7 Key Qualities of Effective Teachers
Encouragement for Christian Educators
by Robin Cox
Foreword by Paul Browning
Imprint: Resource Publications
7 Key Qualities of Effective Teachers: Encouragement for Christian Educators aims to encourage and inspire Christian teachers in their critically important role as transformative educators who motivate and encourage others to become the best people God created them to be. The book explores seven key qualities of an effective teacher: relationships, Christlikeness, empowerment, empathy, humility, affirmation, and teamwork. Each chapter contains a prayerful reflection, an encouraging and inspiring poem or idea, quotes and references to provide compelling biblical reasons to keep focusing on a relational God, and true stories of how Christian educators have encouraged others in both secular and Christian school environments. Seventy-two practical teaching strategies are spread throughout the book. Each chapter concludes with movers and shakers, two true examples of how God uses ordinary, imperfect, and fallible individuals to do his extraordinary global work.
Robin Cox was a school principal in southern Africa, sports coach to national under-nineteen level, and developer of youth mentoring programs in New Zealand and Australia. Robin has written books about teacher-mentors, youth mentoring, peer mentoring, and encouraging youth to fulfill their God-given talents. He has trained over a thousand volunteer adult mentors and personally mentored over a thousand adolescents. A cancer survivor, Robin is married with two adult children and lives in New Zealand.
“Robin Cox has brought together a lifetime of Christian devotion and understanding of young people and their challenges in this work. He shares experiences, anecdotes, examples, and quotations from a variety of sources which enrich and illustrate the seven qualities of the title. The wealth and variety of information is clearly and simply presented to assist and empower teachers everywhere, both young and experienced. The work is deeply spiritual; the counsel contemporary, practical, and universal.”
—E. L. (Libby) Huggett, Former Deputy Principal, St Mary’s School for Girls, Waverley, Johannesburg
“Sometimes if a book isn’t available you have to write it yourself. Robin Cox has done just that with this one. He has condensed the wisdom acquired from decades of learning, teaching, and mentoring into what could be described as an essential guide for Christian teachers. Each short chapter brims with the promise of treasure to be discovered if we will only take it to heart and apply it to our practice.”
—Graham Coyle, Chairman, European Educators’ Christian Association, England
“In an increasingly complex educational landscape, this book provides a wonderful foundation upon which all educators can refer to for guidance, inspiration, and some well-grounded practical strategies. Robin has acquired a significant body of knowledge over a long and distinguished career, and we are now privileged to be able to share in this, so that we too may play a role in the education of both teachers and students. Thank you, Robin!”
—Damien Barry, Regional Principal, OneSchool Global, Tasmania and Queensland
“In these times of climate change, global turmoil, and mental health issues, this book is a pivotal investigation into the necessity for critical support for the youth of the world. Robin Cox’s ‘whanau’—the world he has known so well as scholar, sports’ coach, academic, and mentor—is presented as a challenge to all teachers who in their servant-leadership role, may, in walking in his shoes, ultimately stand enriched through studying the authenticity of his ideals.”
—Hugh Huggett, Head of English and Staff Executive, St. Stithians College, South Africa
“Every teacher at some stage in their career will question whether what they are doing is really worth it or making a difference. This book certainly helps answer that question by reminding us that teaching is a divine calling and part of God’s mission. Full of inspiration, real life stories, and biblical encouragement, it certainly meets the author’s goal of being a user-friendly book for Christian educators that refocuses its readers on the greatest teacher of all time, Jesus.”
—Nigel Winder, Children and Families Team Leader, Scripture Union New Zealand
“7 Key Qualities of Effective Teachers by Robin Cox is an overdue, rich, and inspiring resource for educators—and in fact for leaders in any organization. The seven qualities and the seventy-two practical strategies give shape to the core concept—how to be an authentic person, an effective leader, a transformative influencer, and how to do that in a way that is based on the way Jesus modeled. I highly recommend this rich resource as a daily text to delve into, to reflect on, to apply as we lead those entrusted to our care, whether they be young people or adults to whom we provide leadership.”
—Rudi Pakendorf, educator and business consultant, Wisconsin