Lessons For Life

As a teacher, one of the advantages of teaching in an Adventist school is that we get to teach from the Bible! It is important to teach children at a young age to learn scripture in order for them to seek refuge in Christ and apply the lessons learned to their lives. The Bible says in Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

I begin every morning with my Kindergarten class learning about different character traits. Each week, we begin by reading and dissecting different stories about good character traits and how we can implement them into our daily lives. I read them the stories that help encourage them to exhibit good attributes throughout our day. We discuss the importance of displaying good behavior like Jesus so lovingly showed us from His Word. After the story, I pray that each child can display the character trait discussed for that day. Over the first couple of days I read them the story, then we discuss it and spend some time doing activities to help emphasize the good traits that they have been learning.

In order to truly teach the traits of Christ, I believe it is important to go back to the source! The children memorize a Bible verse each week to go along with the letter of the alphabet we are studying. We recite it every day, and the children also take it home for extra practice. They then get an opportunity at the end of each week to recite the verse back to me and earn a sticker for their sticker charts.

I love the quote, “Children are great imitators, so give them something great to imitate.”

I often hear my students repeating the character traits they have learned throughout the day. For example, when we studied the lesson “I Have Choices, Choices Have Consequences,” I overheard a student tell another that it was their choice and choices have consequences.

During clean-up time, I heard another student say, “Mrs. Zubik, I’m being responsible and putting away the toys, just like in our story!”

It is always rewarding to be able to see the lessons put into action. In one of our character trait lessons we learned, “I am Resourceful.” When asking them what “resourceful” meant they were not able to respond with an accurate meaning. Coincidentally, the story breaks it down to their learning level, allowing them to grasp the concept easily.

During center time, a student was playing with Lincoln Logs and didn’t have enough to build a roof for the structure they were building. At first, they were a little frustrated, but then said, “I know!” They walked over to the box of Kleenex and grabbed a few and used it for the roof. They then excitedly came to me and told me that they were being resourceful.

As many teachers have experienced, it is always a blessing to know that what we teach doesn’t just go in one ear and out the other. Being able to have my students come and share something that may seem minor to some is in actuality a major piece to a bigger puzzle. My job is special because I am teaching an age in which they are soaking up every ounce of information, love, and affirmation that we can give. We are laying down the foundation of these students’ futures, not only academically but also inspiring their spiritual growth. Some days may seem harder than others, but, as I have taught my children year in and year out, all growth comes through the reflection of Jesus Christ our Lord.