Section 4—The Growing Personality
Chapter 22—The School and the Teacher (Part 2)
Call Forth High Qualities of the Mind—The greatest care should be taken in the education of youth to vary the manner of instruction so as to call forth the high and noble powers of the mind. Parents and teachers of schools are certainly disqualified to educate children properly if they have not first learned the lessons of self-control, patience, forbearance, gentleness, and love. What an important position for parents, guardians, and teachers! There are very few who realize the most essential wants of the mind and how to direct the developing intellect, the growing thoughts and feelings of youth.—The Review and Herald, July 14, 1885.
To Be Inspired by the Holy Spirit—Dealing with human minds is the most delicate work that can be done, and teachers need to be inspired by the Spirit of God, that they may be able to do their work aright.—Manuscript 8, 1899.
Coping With Misdoings—Never educate them by giving publicity to the errors and misdoings of any scholar, for they will consider it a virtue in them to expose the wrongs of another. Never humiliate a scholar by presenting his grievances and mistakes and sins before the school: you cannot do a work more effectual to harden his heart and confirm him in evil than in doing this. Talk and pray with him alone, and show the same tenderness Christ has evidenced to you who are teachers. Never encourage any one student to criticize and talk of the faults of another. Hide a multitude of sins in every way possible by pursuing Christ’s way to cure him. This kind of educating will be a blessing, made to tell in this life and stretching into the future immortal life.—Manuscript 34, 1893.
Fully Qualified to Deal With Human Minds—Every teacher needs Christ abiding in his heart by faith and to possess a true, self-denying, self-sacrificing spirit for Christ’s sake. One may have sufficient education and knowledge in science to instruct, but has it been ascertained that he has tact and wisdom to deal with human minds? If instructors have not the love of Christ abiding in the heart, they are not fit to be brought into connection with children, and to bear the grave responsibilities placed upon them, of educating these children and youth. They lack the higher education and training in themselves, and they know not how to deal with human minds. There is the spirit of their own insubordinate, natural hearts that is striving for the control, and to subject the plastic minds and characters of children to such a discipline is to leave scars and bruises upon the mind that will never be effaced.
If a teacher cannot be made to feel the responsibility and the carefulness he should ever reveal in dealing with human minds, his education has in some cases been very defective. In the home life the training has been harmful to the character, and it is a sad thing to reproduce this defective character and management in the children brought under his control.—Christian Education, 145 (1893). (Fundamentals of Christian Education, 260, 261.)
Responsibilities Not for the Inexperienced—The church school in Battle Creek is an important part of the vineyard to be cultivated. Well-balanced minds and symmetrical characters are required as teachers in every line. Give not this work into the hands of young women and young men who know not how to deal with human minds. This has been a mistake, and it has wrought evil upon the children and youth under their charge….
There are all kinds of characters to deal with in the children and youth. Their minds are impressible. Anything like a hasty, passionate exhibition on the part of the teacher may cut off her influence for good over the students whom she is having the name of educating. And will this education be for the present good and future eternal good of the children and youth? There is the correct influence to be exerted upon them for their spiritual good.—Manuscript 34, 1893.
Counsel to a Quick-tempered Teacher—Every teacher has his own peculiar trait of character to watch lest Satan should use him as his agent to destroy souls by his own unconsecrated traits of character. The only safety for teachers is to learn daily in the school of Christ, His meekness, His lowliness of heart; then self will be hid in Christ, and he will meekly wear the yoke of Christ and consider he is dealing with His heritage.
I must state to you that I have been shown that the best methods have not always been practiced in dealing with the errors and mistakes of students, and the result has been that souls have been imperiled and some lost. Evil tempers in the teachers, unwise movements, self-dignity have done a bad work. There is no form of vice, worldliness, or drunkenness that will do a more baleful work upon the character, embittering the soul, and setting in train evils that overbear good, than human passions not under the control of the Spirit of God. Anger, getting touched [being aroused], stirred up, will never pay.
How many prodigals are kept out of the kingdom of God by the slovenly character of those who claim to be Christians. Jealousy, envy, pride, uncharitable feelings, self-righteousness, being easily provoked, thinking evil, harshness, coldness, lack of sympathy—these are the attributes of Satan. Teachers will meet with these things in the students’ characters. It is a terrible thing to have these things to deal with; but in seeking to cast out these evils, the worker has in many instances developed similar attributes which have marred the soul of the one with whom he is dealing.—Letter 50, 1893.
Need Well-balanced Mind—The teachers who work in this part of the Lord’s vineyard need to be self-possessed, to keep their temper and feelings under control and in subjection to the Holy Spirit. They should give evidence of having, not a one-sided experience, but a well-balanced mind, a symmetrical character.—Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 191 (1913).
https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/77.963#979
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for the privilege of prayer, knowing that through the name of Your Son we may expect what we ask, because we ask according to Your will to be like Jesus. Please grant us a pure, wholesome, consistent Christian life, which is obtained by studying Your Word and which is the highest education that any earthly being can obtain. Like Jesus, please bless us to not be conformed to this world, but to be truly transformed into the persons You would have us be that we might honor You. Please bless us truly to contemplate the life of Jesus and to allow Your Word to develop within us that true religion, which ennobles the mind, refines the taste, sanctifies the judgment, and makes us patient partakers of the vibrant health, purity, and holiness of Heaven. Because we ask all these in the Awesome name of Your Son, Almighty Jesus the Christ, our Savior, we say Thank You and Amen.
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DID YOU KNOW THIS…? And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8 KJV—[The WORD OF GOD—It’s the only flesh that is safe to eat (meditate on) to live forever!]
Do you feel sorrowful, disconnected—without a place to feel at home or useful? I pray this might show you the way forward. Watch…
https://www.youtube.com/live/2QB6fcwVuws?si=fsEvZU-rkI-BngfD
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Therefore, if at any time you fail to receive this post as a text, please visit
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NOTE: These began as daily texts to encourage my academy roommate and dear friend of nearly 50 years, until she suddenly passed March 2023. Now I continue to compile and send them to anyone who will receive them and to her family in honor of their mom. Lately, I have begun featuring consecutive chapter portions of a select Bible-based book.
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