I'm drinking the Kool Aid

One of the things that I like to do is substitute teach at the local high school. Some people tell me that this is absolutely crazy because, as everyone knows, substitutes are the sacrificial lambs that get chewed up and spit out each and every school day. When students find out that they have a substitute, it’s like the class becomes Anarchy 101.

I’m not saying that I’m the best substitute teacher ever - I let the students determine that - but I will say that I have yet to encounter a situation that has made me run for the door or scream for the principal. Maybe it’s because I have worked with students most of my adult life, but I usually relish the opportunity to be in the classroom with teenagers on their own “turf.”

You see, I believe that students today - whether, elementary, middle school, or high school - get a bad rap. They get labeled from day one, whether as a good kid or a bad kid. Yes, many earn those labels honestly, but it does make me wonder how it got to the point that they consistently live up to the reputation that they have earned. I’ve always believed that people will usually reach the bar as LOW as you set it for them, which means that oftentimes students just accept that they are not smart enough, good enough, talented enough, pretty enough, popular enough, etc. Thus, they live out these low expectations that they and others have set for them.

I’m not okay with that.

I wish I could wave a magic wand and see students all across the board excel. I wish that their home lives were healthy and that they didn’t see the need to please others while sacrificing their true identity. I wish that whenever they walked into the room that every stereotype and label that has been assigned to them would be dismissed by adults and fellow students alike. I wish we could all be that way.

As I process this tragic waste of emotional and psychological energy, I realize that the issue runs far deeper than just how good or bad a student’s environment is. The way that students are seen - and how they see themselves - is truly a spiritual problem. Yeah, I realize that those who are not spiritual will scoff at this notion, and that’s okay. But whether or not you believe in God and that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life or not, there is one truth that I believe could totally revolutionize the way that we not only see students but also the rest of the world:

All people have value.

You see, we live in a world that is so busy arbitrarily assigning value and worth to people that we forget that it is not the world’s responsibility or even their right to do so. A person’s value has already been established by God and cannot be diminished by man, no matter how much we despise other people. Since you are made in God's image, you have incredible value. You are not an accident or a mistake. You are treasured by God.

If you tell me that you hate someone or think that they are worthless, then more than likely you are basing that opinion on something that they have done to you rather than who they truly are. Even though someone may speak and act in ways that make you cringe, that person is still valued - treasured - by God. And because that is the case, there is not one person who cannot turn the page and experience redemption in his or her life.

The only possible way that you can appreciate the value of someone is if you see him or her as a person and not an object. This may sound crazy, but we are more prone to treat people as objects who irritate us, get in our way, anger us, or are not worthy of our attention or time than we are as real people who have desires, needs, and dreams just like we do.

When was the last time you saw a teenager and wondered what his or her dreams for the future were? How about a homeless person - have you ever wondered how he got in that situation before you automatically dismiss him as an alcoholic/addict/lazy bum? That teacher that always seems so stressed out and yells at her students - what could possibly be going on at home or in her personal life that has her so off-balance?

These are the types of questions we need to ask ourselves before we drink the Kool Aid of automatically seeing people as their reputation has labeled them. And this takes work, because when are committed to see others as people and not objects it means that we often will have to make time to get to know them and listen to them. But what if we were committed to doing that, to truly valuing people ? Can you imagine how our schools would change, how much less crime and poverty might exist, and the amount of cooperation we could see in our government if everyone was committed to see others as people and not objects? I would drink a giant glass of that Kool Aid!

Heroes aren't just in fairy tales

Once upon a time there was a teacher who didn't want to go to school to teach that day. It wasn't a Monday and she wasn't coming off of a nice vacation. She didn't want to go because she truly believed that the students she was there to teach didn't care. 

Day after day she prepared lesson plans and poured her heart and soul into making literature come alive. Yet time and again her students came to class unprepared and she was convinced that almost none actually read the books she assigned - they opted for the Cliffs Notes instead. Yes, there were those bright students who engaged her now and again, but those seemed few and far between. 

She didn't want to go to school today because she truly didn't know if she was making a difference.

Once upon a time there was a volunteer at an after school program that bused in students after school. This volunteer had been serving at this post for several months now, yet all he could show for it was a pack of rowdy kids and exhaustion by the end of the day.

It seemed that no matter what games he came up with or outing he could plan, the kids would either complain or sabotage the whole event. "Jackson, stop fighting!" and "Lisa, please stop sneaking outside!" became the most common form of communication. Not that all of the times with this group of kids were bad; there were many laughs and a few hugs at the end of the day. But for the most part, they seemed to run all over him no matter how much of an investment he made in them.

He was thinking hard about telling the director of the program that some other things had come up and he couldn't help anymore. After all, he truly didn't know if he was making a difference.

Once upon a time there was a set of parents who were struggling mightily to raise their teenage son. It seemed that no matter what they said or did, he criticized their decisions and showed defiance at every turn. Family meal time? Why can't I hang out with my friends instead? You've used to much data on your phone this month, son. You guys don't understand what it's like to be a teenager today! I have to have my phone! This isn't fair!

Frustrated, they reached out for help wherever they could find it - family, friends, the pastor at their church. They were surprised and strangely comforted to find that their struggle was not unique, yet they still felt as if they were isolated on an island with no solid answers for their plight. Could they make it to the end of high school in one piece?

As much as they loved their son, they secretly wondered if life wouldn't be easier once he was grown and out of the house. After all, what difference were they making in his life?

Then one day a family in the community was wrecked by a nasty divorce. The father had been unfaithful to his wife and had suddenly packed up and left without so much as saying goodby. The wife, teenage daughter, and grade school son were devastated and felt as if their world was turned upside down.

At school the next day, the literature teacher was at her desk looking over her notes during her planning period when she heard a knock on her door. She looked up to see one of her third period students standing there, tears streaming down her face. The student ran in the room and almost fell into her, crying uncontrollably. When she was able to calm down, she told the teacher the story of how her father had walked out on her family last night and she didn't know what to do. You've always been so patient with your classes and a good listener, I knew that I could come to you. What am I going to do?

When the bus dropped the kids off at the after school center that day, one of the little boys immediately went to a corner and sat with his head buried between his knees. The volunteer had come that day with every intent of quitting, but when he saw the boy his heart was drawn to him. Yes, this kid had been a holy terror almost every day, but now he saw that things were different. This young boy was grieving over something that was bigger than he could handle.

The volunteer gingerly approached the boy and sat beside him, juice box and cookies in hand. The boy looked up and instantly grabbed his arm, crying into his shoulder. My dad has gone away and he's not coming back! I know it's all my fault because I've been so bad, but I just want him to come home! What's going to happen to me and my family?

Immediately after school the mom noticed that her son went straight to his room after the carpool dropped him off. Normally he would raid the fridge and play video games, but not today. She thought this was strange but decided not to invade on his privacy. She didn't want to push too hard and have her son lash out defensively.

When her husband came home, she told him about the situation with their son, who was still in his room. They agreed that something was wrong and they quietly approached his closed door, knocking softly. To their surprise he told them to come in, with no hint of animosity in his voice. As they entered his room they saw him sitting on his bed writing in a journal, his eyes puffy from crying. I didn't know our son had a journal? Why is he crying? These thoughts flashed through their minds but they did not verbalize them for fear that he would withdraw from them.

They sat on either side of the bed, mom touching him gently on the hand and dad asking if everything was alright. With a trembling voice their son told them that his girlfriend's parents had just split up, her dad walking out on the family. Why did he do this to them, mom? Does this mean that she will have to move away, dad? Mom, dad, you won't leave me like that, will you?

Everyday heroes aren't only found in fairy tales or action movies. Sometimes the most heroic acts occur when we engage in the mundane every single day, working jobs that seem thankless or negotiating frustrating conflicts on the homefront. Is the struggle real and the battles exhausting? You bet they are. But know this: The difference that you are making may not be evident now or in the near future, yet you will never regret the investment that you are making in the lives of students or your own children. The battle is always worth it.