How to be a Titus 2 teacher

It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge. Albert Einstein

Being a teacher is a huge responsibility. Not only do you have important things that you must teach your students, you also want them to develop a love of learning and be excited about learning. Most students develop that love of learning when they have a teacher who is enthusiastic, keen and interested in each person in the class as an individual. 

Teaching does not come naturally to all people. I have had some duds, teachers who taught with no passion and no real interest in me. I have had some mean teachers that were just nasty and I can not remember a thing they taught me, but I do remember their sour words and meanness. However, once in a while you come across a teacher that leaves an indeliblele mark on you and you remember them all your life. 

In Titus 2, older women are encouraged to be active in looking after the next generation of women teaching and modelling to them how to be a woman of God.  Older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things—that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. This is a big responsibility and not everyone does it well. 

Some older women are stern and like to point out all the bad things younger women do forgetting to mention anything positive. They are negative and think some questions are foolish and silly. They aren’t interested in you as an individual and not willing to stop and listen to your story. They cut you short and tell you that you aren't listening or they simply delete what you write as they haven't got the time to listen to you. That isn’t the sort of teacher I want and if I had that teacher at school, I would struggle to learn anything. 

Paul didn’t mention anything about being stern or about disciplining women — he wanted older women, those with lots of experience, to guide and direct younger women, to invite younger women into their lives and be actively involved. 

He wanted older women to be interested in younger women, to care about younger women—Christian and non-Christian. Working women and stay-at-home women. Women with children and women without children. Women in miserable marriages and women doing well. 

Paul wanted older women to show compassion, empathy, the ability to listen, know when to speak and to know when to sit quietly. 

To give godly wisdom and council, and reach out when help is needed, may that be a hot meal or a cup of tea.

To give hugs to those in need, to laugh together, to share tears of joy at a birth of a baby, to reach out and help when help is needed.

To give practical advice and share skills in such a way that doesn’t make younger women feel inadequate. 

To be honest and not afraid of telling the truth in a gentle manner, to help guide a young woman who has straying back to the right path. 

And most importantly to share biblical solutions without making one feel dumb or create embarrassment. 

This is the sort of teacher I love and strive to be like this as an older woman. As an older woman, I don’t want to appear arrogant or better than other women. I don’t want to brush side comments from women who are struggle with motherhood, caring for their homes or having to go out to work. I don’t want to be critical or negative and certainly not judgmental.  If you teach with passion, pupils will be eager to learn. If you are interested in each woman as an individual, they will build a relationship with you and want to learn.

Lets build up women and create a strong Christian sisterhood that is supportive and compassion to each other. We have enough nasties in this world, we don't need to add to it.