I surveyed several administrators (from superintendents to school building administrators), asking them to identify what makes a teacher shine—what causes one to stand out from other teachers. Their answers surprised me.

I expected to hear responses like:

• Teachers who shine reteach content that students don’t master right away.
• They have excellent classroom management, rarely sending students out of their classrooms.
• Stand-out teachers use complex standard-based assessments that allow students to practice and retest multiple times for each standard.
• They infuse problem-based learning and technology into their lessons.
• The test scores of excellent teachers far exceed those of their counterparts.

Instead, I was told:

• Teachers who shine value and create real relationships with their students.
• They genuinely care about their students.
• Stand-out teachers have positive outlooks in all circumstances. 
• They are creative and collaborate well with others.
• Their lessons engage students and provide opportunities for students to feel successful. 

Not one teaching method or strategy. Not one mention of test scores, standards, or office referrals. The descriptors all revolved around attitudes, relationships, character, effort, and motivation. 

With this in mind, I looked to Scripture to find guidance on how Christian teachers can shine by teaching in a way that glorifies God. King Solomon gives a lot of good advice in Proverbs. With the help of Bibleref.com, I’ve taken some of Solomon’s instructions from Proverbs 13 and applied them to the classroom. 

To brighten their lights, Christian teachers can:

• Seek and take good advice from respected mentors (vv 1, 10, 13, 14, 18, 20)
• Speak encouraging words that bring life to students and colleagues (vv 2-3) 
• Work hard by faithfully fulfilling duties and diligently planning engaging lessons that inspire students (vv 4, 17)
• Model honesty and trustworthiness, stressing the importance of both with students (v 5)
• Seek God’s direction and demonstrate integrity, careful to avoid even the appearance of inappropriate behavior at school (vv 6, 9, 13, 15-16, 21)  
• Let go of pride and humbly listen to the views of others to promote harmony, collaboration, and productivity (v 10)
• Provide opportunities for all students to feel successful, dispelling hopelessness and promoting buy-in and participation in their learning (vv 12, 19) 
• Use common sense in teaching practices (vv 15-16) 
• During lunch and planning time, interact with positive coworkers rather than complainers who negatively impact the attitudes and outlooks of others (v 20) 
• Treat students with respect, never unjustly abusing authority (v 23) 
• Heed the correction and instructions received from administrators (vv 10, 13, 18) 
• Discipline students with love to help them learn how to treat others and themselves well (vv 18, 24) 
• Read God’s Word for nourishment (v 25) 

King Solomon’s advice seems to line up with the insight of the administrators I surveyed. Attitudes, relationships, character, effort, and motivation all greatly impact teachers’ success. By putting this information into practice, Christian teachers can become stand-outs that shine in the classroom.