Beyond the Blackboard: teacher retreat

Monday, September 27, 2010

teacher retreat

Once again, I had the privilege of spending a weekend in Adelboden, Switzerland with my fellow teachers for the BFA Teachers' Retreat. We made our home in the Janz Team Chalet, nestled in the Swiss Alps and surrounded by the most spectacular scenery. I enjoyed rooming with Joy, another middle school teacher, and it was fun getting to spend time with teachers who are in the high school and therefore are not a part of my daily life at BFA. Our principal, Laird, challenged us to be confident with our identity in Christ, and let our teaching flow from that identity. We are focusing on a more reflective attitude this year as we ask pertinent questions to determine our identities: What do I believe about God? About human life and the purpose of living? About my students? About the role of teachers and parents? Rather than trying to earn ourselves an identity by teaching a certain way, we should be teaching in a way that reflects our identity in Christ and what we believe about these issues. Our students will respect and relate to us better when they know we are being authentic rather than trying to fake it. Luke 6:40 says "everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher." Our goal at BFA is for our students to be able to reflect us because we are reflecting Christ. Pray with me that this year I would reflect Christ onto my students and that they, too, would begin to understand the awesomeness of being made in the image of God and reflect his glory.