ARMOR NEEDED IN TODAY’S CLASSROOM
BY BESTY MOORE

Outwardly schools may not look all that different today, but go inside and you will find many changes. One noticeable change is the appearance of students. The teens of today may have various body rings, colored or spiked hair, and shirts that do not cover the navel. Their shirts may picture some person or thing in society. If you stand in the hall of a junior or senior high school, you may notice that the students look alike. Children today reflect the media or pop culture they have watched so much. Culture is no longer passed along at the dinner table but also at the shopping mall.

Our schools can only resemble the society that creates them. The same problems of broken homes, drug and alcohol abuse, child abuse, and violent crime are dressed in jeans and sneakers in our classrooms. A
Christian teacher can only weep when she discovers the backgrounds of her young pupils. Many children have so many problems that it is no wonder that they cannot read or write. Education is a minor concern
when there is real fear of abuse or rejection.

Schools are now equipped with counselors, psychologists, nurses, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and social workers. These specialists try to help students deal with real problems so that they
can learn and become effective citizens. The sad part is that society has taken the Bible and prayer out of the school.

In my classes, I deal with children with learning problems,Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, behavior problems, drug, drinking or eating problems. There have also been some with violent behaviors and physical handicaps. Often I view my task as overwhelming. What is a Christian educator to do?

A Christian teacher today has a very challenging job. Often the days seem endless. Papers, tests, grade sheets, deadlines, and bad attitudes cause headaches and tears. But the answer remains in prayer and devotion to Jesus Christ. Take a prayer and Scripture break. Find a prayer partner at church or school. Let us enter the classroom door dressed in the whole armor of God. Through Him we are more than conquerors.

Betsy Moore is a public school teacher in Louisiana

THE ABOVE MATERIAL WAS PUBLISHED BY THE CHRISTIAN EDUCATOR, FALL 2000, VOL. 19, NO. 3, PAGE 4. THIS MATERIAL IS COPYRIGHTED AND MAY BE USED FOR STUDY AND RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY.