The following post was written by Tim Sawyer, Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Northwestern.
A teacher affects
eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. (Henry Adams)
What
a joy it is to be a Northwestern College faculty member! Some days, I wonder
how I could have lasted this long, having "never worked a day in my
life!" Over two decades of my life have been spent here, and I am still so
young (at least that is what I keep telling myself). What makes me and my
faculty colleagues want to drive on campus every day is our students - your
children! This NWC student body is a collection of some of the greatest hearts
anywhere. It is the hearts of our students that makes spending time with them
one of the great joys of being a teacher. Since the core “DNA” of our college
is deeply relational, that transaction requires a heart connection – both in
and out of the classroom. The work done in the classroom can often be mainly
transactional in their heads, but it is those deep relationships that spill
over into life beyond the classroom that can become truly transformational in
theirs hearts. This is one of the unique perks of a private, Christian college
education.
Early
in my time at Northwestern, one of our graduates whom I hardly knew told me
(over an inadvertent lunch) that during his four years as a student here, not
one faculty member had ever taken a personal interest in him outside of the
classroom. This was a stunning revelation, and when I pressed him further to
tell me why this might have been, he said: “I
guess they were all so busy teaching that they had no time to notice me.”
Hearing him say this deeply grieved me. From that day forward, I decided to do
what I could to change that. Since I am conductor of the NWC men’s chorus and
college choir (a mixed choir half comprised of men) and also the vocal coach
for the Eagle Football team, I have the privilege of investing in a lot of our
NWC men, one-on-one. I love engaging in what I like to call "the ministry
of lunch" when we can get some one-on-one time at Famous Dave’s or Grumpy’s
or some other guy-friendly restaurant. There, in a safe place away from campus,
I get the chance to hear their stories and to listen to their hearts and learn
about their spiritual journey. Sometimes that's just what they need - - to talk
freely, to be heard, be affirmed for who they are, and for who they are
becoming.
I
am happy to assure you that I am not the only faculty or staff member who does
this; many other do the same – in their way and on their terms. It’s one of the
best things about NWC, but often not widely known. As parents, you can be sure
that we are not just interested in the academic or intellectual life of your
children; we also care about their souls, their hearts and finding ways to help
them develop fully into all that God wants for them to be, for His glory. Thank
you for entrusting us with them.
