The Christian EducatorA publication of North Valley Baptist Schools

How to Spell Love

By Jason Azzarello

At times, we can become so occupied with educating; we forget who helped us get to where we are today. It was not what we learned as much as whom we learned it from. It was not the perfect lesson plan; it was the prayerful lesson planner. We all can look back and smile when we think of those who inspired us with their love, not their lessons; their time, not their teaching; their giving, not their gift. Much of who we are today can be attributed to people not curricula.

One of the most memorable experiences from my youth came when I was a seventh grade boy playing basketball for our junior high squad. I was good, or so I thought, and I knew more than the coach – at least I thought I did. We butted heads on several occasions. (Yes, I was one of those kids that causes you to pray for patience throughout the day; there is one in every class.) That all changed after our game versus “Big Country.”  “Big Country” was a seventh-grader who stood six-feet tall, drove a car, and even had facial hair (you are not supposed to have a full beard in junior high!)  This game was a very traumatizing experience for me!  Our team was in the lead late in the fourth quarter.  I wanted to win that game so badly, but I did not want to heed our coach’s strategy to stall.  He sat me on the bench; I could not believe that he would do such a thing!  Like every mature seventh-grader, I pouted for the rest of the game. Did we win? Yes, but I was upset at the coach for pulling me out.

That evening, he picked me up from my house and took me to dinner at the King's Table in Sunnyvale, CA. That night, my coach did not reprimand me, but he showed me that he loved and cared for me by taking time from his family and giving it to me.  That was my favorite year of school in sports because of that coach. I do not remember what our record was; nor do I care, but to this day I know that my coach, Marty Stalnaker (now a pastor in Selma, CA) cared about me and our team.

Do you have a student in your class that needs your attention?  Even if he comes from a good home, he may need to know that you care for him.

How do you spell love? Here are a few ways that you can begin showing your students that you care for them.

Take time for your students.  Time is one of our most precious commodities of which we need to be willing to give.

Inspire your students to use the amazing abilities they possess.

Mentor your students.   Your life is a living lesson. We can have an amazing vocabulary and eloquence of speech, but our actions speak louder than our words.

Encourage your students.  Look for the positive.  For every negative action you catch, search for ten positive acts. This is not always easy, but it will surprise you what you see when you change what you are looking for.

Love is an action word; you spell it T – I – M – E.

About the Author: Jason Azzarello was born to David and Terrie Azzarello on May 23, 1981. He is second to the oldest of four children.

As an eleven year old boy Jason was led to the Lord by Jim Carey who is still serving as a high school English teacher at North Valley Baptist Schools on (February 5, 1992).

Jason attended North Valley Baptist Schools and graduated from that high school in 1999. He then attended Golden State Baptist College that fall and graduated in 2003.

While attending college, Jason dated Mary Westlake, who he met during high school. The two fell in love and were married in January 2003. The couple has been blessed with two sons, Micah (4) and Ethan (1), and are expecting a baby girl this December.

During his last year in college, Jason interned as the Youth Pastor at Redwood Baptist Church in Redwood City, CA, under the pastorship of his dad . He and his family have continued their ministry there till this day. Jason is currently serving as the administrator of Woodside Hills Christian Academy, a ministry of Redwood Baptist Church, as well as the assistant pastor and music leader of RBC. Mary is strongly involved in many church ministries and assists in the church office.