How Love and Value Show Up in Education

The foundations in teaching respectable principles of becoming a good human being start at home and require honest self-evaluation.

by Taticasejuana Bobo Stevens

Those who are not living under a rock or circumventing the news know the world can use a little more love these days. As a parent, community partner in education and citizen, it’s disheartening to read how little we show love to one another and how little we value not only the lives of others but our very own.

“As a parent, community partner in education and citizen, it’s disheartening to read how little we show love to one another and how little we value not only the lives of others but our very own.”

TATICASEJUANA BOBO STEVENS

I recently posed a question to my Sunday School class: “What does love mean to you?” You can imagine the myriad of responses that were shared. One student clarified that love is an action word, while another put forth that it was simply being kind to your friends. Still another student bellowed, “Love just feels good!” All of their responses were aligned and accurate, allowing me to acquiesce to them all. As a scholar, I grabbed my Merriam-Webster dictionary to ascertain a general consensus on the word. Here’s what I found: (a) strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties, (b) affection based on admiration, (c) benevolence or common interest and (d) warm attachment, enthusiasm or devotion.

I then asked, “What does value mean to you?” There was a subtle ponder. I received responses like cost, worthiness and importance, along with a malleable retort: “Something special.” Again, my future leaders’ were precise with their answers. Now, I’ll ask you what I asked my students. Are you loved and valued? How do you know? Who tells you, or is it simply shown? Most all of their replies were established at home, which was refreshing. 

We all need to be beacons of light, demonstrating what love and value represent to us. My observations lead me to believe that the foundations in teaching respectable principles of becoming a good human being are God, love and value. God is love, and if we have love in our hearts, we will value ourselves, families and everyone we encounter. We will understand that there is significant value placed on all lives and that we should resist the desire to harm one another, especially when unprovoked. 

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Charity starts at home, then spreads abroad. I’m confident that great students originate from noble foundations that begin at home. It shows up wherever we go from there, including in classrooms. How are you showing up in education? 

Taticasejuana Bobo Stevens is a Ph.D. candidate and holds an undergraduate degree in accounting and a Master of Business Administration. She is the CEO and founder of Stebeaux’s Educational Enterprises, LLC and the Taylor Marie Bo Foundation, Inc.

Click here to read more stories by Taticasejuana Bobo Stevens.

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