Everybody wants quality; quality service, quality education, quality music, etc.  The thing about quality is that it’s so subjective.  Ask ten people about the quality of almost any product or service and you’ll get at least ten different opinions!  Maybe more.  Why?  Because of expectations.  Dr. Mark Rutland, President of Oral Roberts University, defines quality as “met expectations.”  Think about it.  If a product or service does not meet your expectations, you’ll be dissatisfied with it.  The quality of anything from an ice cream cone to a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon is subject to whether the expectation was met or not.  It really is that simple.  The trick is communicating your expectation.

In every relationship, expectations are in full effect.  If those expectations are not fully and clearly communicated what often happens is two sets of differing expectations begin to conflict.  I’ve said for years that communication is the toughest obstacle in any relationship.

For the teacher, communicating expectations to students is equally important as communicating course material.  The success of the student depends on this clear communication.

I remember a teacher I had in high school.  Mr Quisenberry taught mathematics to my class of football players.  The reason he is so memorable is because of what he communicated to our class concerning his expectations.  I’ll never forget the first day of class when Mr Quisenberry clearly explained his vision for the class time.  It went something like this, “Here’s how I like to run the class.  I will teach the material and leave ample time at the end of the hour for you to get most, if not all of the assigned homework finished.  That way, I’ll be here to answer any questions you have and you can help each other also.  In order to do that, you must give your full attention in class as I explain the material.  If we understand each other, we’ll have a good time learning algebra this year.”  I had a great time learning albebra I, II and geometry with Mr. Quisenberry; we all did.  And, we almost never had any homework from any of his classes.  Mr. Quisenberry was a good teacher for two reasons; he communicated the material and there was no guessing what he expected.

Whether you’re a teacher or student, husband or wife, manager or employee, leader or volunteer, expectations must be communicated clearly if quality is to be achieved.

My children have been listening to me tell stories for more than a decade.  The stories they still request are about a dog named Ole Blue.  Ole Blue is a farm dog and he is as close to human as an animal can be.  He does amazing things like rescue people, take vacations, and of course Ole Blue likes to go to church.  What my children didn’t realize for a long time is that the farm where Ole Blue resides is the Smith family farm where I spent a lot of time as a kid.  I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love being on the farm.  God’s life plan for me didn’t include making a living on the farm but I continue to fantasize about it through the stories I tell about Ole Blue.

Last week I took the family to Wichita for a funeral.  My uncle, Maynard Harv Erway died Sunday November 2, 2011.  He was ninety-three years old and quite a character.  The trip provided lots of opportunity to tell my kids several stories about my childhood.  It amazes me how they love hearing those stories.  Last night the family sat around the kitchen table and told stories about Maynard.  After everyone left, Colson, my middle child wanted more.  I smiled as I listened to my mom tell stories about her childhood; the school teacher that wore the same suit, shirt and tie every day of school, all year long; going to her grandma’s house and having huckleberry pie; how grandpa proposed to her.  Precious times.  What is so appealing about stories?  We all love them.  Stories are the twine that tie humans together.  The stories my children heard last week gave them a special glimpse into who they are, how they came to be, what they can aspire to.

You have a story.  And, there are people who want to hear it.  Tell your story.

People respond to atmosphere.  Some people place an extremely high value on atmosphere.  Denice and I fit into that category.  I don’t want to eat at a restaurant unless it has atmosphere.  Yes, the food needs to be good and the service too but if it has both great food and great service but no atmosphere, I won’t enjoy it.  My wife, Denice has worked with me here at Lawton First Assembly for almost nine years now.  Her job is to make sure our Worship Arts events have atmosphere.  She’s great at thinking about how people will respond to the atmosphere in the room.  She knows what kind of atmosphere is needed to accomplish our vision for the event.  We call her an atmosphere engineer.  When people sense there has been thought applied to what they will experience when they eat a meal, sit down to work or attend a worship service it affects their response.  It makes them feel special, cherished, valued.  There is an endless list to the applications of this but I’m going to make just one in this post.  Teaching.  We do much of it here at church and it’s important to consider what the atmosphere is like in our teaching space.  We know the effects of appropriate atmosphere in a teaching environment.  As a teacher I try to be aware of the kind of atmosphere needed to help students learn.  Everything a human can sense plays into this; the temperature of the room, the noise level, chairs, tables, surfaces, shapes, colors, clutter, etc.  As teachers we can’t control everything and we don’t want to however, we won’t control anything unless we are intentional about it.  So, next time you step into a classroom to teach or to learn, think about the atmosphere.  Whether you’re the teacher or the student, you can affect the atmosphere.

I guess I could easily say that the one thing I get most excited about in ministry is teaching. I consider myself a teacher; therefore, I really enjoy being in front of students lecturing or illustrating ideas or skills. What thrills me more than anything is to see a student discover a new or different idea, concept or higher level of skill. There is something about watching someone grow in front of you that is exhilarating. I think about how their future will be changed because of what they are learning. It pumps me up when I think about what opportunities might open up for them because of the new things they know or abilities they’ve conquered. I can imagine what effect their learning experience might have on future generations. I wonder how God will choose to use them in ministry.

In coming weeks on this blog, I want to talk about some things I do as a teacher which I believe to be extremely important in any kind of learning environment.

Atmosphere
Expectations
Challenge
Support
Encouragement
Praise