Teaching With Jesus: Preparing Your Heart, Not Just Your Lesson Plans
Welcome to The Transformational Teacher Podcast! In this back-to-school episode, D’Toya walks you through 5 powerful spiritual shifts that will reset your heart before you step back into the classroom. Whether you're walking into this year weary or excited, these shifts will help you start with God’s peace, wisdom, and direction.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
- How to surrender last year’s weight and walk freely into this one
- Why renewing your mind daily in the Word shapes your classroom atmosphere
- How to align your vision with God’s for true Kingdom impact
- What it means to lead from identity and not insecurity
- Why you’re not called to teach alone — you’re called to teach with Jesus
Scriptures Shared:
- Psalm 139:23-24 — “Search me, O God…”
- Romans 12:2 — “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”
- Psalm 86:11 — “Teach me Your ways, O Lord…”
- Colossians 2:6-7 — “Let your roots grow down into Him…”
- Philippians 2:13 — “It is God who works in you…”
Reflection Prompts:
- What do I need to release from last year?
- What thought patterns need renewing?
- What is God teaching me this season?
- Am I rooted in who He says I am?
- What vision is He inviting me to walk out?
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Transcript
Hello and welcome to the Transformational Teacher Podcast.
Speaker A:I am your host detoya, and thank you so much for being here.
Speaker A:We are still in the heart of the Back to School season.
Speaker A:So teacher friends, this episode is for you.
Speaker A:But if you're not a teacher, I still believe there's something that will encourage you in this message.
Speaker A:So today I'm walking you through some things that some teachers have already walked through with me.
Speaker A:This isn't just another back to School checklist.
Speaker A:It's is a spiritual reset for your heart.
Speaker A:This is something you don't just do once, but you want to do this throughout the school year.
Speaker A:Let me ask you this.
Speaker A:Have you ever walked into a new school year already tired, feeling like last year's pressure is still lingering?
Speaker A:Or maybe even carrying the worries?
Speaker A:Others have spoke over your class before you even had the chance to experience it yourself?
Speaker A:Or maybe it's the concerns that parents brought to you at open house.
Speaker A:Or maybe the emails you have received with whatever it is, I want you to give those cares over to God.
Speaker A:And also, you may be wondering, how am I supposed to pour out again when I haven't even been filled?
Speaker A:You're not alone.
Speaker A:So many teachers are walking into the classroom spiritually dry.
Speaker A:But here's the truth.
Speaker A:God never called you to teach alone.
Speaker A:God has never called you to teach alone.
Speaker A:You're called to teach with Him.
Speaker A:And that starts with preparing your heart, not just your lesson plans.
Speaker A:We want to make sure we fill ourselves up up daily.
Speaker A:That's why in today's episode, I'm walking you through what I call the five shift framework.
Speaker A:These shifts are about moving from surviving to thriving.
Speaker A:They're about aligning your heart, your mind, your identity, your vision, and your impact with God.
Speaker A:So you're not just showing up in your classroom as a teacher.
Speaker A:You're showing up as a kingdom teacher.
Speaker A:You're showing up with authority from God.
Speaker A:So Shift one is Search my heart.
Speaker A:You can't carry pressure from last year into this year.
Speaker A:Psalms 139, 23, 24 it says, Search me God, and know my heart.
Speaker A:Test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Speaker A:See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Speaker A:Sometimes we're carrying things silently that we may not even realize we're carrying frustration with a parent, exhaustion from a tough student, or even hitting things like unforgiveness, doubt, or fear.
Speaker A:And God says, let me search your heart.
Speaker A:Let me uproot what doesn't belong and plant what does.
Speaker A:So I want you to ask Yourself, what am I still carrying that I need to surrender this year?
Speaker A:Take you out a piece of paper and just write whatever God tells you.
Speaker A:But once you release what's been weighing you down, the next step is to renew what's going on in your mind.
Speaker A:Because your thoughts, they shape what happens around you.
Speaker A:So shift 2 is renew my mind.
Speaker A:Romans 12:2 NLT says, don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
Speaker A:Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect, which what you meditate on will multiply in your classroom.
Speaker A:If you meditate on fear, frustration, or comparison, that's what you will reproduce.
Speaker A:But if you renew your mind daily in God's truth, you'll multiply peace, wisdom, and grace.
Speaker A:So I want you to ask yourself, what thought patterns have I let steal my peace?
Speaker A:And what truth do I choose to believe instead?
Speaker A:You want to make sure you ask God these things, and you want to make sure that you're not comparing yourself to the teacher next door.
Speaker A:You want to stay in the plane that God has marked for you, and once your thoughts are being renewed in his truth, your imposter, to actually learn his ways and not just rely on your own strength.
Speaker A:So shift three is, teach me your ways.
Speaker A: Psalms: Speaker A:Grant me purity of heart so that I may honor you.
Speaker A:So here's the truth.
Speaker A:You're not called to wing it.
Speaker A:You're called to walk in wisdom.
Speaker A:That means you can't just leave, read or teach with your own strategies.
Speaker A:Because, yes, the books that we read, you know, for education, the classes that we've taken, the workshops that we do, they're all good.
Speaker A:But we want to make sure that we are also seeking God for wisdom, that we are allowing the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us, that we're allowing the Holy Spirit to show us things inside of our classroom from a spiritual perspective and to show us what we need to do.
Speaker A:So again, we need his word, we need His Spirit, and we need his strength.
Speaker A:When we let him teach us, we shift from reactive to spirit led.
Speaker A:And that means when things happen inside of our classroom, we're not responding from a fleshly standpoint, but we're responding out of the Spirit.
Speaker A:We're allowing God to do it through us.
Speaker A:So again, we want to do things his way.
Speaker A:So ask yourself, what is God uprooted in me?
Speaker A:So he can teach me his ways.
Speaker A:And as God teaches us, he also reminds us of who we are in Him.
Speaker A:Because if we're not rooted in identity, we'll keep slipping back into surviving mode.
Speaker A:Or we'll keep slipping back into, oh, I have to do it this way, because this teacher is doing it that way.
Speaker A:I seen this on Instagram.
Speaker A:I have to do it.
Speaker B:No, you have to stay in the.
Speaker A:Lane that God has marked for you.
Speaker A:You have to do what God is telling you to do inside of that classroom.
Speaker A:So shift four is rooted in identity.
Speaker B:You're not just a teacher, you're a.
Speaker A:Vessel for kingdom impact.
Speaker B:When you know who you are in Christ, you lead and you teach from.
Speaker A:A place of security, not just striving.
Speaker B:Colossians 2, 6, 7, NLT says, and.
Speaker A:Now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him.
Speaker A:Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on Him.
Speaker B:Then your faith will grow strong in.
Speaker A:The truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
Speaker A:So ask yourself, am I showing up.
Speaker B:As God says I am, or am.
Speaker A:I showing up who the world says I have to be?
Speaker B:So and when you're rooted in identity, you're finally ready for the last shift.
Speaker B:Because everything you've surrendered, everything you've renewed.
Speaker A:And realigned prepares you for kingdom impact.
Speaker A:So shift five is prepare me for impact.
Speaker B:Philippians 2:13, Amplified says, For it is not your strength, but it is God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work, that is strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing in the ability to fulfill.
Speaker A:Your purpose for his good pleasure.
Speaker B:This is where everything comes together.
Speaker B:Vision and preparation, they go hand in hand.
Speaker B:You're not just managing a classroom, you're shaping the atmosphere.
Speaker B:And here's the key.
Speaker B:The vision can't just be ours.
Speaker B:We have to sit with God, and we have to allow God to help.
Speaker A:Us create the vision.
Speaker B:This means asking him, lord, what vision do you have for me as a teacher?
Speaker B:What vision do you have for my classroom?
Speaker B:What vision do you have for my students?
Speaker B:Sometimes he might even give it to you for your students individually.
Speaker B:But again, you want to sit with him.
Speaker B:Because when you align your vision with his, you're not just striving, you're stewarding what he has already planted inside of you.
Speaker B:And when you have a vision, then he's preparing you for impact because you have.
Speaker B:You know where you're going, you know the direction you're headed in.
Speaker B:And when you have that Vision.
Speaker B:When you read over that vision, you keep the vision before you.
Speaker B:When things come up that doesn't line up with it, you're reminded, no, this is not what God said.
Speaker B:So I don't have to accept this.
Speaker B:I don't have to accept the challenges that I'm faced with because I know what God has said.
Speaker B:So I want you to ask yourself, what do I need to carry differently this year in order to make Kingdom Impact?
Speaker B:And what is the vision that God is inviting me to write with Him?
Speaker B:And I'm going to share a little bit with you about what God is telling me to do differently this year.
Speaker B:He is telling me to make sure that I am taking care of myself, making sure I'm watching what I'm eating, making sure I'm getting rest, getting that physical activity in.
Speaker B:Because I'll be honest with you, the body has been going through some challenges lately.
Speaker B:And God has reminded me, you got to do things differently if you want to make that impact.
Speaker B:If I'm saying I'm his vessel, I.
Speaker A:Have to do things his way.
Speaker B:So again, he's telling me, take care of yourself so you can be important to your students, but also you can do all that I've called for for you to do.
Speaker B:So, again, sit with Him.
Speaker B:He's also telling me to make sure that I am seeking him daily and that I am seeing things from his lens and that I what he says to do, that I obey.
Speaker B:So again, make sure you sit with God and allow him to give you the wisdom that is needed for this school year.
Speaker B:Because again, he knows you best.
Speaker B:He knows your students best.
Speaker B:So these five shifts.
Speaker B:Search my heart, renew my mind, teach me your ways rooted in identity, and prepare me for impact.
Speaker B:They're not just a framework, they're an invitation.
Speaker B:Invitation for you to sit with God and allow God to help you as you go throughout this school year.
Speaker B:Again, you don't have to teach alone.
Speaker B:You don't have to figure it all out by yourself because God is with you.
Speaker B:And I would love to walk alongside of you, too.
Speaker B:That's why I created the Teaching with Jesus Membership inside, we'll go deeper into these shifts in my Kingdom Keys framework.
Speaker B:You'll get a monthly live workshop, a pause and pray toolkit, and so much more.
Speaker B:Inside of the Portal, you also, you will have your Teaching with Jesus prayer cards, Kingdom teacher declarations are inside of the portal.
Speaker B:And I am so excited about this because I believe as Kingdom teachers, we are called to make an impact and we want to do that this year.
Speaker B:So Again, if this episode stirred something in you, I want to invite you to join us and lock arms with other teachers who are pursuing peace, joy and confidence as we journey throughout this school year.
Speaker B:So the link will be in the show notes.
Speaker B:Come join us and let's teach with Jesus together.
Speaker B:So let's pray.
Speaker B:Well, Heavenly Father, thank you right now.
Speaker B:I thank you for every teacher.
Speaker B:I thank you, Lord God, for every individual that plays a part in our school.
Speaker B:I pray for your blessings, Lord God, to be upon them.
Speaker B:I pray that they're walking in wholeness, Lord God, on this school year, I pray, Lord God, that we sit with you and we allow you to guide and direct our footsteps.
Speaker B:We allow you to search our hearts.
Speaker B:Show us what needs to be uprooted, Lord God, and show us what needs to be planted on the inside of us.
Speaker B:Lord, we surrender to you.
Speaker B:We lay every care at your feet, Father.
Speaker B:And as we go forth inside that classroom, we go forth, Lord God, in kingdom authority, we go fourth, Lord God, and do your will in our classrooms.
Speaker B:And I thank you Father, for all that you are doing in and through us.
Speaker B:I pray that we trust in you fully as we go throughout this school year.
Speaker B:We don't lean unto our own understanding, but all of our ways.
Speaker B:We acknowledge you as we acknowledge you.
Speaker B:We allow you to guide and direct our footsteps.
Speaker B:We thank you for giving us the wisdom that is needed because it tells us in your word that we can ask you for wisdom and you will give it unto us without finding any fault within us.
Speaker B:So I pray that we ask you for wisdom daily, Lord God.
Speaker B:So I thank you Father.
Speaker B:I thank you for your faithfulness.
Speaker B:I give you honor and I give you glory.
Speaker B:In Jesus name I pray.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker B:Well, thank you so much for listening to this episode.
Speaker B:Speak with you later.
