School is in!
When I was a child, I looked forward to summer when school would be OUT! As a teacher, that hasn’t changed. Summer break, Christmas holidays, and snow days find me just as excited as the students.
But now, school is in.
Even though I loved summer break, I was usually ready to start back in the fall. Whether a student or a teacher we often look forward to seeing all those we missed during our time away from school–students, friends, and colleagues. And I was a nerdy student, so I looked forward to learning, to meeting the next challenge, achieving the next goal. I guess I still have the “nerdiness.” I look forward to learning, even now, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue to teach.
School is in, but…
All over the country, most schools are back in session. On Monday of this past week, just after dawn, as I was feeding the horses, two school buses rumbled up the hill to my house. My neighbors with children are further up the road, but the only place for the bus to turn around is at my house, the end of the road. The sun still hesitated behind the horizon as the yellow buses chugged to a stop, beeped a back-up warning, and made the turn to venture on to gather their precious cargo for the first day of school. Many children get on the bus in total darkness and endure a long ride as the sun disperses the night.
This message is not about wearing masks in schools, the controversy over vaccinations, or the multitude of other trials facing our school districts. My message is a plea for you to pray for our children and those who nurture, teach, and care for them in our schools. I have offered some prayers below and I am sure you can add additional ones.
Father, we pray for our children. We pray you will surround them with your shield of love and protection. We pray for protection from illness, from bullies, from all harm. We pray our children will be motivated and want to learn. We pray our children will be kind to one another and to their teachers.
We pray for parents, that they will encourage their children to work hard, study, complete their homework, cooperate with others, and be kind to one another. We pray for parents and teachers to work together to make this the best year for learning.
We pray for teachers–for their health, enthusiasm, and dedication to the most important job in the world–nurturing our children–shaping and determining our future. We pray our teachers see every child as your unique and special creation; that they will develop plans and strategies to meet the individual learning styles of their students; and they will be courageous and persistent in persevering through challenges.
We pray for adminstrators, legislators, and all school personnel, that they make wise decisions and their primary goals will be the well-being of our children and preparing them for the future.
Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days the heavens are above the earth.
Deuteronomy 11:18-21
Our children are precious. They are our future. I hope you will continue to pray for them, our schools, our country, and our world.
I love your prayers and we should pray these often. People like me who don’t have kids in school sometimes forget these needs because we aren’t exposed to them every day. Thanks for reminding us the importance of lifting up our educational system to our heavenly Teacher.
Thank you for joining in prayer with me, Barbara. I agree, when we don’t have little ones in school, other issues often overshadow our prayer lives. I’ve tried to develop a habit of praying for a school, its children and teachers each time I drive past. Wishing you a blessed week.
Thank you, Katherine, for this wonderful prayer guide for educators, students, and more. They all need our prayer support. As a fellow nerd (🤗), I loved attending school and teaching. I’m still a front-row notebook clutcher.
I love your personal description, Jeannie–“a front-row notebook clutcher.” I fit into that category, too. Up-front is where the action is. We can hear better, see better, and participate if we choose. I’m glad to be a member of the front-row notebook clutcher group. Sounds like Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus–we want to be sure we soak up all we can.
Thank you for these insights and prayers.I will pray these for my grands and their peers. When I was raising my children I recall advice telling me to pray just as much for my kids’ friends and those around them because they are their influencers.
Thank you for that great reminder, Marilyn. Yes, our children’s friends and all their peers have enormous impact on the choices our children make. Peer pressure is very real and it can either be good (helping to make the right choices) or bad (leading our children astray). As we pray, we can also ask our children to be a positive influence on others. Thank you for your prayers.
Praying for our children in today’s crazy world is more important than ever. We homeschooled all five of our kids. One of the reasons was as you explained having to load our precious cargo before the sun would rise and in some cases having them returned to us when the sun was setting in the Winter. They would have spent three unsupervised hours of on the bus each day. The first ones picked up and the last ones dropped off.
Thank you for your prayers for students, teachers and parents as America’s children head back to school, whether on a campus or in their own kitchen.
Ben, I’ve always admired families that have the ability and financial support to homeschool their children. As a college professor, some of my best and brightest students were home schooled. Your reasons for homeschooling are valid and there are so many other positive reasons to home school. But, sadly, not all parents have the knowledge or the financial security to have one parent stay home with their children. But there are wise lessons we can learn from home school families that can have positive impact on public education. Thank you for your prayers.
Wonderful thoughts and prayers Ms. Katherine. I so loved how you made this about the children and not the world! If we, as parents and grandparents, would focus our attention and energy on the children and not all the problems surrounding us (and them), then our children will be much better equipped to deal with the problems they’ll face in their lives. I agree wholeheartedly that as we’re praying for the kiddos, we also pray for real parental involvement and God’s leading and protection of teachers, administrators, and other school staff who have a significant role in helping our children. God’s blessings ma’am.
Thank you, J.D. If we all pray for our children and their caregivers, both at school and at home, what a difference we can make! Hope all is well on the ranch and your week is filled with blessings.
The school bus chugging up the hill to pass my house to gather its precious cargo makes me nostalgic for years gone by. Loved your description and focused prayers. I can’t pass a school without at least whispering a sentence prayer for its inhabitants.
Wishing you a blessed school year!
I’m also remembering those years gone by, Candyce. A lot of blessings in my career and I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with so many wonderful students and colleagues. I’m also glad to be able to return to the classroom this fall. Thank you for your prayers, Candyce, and your best wishes for a good year. Hoping yours is blessed, too.
Such an important message. Thank you. I have felt a need to be more in prayer for my grandchildren in school. A good reminder for an important task.
Thank you, Sylvia. Our prayers make a difference.
Thank you for your love and care for those in the classrooms and hallways of our schools. The prayer for protection especially strikes my heart today.
Thank you for joining us in prayer, Nancy. I am blessed to still have the opportunity to teach and so thankful for the prayers being lifted for students, teachers, and parents. Wishing you and your family safety and blessings.
Thank you, Katherine , for this great prayer guide for back to school. I’ll be back one day a week starting this week. Praying for safety for all amid covid!
I just said a prayer for you and your students, Kathy. I hope you have a wonderful year–prayers for good health, safety, and much joy in learning. I know your students love your class. The crafts and activities you post on your blog are amazing!
Joining you in prayer, Katherine. I stepped out of the classroom just over a year ago and I miss my “littles”.
I think of all of my friends, colleagues, and husband who still pour into the children each day and ask for their safety and protection along with the precious boys and girls around the nation.
Thank you for these wonderful prayers.
Blessings,
Tammy
Thank you for your prayers, Tammy. You’ve lived “in the trenches” and have family that are still serving now to care for and teach our children. I’m so grateful for your service and that of your family. I pray all our children and educators can have a safe, healthy, and wonderful school year.
As a former teacher, I know the time and dedication it takes to teach. Thank you for these prayer reminders and for your commitment to our children and grandchildren.
Thank you, LuAnn, for your encouragement, your service to our children, and for joining in prayer for our children, teachers, and parents. We can make a difference!