The Christian EducatorA publication of North Valley Baptist Schools
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Training for Life, Part 1
by Dan Azzarello
Can you imagine paying over $100.00 for a ticket to a professional football game only to watch in disbelief as the teams take the gridiron in a disorderly fashion, their uniforms do not match, the field is not lined properly, the coaches are not present, half the lights are out due to lack of maintenance, and as the game progresses it is quite evident that the athletes are not in shape and mindlessly wandering the field? Absolutely not! You would not pay $5.00, let alone $100.00, to be present at such a fiasco. How can something like this occur? The answer is quite simple: lack of preparation and lack of training.
Allow me to put an educational spin on the above illustration. Would you pay to send your child to a school where chaos and disorder run rampant, the facilities are not maintained, the teachers are not in their classrooms but in the break room, and as the semester progresses it is unmistakable that your child’s education has taken a lengthy sabbatical? The truth is parents do continue to pay because they do not want their children in a godless environment. You would never find the opening paragraph true because they are professionals; however, the second paragraph is far more believable and unfortunately tolerated. Why – lack of preparation and lack of training.
Please take a moment to honestly complete this personal preparation and student training check-up.
1. How much time did you spend on average preparing for each course that you taught last week?
A. 5 minutes or less
B. 5 – 10 minutes
C. 10 minutes or more
2. How often do you start class or a meeting late?
A. Often
B. Occasionally
C. Rarely
3. How would you describe your office/classroom’s appearance right now?
A. Disorderly
B. Clean but could be better
C. Ready for inspection
4. How would you describe your school’s appearance right now?
A. Disorderly
B. Clean but could be better
C. Ready for inspection
5. Do you know your students’ academic strengths and weaknesses?
A. Not really
B. I’m working on it
C. Yes
6. How well would your students perform if they were tested off your notes by another teacher?
A. Disastrous! I’m the only one that knows how to test my students
B. I have never really thought about it
C. Bring on the challenge
7. What best describes your daily purpose as an educator?
A. I want my students to pass the next test
B. I want my students to pass my class
C. I want my students to succeed in life
8. What word best describes your methods of discipline to your students?
A. Tirades
B. Sporadic
C. Consistent
9. How often do you communicate with the parents of your students?
A. They call me, I don’t call them
B. When a problem arises
C. Consistently for negative, preventative, and positive items
10. What are your thoughts in regards to professional growth?
A. Experience is all the growth I need
B. I know I should continue learning, but I do not have the time
C. I am actively learning and growing in my profession
To calculate your score:
A = 1
B = 2
C = 3
Results:
10-15 You are honest with your answers, but are in need of an overhaul in the areas of preparing for your class and training your students. If you don’t like the results, do your part to begin fixing these items today.
16-24 You are a good teacher, but with a little more discipline you can improve your weaknesses and build upon your strengths to be a great teacher.
25-30 In the areas of preparation and training, you are a great educator and an inspirational to all.
Regardless of where you scored, none of us have arrived. Those of you who are looking for ways to improve in these two areas, read part two of this article to be published in next month’s issue of The Christian Educator.
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.
