How do your students view you?

 How do your students view you?

I remember being at a church event where I taught children from different congregations, including my own. There, I was making sure every child had received their snack. As I was counting the number of snacks that we had, I was just trying to make sure we had enough for the group we had. A boy (from another congregation) says to one of the kids I teach every Sunday, "My teacher bought the snacks you are having right now." (Yes, the other teacher bought the snacks; I didn't.) Annie looks at him and replies, "Okay, but my teacher is nicer and prettier than yours." Alllllllll the kids I teach on a regular basis roared with laughter.

'My teacher is a delightful person.

She knows my name.

She knows how burdened I felt the first day I came.

She came to visit me; she looked at my favourite toys and appreciated them; she patted my dog.

She is always glad to see me.

She likes me just as well as she likes Johnnie, whose hair is curly, or Nancy, who wears ruffles.

She is ready to talk to me when I come into Sunday school.

I am more important to her than my mother is.

She is interested in what I tell her.

She prepares things she thinks I like and gets me interested in them.

She watches to see when I am ready for a change.

She never gets tired of helping me learn to do new things.

She never hurries me.

Her voice is always quiet and calm, though sometimes she is firm.

It makes me happy to be around her, for she is happy.

No matter what happens, she knows what to do.

She smiles often with me but never laughs at me.

She never discusses me when I am there.

She treats me as if I were an equal, with intelligence and feeling, not just "a little one" who is "cute" or "stupid".

My mother likes her too; she knows my teacher prays for me.

I'm sure Jesus loves me because she knows Him well and she says so.

I look forward to Sunday school because I know my teacher will be there.'

"She is my delightful teacher". Is that what our kids and students think of us? Do they look forward to attending class because they know we are there? It is important to ensure that our kids or students who are in our care are happy. What does our attitude toward them say? Kids can tell if you like them or not, and they can tell if you are being genuine or not. If your kids or students who are in your care would rate you, how would they rate you?

Acknowledgements to (Gospel Ligtht Co., National Sunday School Association, Cape Town)