Editorial December 1, 1986 Issue

Supporting the teacher's role in today's educational system

Carolyn B. Swan

In spite of the vital importance of schoolteaching and the thrust within the profession for improvement of qualifications and working conditions, the rate of teacher dropouts is increasing. In some areas there is now a substantial shortage of teachers. Teachers' problems have become community and national problems.

Material adjustments alone can never be generous enough to compensate for the accountability required of teachers or the challenges of low income and the stress of poor working conditions they face. But prayer goes beyond rallying solid community interest. Prayer welcomes the divine aid that heals dissatisfaction by restoring harmony.

Schools funded by public means are so widely influential on so many lives that they deserve the prayerful support of even individuals not directly concerned with them. They are a major proving ground where many learn how to live with others, how to control fears and feelings, tempers and temptations, how to contribute effectively to society. Helping others to develop character requires a creative sharing of the heart and life—far more than a rote performance of the mind and mouth. Successful teaching involves a love of learning, a zest for discovery, a compassion for humanity, a zeal to pursue and attain ever-expanding capacities—and an unquenchable yearning to inspire all these in others.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

Supporting the teacher's role in today's educational system

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access