A New Job

2024 March 20

     I began a new job about six weeks ago, and it has been enough time to see me adjust and adapt, with the LORD changing me in several ways:  A. to fit the new schedule, B. to Show his glory, and C. to use my adaptation as an object example to my family members and to members of my local community of the saints.   

Long Term Sub: 
     I am a long-term substitute teacher at the local high school.  It maketh me to want to continue study of math to where I am competent in all areas taught in NC public high schools.  And, to where I am adept at basic calculations in my head, quick to add and multiply three-digit numbers or maybe even four someday!  It would be a good influence to my students for them to see me grow in this respect.  At my age, they would get the infectious sense that anything is possible for their young minds... if but they apply themselves with vigorous love and affection for math. 

Attire: 
     I see that students need not so much external words of advice, as much as they need a beacon of hope.  They wear sloppy clothing for several reasons: 

    A. in part because they want to protest the standard American way, where you conform to society and then the American Dream will be YOURS!  You will retire well after you have lifted yourself up by your bootstraps.  "Well" means with ample resources to guarantee that you are comfortable until your body finally gives up the ghost. But studies show that the younger generations have less hope that they will be able to make enough money to retire well, lower financial expectations than previous generations, who mostly felt that they could expect to be better off materially than their parents generation was. 

    B. in part to see what moral character you are made of.  If you do not have the lust of the eyes, then they cover up more of their bodies when they are in front of you.  That is, if you do not glance at the skin they reveal, or the form of their bodies they reveal through tight exercise clothing -- but rather, you look at them in the eyes and focus on function, trying to understand their questions with the Martin Buber sense of an I/Thou relationship, helping them as if they were your son or daughter, then they sense your sacrificial love of them and they are encouraged at the core of their being.

     This transpires regardless of whether they are believers or not.  They know you love them and will sacrifice for them. For, you already are sacrificing for them. You give them what is most valuable, your time which is qualified into the infinite by being from a focused consciousness that is embedded in Christ.  You know who you are and where you are from.  That is priceless, and these students sense it.  They can see and know, even taste in part, that you have been with Jesus.  

   C. Sloppy clothing is an implicit signal of laziness and low self-esteem.  On some level they are okay with this, and acquiesce to this social meter.  These same students will dress up very well when they go to a formal occasion, such as the junior/senior prom, a formal dinner, or even merely church on the weekends.  

Dignity: 
    So one part of being a Beacon of Hope would be taking care to dress well and maintain a high level of personal cleanliness. This is one way the consistently shows to all in the classroom that you care.  You demonstrate self-respect in the matters of personal cleanliness.  This prevents any oddity in clothing or personal hygiene from detracting from the moral force of your example in your teaching and your academic devotion to the subject matter of your craft.