![\"Clive](\"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/sitenews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/images_news-2019_Clive_Malcom.jpg\" "\\"Clive")
<\/a>Whether you work in a secular or faith-based school, college or university, one way or another, your relationship with God will be reflected in the way you talk and interact with students and colleagues alike. I have had people approach me to ask, \u201cAre you a Christian?\u201d Whenever I say yes, they respond, \u201cI thought so.\u201d My students often ask the same question and they seem content and reassured when I say, \u201cYes. I am a Christian.\u201d I find this quite fascinating and wonder what is going through their minds.<\/p>\nNonetheless, I take nothing for granted. Being a teacher means you are under constant observation by your students. They watch your every move; every gesture and they are witnesses to all your idiosyncrasies. If you are in doubt, just ask your students to do an impersonation of you. You might be surprised by what you see and hear. However, the real test comes during those days when things do not go to plan, when you are having a \u201cbad day.\u201d The important question is, does \u201cyour light\u201d continue to shine during those moments? While you are pondering over the question, such situations underline the importance of starting each day with a prayer.<\/p>\n
So, integrating faith into teaching starts at home before you step out of the front door. It begins with prayer, thanking God for life, health and strength and asking Him to give you the wisdom and determination to help your students to learn more each day, to improve and excel academically, and even to find a purpose in life. It is about giving<\/em> that little extra to add value to your students\u2019 experience.<\/p>\n A student came to me after class one day and said, \u201cI like those little anecdotes you tell during the class. I find them helpful. Whatever you do, please don\u2019t stop telling them.\u201d I discovered those \u201clittle anecdotes\u201d were adding value to my students\u2019 classroom experience. I spent many years in the industry before I became a teacher, so I share relevant experiences, connected to the topics covered in the students\u2019 textbooks to illustrate valuable lessons from everyday life.<\/p>\n While Jesus was on this earth, He was [and still is] the master teacher who did all He could to build up people\u2019s faith and self-confidence through words and action. As teachers, we can draw inspiration from the examples He gave us to help students to achieve success in all areas of their lives.<\/p>\n Clive Malcolm teaches English and British Culture at Newbold College of Higher Education<\/a>. This article was first published in the Adventist Educators blog<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n