Heroes by the Very Definition

What is an organizations greatest asset? Is it their building, their organizational structure? Is it their program or products? What is it that makes an organization great?
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Some may argue that it’s all of these things working together, but what keeps them working? Why can’t we find one asset that is greater than the rest?  I know, that is a lot of questions and you probably haven’t had your full compliment of coffee yet, but these are important things to consider. Why? Because each organization is unique. Unique in what they offer consumers, unique in how they deliver their goods and services, and unique because of its greatest asset, the people who put it all together.

The first week of May we will be celebrating TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK. Started in 1984, this is a week that we celebrate the dedication and hard work of the men and women who diligently prepare our children for the challenges of life that lay before them. Lesson plans, grading papers, answering questions, solving problems, and that is before they get into the classroom to teach our children to read, to write, the importance of history, the excitement of science, and how to relate to those around us. Our children’s teachers are so much more that just that person who stands in front of a classroom telling them what they should know, how they should do it, and why it is important. Our teachers are also councilors, nurses, social workers, referees, dieticians, janitors, and so on. And, they do all of this with love, compassion, patience, and a will to see our children succeed in life.

In the book of James, we find the reason that we should see the value of those who answer the call to be teachers. It is a profession that demands much of the person. It is a profession that easily comes under fire when something goes wrong. But, what it really is, is a mission, a ministry to teach, disciple, love children and train them in the way they should go. James 3:1 says, “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.”

Teaching as a profession is not for everyone. I am a living example of that. Although I did it last school year for a wonderful group of 9th graders, it is not my calling. My dad was a teacher of literature and poetry, he was a great teacher. I was never blessed, or cursed, to have him as a teacher, but I have heard others speak very well of him and the work he did. I believe he was called to be a teacher, but I was not.

At Mountain View Christian Academy, we always say that we have the best teachers this side of heaven, and we do. The men and women who serve this ministry do so not out of a love for money, for we all know that private school teachers are the lowest paid, but out of a sense of mission. To teach and train the next generation of leaders. To be a part of something bigger than themselves. To be able to deliver quality education for the whole child - Spiritually, Academically, Socially and Physically.

In our world there are many people who are heroes. We can debate who is the greatest of the heroes, but the ones who touch lives, and have the opportunity to shape the future, they are teachers. According to Dictionary.com a hero is 1. A person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character, 2. A person who, in the opinion of others, has special achievements, abilities, or personal qualities and is regarded as a role model or ideal. You tell me if that does not describe a teacher.

So, to all the teachers of the world, HAPPY NATIONAL TEACHERS WEEK! You have been, and still are heroes by the very definition of the word.