Teacher Tuesday: Quotes for the Workday

Day 16 of the 31 for 21 Challenge

There are days when work is hard.

Like the days when I feel guilty for being a working mom. Days when my husband has a day off and I want to be home with him. Days when it’s too cold or too wet or too cloudy and I want to stay under a blanket all morning.

Or those days when my responsibilities at work outlast my energy.  The days when I’m not sure what I’m doing. And days when my concentration is lacking because my entire mind is filled with thoughts, worries, hopes and prayers about the well-being of my kids.

But on these days, I work anyway. Not because the weather suddenly improved, or my workload lightened, or my worries lifted, but because I reminded myself of why I work at Shepherds College.

A simple verse from the book of Colossians keeps me going:

“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”  Colossians 3:23-24

I work because God has a purpose for me here and the quote is a potent reminder. Even on days when my mind is filled with analytics, media coverage and board reports - like soft background music in a movie, I can hear in my head, “work as to the Lord, work as to the Lord, work as to the Lord…”

The teachers at Shepherds College have jobs so different from my own. Their work directly impacts the days, the minds and the lives of our students. On the scale of jobs ranging in importance from mannequin modeling to brain surgeon, I’d put teachers right next to the guys wielding the scalpels and IVs. 

I wondered, “What types of quotes influence the teachers’ thoughts or actions each day?”

 

“My mom always says, ‘God answers prayers in one of three ways: Yes, No, or Wait.’ This quote reminds me that He is in control.”  Kim Pechous, Residential Life Faculty

 

“’Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.’ Proverbs 3:5-6” Erin Luchterhand, Instructor

Laura Pollard, Instructor, has two quotes that are important to her, “I have a picture of my favorite Bible verse hanging up in my office  - 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10, ‘But he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.’ It’s a reminder to me daily that His grace is ALL I need, and Jesus is going to use my weaknesses and frailties to minister to my students and those around me because I am strong – not because of anything I have done, but because of who HE is and what HE has done!!

 

Another fabulous quote that I turn to when I’m faced with a situation where I just want to bang my head against a wall, reminds me to just laugh! Mark Twain said it best, ‘Against the onslaught of laughter nothing can stand.’”

Daniel Gaschke, Residential Life Faculty, offered several quotes that help him as he’s working with the students, “Often times people – in an attempt to be helpful, loving and caring – do things for people with disabilities rather than training them how to do it for themselves. At Shepherds College, we seek to teach our students ‘how to fish’ rather than simply ‘giving them a fish.’ Training them – not doing for them – is what will ultimately be most helpful to our students. This quote was attributed to Abraham Lincoln, ‘You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.’

Encouragement that God always is and always does what is ultimately good – even ‘dis’abilities are a part of God’s good design:

‘The Lord said to Moses, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who made him mute, or deaf , or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” ‘Exodus 4:11

“As He went along, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.’” John 9:1-3”

Quotes can be powerful. They come from people who have gone through something similar to what you’re going through. They put situations in context and help you find perspective. They can teach, they can guide, and they can remind.

They also say, “I can relate,” so they’re meant to be shared.

Please share your favorite quote with us. It may be just what we need to impact our day as we teach students with intellectual disabilities at Shepherds College.

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.