Every day in Catholic schools around the world, teachers and administrators strive to impart knowledge and offer standards based on God’s law and human law for students to emulate and use as measuring sticks for their behavior. Directors of religious education, catechists and youth ministers do the same. When making a decision, young people weigh the potential benefit against the risk of the decision. Educators may be surprised by how much weight young people place on the observed behavior of significant adults.
As role models and Catholic school employees, teachers and staff have important lessons to impart. They teach simply who they are and how they act daily in the school or parish. Sometimes how we act sends far more messages than what we say. Young people are watching us and judging not just our behavior, but how it relates or may relate to their own behavior. In no area is this more evident than in adult interaction with students. There is an old saying, “What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you are saying.”
We all have our “bad” days. We hope the good days outweigh the bad ones. We must be adult enough to admit mistakes and offer apologies if we expect the same from our students.
Just because the law or school policy allows me to do something doesn’t mean I should act. I can punish the whole class for the actions of a few and teach lessons about justice and injustice that I didn’t know I was teaching. If students do not find models of fairness and upright behavior in their teachers, how can we expect them to act fairly and uprightly in their interactions with their peers and teachers?
There are many lessons teachers teach, often without knowing that is what they are doing. If I allow my bad day to become the students’ bad day, I may teach a lesson that being in authority allows one to take actions that the students would not be allowed to take. If I put a smile on my face (as appropriate) and encourage students to do the same, I model making the best of each day.
At times the law of school, city, town or country allows me to do something that may not be the best choice for my students or me. I can punish students without giving a reason or listening to the student’s side of the story, but that is not the best choice for action. The Golden Rule comes into play here: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
You probably spend more time with students than their parents do on school days. That fact makes you a very important person in the lives of your students. Students may well judge their own actions by what they see you do.
Be the kind of teacher you had and appreciated or wish you would have had.
Remember that your students are making judgments about mature behavior based on what you do and say.
Everyone has bad days. Try not to cause a classroom of students to have a bad day because you are having one.
Always allow a student to tell you his or her side of a story before imposing discipline. This applies even if you are absolutely sure of what you saw or heard. Acting in this manner shows respect for students.
Try to keep an open mind. Everything is not always what it may seem to be.
Support your principal. If you believe you cannot support him or her, seek a time to discuss the matter calmly.
Support the parents of your students. Even if you believe the parent is in the wrong, be careful of taking sides. Students have one set of parents, or sometimes only one parent, and your criticism of parents can undermine the love and respect that young people owe their parents. Of course, if you believe that a parent is doing something detrimental to the student, consult with your principal or supervisor for the best way to proceed.
Try not to bring your problems into the classroom. Sharing your problems at home with a class of young people rarely accomplishes much of anything. Of course, there are times when you may want to explain to students that you are sad because of illness or death in your family.
Pay particular attention to the quiet student. You never know what sorrows or difficulties he or she may be facing.
Remember that you are a Christ figure for the students. You who stand before the students every day embody the teaching ministry of Jesus.
Support school rules, even if you disagree with them. It can sometimes be difficult to do so. Seek out the principal and discuss your concerns.
Jesus is the master teacher. We should strive to model our lives on His. The apostles could be difficult at times. Jesus strove to make each encounter a listening one. We can do no better than to follow His example.
Begin and end each day with prayer. Encourage students to offer their prayer intentions to the entire class so that together we can pray for an answer to the petition.
Pray for your students and ask them to pray for you.
The law is based on what reasonable people do and how they treat each other. We have a holy and important vocation as Catholic school teachers and counselors. Remembering our calling each day centers us in the One we represent, the God to whom we are leading our students. The law of Jesus can be summed up in His words: ‘Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s.’ (Matthew 22:21)
Both God’s law and the laws of our city, state and country are crucial. Attentiveness to each will help us ensure fidelity to our vocation as educators.
Sister Mary Angela Shaughnessy, SCN, JD, Ph.D.is a Sister of Charity of Nazareth and a nationally recognized expert on the law as it affects Catholic schools and Church ministry.
Angie.Shaughnessy@lmu.edu