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Here’s another wonderful point from What the Best College Teachers Do. A Harvard Law professor, Derrick Bell, was the first African American to be granted tenure at the school. He was noted for being one of the most effective teachers in ways in which he treated his students. He treated his students with courtesy and dignity. Class time was for the students, but he would take a few minutes at the beginning of class to talk with them about their lives and share personal moments of his own with them (page 148). One of his students reported that he and his wife were walking in the Village near NYU one morning and pointed out that Derrick Bell teaches there. The man’s wife suggested that he apply to the program so he did, was accepted, and studied with Bell. He treated his students with decency, respect, and concern (page 149).

How many people in the towns where we live, in our workplaces, or in our schools want to attend our churches because of how we treat others? Are we treating people with decency, respect, and concern? Do we treat them in ways showing we care and want to talk with them?

Or are we busy with our own lives? Do we have separate lives … a work life, a neighborhood life, a school life … and we do our own thing on church days?

Tags: Books, Educational, Ministry //