Everything in a true Christ-centered education (and, thus, a true classical education) comes down to this: are we nurturing the child’s soul?

The worst thing we can do with this question is to consider it globally rather than personally.  Instead of conveniently asking, “Is our school nurturing the souls of its students?” we teachers need to be continually asking ourselves, “Is that science test I just gave or the way I just admonished that student who didn’t do her math homework or the methods I just used to motivate my cross country team or the conversation I just had with students in the lunchroom – are THOSE SPECIFIC ACTIONS OF MINE nurturing the souls of my students?”

There is no small, insignificant, or neutral action when children are placed under our care.  We are either blessing our students’ souls or we’re cursing them, one action at a time.  I wish I could say that I rarely do the latter, that I’ve learned enough about “what matters” and matured enough in my spiritual journey to avoid such a mistake, but that would be a lie.  All it takes is just enough exhaustion or frustration and the next thing I know I have forgotten that my students are just like me: weak, sinful, and in desperate need of grace.

Lord, forgive me.  Students, forgive me.