Our classroom is a place in which we seek to praise our God, also in the way we do our work, with excellence to the best of our abilities.
Our school’s motto is ‘Soli Deo Gloria’, that is, glory to God alone. Now I think that is much easier to say than to do.
Several years back, I was at a conference where a missionary guest speaker shared with us that our classrooms should be ‘Theatres of Praise.’ That is, our focus should always be directed at bringing praise and glory to God.
So, what does that look like in the classroom? Well, in Year 6B at Wilson, we begin with setting the scene for praise. In Devotions each day, we sing our praises to God, seek His blessing for the day, and ask for His Spirit to give us what we need to continue our day in praise. Most days this is followed with a Bible story. This is a beautiful opportunity to spend time in God’s Word and to listen to what He has to say to us.
Following this, we generally delve into Mathematics. This might seem like a time when the praise in our classroom might ebb, but this is not the case. After all, Mathematics is God’s language in creation and as such, speaks volumes about our Creator. It gives us the opportunity to reflect on who our God is.
After our recess, we generally delve into Writing or Reading. Again, we have opportunity, now working with language, to consider how our communication is wholesome, upbuilding, and for God’s glory. And whether Science or Humanities follows, again, these lesson times are opportunities to direct our gaze to our most amazing Creator, and to the One who is directing all of the world’s history as His Story.
Now you may wonder, do you as a teacher do this everytime? No, at least not always explicitly. But it is the undercurrent that pulls us in the right direction. It may not always be visible, but it is there. Our classroom is a place in which we seek to praise our God, also in the way we do our work, with excellence to the best of our abilities.
May God be praised!
