By Andy Hansen
Have I told you I”m an assistant teacher for fourth-grade boys on Wednesday nights?
Those who know me realize my skill set is much more in line with the junior high and senior high level. I”m much more comfortable with that age group. So . . . why fourth-grade boys?
A Problem in Our Society
In a recent article in Newsweek (September 17, 2007, page 44), a 24-year-old male teacher told how numerous fellow teachers and even parents asked him to be a “buddy” and mentor to certain at-risk students. Josh Holt quickly realized why. “The principal is the only other guy in the school. Some of these kids don”t have any men in their lives, and they really need a male role model.”
The article said the number of male teachers is at a 40-year low. The problem is especially acute in elementary schools, where only 9 percent of the teachers are male (down from 18 percent in 1981). Most children”s ministry coordinators would tell you this trend is reflected in the local church! Where are the male role models?
More and more, boys are demonstrating more difficulties with reading and writing””they are giving up, dropping out, and falling behind the girls in graduation rates. So what happens to these thousands of boys nationwide? What does their future hold if they don”t receive the encouragement to stick with school, to succeed in society, to work toward a purpose, to put in the sweat equity to achieve a dream? What happens to our society if the next generation of men exhibits such low self-esteem, lack of drive, and expectations of leadership (especially spiritual)?
Reg Weaver, president of the National Education Association, identifies a downward spiral: as boys continue to see no male teachers, they conclude that teaching is only for females. William Pollack, author of Real Boys, says most elementary and middle schools have a dearth of male teachers. This sends an early and faulty message to our boys””that education and learning are primarily for girls and women. I wonder what elementary boys think about the church when they encounter no male teachers year after year?
A Solution in the Church?
Where in the church are the mature, spiritual men who could mentor elementary-aged young men?
How many men will be sitting in Sunday school class this week, just as they have been for the past 20 to 30 years? There is nothing wrong with seeking more knowledge of God”s Word; as a matter of fact, I highly recommend it. However . . . what about graduating from the student”s chair and heading to an elementary classroom as a teacher?
Even if you are not comfortable being the lead teacher, you can read Scripture, help students find the proper chapter and verse in their Bibles, take attendance, assist with discipline, and talk to the students before and after class. Show an interest when Josh tells you he is going to get contact lenses, when Austin tells you he will be visiting a doctor for asthma treatment this week, and when Todd tells how he recovered a fumble in his football game.
Praise them when they ask good questions or work hard on their student pages, help organize game time, and pass out snacks (squirt the Cheez Whiz on the crackers””the higher you can make the orange pile the more the boys love it). By doing so you are building relationships with young men who are begging for positive male role models and mentors.
It was a typical Sunday when the announcement on stage included a plea for someone to please volunteer to teach the late elementary boys class! This had been going on for some weeks, but the tone was becoming more desperate. Most people knew the reputation of “that class of wild boys” and remained distant and unaffected by the appeals.
Mr. Shepherd never considered himself a teacher, but he couldn”t stand the pleading announcements any longer. Though in his 70s, he decided to volunteer. Mr. Shepherd had no teaching skills. His hands were so arthritic he couldn”t write on the chalkboard. His voice was monotone, and any hands-on style of teaching was totally foreign to him.
The 15 boys were quick to lose attention, fidget, talk, and outright scrap with each other while Mr. Shepherd attempted to teach. That any boy caught any depth of biblical truth was almost certainly an outright miraculous work of the Holy Spirit.
But Mr. Shepherd never gave up. He was the first to arrive in class and the last to leave. He would station himself in the narrow hallway outside the classroom, hook every young man as he went by with his arthritic hand, and let him know that he was praying for him, that he was so glad he had come to class, that God had a purpose and plan for his life.
It almost became a game to see if anyone could scoot by Mr. Shepherd and not be pulled into his grasp. It was a game never to be won, and Mr. Shepherd continued to tell these boys Jesus cared for them despite how they had so rudely conducted themselves in class.
Is it any wonder that almost all 15 of these boys, who are now grown men, are active in their churches and spiritual leaders in their families? Many are also serving in vocational ministry, approximately 40 years after experiencing Mr. Shepherd”s class. I”m so glad he was in my life and chose to mentor us with his consistent classroom presence and love!
Did I tell you I”m an assistant teacher for fourth-grade boys on Wednesday night? Did I tell you there are typically 15 boys who attend? I can”t help but wonder what influence Ben, Walker, Brayden, Kale, Cade, Evan, Josh, Hunter, Devon, Logan, Jeremiah, Westley, Byron, Jacob, and Austin could have with their lives and potentially do for the Lord in the next 40 years!
A Need We Can Meet
Boys are four times more likely to drop out of school and to commit suicide. They are twice as likely to be labeled as “slow learners” and assigned to “special-education” classes. Boys murder 10 times more frequently than girls. Though such statistics may not describe most young men in America, the figures are disturbing.
Michael Gurian, a family therapist who has studied some 30 cultures, concludes that American boys are noticeably slighted in two key areas. First, American boys have the least emotional bonding (with mom, dad, grandparents, uncles, etc.) than any other boys in the world. Second, boys are increasingly enamored by exposure to television, computer games, and the Internet. This causes a separation from parents and other important adults, which creates a vacuum of moral development and spiritual value that only comes from relationships.
Are there spiritual men out there who see and catch the missional opportunity to share life with third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade boys? What would Jesus choose to do in today”s church? Would he stay in the auditorium or would he choose to serve during Sunday school or on Wednesday night?
George Barna makes the following bold statement, “Ministry to children is the single most strategic ministry in God”s kingdom. There are many viable ways to use your gifts, talents, and resources. However, if you want to have the greatest possible impact (i.e., to achieve a lasting legacy of spiritual dividends), then consider employing those resources in ministry to young people.”
I attend a church of 2,000. For weeks, appeals for teachers for the elementary ages had appeared in the bulletin and even been voiced by our senior minister from the stage. The Wednesday night program coordinator was frustrated and caught me in the hallway. Though I travel a lot and am gone quite a few weekends, she begged me to serve in the Wednesday night program.
Did I tell you my wife has been serving as the Wednesday night program coordinator for our church and was exasperated trying to find teachers (especially males) to volunteer for the program? Did I tell you that I”m an assistant teacher for fourth-grade boys on Wednesday night?
Andy Hansen joined the ministry of Christ In Youth in 1985. He served as director of conferences for 19 years, and in May 2004 was appointed by the board of trustees to serve as executive director. Prior to serving with CIY, he was associate minister in charge of youth for 10 years with Kentwood Christian Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Andy and his wife, Marcia, have three children, Bryce, Christina, and Jeremy, and greatly enjoy serving as grandparents to Parker, Sydney, Ella, and Avery.
Andy is a graduate of Great Lakes Christian College, Lansing, Michigan, and Cincinnati (Ohio) Bible Seminary. His passion is to see thousands of youth touched for Christ and using their gifts for the kingdom.
He is also a huge fan of the Michigan Wolverines!
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