"Teacher, will you do whatever I ask you to do?"

Can you guess the age of the student asking that question? It sounds like maybe a first grade question to me. It also sounds like something one of my own young children might have asked. Wrong. You may recognize those words as the barely paraphrased question James and John asked of Jesus in Mark 10.

You probably remember that they wanted Jesus to allow them to sit at His right and left hands in his "glory." Jesus basically told them not to get their hopes up. James and John were typical of the majority of us who really want recognition and stature. We want to be "higher" than others.

This year we have started school with an emphasis on showing respect to others - especially with the use of words. Because of our fallen natures we are very oriented toward promoting and protecting ourselves. That means we want to raise ourselves up and often put others down. Those tendencies definitely include children's behavior, as cute and as precious as they are. A number of students have responded well to this encouragement. We have seen and heard many acts of kindness in our classrooms and even on the playground.

As parents you should know that we are working to promote this emphasis with balance. We are trying to be swift and confrontational when children are cruel with one another, yet look for proactive ways to help students be positive with each other throughout the day.

Our teachers are rewarding great behavior. Our Chapel times are encouraging respect and a joyful obedience to the Lord Jesus. Our co-curricular activities promote great sportsmanship. Even our announcements and informal interactions with children are intended to build them up and model selflessness and Christ-likeness.

Please pray for us. You know that we're swimming upstream in teaching these things.

The teaching challenges you have at home are challenges at school. Yet we have the power of the Lord working in and through us. It's a great opportunity we have together!