BE ENCOURAGED!
Prayer: Lord, fill us to overflowing with encouragement for self, students, staff, and parents.
Scripture: My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God namely Christ. Colossians 2:2 NIV
Encouragement is contagious. It is a healthy virus that can spread throughout a classroom, a school, and a district. One encouraging person can put hundreds of discouragement demons to flight.
Rachel was placed in Miss Mendoza’s special needs classroom in the third grade because of severe dyslexia. Rachel’s reading skills were two grade levels below her grade placement. The first day of school, during her reading period, she came up to her teacher after class and said with downcast eyes, “I can’t read Miss Mendoza, I can’t read.” There was no hope in her eyes, no joy. At age eight, her spirit was defeated and she seemingly had no courage left to try.
Miss Mendoza knelt down on Rachel’s level, looked into her eyes, and replied, “If you do what I ask you to do, if you try, I promise you will learn to read.” Rachel was encouraged by hearing she could learn to read but it was going to take discipline. Starting at her instructional level, Rachel began rapidly moving through the phonetic curriculum planned for her within a small group setting and began to try to read once again. She took courage and began to move forward one step, one phoneme, at a time. During individual independent class reading times and during testing the teacher made a point to listen to Rachel individually read for five to ten minutes every day – encouraging her for her progress and gently correcting mistakes. Rachel was bathed in praise for every small accomplishment she made which gave her even more courage and motivation. Miss Mendoza privately prayed for Rachel and the school staff prayer group also began praying for her.
At year’s end, Rachel had made two years growth in her reading skills, four times more than her annual average. She passed the state third grade level reading exam. The following year, Rachel was placed back into a regular classroom for reading with support from the special education inclusion team. Thank you Lord.
No matter what you are facing professionally or personally right now in your classroom or in life, “Be encouraged!” No matter what disability, dysfunction, or depression any of your students may be in, your cry to them from the Lord must be, “Be encouraged! Be encouraged!” Let God lead you. Be disciplined and you shall see victory after victory. Give God the glory for every victory.
Reflection: Who has been the most encouraging person to me in my professional life and why? Which student and staff member am I serving right now who needs the most encouragement? How am I encouraging them?
Getting Real: Make a point to personally talk to students before or after class or before or after school and give them praise. Speak encouraging words into their lives. Buy stationary and write students, staff, and parent’s notes of encouragement.
Copyright Don Clark. Email [email protected]