Death is inevitable and inconsiderate: if it’s your time, there will be no other time! We may stand with our different beliefs about life after death but we have the same definition of death! But have you heard about people who went back to the living from the dead and still influencing people even these days?
Sounds interesting?
Just today! I’ve found Dr. Hendricks, a beloved professor and a life changer, who came back to life. How did this happen?
I was looking for some things to do just this afternoon when I noticed this book entitled, ”Teaching to Change Lives”. I got to remember that I have bought this one some time in 2017 and to my surprise, I am not even half way done reading it! What kind of reader am I?!!! A product of being impulsive buyer then, I realized I got a lot of pages to read.
However, when I went through the pages it made me rethink again. Shall I read this or shall I reflect again? I eventually got teary-eyed!
What’s with this book?
This defines my life before! when I was holding this book a while ago, I got to look back the moment when I decided to buy this. I was down that time because I was thinking that I am being stagnant with my job. I was seeking for help that time and got a chance to feel a relief when I held it before which gives me the same relief when I hold it right now.
Gosh! The same feeling before and right now which literally means, I wasn’t able to resolve my struggle before.
Going back, why am I saying that Dr. Hendricks came back to life?!, it’s because of this book! Want to know why?
Quick Review of the Book
The book was dedicated to the teachers, parents, pastors, mentors, coaches or even to the people who is on their way of encouraging, motivating, and inspiring individuals.
It has a well categorized content which is divided into seven parts.
- The Law of the Teacher, which focuses on helping teachers to grow and keep growing.
- The Law of Education, which emphasizes that the way how people learn determines how a teacher teaches.
- The Law of Activity, which suggests ways on how to improve classroom activities.
- The Law of Communication, which provides ways on how to achieve perfection in communicating.
- The Law of the Heart, which has a primary goal of teaching on how to teach with mind and how to give impact through the heart.
- The Law of Encouragement, which helps teachers on how to motivate learners by increasing more the Motivation Quotient (MQ) than (IQ).
- The Law of Readiness, which gives emphasis on helping both teachers and learners to be adquately prepared to achieve effectiveness.
The contents are all based from the author’s experience which made it exceptional and authentic. I can clearly visualize the set-up and the picture while reading every lines of it. Plus it has a way of catching the interest of the readers every start of the Chapters and a bonus evaluation tool or lesson plan at the back portion to complete the learning process and to encourage application. Furthermore, The words used are simple and with a well-defined possible jargon terms. This means, that this book was written to be easily used by individuals. Lastly, it’s handy and has an affordable price.
Personally, I would highly recommend this book to those people who wants to grow personally and professionally in terms of teaching, mentoring, or inspiring people.
While I was reading this book, it was like Dr. Hendricks is talking to me one-on-one. I was enticed by the way he tells the stories of his life and how he was mentored and how he mentors. The idea pushed me to know him personally through a research. Who this people was? What experiences does he had that made him become and expert of this field, and when I say expert, it’s not just in teaching field but also in giving impact to people.
Due to my curiosity, I found a beautiful story that is really worth to share. Literally, his story is a heart wrenching one. Dr. Howard Hendricks was once a troublemaker in school as he thought he splits the family after he was born. Yes, he is a product of a broken home. He had even a brutal experience in school with the hands of his own teacher BUT with another teacher, a beautiful story unfold. It was his 6th Grade teacher who uttered the words, ”I’ve heard a lot about you. But I don’t believe a word of it.” and after hearing those words, his life changed. In our life, we only need someone to believe in us to bring out the best in us.
He’s a husband of Jeanne and they were blessed with 4 children, 6 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.
He was simply called “Prof” in school with more than 10,000 changed lives of students because of his teaching for more than 60 years in Dallas Technological Seminary. I was overwhelmed reading testimonies of his students in this article, https://voice.dts.edu/article/howard-hendricks-prof/. Feel free to read more to know how he has served well as a beloved pastor, teacher, mentor, and a life changer.
His life alone leaves a great impact to me already. I realized how I am fortunate enough being accepted with my family. Truly, when we experiences much challenges and troubles in our life, we will have a great story to tell.
Back on Track!
Since I got a chance to hold this book again, there is no turning back for me, I must finish reading this one. Haha!
So far, I was able to finish the whole Chapter One, “The Law of the Teacher” and here are some lines which strucks me the most.
I realized that I need to continue striving for development and growth. Leaning alone to the daily routines that I have in my classroom everyday will never help me and my students. A well-presented teacher, is a knowledge-equipped one. Gosh! This is a challenge for me to step up!
I have started attending trainings and seminars and putting love to the Continuing Professional Development in my whole system. Aja! I can do this!
I so love this line honestly. It totally defines my personality as a teacher. I always tell my students that teachers are not perfect and we are also learning. There is always harmony in the class when I can hear an interactive discussions between me and my student. Though teachers value perfection to help students attain the best, I personally value honesty and learnings even more.
All individuals do have different features, different time pacing, and different ways and means of success. So why compare your self to others?
Even I sometimes think that I was of no good and I have many flaws, I still believe that I’m awesome. It’s just that, I trust the standards of my own life and not the standards of other individuals.
The more we label, the more we judge ourselves. This line must not only be limited to the teaching or mentoring. This goes to EVERYONE!
I realized that the more I judge others, the more it seems that I am comparing my self to them. It pulls me down actually. Same scenario may also happen or have been happening to you. I hope we stop labeling people base on our perspective. We are not judge! Let’s just love life anyway.
There are still situations in the past which keep on chasing me but then I realized that maybe, I was the one chasing the past. Sad truth!
This line reminds me to leave past in the past by learning from it. Maybe it’s about time to let go of those things and focus on this future. I know that the process will never be a piece of cake but I will do it! I will face it!
Before I met this book, I was thinking that ”Experience will never be the best TEACHER”, I just believe in my own thought that experience is just a medium and OURSELVES will be our own best teacher.
Somehow, this line proves me right. ”Unexamined life is not worth living” as it was further explained by Dr. Hendricks that “experiences does not necessarily make you better; in fact it tends to make you worse, unless it’s evaluated experience.”
We have the responsibility of encoding, decoding, filtering, evaluating, and assessing our experiences to help us achieve learning!
Lastly, the idea of Chapter One reminds me to start within my self. All the discussion will always boils down here! I, We, Us!
It’s part of my vision to transform others lives without thinking of transforming myself first. Gosh! I need to evaluate and assess more myself so that I can start the movement of changing for the better!
Our Influence will always be alive!
If Dr. Hendricks have written this to educate, inspire and motivate people, then he surpasses success. I felt anew even I just have finished one chapter. He seems to be alive while I was reading it, he seems to be talking to me and guiding me. Is it justifiable when I say, Dr. Hendricks came back to life?
Whatever customs/traditions that we are believing about life after death, I am positive that our influence, our story, our words, our deeds will always leave like living here on Earth. We may have different ways of staying here after we turn into dust, it will always be the IMPACT in the end that matters.
What’s the Challenge?
The book is great, the content is there, the discussion was well articulated, the stories are authentic, plus the author himself is a life changer!
I am challenged to continue reading this up to the last Chapter and apply it to my life and to my teaching mission.
Let me leave you with this general reflection that I had at this moment:
”Books authored by Best Writer will only be bunch of papers to uninspired readers!-
This time, since I am inspired by the story of the author and I’ve found the relief with the book content, this book is never merely a book, it will define my life now!
Credits to the following sites:
Bibliography/Story of Dr. Hendricks: https://voice.dts.edu/article/howard-hendricks-prof/
Photos of Dr. Hendricks:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/howard-hendricks-1924-2013/
http://www.christianbookpreviews.com/christian-book-author.php?isbn=1590523105
http://www.navconnect.org/Resources/Sermons
All photos of Dr. Hendricks as well us the lines from the book were edited using CANVA Application.
The rest of the photos are owned by the author.
Regards,
Ken