The Story of Cherish
A secondary school teacher once had a daughter named Cherish. With very little free time, the teacher was unable to pay attention to her daughter’s academics. Because of this, Cherish struggled to assimilate information, crying each time a lesson was taught to her.
One fateful day, Cherish visited her friend Favour, who was both her neighbor and classmate. Favour was an intelligent girl and the only child in her family. Favour’s parents looked down on Charity and wanted their daughter to stop associating with her. In an attempt to end their friendship when Cherish arrived at their house, Favour’s mother called Cherish a nonentity right in front of her daughter.
Devastated, Cherish returned home and cried all day. Her bitterness and sadness caught the attention of her mother, who realized Cherish needed support. As a trained teacher, Cherish’s mother prayed for her daughter and began dedicating more time and attention to Cherish’s studies. On her own, Cherish asked God for the wisdom to learn, read, and write.
Over time, Cherish’s abilities began to improve. She also began to teach lessons to her little sister, Daisy. The teaching practice helped both Cherish and her sister learn and read more. By God’s grace, the mental horizons of both sisters widened. When she reached Primary Five, Cherish stood out among her peers due to her ability to teach and recite.
One Sabbath, Cherish was given a sermon to preach at church on Children’s Day. To the great amazement of everyone who attended, Cherish performed excellently. God gave Cherish the wisdom to preach, teach, and interact with the congregation.
When the time came, both Cherish and Favour received admission to the Owerrinta Adventist Secondary Technical College in Nigeria. To the great disappointment of Favour’s mother, Cherish was among the top students in the class, ahead of Favour. Cherish remained at the top of her class through the secondary school level. The so-called “nonentity” at the primary level had become an intelligent and versatile young woman.
Reflection: A Work That Cannot Be Transferred
Teachers and parents bear responsibilities that nobody else can hold. Their work cannot be overlooked or transferred. To be an example that children can emulate, they must rely on the word of God and realize how much their students depend on them for character formation.
As Ellen White has written, it is a sad fact that the home education and training of the youth have been neglected. The work entrusted to fathers and mothers in the home is the greatest and most far-reaching of all. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
Good study and learning habits begin at home. Fathers and mothers can encourage positive behavior in their children through their own reading and studying habits. Seeing these actions modeled at home can help the students excel in both academic and moral behaviors. These things, in combination with a well-designed teaching strategy at school, help shape children spiritually, mentally, socially, and morally.
Some general study guidelines for successful students include:
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- Time Management: Students should create intentional time for their studies outside of class time, being sure to balance this with worship, food, classes, and sleep.
- Distraction-Free Environment: To achieve optimal performance, students should select a quiet study spot that is free of distractions and noise.
- Active Study Time & Rest: Studying is an active performance, engaging an individual both mentally and physically. To ensure productivity, this must be balanced with the body’s need for rest.
- Avoidance of Heavy Food: Eating a light meal and staying hydrated helps keep the body more alert, while large meals and fried foods can cause drowsiness.
- Use Memorization Strategies: Utilizing tools like flash cards, abbreviations, acronyms, and word identification strategies can help make learning new knowledge easier.
Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Using these study techniques and the support of both parents and teachers, students will be placed on the path to success.
Author
Gift Dobson
Nkechi is currently a technical teacher at the Adventist Secondary Technical College, Owerrinta. She is an Adventist pastor's wife from the Aba East Conference. She has a postgraduate diploma in education, higher diploma in agricultural engineering, and an MSc and PhD in food science and technology. She’s happily married with three children.