Friday was Scholarship Day at Crown College. Since I’m currently planning on attending this school to finish my Bachelor’s in Elementary Education with an emphasis in English Comp. & perhaps Literature, I decided to attend the event to see if I am eligible of any scholarships.
They couldn’t have picked a worse day to hold an event that my parents and I had to drive 40 miles to get to–on Friday, worst-driving-day-of-the-year! Thankfully and perhaps miraculously we made it to the event in one piece, although we were an hour late (this due to the fact that we had to dig my brother out of the drift that he got stuck in when he attempted to go to work).
Anyway, the day was very nice, and although Crown College isn’t perfect, I really liked the students and faculty–they really helped me to feel at home, welcomed, and accepted.
I thought I would share with you the essay that I had to write during this event to apply for scholarship in the Teacher Education Department. I had 45 minutes to write a maximum of one page (academically worded, coherent, with few to no mistakes), and the topic was as follows: What is the Christian’s responsibility to leadership in the field of teaching, and how do you envision your participation in this process?
Here was my reply:
Responsibility to Leadership
Students today spend more time with their teachers than they do with their parents, peers, or pastors. Many students look to their teachers as their role models. Thus, Christian teachers have a big weight of responsibility resting on their shoulders not only to be academic leaders, but also to teach leadership and model Christ.
First, Christian teachers must lead their students academically. This can be accomplished successfully only if those teachers have a passion and a love for learning themselves, for then they will be able to inspire a love for it in their students. Secondly, Christian teachers need to teach leadership, for today’s teachers are actually training up tomorrow’s leaders. Thus, Christian teachers must focus on developing the characters of these future leaders. Lastly, Christian teachers must be able to show Christ to their students. To do so, teachers must have their priorities in correct order, realizing that instilling the message of God’s love for all is far more important than instilling letters and numbers in their students (though the latter is also of high importance).
My Participation
As a leader, I hope be a motivator. I want to instill a passion for learning in my students. I want them to realize that learning does not end when they receive their college degree, but that true learning lasts a lifetime. Also, as a leader, I hope to be a friend. A good academic leader maintains authority, but does not lord that position over the students. I want to be able to come down to the level of my students and see the world through their eyes. I want to understand and share their pain, their fears, and their joys. Most importantly, as a leader, I hope to be a servant. I want my students’ physical, mental, and spiritual needs to be my highest priority. I want to be a teacher who is willing to learn.
Let me know what you think! Also, I would really appreciate your prayers on my behalf–I have not as yet been notified as to whether I have the received any scholarships or not. Thanks so much!
Sarah E. Brown 