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JODY MCELHANEY The National Educator of the Year 1999 The CEAI National Educator of the Year
"The value of an education and a compassion for people," says Jody McElhaney was introduced early to me through my family. Jody's first passion was athletics. Fifteen years ago, Jody was "called" to teach the young people in Mustang, Oklahoma and to be a positive caring example in student's lives. "If students know that you care they will begin to care what you know...my responsibility as a Christian in the education field is to be salt and light in the lives of students and co-workers. People should see Jesus in me!" The CEAI National Educator of the Year Message... In Matthew, chapter fourteen, Jesus’ disciples, fresh from the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus stayed behind to pray. The boat was in the middle of the sea, when the wind came up and the waves began to toss the boat. In the evening the disciples saw Jesus walking toward them on the water! To say the least, they were afraid. Immediately, Jesus identified himself and told them to be of good cheer. Not only is this passage wonderful instruction for all people, but a practical picture for us as educators. How often are we as educators in "rough water" as we try to educate students. Disciplinary concerns, funding problems, apathy, building climate problems – the winds do blow! Just this February, statistics were released that put middle school teachers at the 10th profession most likely to face violence. It is frightening to look at these kinds of problems. When the disciples saw Jesus on the water, Peter asked Jesus to command him to walk to Him. Jesus said "come," and Peter got out of the boat. How many of us as educators never get out of the boat! We do not like to get out of our "comfort zone." The "boat" may be a physical room. We do not get out and interact with students or other faculty. The "boat" may be an attitude of timidity, apathy or self-sufficiency. I have seen teachers that stayed in these "boats" for years. Jesus said to be salt and light in our world, to make a difference. We are not to hide our light or let our salt lose its flavor by staying in our "boat." The boat may be our home. We need to be a visible example in our communities. Our children need to see positive Christian role models. Students need to see us involved in our community. We must get out of our boat and be the influence God has called us to be. After Peter came out of the boat, as long as his eyes were on Jesus, he walked on water! Peter not only got out of his comfort zone, but he did the impossible. He did what others said he could not do. He did not listen to other opinions; he stepped out on faith. How many of our students are told that they cannot do something? We as Christians must have the faith of Peter, to hear Christ’s command and "come" ... walk on the water. We need to encourage, reinforce, and motivate students to believe they can achieve the impossible. We need to raise the standard of excellence and encourage students to say "I can." We need to encourage students to give their best every day as Paul teaches in Colossians 3:23 and model that teaching. We must, as Christian educators, pray daily for the impossible to happen in our students, co-workers, and ourselves, never accepting the words, "I can’t." When we take that step of faith out of our "boat" we all can make a difference in the lives of people. Peter while on the water, seeing that the wind was boisterous, became afraid and began to sink. Peter took his eyes of Jesus and focused on his circumstances. Students come to school every day surrounded and consumed with circumstances. Concerns as small as what to wear to school, hair styles or whom to sit with at lunch. Circumstances as large as broken families, pregnancy, depression, and drugs. Teachers are not immune to focusing on problems and circumstances. We can call be distracted by circumstances and remaining focused on these circumstances can bring fear and a feeling of drowning. Just as Peter did, when we take our eyes off Jesus and focus on the circumstances around us, we sink! We, as Christian educators, need to pray for understanding, sensitivity, and compassion to help guide our students. Many of them do not have anything else on which to focus other than their circumstances. We need to see that as small as some student’s circumstances seem to us, those circumstances are huge in their eyes and will affect learning. Just as a lighthouse is a guide to safety to ships in a storm, Christian educators need to offer students the guiding light of Christ. In the same way that Peter found hope in crying out to the Lord, Christian educators need to offer hope. Hope through a caring smile. Hope through a kind word. Hope through a card or note. Hope through an offer to help with assignments after school. The lyrics of a song that Mark Lowry has written say, "As long as Jesus lives, there is hope." Hope must be offered to all people within the opportunities that God has given us. In conclusion, I am reminded of the story of the starfish. A man is walking along the beach, when he notices a small boy reaching down to the sand and throwing something into the sea. When the man reaches the boy, he asks him what he is doing. The boy tells him he is throwing the starfish, that had been stranded on the beach, back into the sea so the starfish can live. The man looks around and seeing hundred of starfish on the beach asks the boy a question. "With so many starfish on the beach, why bother?" "You can’t possibly make a difference to all these starfish that are stranded." The boy, not really paying attention to the man, reaches down and throws another starfish back into the sea. "I made a difference to that one," and the boy walked on. I find myself thinking. "Why bother?" "Why get out of the boat?" "Why fight the urge to sink amidst surrounding circumstances?" "Where is the hope?" Upon this reflection, I am reminded that God has placed us in the positions we are in to fulfill his purpose in the lives of those with whom we have an influence. With God’s help, we can make a difference! PAST HONOREES , Educator of the Year from Connecticut |
Yet we, as Christians, can bring encouragement, hope, and even hope
to those in our schools. We as Christian educators are called,
by God, to make a difference in the lives of students. God equips
those he calls and He has equipped us to be salt and light to the
students that we have influence over.