Written by Andrea Van Sice
“What is left when you give 100% to your ministry? Nowhere does God expect that” (Bauer, 1983, p. 7). Vocation is a fruit of faith and a matter of Christian freedom. When a teacher works out of obligation, their desire for ministry can be depleted. The utilization of called workers should encourage the teaching ministry as a fruit of faith, not an obligation.
The Phenomenon
The average WELS teacher spends 60.4 hours per week working (Meyer, 2015). Teachers and principals log long hours to produce faithful work. However, does busyness equal faithfulness (Meyer, 2015)? When the writer asked this question of 25 WELS teachers, 80% did not have adequate time to answer.
Participating teachers held an average of six called responsibilities; included were athletic director, pre-calculus teacher, head cross country coach, homeroom advisor, ACT prep coordinator, and quiz bowl head coach, with one teacher holding all of these positions.
Further results showed an average of seven additional duties assigned to teachers since starting their service at their respective schools: activities such as assistant coach, bus driver, and before-school care. Thirteen or more activities were run by the average WELS teacher.
When asked if busyness equals faithfulness, one high school teacher said,
“I couldn’t disagree with this more. Last year I had far fewer duties but felt far more faithful to my called position. Now with the mass amount of things I am asked/required to do, I do find myself neglecting my positions, whatever they may be.”
Congregations and schools utilize called workers in as many areas as possible to maximize ministry. Burnout takes place in teachers of any age, but young teachers are particularly susceptible (Meyer, 2014). There has been an increase in teacher resignations: 867 WELS teachers have left the teaching ministry in the 2000s (Schaefer, 2014). A change needs to be made to avoid exasperating teachers and to better serve families, students, and our Lord and Savior.
A Need for Change: Where We Need To Be
God is in favor of work and wants it to be done vigorously: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Work of a WELS teacher should be done in an effective, timely manner as a fruit of faith. Teaching and guiding students in the light of God’s Word is the priority of a teacher. To ensure work is done out of faithfulness, and not busyness, non-teaching responsibilities need to continually be evaluated. One high school teacher described her desire to serve faithfully:
“Productive, well-rounded busyness equals faithfulness. I believe part of faithfulness is taking care of yourself, making sure you can put your best effort into what you do. Being ‘busy’ should include finding time for yourself, for your friends/family, and for your LORD.”
Teachers, out of a desire to work faithfully, have a difficult time finding and maintaining balance between professional and personal life. In Tim Hansel’s book When I Relax I Feel Guilty, he describes Jesus resting, even in times of dire need for work. Hansel writes,
“I don’t understand how the Master could take time to go alone into the desert to fast and pray when the whole world was starving and in chaos, when countless individuals needed him. He had a proven track record of healing. I just don’t understand, but he did! I don’t understand how Jesus could play and celebrate and enjoy life, when the world was in the condition it was in. I just don’t understand, but he did!”
Hard work is faithful, but so is rest. Teachers need both.
Families desire teachers who continue to learn and develop diverse teaching methods. Parents expect teachers to do just that, teach their child. This is not a simple task, and it does require intensive work to meet the needs of each student. However, the positive parent-teacher and teacher-student relationships that can be created through thorough, effective work in the classroom hold high value. Meyer (2014) quotes research which states, “…all children can succeed, and it is the teacher’s job to get them there. The thought of trying to meet all the varied needs of students is daunting, and not teaching to the middle requires new and unfamiliar teaching approaches” (Subban, 2006). Teachers need continual training, education, and preparation to meet this expectation.
Teachers will not love every task they complete, but each day should not be a dreaded list of obligations. Potential solutions are offering fewer extracurricular services to allow teachers to improve classroom instruction or hiring qualified lay members for non-teaching responsibilities. Allowing others to share in the mission of the school with service opportunities can allow parents and others to take ownership of the school. Evaluating which extracurricular programs are essential to the mission of the school, and which may be inhibiting classroom progress, will allow teachers to dedicate more time to the classroom and their students. Giving teachers the chance to express the ways they wish to serve, specifically with non-teaching activities, encourages fruits of faith, not forced tasks.
The Urgency
The mission of WELS teachers is to spread God’s Word. When a student’s needs are not met in the classroom, parents and teachers become frustrated (Meyer, 2014). Effective time management, clear expectations, and maintaining a reasonable work load will improve teacher performance.
Christ’s love is reflected when the relationship between families and schools grow. As students see a positive attitude toward ministry from their teachers, students may desire to serve in the public ministry as a fruit of faith (Zarling, 2008). When work is done out of love for Christ, a life of ministry is a thank offering rather than an obligation – all with the purpose of furthering the kingdom of God!
Andrea Van Sice graduated from Martin Luther College in May of 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She served one year as a tutor and instructor at Nebraska Lutheran High School and now lives in Georgia as her husband is a vicar at Faith Lutheran Church in Sharpsburg. She is serving as a preschool aide at Faith Lutheran Preschool and is pursuing her MS-Ed from Martin Luther College.
References
Bauer, Gerhard. (1983, October). Teacher Burnout: Are you a candidate? Minnesota District Teachers’ Conference Presentation: WLS Essays. 2-10.
Hansel, Tim. (1980). When I Relax I Feel Guilty. Elgin, Illinois: David C. Cook Co.
Meyer, John. (2015, January). No Time for Continuing Education. Issues in Lutheran Education: WELS Educator.
Meyer, John. (2014). Pursuing Excellence through Continuing Education. GROW Conference Presentation: WELS Educator, 22-27.
Plath, LeDell. Funding Lutheran Elementary Schools. WLS Essays.
Teachers’ working time and duties. (2010). National Union for Teachers Survey: Workload Publication.
Schaefer, Jon. (2014). New Teacher Induction: Mentoring the new teacher, Questions and Answers. Connect WELS Statistics, 1-4.
Schmill, Greg. (2013, April). Please . . . give ‘em more time! Issues in Lutheran Education: WELS Educator.
Zarling, Mark. (2008). So, what do you do during your day? The Lutheran Educator v. 49 no. 2: December 2008.
Thank you for giving those who are called to the teaching ministry an important discussion. Many schools do try to be all things to all people in an effort to be competitive with other schools and attract students. I agree with the author that teachers who can concentrate on a few duties in addition to their teaching load not only feel better about their called work but perform better.
One element of extra duties in some schools is that “feeling like the only person who can do that work”. There are duties that called workers should be able to rely on help with from staff. Scheduling events, writing memos or communications, and dealing with some paperwork can be done by people other than called workers. Efficiencies can help the called worker be faithful and a little less busy.
I particular agree with the author’s focus on the teaching priority and non-teaching responsibilities evaluated on a regular basis. Perhaps a school might find a period of time where offering all traditional sports is not possible. Perhaps the school needs to reassess its use of faculty as bus drivers in the transportation of students. In those instances, how the school communicates its mission and priorities is important. Evaluating each extracurricular program is essential to the mission of the school.
Thanks again to the author for tackling this leadership issue. As a friend, who is an ELS elementary Lutheran school teacher, told me, your school needs to know its mission. When the administration and faculty can focus on the mission, it is easier to do the work we are called to in a faithful manner.