We are often admonished to be an example to others. Religious leaders and intellectuals alike have recognized the power of example. Mohandas K. Gandhi said, “I have always felt that the true textbook for the pupil is the teacher.” Carl Jung asserted that “Children are educated by what the grown-up is, and not be his words.” Bandura demonstrated the power of modeling with his Bobo doll experiment, and we all have personal testimonials to share about the power of example.

Marion D. Hanks remembers how his tiny niece used to lick her finger each time she was about to turn a page in her storybook. She had seen her father do this many times. Actually, she was moistening the finger on her left hand and turning with her right. My little boy watched his first baseball game when he was 4. Every time he threw a ball after that, he used an elaborate wind-up. Given this principle of truth, what do I need to do as a classroom teacher to be a valuable example for my students?

If the two great commandments concern love, what do you suppose our most powerful teaching tool is? When you shared stories about your favorite teachers, “loving” was very often one of the characteristics that you mentioned. President Gordon B. Hinckley wrote that “Love is like the Pole Star. In a changing world, it is a constant. It is a beacon of hope in a world of distress.” In the May, 1982 issue of the Ensign, Enzio Busche wrote, “The person who has earned love the least, needs it the most, and Goethe wrote, “We learn only from those whom we love.” So my question is, How can I ensure that love will infuse my classroom?

Plato once said that knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind. Agency is the bedrock of our faith, it is the reason we are here on this earth. President David O. McKay said that “Next to the bestowal of life itself, the right to direct that life is God’s greatest gift to man. . . Freedom of choice is more to be treasured than any possession earth can give.” Kahil Gibran wrote that “The teacher who is wise indeed does not bid you into the house of wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.” If agency is so crucial for growth, there must be room to exercise agency in the classroom. How can agency be granted in learning activities, in classroom rules, in assessment?

Eminent child psychologist, Bruno Bettleheim, wrote that the word discipline derives from the Latin “ ” (need to look up spelling), which means to learn. He writes of how Christ’s disciples learned because they loved and admired him and strove to be like him. It is the same with children, he advises. Their behavior will reflect the degree of love and respect they have for us. Children who feel secure, valued, interested and contented will not be discipline problems. Of course, this is a solution to behavioral problems that takes a great deal of time and patience. At times, we need a way to calm a disruptive child right now. We know that it is always damaging to be harsh with a child. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow writes “A torn jacket is soon mended, but hard work bruises the heart of a child. How can we use Christ’s example as we try to deal with a child who misbehaves?