the love. That teacher was completely correct. The most important part of teaching is caring for and loving your students. Turns out she knew exactly what she was talking about. It is the most important part!
I can’t tell you how often I’ve said, “I don’t remember what Miss Gardner (Gr. 2), Mrs. Porter (Gr. 5), Sister Ann Marita (Alberta) SCN (Gr. 7-8)…and to many Mercy Sisters to name, at Assumption taught me BUT I WILL NEVER FORGET THEM…they made a difference in my life because of who they were/are…that’s why we are called human beings not human doings!