In my years of work in Adventist schools I have tried to keep focused on the basic goals of Adventist education. This has sometimes been a difficult matter because parents send their children to our schools for a variety of reasons. Some want a safe place where their children can be protected from the rough and tumble life of a public school. Others want the academic benefits found in Adventist schools with smaller class size and teachers who give individual attention to their child. Still others value the spiritual atmosphere of the Adventist school. These are just a few of the things Adventist parents look for when selecting a school for their children.

While the mission of an Adventist school is indeed quite complex, Adventist educators must never lose sight of our primary reason-to-be: to bring our children and youth into a personal relationship with our Lord, Jesus Christ. As Larry Blackmer so eloquently stated in his recent article in the Review, we must maintain high academic standards in our schools, but first and foremost we must inculcate “distinctly Seventh-day Adventist values in our children.”

Trying to meet the multiple goals set for our schools is sometimes a daunting task. But success can only come as we keep the main goal in constant sight. I am very pleased to see that the educational leaders in the North American Division is giving renewed focus to the Adventist distinctives in our schools. Their effort in this will be a great service to Adventist teachers and administrators as they focus on the complex mission of our schools.

Why do you teach?  Is teaching merely a job? a way to earn a living? a career that makes a difference? or is there more?

“Christian teachers see the profession of teaching as a ministry. It is an act of serving young people as they move toward the realisation of their mental, physical, emotional and spiritual potentials.” SPD Record (p.7)

Peter Beamish, Dean of the Avondale College Faculty of Education in Australia, has more to say about the calling to teach.  He describes a new website created to profile the teaching ministry. The Ministry of Teaching website features “the reflections of practising teachers, along with information about pathways into the ministry. The website is also designed to serve those already working in the teaching ministry. An exciting section of the website is the new online journal of Christian education called Teach. The journal contains information about the latest research findings in education, administration, and teaching and professional practice.”

Be (re)inspired by viewing the 2 minute videos on Ministry of Teaching - real teachers, real issues, real students. Then inspire senior high school and college students by sharing the link, and sharing your story - what makes teaching more than a job or career to you, why you accepted the call to continue the teaching ministry of Jesus Christ.

Family vacations have taken on a new adventure using a GPS. Knowing exactly where we’re going before the journey begins is now important and discussions frequently analyze optimal choices for keeping on course when detours for fuel, food or friends happen. Starting with the end in mind keeps us checking we’re en route all along the way.

As Adventist educators, starting a new calendar year is often a time for reflection and re-evaluation. Is the purpose of Adventist education clearly before us, despite detours in 2007? Have we prayerfully recommitted our lives to serve on whatever route God plans to best accomplish His purpose in 2008?

Reflecting on one or more articles in the Adventist Education Essentials topic of CIRCLE, the Adventist Curriculum and Instruction Resource Center Linking Educators, could be a helpful refocusing exercise. Each section has been recently updated, with topics such as how to integrate faith In the Classroom and On Campus, and The Ministry of Teaching.

One small gadget can change our experience on a road journey, focusing on the destination, more than the obstacles along the way. I recently read The Craft of Christian Teaching which refueled my journey as an Adventist educator. Van Dyk (2000) identifies true north for Christian education like this: “The purpose of our classroom efforts cannot simply be the transmission of classical intellectual insight, but rather, the whole-person equipping of our children for knowledgeable and competent discipleship in a hurting world.” This aligns with the Adventist philosophy of education aim and mission, to prepare “students for a useful and joy-filled life, fostering friendship with God, whole-person development, Bible-based values, and selfless service in accordance with the Seventh-day Adventist mission to the world”. Van Dyk provides practical tips, founded in a biblical worldview, on how to chart the best course between end goals and our 2008 starting point.