My First Teaching Experience -- Surrender as An Act of Worship

#ukelele #teaching #God #Grace #Worship #GlorifyGod #frustrations #gratitude #challenges #difficulties #learning #Joy #Surrender

Hannah Go

A believer seeking the infinite God amidst the finite world.

Each day, we do many little things without a second thought — brushing our teeth, reaching for our phone, and saying "hi" the moment we see friends and co-workers. We do not bring awareness of God to those small habits, and it is also true for bigger tasks that require thinking and planning, including teaching.

Teaching requires careful execution; one must know the subject and be able to present the content in a digestible way to a mind that is foreign to it. One must also be aware of the students’ learning needs. Although teaching can be fulfilling, the process can be fraught with frustrations, magnified if it is conducted without the glory of God in mind.

This is true of my first experience in teaching the ukulele; I mostly relied on my own strength and ability instead of fully bringing God into the picture.

Recently, I had an opportunity to teach the ukulele for four days to students of various

ages, from teens to adults in their thirties.

I had never taught anyone how to play an instrument, but I had some confidence that this was doable thanks to my prior experience with tutoring. I would collaborate with a teaching assistant, for whom I was very grateful. Being a former music student myself, I also had the opportunity to emulate the teaching styles, passion, and patience of my music teachers. I overall felt enthusiastic and ready to be a teacher.

Initially, I was pleasantly surprised and excited that the students seemed to be getting the hang of the ukulele easily. It became clearer as the week progressed, however, that the students were on different levels, and so difficulties arose regarding following the teaching plan.

My teaching assistant and I explored different ways to ensure we addressed each student's needs while completing the lessons, given the limited time of four days. However, overall, the progress was not what I had hoped for or expected. It left me feeling frustrated. I encouraged the students to give themselves grace, but I was inwardly disappointed with myself.

In my genuine quest to ensure that the students were learning and making progress, I had forgotten that this teaching was ultimately meant to glorify God. I had also forgotten the truth that God's grace is sufficient in my weakness.

There was nothing wrong and may even be a good thing with my desire to help the students learn; however, I had placed it over the highest good, which was to let God be God, to let Him work in and through my human imperfections as a testimony to His perfect goodness.

In other words, I needed to relax and lay all my frustrations and challenges at His feet. Yes, I did need to teach and give my very best, but anything beyond my control should be surrendered to God.

My main priority was to please God by being dutiful and faithful to the task He had given me. Any improvement was entirely God's grace. 

Embracing this mindset helped me recognize God’s blessings. My team members and assistant teacher were immensely supportive and encouraging. My students were respectful, diligent, and eager to practice and play the ukulele.

It fostered gratitude and contentment within me; I began to have peace with and genuinely appreciate the group's progress. Moreover, I got to fully partake in joy and laughter with my group amidst the struggles.

Each moment I had with my students became a precious opportunity for me to acknowledge the image of God that each of them bears as expressed through their unique personalities and strengths. While some became very skilled at playing the ukulele, others had gifts of dance, leadership, humor, kindness, and many more.

This emphasized an important part of teaching and being a genuine follower of God: we must connect with others to gain appreciation for how God intricately created them and be able to uplift them.

The week concluded with a worship concert on the fifth day featuring all the students, which was amazing and a lot of fun. The students were able to showcase what they had learned, and they played, danced, and sang the songs well. I was proud of their accomplishments.

Looking back, had I remained obsessively focused on ensuring improvements, I would have ended up bitter and failed to see what God was working on throughout the entire process. He was nurturing worshippers who were passionate about sharing His light and love, as evidenced by their joy and intensity during worship.

By learning to rest in God, I experienced the freedom of being present in each moment and basking in God's goodness and blessings. Joy and peace became my companions, replacing anxiety and disappointment.

I have learned the importance of being earnest in my responsibilities, big or small, as an offering to God. I need not fret about the fruits of my labor, as God will redeem them in His time.

Such surrender was an act of worship, an unspoken praise that heralded God as the king in control of all seen and unforeseen workings in our humble, simple lives.