Teaching as a form of Servanthood.
12 Baskets Full
A Teacher’s Basket – for Teachers
Rebecca Barrow is our guest writer this month. Rebecca, I believe you have a bright future ahead of you as a teacher and my prayer is that you will find your calling both rewarding and a blessing!
Since I was in school, a saying has been tossed around me, going something like “teachers are the most underpaid yet most valuable job in society.” Coming from a teacher, as teachers, we are well aware of this. Many of us still choose to enter this career not because of the pay or because a Bachelor of Education was the most accessible degree to get into, but because there is a yearning, an earnest desire, some might say a heart cry; to help children. To teach is merely a title, but to willingly take care of around 30 children for an entire year, five days a week for approximately 7 hours a day. To learn their personalities, study their strengths and weakness, and at times discipline them to impart content to them in the best way they can receive it and help foster the best self each child can become.
All of us can pick out teachers (and probably name them, might I add) that positively influenced our lives, its no secret that teachers play a huge role in everyone’s journey. Teaching is one of the few professions that is a spiritual gift in its entirety, and it has an immense impact on equipping and unifying people (Eph 4:11-12). Teachers know how far their influence infiltrates and how large the radius of the relationships with their children spans.
Let’s get practical!
How much capacity and ability does one have to teach? Many teachers humbly won’t take credit or accept the size of their role and anointing they have. Supplementing this character trait, teachers tend not to spend much on themselves. As young professionals, their study loans take priority number one, and as parents, the house mortgage or car payments take a considerable chunk. Thus, giving a gift card is a clever way to appreciate a teacher, as it will force them to spend something on themselves for a change. It opens them to a pocket of freedom when they are gifted a spoil to spend on themselves.
Pamper gifts for female teachers are timeless as they allow them to relax and switch off for a while. Another way to communicate appreciation is through a food basket filled with good chocolate and other treats.
Teaching is synonymous with administration thus, stationery such as paper clips, stickers, or marking pens will go a long way. Teacher’s Bags can these days be bought at a variety of stores and is another ideal gift that will be much appreciated.
A letter of appreciation from the child themself or a parent will be the ultimate encouragement to a teacher as it is a testament to the hard work and effort they have put into one of their pupils.
Other individual gifts include a pot plant, tickets to the theatre, or a book from a favourite author.
Teachers affect so much in a child’s life, from how they see the world and learn to their priorities and how they interact with others. Thus, when acknowledging the role of a teacher in your child’s life, you as a parent are teaching your child how to appropriately show gratitude and respect to the person appointed to lead them to drink from the fountain of knowledge and wisdom. Honing this principle in their lives will bear fruit and give birth to a lifetime of kindness and joy.
