Servanthood and Public Education

This is finals week, the final week of the public school year. The kids and their instructors are well aware of the days, hours and perhaps minutes remaining. Risking the wrath of the District Superintendent, staff members are at their assigned posts. I am a substitute teacher, and my services are no longer needed. I've been rendered surplus to requirements.

It's been a fun year. I've enjoyed the role...and the freedom to say "no" from time to time. I had no idea I would be kept as busy as I've been. It helped over the course of the year to limit my availability to only one school. I got to know kids and staff by name, and they me. I learned to encourage (okay, bribe) better behavior on Fridays through the ingenious (in my estimation) addition of Jolly Ranchers. I know which kids require a fist-bump when passing in the hallways. I enjoyed being the self-appointed front door greeter to sleepy-faced students trudging to their lockers and on to their first class each morning.

Never having been a substitute teacher before this year, I learned or confirmed some things about myself. I'm a decent communicator. I am funny (at least I think I am.) I am flexible and roll somewhat well with the punches. I am better than good at making up answers to questions, especially when I may not even understand the question. I learned that students and adults both respond positively to a smile and some encouragement.

And I learned to use the word "serve" in complete sentences. "How can I serve you?" became a frequent element in my responses. Admittedly this freaked some people out, knowing the words (and concepts) of "servant" and "service" are not necessarily indigenous to, let alone valued by our culture. But I had selfish motivations for using these words in sentences. I did it for me.

I am not by nature a willing servant. Mine has been a life-long and still ongoing training in this endeavor. I am, by nature self-serving, self-indulgent and self-absorbed. But by using the word "serve" in a sentence it then requires me to do the verb and be the noun forms of the word, taking my own felt needs and selfish motivations out of the equation. And this is all necessary to the development of my gospel identity.

So somehow, and by God's grace TMHS has been my classroom. I've been instructed in the practicum of servanthood. I am grateful. I am looking forward to the next school year. In the meantime I'm really looking forward to summer break.