The Christian EducatorA publication of North Valley Baptist Schools

What Is Good for the Goose

by Dan Azzarello

The common English idiom, “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander” is frequently used when one wants to prove his point. My daughter will often chide me, “Can I have a piece of candy since Dom has one?” When a precedent has been set, it is tricky to get around it. Can the same idiom be compared between student and teacher? If the student should study for class, shouldn’t the teacher? Too many teachers wrongly believe that college ends their professional training – that they do not need to grow. Sure, the teacher may prepare for a class, but is that enough?

I would encourage every educator to continue his professional growth. If learning is good for the student, it is good for the teacher. Romans 2:21a says, “Thou therefore which teachest another, teach thou not thyself?” Paul’s reprimand rephrased, “You say one thing and do another.” We teach students to be on time, yet we are late. We teach them to study and work hard, and we do not study ourselves. Teaching is more than glancing at the curriculum. The students need more from you. They need history to come to life; for math to be presented in a unique way that every student can understand and enjoy. They need you, the teacher, to care and work just as hard for them as you expect them to work for you. I know that most teachers in Christian education do not have the luxury of being a full-time teacher; many work part-time jobs or have other areas of the ministry for which they are responsible. Consider this, your work, or lack thereof, as a teacher will have a lasting impact on your students.

Most teachers have the desire to be better; however, they lack the motivation or encouragement to get started. How do you become a better teacher? Is there a special program or seminar that changes poor teachers into great ones? Changing poor habits or teaching methods can be difficult, and you can allow others to discourage you from trying to improve. Just determine that you are going to change and stop making excuses!

Here are a few tips to help you get started.

Read. There are hundreds of good books on education, both secular and Christian. Just begin reading and you will be surprised how much you can learn. Most teachers teach the way that their teachers taught them. That is not always a bad thing, but it is not always a good thing. If you would like book recommendations, please visit this page.

Rank under. Other teachers and educators have already traveled down the road that you are traveling. They have been there and done that. (Ecclesiastes 1:9) Find someone – a mentor – that will help you develop as a teacher. If there is not someone already at your school, make an effort to find someone who can guide you, whether it is a former teacher or college professor.

Research. The internet has made everything so easily accessible. Research your subject and make it more exciting. Teaching history with just the textbook does not cut it. Find a manipulative that will work with your math lesson to ensure that your students not only understood the lesson but enjoyed it as well. Discover methods of teaching that will help you get through to all of your students and not just the bright students. Every student learns differently.

Respect your students. It is amazing how well we treat people that we respect. If you respected your students, you would work harder and apply more time in the preparation of your lesson. You would treat them kindly and be more willing to give of your time to help them learn. I am not telling you to turn the reigns over to your class, but I am asking you to look at them as the future preachers and teachers of the world.

Raise questions. You will never know if your students have received the lesson unless you probe them. I am not referring to the typical questions listed at the end of the chapter. Ask them questions for knowledge and understanding. If you are teaching a lesson on fractions, “What is ½ + ½?” is not a bad initial question, but to see if the student really understands the question ask him to give you an example of how ½ + ½ = 1. Be creative with your questioning.

This is certainly not all there is to personal growth, but it is a good start. If learning is good for the student, it is good for the teacher. I encourage you to take the time and evaluate yourself as a teacher. Are you learning? Are you growing?

For more help with professional growth, we would like to encourage you to attend our Christian Educators’ Seminar in January. For more information, please visit our seminar website.

About the Author: Dan Azzarello has been the principal at North Valley since 2003. He graduated from Golden State Baptist College with a degree in secondary education. He is the athletic director and Bible instructor in the high school. He and his wife, Genny, have been married since 2001. They have three beautiful children, Brooklynn, Dominic, and Jaclynn.