The Christian EducatorA publication of North Valley Baptist Schools

Training a Child

By Vicky Mutchler

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6)

"Train up a child..." is an admonition not only for parents. As teachers, we are placed in the lives of the students we instruct each day. What an awesome responsibility! We spend more waking hours with these young people than their own parents. Training is a complex role. It is not achieved in a short time or along a single path. We are training children “...in the way he should go.”

Training through EXAMPLE. Do we practice what we teach? Can our students follow in our footsteps? We must endeavor to be an example. They are watching more than just what we teach in the classroom. As a Christian school teacher, our students are watching our service, standards and our submission to our authorities.

Training through DISCIPLINE. Any time a student is corrected, the punishment should amply fit the “crime” so that a valuable, long lasting lesson is learned. Many years ago when I taught Kindergarten, I had a little boy that had a terrible habit of lying. If habits are not broken early, they will continue. One morning when I was passing out snacks, one little girl said that she did not get any M&M’s. I knew that I had had just enough and start questioning who had taken hers. I  noticed that the young man beside her had the “don’t look at me” face. I asked him if he had taken them only to hear him promise that he only had his package. I asked what he had in his shirt pocket. “This shirt  pocket?” he asked.  When he handed over the M&M’s, I proceeded to pour them into a cup and explained that he would have to eat all the “stolen” candies. (It was a little snack size) He began to cry, “I don’t want to eat stolen M&M’s!” I  explained to him that he had to eat them, because he wanted them so badly that he was willing to steal them. He sat there with all the class watching, eating them one by one. Somehow they did not taste so good. He said, “I think I might throw up!” I said, “Stolen M&M’s can make you feel sick!” After that day he never lied to me or had a problem with stealing again.  He eventually moved out of the area still as a young boy, and eventually came back to visit our church at the age of seventeen.  That Sunday he smiled at me and after re-introducing himself he said, “Do you remember those M&M’s I stole and had to eat?” I smiled and nodded. He said, “That sure broke me of stealing! Thanks!”

Training through LOVE. I had a teacher tell me once, “I love teaching, but it’s the dealing with the students I don’t like!” I am afraid that is an oxymoron! It is like saying you love swimming, but you are afraid of water! A teacher must have a love for his students. Each class, no matter the age, is made of  all types of personalities, character strengths, and weaknesses. I like to think of each classroom as a puzzle. Each student may require different methods of teaching  and disciplining. It is our responsibility to find what works best to encourage, motivate, and educate our students; however, ALL students require our heart. If they know you care, that is half the battle.

Math, science, English and history may be the easiest to teach, while character, respect, and Christian values are the hardest because there are not lessons found in textbooks,  pre-printed tests, or handouts. We must help each student develop a love for God’s Word as we pour ourselves into their lives.

Teaching is an investment of time to aid parents in training their children. It is a responsibility that should not be taken lightly. It should be covered with prayer and determination in order to instill in each student, a love for God and a heart that seeks His wisdom.

Let us teach with the goal of preparing a child in a way “… that when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

About the Author: Vicky Mutchler is the wife of Mike Mutchler, pastor of Grand View Baptist Church in Beavercreek, Oregon. Mrs. Mutchler is also the principal of Grand View Christian.