Sue Hookway

"I am so grateful that I had this opportunity to be in schools. It is demanding, but so worthwhile."

What led you to become a teacher?

I had always wanted to teach. I didn't know why, except that I wanted to be with children. When the time came for me to leave school, I made sure I looked carefully at other career possibilities such as working in a hospital or being an occupational therapist. But I always attached the caveat 'provided I was with children' and realised that my desire to teach was genuine.

Would you describe this process as a calling or a vocation?

My return to education was prompted by the murder of Jamie Bulger by two young boys. It raised a lot of questions for me. In their school lives did these two young boys have any influence from Christian teachers? It was as if God said to me 'You must go and be that Christian influence in a school like this'. Young people like this would probably never go into a church, so by Christians being in schools they are, in one sense, 'the long arm of the church'. I was scared. 'I couldn't teach teenagers; they are too big and unpredictable.' After a lot of prayer and confirmation, both from the Bible and other Christians, I knew though that this was what God wanted me to do.

What difference do you think being a Christian has made to the sort of teacher that you were?

I realised that being a Christian teacher in a school was far more than just being a Christian presence there. Yes this is tremendously important and I have heard it termed being an 'incarnational model' of Christ. Being a Christian in school certainly means being a role model of what it means to have a living faith in Jesus Christ. Having a Christian member of staff can be a real encouragement to other staff and to pupils (though as one Christian girl said to me 'There is nothing worse than a teacher who is known as a Christian but is a bad teacher'). There have been countless opportunities to share my faith and also set up small prayer groups with other teachers for mutual encouragement and to pray for the school. But being a Christian also influenced my decisions about what to teach and how; were Christian principles, such as relationships and justice, at the core of what I did? When I was in a position of leadership, was I leading in a Christ-like way? It was a case of constantly asking 'What would Christ do in this situation?'

Can you describe any ways in which being a Christian has helped you cope with the challenges of teaching today?

In Haggai 2:23 we read:

"'On that day,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'I will take you (...) and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,' declares the LORD Almighty." (NIV)

As I went into school each day, or prepared and marked work at home, it was as if God was wearing me on his finger to stamp his impression on whatever I was doing. And being on his finger was the safest place I could be in this often turbulent situation!

What would you say to a Christian who was thinking about going into teaching?

I am so grateful that I had this opportunity to be in schools. It is demanding and challenging, but so worthwhile.