I almost dreaded the thought of teaching Psychology whenever my mind wandered this summer to thoughts of school. "Ugh, my Psych 101 class in college was a joke, and I don't remember anything!" I thought to myself, "how am I going to make this work?" I am sure God giggled at that moment. When are we ever fully qualified (by the world's standards) for what the Master has planned for us to do? Only by his strength are we able to do anything, and that includes teaching Psychology to the minds of eight Junior and Senior high schoolers on the verge of adulthood. It is no easy task.
Challenge #1: Most all of these students are only a few months/years away from making some of the biggest decisions of their lives, like where they will go to college (for them, it's not simply a matter of asking what school to go to, but what country!) and what crowds will they hang out with, what church will they go to (if they decide to continue going), who to marry, and essentially, who will they become? What kind of identity will they claim? Will their hearts be Christ's own? What passions will they have? Will they sacrifice little to gain themselves or sacrifice themselves to gain Christ?
Challenge #2: Psychology is an awesome way to begin these kinds of discussions with students. It encompasses so many different topics that people are sincerely interested in understanding, such as, gender roles, human development (physically, socially, and cognitively), birth order, etc. In simpler terms, it helps students begin to wander about marriage, children, identity, and the meaning of life itself. The real challenge comes from using a text book that does little to help answer these questions, especially in a Godly perspective, and coming from little Psychology background myself, I have really had to rely on Christ to guide my actions and words.
The goal: to help students answer these questions. What good am I as a teacher if they leave my classroom having learned every stage of Piaget's theory of development, but have not truly grasped that their identity is found in Christ alone? And that by his power and love, they can reconcile relationships, build a Christ centered home, and use their gifts and talents to reveal to this earth the glory of God. Please don't tell me that Psychology (and History for that matter) and the will of God in the lives of his children are not related... because they are. They are irrevocably intertwined.
I thank The Lord for this opportunity to spend my time, energy, and emotions into helping teenagers understand these questions, not only in Psychology, but in other subjects I teach as well as outside the classroom. I hope and pray that I will be faithful in doing this, and that The Lord would provide opportunities to take advantage of every moment to point students to the glory of a God who loves them. Join me in praying for this and for this generation. They are attacked by the enemy at every turn, and many lack the strength that only comes from Christ to overcome.
.jpg)
