We Call Them Teachers – but they’re so much more

Sara is a teacher in Ethiopia, Yasmin is a teacher in Belize, and Pythias is a head teacher in Zambia. Their students call them teachers. Their families call them teachers. Their communities call them teachers. But what do they call themselves? How do they view their roles in God’s Kingdom through Christ-centred education?   

SARA CALLS HERSELF ‘A SOWER OF SEEDS IN THE HEARTS OF CHILDREN.’  

“My deep hope is to sow a seed in the heart of kids. I believe – I truly believe – one day it will bear fruits. So, my deep hope for my kids is that they will be transformed through time. And the time will come when they will make their own decisions. Who knows if they will follow the truth they already know in their hearts? So, I continue to do what I am doing. Because this is my calling and I enjoy doing this.”  

YASMIN CALLS HERSELF ‘ONE WHO SHARES HOPE WITH CHILDREN.’ 

“This is my first year in an academic classroom and God has worked through my life and the life of those that I serve. Experiencing God’s love was never real to me until I saw God’s love through the life of a child. From long ago, God had made a special place for children in His heart. In this world, where the enemy tries to stop children from coming close to God, we teachers can bring that light of hope to their lives.”  

PYTHIAS CALLS HIMSELF ‘A LEADER OF A COMMUNITY OF GRACE.’ 

“I have been in the teaching field for a long time… but my view of a school has totally changed because of the workshop that I attended in February 2019. I used to handle a school like a boss, but now I handle it like a leader who sees a school as a community with people’s different gifts. I now see a school as a community of grace where total transformation has to take place in both learners and teachers.” 

We call them teachers, but they’re so much more. We call them teachers, but maybe we should also call them ‘bringers of Good News’ and ‘sharers of hope’ and ‘guides for the next generation.’