LEAven Blog
It Is Finished
Did the title catch your attention? Did you think it was perhaps Good Friday and your calendar was off? Don’t worry, your calendar is probably correct, and the title was written with the intent of capturing your attention. Goal achieved!
The regular school year has come to a conclusion for many. Books are put away, desks are pushed in a corner to allow for floor waxing, and some schools may even be starting summer camps to engage students and provide an opportunity for those in their communities. And, don’t forget about the many early childhood programs that operate year round!
As an educator, are you really ever “finished”? The school year is done, but teachers don’t do well in fully “turning off” their brains during the summer. Teachers are often shopping for new classroom items, thinking of ideas to include in the upcoming school year, or perhaps building (or refinishing/painting) a new piece of furniture for their classroom.
Ministry is never complete. As an educator in a Lutheran school, your ministry continues throughout the summer too, as you see a former student at the pool, at the mall, or at the local ice cream shop. Be sure to greet students and their families when you see them during the summer. Let them know you are eager to see them again in the new school year. Remember, you are always a marketing representative of your school!
Go through these summer weeks resting and relaxing so that you are re-energized for when you need to return to the classroom. Spend time thinking about what you want to do differently in the new school year. Do you want a new classroom arrangement? Do you want to try a new curriculum component? Or, do you want to learn something new regarding your own teaching practice and pedagogy? Now is the time to begin making your plans and goals for the upcoming school year! And, no matter what you are pondering, be sure to lift up your goals and next steps in prayer to God, for He will help you see what is before you.
“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps,” Proverbs 16:9.
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails,” Proverbs 19:21.
