Regardless of how much we would like to slow down the clock and have a few more days before the start of a new school year, in just a few days, teachers will be back in the classroom, expecting to have the best year ever. Some teachers may already be in their classrooms preparing for the new school year or helping with registration.
In my fifty-plus years in educational administration, there are very few school events that top the start of a new school year. The days before the first day of school are filled with many tasks that need to be completed. For example, planning student and staff orientations, finalizing curriculums, getting rooms ready, modifying student and staff schedules, conducting registration, and assigning lockers, to name a few. Hopefully, all the remodeling has been completed, all staff positions filled, and sufficient students are enrolled to generate the school year funding. If not, expect God to meet every need.
Students, teachers, administrators, support staff, and parents are excepting the best year ever. I have often been asked, “What advice can you offer Christian educators to ensure that the new school year will be the best year ever?” I would like to offer some suggestions that will lead to having the best year ever.
No one knows what the new school will bring. Some hope to “make it through a school year without major parent/student/staff issues.” For others, a great school year may mean “having a well-behaved class or a class with no major behavioral challenges.” A successful year may mean “getting through the curriculum and experiencing high levels of student interaction and learning.”
For Christian educators, the key to having a successful school year comes down to two actions - “listening and obeying the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is in every believer, speaking to them all the time. Not only must they listen to His voice, but they must obey.
None of us knows what tomorrow holds, but we do know who “holds tomorrow.” It is Jesus. And Jesus has given to every believer the Holy Spirit, who leads and guides towards success in every area of school life. I encourage each of us to listen to and obey the Holy Spirit. If we do, it will be the best school year ever.
The Holy Spirit is faithfully speaking direction in every situation. It is a matter of learning how to listen to His voice. The Holy Spirit will speak to your inner man. Listening for His voice is a matter of learning.
As you do your planning for the year, or you face situations and circumstances that you do not know what to do, there will be thoughts that come up inside of your mind concerning what to teach, how to teach, what to say or not say, where to go or not go, what you need to do or not do. Many times, you listen and take action. Other times you don’t. As Gloria Copeland said, “You hear it and let it go. Then later, it comes back, and you hear it again. These are the promptings to your spirit by the Holy Spirit. As you become more aware of the Spirit of God in your everyday affairs, you will be quicker to hear and obey those promptings.”
These promptings are the Holy Spirit’s attempt to reveal God’s will to your spirit. Jesus says in John 16:13, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come” (NKJV). You will be led into the most successful year as you obey these promptings.
The Holy Spirit will always guide you to excellence. The release of the Holy Spirit in your life and your classroom will move you beyond the tendency to accept less than expected. So, expect the best year ever. It will be so as you listen and obey the Holy Spirit.
If our next two posts, we will share some actions for success and how to depend on the Holy Spirit as your team teacher. If you have not already subscribed to our blog, please do so at the bottom of this page. This will allow you to automatically receive the next post from Delpublications.
For those of you who have new members on your school staff, they will not receive this post. Please send them a copy and encourage them to register for more posts.
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