Help When A Kid Hates A TeacherSample

“What’s up, Hannah?” her father asked from the driver’s seat. “You’re usually so excited to go to school and see your friends. Today, you’re quiet. Is something wrong?”

“No,” Hannah said, “Nothing’s wrong with Carlie or any of my friends. It’s my teacher, Ms. Mitchell. I hate her.”

“Wow, that’s a strong word. You hate your teacher?”

“She’s so mean! She’s always yelling at me for talking. I hope we have a substitute today.”

“I didn’t know you were frustrated with your teacher!” Her dad paused. “Did you try praying for her?”

Hannah made a snorting sound with her nose. “Praying for her? What would that do?”

“I don’t know, it might help her. And it would definitely make you feel better.”

“Like if I pray for her to be absent?” Hannah asked.

“No!” her dad answered. “Pray for her to be healthy! Pray she has everything she needs to do her job well. Thank God for her.”

Hannah snorted again. The car pulled up to the curb and she opened the door.

“Hey,” her father said, catching her eye. “I’m praying for you and Ms. Mitchell today.”

A teacher has a lot of power over your life. If you hate your teacher, then life at school is no fun. Thankfully, the Bible gives us advice for dealing with teacher troubles. The first tip is to pray for everybody in authority. That means pray for your teacher.

First Timothy gives us ways to pray for people in power. Pray that they do their jobs well, and thank God for them. It probably feels hard to thank God for a teacher you don’t like. But praying helps YOU too. It helps you feel calmer. It reminds you that God is in charge. And prayer helps you think of things that you can do to make the situation better.

Try this: Think of 3 things that make you happy (Seeing a friend? Eating your favorite food? Hearing a funny joke?) Now ask God to give each of these to your teacher today. Then think of 3 more things to pray for. The sillier the better.

Prayer: God, bless my teacher today with everything she needs. I trust you to give me everything I need too. Amen.

Parents: Try this family activity to help your kids visualize who to pray for.