One Way Teachers Make a Difference

I hope you love the products and resources I recommend here at Foundational. It is possible that I get a commission and collect income from the links on this page. Click here for more info.

Teachers can make a difference in the lives of young people. Here is one man’s story

He first met Mr. Hussey as he entered the eighth-grade homeroom class. A very angry and troubled teenager, he hated school and had failed every year.

Family members and teachers had openly said he would be in prison by age twenty-one. Teachers hoped they would not have him in their classroom the next year. Truth is, he had never attended the same school two years in a row. In fact, he had only completed a full year in the same school one time. Things were about to change for him in a significant way.

Mr. Hussey greeted the young man that first day, with kindness and actually reached out to shake his hand. He challenged the young man to do his best and told him, “I believe in you.” No one had said those words to him before.

While Mr. Hussey would not put up with his foolishness nor tolerate his failure to study, something about Mr. Hussey’s spirit touched the young man deeply and made him believe, “This teacher really does love me and believe in me.” He completed that year with a passing grade for the first time in his life.

The young man returned to the same Junior High the next year, another first in his life. There was Mr. Hussey, still smiling and shaking his hand, giving encouraging words. Although Mr. Hussey was not his homeroom teacher for the freshman year, he was a constant source of encouragement, kindness and love.

The year was completed with a better than passing grade and he went on to complete high school with a GPA in the top third of his class.

In later years, the young man completed graduate work and a very successful career. It may sound exaggerated, but he always looked back to his eighth grade and freshman year of school, and dear Mr. Hussey, as the significant influence.

Teachers are a special gift. They help young men and women mold their dreams and reach for the stars. Thank God for them. Please, take time this week to express appreciation and love for those dear people who made a difference in your life and who will make a difference in the life of your son or daughter this year.

Discovering True Identity: A Believer’s Position in Christ (Freedom Series) (Volume 1)Agape: Unveiling the Mask of Darkness, Setting the Captives Free (Freedom Series) (Volume 2)Charis: The Power of Grace (The Freedom Series Book 3)Discovering Jesus: A Discipleship Manual (Discipleship Series) (Volume 1)The Joy of Becoming Like Jesus: A Discipleship Manual – Discipleship 101 (Discipleship Series) (Volume 2)Becoming Ambassadors for Christ: A Discipleship Manual – Discipleship 102 (Discipleship Series) (Volume 3)