Teacher of the Year (Part 2 of 2)

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Here's where Sean sets sit down in Sean's desk and I pray for Sean sitting in his desk, and when Sean comes walking down the hall. I could never think of him again in the same way.

What a caring approach to teaching from guy down really here where he learned the most of that kind of empathy on today's Focus on the Family your hostess focus presidents and author Jim Daly and I John Fuller, Guy Dowd has a great heart for young people, and last time we heard how he was able to reach out to the lost and lonely teens that he encountered as a high school language arts teacher in Brainerd, Minnesota. Today were going to hear about guys difficult childhood and how some caring teachers help him turn the corner and begin to find purpose in his life and we know there are many of those great encouraging teachers, listening right now and we want to say thank you for what you are doing for all of our children. We really appreciate you and we sure do and I let me reintroduce guy very quickly.

He was named teacher of the year in 1986 and that honor was awarded by Pres. Ronald Reagan and I hear now is Guy Dowd speaking to a group of youth pastors on today's episode of Focus on the Family. Remember first male teacher, Mr. Carr walked into that sixth-grade classroom.

There was this guy guy in elementary school before, except Mr. filled the custodian and this guy was more 70 or 80. He came up to me to be your teacher never had a teacher shake my hand before said hi.

I'm Guy Dowd's is all yeah I've heard you, I don't know, but this guy was super he was dying, he was filled with energy. We recessed we played touch football. He played with us and you know what he one time he made the captain of the team and I got the pic. Besides I picked Mr. card right away to be on my team back and so he said I want you to offer past food on the left side cut across and I'll hit you with the bomb will commit to do was block nervous and my feet and here comes Mr. card ball boy. He threw tired right in my I didn't get very far with it after I caught it just lucky for those other kids.

It was touch, like Kirby Puckett always cut my hair so didn't need to go to a barber Mr. card would come in the class and Eagle but I liked.

I liked Mr. card. I thought he was everything that a father should be. I really looked up to him and emulated him. He was my hero.

I didn't want to leave sixth-grade.

I didn't want to have to go crosstown junior senior high school with 125 kids in each grade. Grades seven through 12. All in one building, school. I stayed after school the last day and I said Mr. card you think I'll be able to make it seventh-grade guy you'll do fine.

I wasn't so sure walking home that night Steve call my neighbor went on to be homecoming game during the recent guy is you never going to make it seventh-grade it heard me talking to Mr. Artis. How come I wanted to know what he knew as you're going to have to run laps take fire. He knew I didn't like to run only time I do it is when somebody's chasing grade 5. It wasn't my sixth grade recess in seven grade 5. Take your clothes off you had close all my life my mother to hold your stomach in. I become pretty good at holding it in and all of a sudden everything I've been holding in was going on. I doubt there I worried about that all summer long. Maybe none of you had similar feelings. I'm sure some of you did, but I remember laying awake at night during the summer between six and seven worrying about having to start seventh grade school, I had to go to seven different classes in the same all day long.

All these different teachers, and most importantly I had to take five and I had to change in the fire and close. I was a nervous wreck I had anxiety. I couldn't sleep some nights.

Finally, the little-known came home from the school.

Here's the things your son will need provided class Staples Cardinals red and white dynamite onward Cardinals to the very like Ginger's white gym socks when gym shorts that other thing in a white T-shirt. Any of those things. My mother went to Baxter's department store and bought those things for me. Finally, the summer was over and the first day of my class came in to make matters even worse. I had a fire teacher would just finish 22 years as a drill instructor in the Marine Corps was his first year in education and he was my seventh grade fire teacher, and he came in the class a magic marker here I am. I'm a nervous wreck, and reached in my bag and take it on the shoes my shorts.

My thoughts were assured that other thing I never seen one before his bike on the box like something Steve will always put news on why I decided the previous learning. The K always goes in the back that goes doesn't even know of course everybody looks and everybody laughed and I was ready to die. Somehow I made it through that our fire class about three laps behind in the last one back to the locker room the first thing I did is I went for the big white bowl. I was sick physically sick on a high fever. I was vomiting. I miss the next two weeks of school, literally ill, dreaded the thought of having to go back there. I went to church on Sundays. I fired on Tuesdays Thursdays every other Friday and if you go back and check my attendance record. I was sick an awful lot on Tuesdays Thursdays every other Friday and I hated school.

I just wanted to get out of there and then my sister who got kicked out of school ran a red light. One night you driving your friends car and she was drunk. He was even drunker in a car smashed into their side and her friend was killed.

He was the father of three little kids.

My sister felt so guilty she tried killing yourself. She ended up in Fergus Falls State Hospital 65 miles away from my hometown. Our car couldn't make it every other Sunday we borrowed my grandpa's car. We drove Fergus Falls to visit my sister I get home on Sunday night I go to school on Monday and I think any of this have to do with anything and it's often the same way. We have programs and all these things, what they have to do unless we can relate them to the struggle going on inside kids there. That's why suicide rates as high as it does is a leading one of the leading killers of young people today in the loneliness and alienation that they feel even those were seemingly so accepted by all of these groups torn apart inside. I just couldn't wait to quit school counselor called me in excess guy you're flunking all your classes yeah will I just want quit school uses what would you do so well in the summer help on Ron Haskins gas station. I think I could probably get a job there pumping gas changing tires as well. You're not old enough to quit yet. Just hang in there. I had to go back to my seventh grade English class where I had Mrs. Morey and Mrs. Morey was a taskmaster. Not only did she make us know the names of the Greek gods and goddesses. We had to know their nerve agent names is but it was this Mrs. Morey she was a Christian. I didn't know it, particularly at that time. She never said it, but she really loved me and she got up on me. She felt it was her job to me and she couldn't succeed and fail.

Mrs. Morey motivated me by getting me involved in speech, extracurricular speech, I went all the way to the finals of the region turned my first year as 1/7 grader.

I couldn't wait for school to start.

In eighth grade and eighth grade I ran into Heinrich Heinrich was my eighth grade math teacher. He been a missionary to New Guinea and work with pygmies dynamic Christian Christian man who never leave proselytized but is was so evident. It was so real. His life was one of compassion.

His wife was one of service. Mr. Kafka led me to the Lord Jesus Christ in a real way. Mr. Kopp later taught me a little poem I'd rather see a sermon in here. One any day. I'd rather you walk with me than merely point the way BIA is a more ready pupil that never was the ear. Good advice is often confusing but example is always clear and I became the middle of my eighth grade fire teacher was a super guy use pattern. I was, I forgot my body wanted me to help coach became the manager of the track team went on to become senior high manager let her know what got initiated into the letterman's club had to go through an arduous ritual. To this day I'm not allowed to disclose what I have safety patrol will. I ran for student council every year. Never got elected, but they always appointed me member at large, president of the German club president of the drama club and when I was a scene I was elected president of the future teachers America comp and I thought boy if I could be a teacher like Mr. card if I could be a teacher like Mrs. Morey who I've since found out is just the dynamic Christian lady who saw teaching as a way to put Christ's love in action. If I could be a teacher like Mr. Kopp on April 14, 1986 I was humbled by being asked into the Oval Office to represent all of America's teachers meet the president of the United States and there he stood, walked into the Oval Office and there he was, and he reached out and grabbed my hand and he said saw you, good morning America this morning about this copy of this written on a piece of his own personal stationary about the size of a note card gold presidential seal his name across the top.

You know that I came across this Pullman number years ago about the importance of teachers and you don't mind, I'd like to read it and I said I'll go ahead, that's a lie. The president looked at nieces. This home summarizes better than anything I've ever read. Home port teachers are in helping move the lines of kids and I like to read it for me looked at. He said teacher.

I hope you include yourselves you are the molders of their dreams. The gods little G pool builder cross their young beliefs of right or wrong you are.

This fire that sets aflame the poet's hand or likes the flame of some great singers song you are the God of the young, very you are the Guardian of the million dreams every smile or frown can heal or pierce the heart. Yours are 100 times a thousand times.

Yours, the pride of loving them in the sorrow to your patient work, your touch makes you the gods of whole who sold with dream to make those dreams when he was finished reading it. Our eyes met there were tears coming down my cheeks president had big tears size, very warm, personable man and he looked at nieces. Well you don't mind my chicken scratch.

As I wrote this often kind of a hurry you can have this his own handwriting.

I took it and I held it. I stared at it. I just his own handwriting and I dread two weeks earlier his signature alone was worth $66 teachers is our but you know the apostle Paul writes in our life is a letter that people are reading and the people would rather see a sermon in here.

One any day and they look to each of us and each of us has the potential to be that molder dreams in closing, I just have to tell you this. If you are in my class at the end of 12 weeks. By the end of 12 weeks you hopefully all would have gotten accustomed to giving me a hug when you leave everything, even real Studley hockey players by the end of 12 weeks feel comfortable enough to give me. I tell these kids a lot rather than eating in the teachers lounge.

I was. Pick out a different kids every day to sit some I usually try to pick a table. I don't know. I started at about nine years. I walked up to his mind if I sit here I never had anybody tell me know at some tables get up and totally leading.

Now when I go on the I think some of the best teaching I do this at lunch or sitting with them at a football, basketball and hockey.

We just talk know they're just anxious the things you hear about their families or mothers or dad's brothers or sisters or boyfriends or girlfriends know how they need them. Thank you for what you do. God bless you molders dreams guy download today's episode of focus on family Jon, I want to tell you I have such great memories of caring adults that help me along the way. One was Mrs. bandy. She wasn't a teacher. She was the elementary school nurse and a course after I lost my mom and my dad and I was in foster care. There were days when I just couldn't cope and I would walk out of that class and I go sit on a little Sandhill in Marengo Valley elementary school and just cry and Mrs. bandy would see me from her office accuse me of not thinking about it and she come out and sit next to me and put her arm around me and say you know everything's going to be okay and she just provided the really simple comfort and then in high school was Coach Palmore who passed away not long ago, and he encouraged me in football and invited me to the Fellowship of Christian athletes camp where I accepted Jesus as my Savior. Yeah public school teacher. What a huge impact he had on my life and when a coach or teacher or school nurse does something like that. Jim we know it's an answer to many parents, prayers, our kids are going through a hard time they can hit that point in life, especially when their teams when they're looking for validation everywhere, but inside the home and we are so thankful for adults that step in it that critical time. That's true.

It's so typical for a teenager to stop listening to mom and dad and seek that validation, like you said from other people and we can pray that they'll have a teacher like Guy Dowd or another caring adult or coach or whoever that is in their lives and as an update that guy was a pastor for many years, but he has retired. He's in his early 60s now and has suffered a series of health challenges, and I know he would really welcome your prayers for healing. He needs a touch from the Lord. In that regard.

Please pray to for Focus on the Family. We rely on God's strength to continue to minister to families around the world and if you would like to partner with us in ministry.

Please consider becoming a monthly donor. That's the best way to help us.

And when you make a monthly pledge of any amount will send you the DVD featuring Guy Dowd called Mulder of dreams. It has over 90 minutes of content and it's just great.

If you prefer not to make that monthly commitment.

We understand will send you the DVD for one-time gift of any amount and the DVD includes this entire presentation, plus some dramatized scenes of guy in the classroom with a group of students, and it really is some great stuff get your copy of the DVD when you call 800 K in the ward family can donate online and request the molder dreams DVD.

We've got the link in the episode notes and when you're online with us. Be sure to check out our life to thrive.

Suicide prevention curriculum and help us spread the word about this free really important resource.

Next time you'll hear how to help your child become more God, I think too many times to get stuck on the move in the Bible stories which are fastening others Old Testament story Daniel to help them develop that love relationship to teach them who got on behalf of Jim Daly and the entire team.

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