Have one or more teachers had a significant impact upon your life? My parents both passed away recently. Though this was a sad time, it provided an opportunity to see many friends from childhood. I also saw Tommy Tripp (above, left), a former teacher and coach of mine at Bethel Christian Academy in Kinston, North Carolina. The visit felt like old times.
As a student, I noticed Coach Tripp was unique. He taught U.S. History and Spanish. (Please don’t blame him, my Spanish speaking brothers and sisters. I was not a good student.) He may have taught other classes as well, but I don’t remember. I do remember many other things. He coached basketball and baseball and took many of us athletes on extracurricular trips. We went to revivals, amusement parks, and even campaign events. He ran for County Commissioner, and we campaigned for him. He took an active interest in my life and tried to prepare me for the future.
He encouraged me to write and speak. I wrote a speech called “Wake Up America!” for a
competition. He edited the speech, coached my delivery, and sought opportunities for me to deliver it throughout eastern North Carolina. He was with me when I learned from my mother that one of my friends, Alicia Smith, had been killed in an accident. He was there for that difficult time, too. Coach Tripp was an extraordinary teacher. I am indebted to him and other teachers for the value they added to my life.
I sometimes wonder if we hurt ourselves when we fail to value teachers. Pew Research surveyed teachers last year about being a teacher in America today. Seventy-seven percent said their job is frequently stressful, 68% described it as overwhelming, and — most concerning — 52% said they would not advise a young person to become a teacher. Why might they feel this way?
Teachers usually go into teaching to teach, to have a positive impact upon students. Forty-eight percent described their students’ academic performance as fair or poor. Only 17% percent said their performance was good or excellent. Even worse, they have less opportunity to teach because of behavioral problems. Forty-nine percent said the behavior of most students at their school is fair or poor. Only 13% pointed to excellent or very good behavior.
What can we do? As parents, show teachers you value them by holding your children accountable if they misbehave. In the Pew study, 79% of teachers wished parents would do that. Help your children with schoolwork, also mentioned by 68% of teachers. Really, the best answer is to obey Scriptures like Proverbs 22:12-26 and 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 and honor teachers, treating them with respect and working well with them.
May our homes and churches create a culture that honors children who apply themselves to schoolwork and get along with peers (1 Thessalonians 5:14-15). May we be known for praying for teachers and other school personnel (1 Thessalonians 5:16-19). Where would this generation be without teachers like Tommy Tripp?
Let us value teachers, so others will follow in their footsteps.
