Ms. James’s Class

By Mary Bea

Ms. James has been a faithful third-grade teacher at Joi Christian School for the past ten years. She has a special way with her students. She listens to their problems and prays with them. The children all love Ms. James.

As a new school year begins, Ms. James prepares her classroom while praying for her new students and their parents. Ms. James not only loves teaching, but also God. As she leads her students through a new year, Ms. James educates them about life, godly living, and how to love and care for each other. But most importantly, Ms. James reminds them that with God’s help, they can do all things.

In this Christian juvenile novel, a caring third-grade teacher offers her heart and spiritual wisdom to her students while letting them know that they are all gifts from God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Apr 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9781973673330

Mary Bea

Mary Bea is a retired case manager who loves working with children. She has been Christian education director, Sunday school teacher, youth program director, summer camp director and counselor, choir director, and workshop coordinator. Today she resides in Fairview, Oregon, where she enjoys spending time with her adult children, grandchildren, and spiritually adopted children.

Book preview

Before School Reopens

It was a cool, windy morning in November, just a few days before Joi Christian School reopened for the new school year. Joi Christian School was a year-round school.

The janitors were busy cleaning and setting up everything for new students and those returning to school this quarter. The cafeteria staff was busy in the kitchen, cleaning and planning menus for healthy meals for the children and staff each day. The teachers were busy arranging their classrooms the way they wanted them.

Principal Johnson called a meeting with all staff to go over any problems and get them corrected before class started Monday morning. The secretary handed all the teachers lists of the students they would have in their classes.

One of these teachers was Ms. James, who had been a faithful third-grade teacher at Joi Christian School for the past ten years. Ms. James loved children and teaching. Ms. James had a special way with the children. She listened to their problems and prayed with them. They loved her.

The next day was a cool morning with a gentle breeze. Ms. James was in her classroom, studying the children in her class folders. She looked out the window, and watched the wind blowing the leaves. Then, all of a sudden, she noticed a little squirrel scurry around, cross the street, go from tree to tree, and then climb a big oak tree. She smiled and said to herself, How awesome and great is our God.

Ms. James looked over the list of new students who would be in her class on Monday and prayed for them. As she looked over her list, she noticed she had two children with disabilities. One child, Johnny, was hard of hearing in his left ear. Another child, Tina, had been in a car accident which left her unable to walk; she used an electric wheelchair to get around.

Ms. James immediately got up to rearrange the classroom to accommodate these children. She put Johnny up front, left of her desk, so he could hear in his right ear. She put Tina behind him and no one behind Tina so she had easy access. Ms. James lined the other students in rows to the side of them.

On Friday morning, Ms. James was in her classroom, praying for the students and their parents. She was very excited about school restarting Monday morning. She also put up some encouraging posters on the wall for the children. Ms. James placed a name card on each student’s desk. She wrote a greeting and her name on the board, along with a Bible verse from Philippians 4:13 NKJV

I can do all things through, Christ who strengthens me.

The verse would motivate the children, and let them know that with God’s help, they can do all things. They would know that there was someone alongside them, giving them strength for understanding what they were learning.

Ms. James looked out the window and praised God for this school quarter. She also prayed for wisdom in teaching her class and helping them to learn to be all God wants them to be. Then she left her classroom and the school until she Monday morning.

School Begins

It was Monday morning, the first day of school. The weather was cloudy, slightly windy, and very chilly. There was excitement in the air for the first day of school. Ms. James arrived at school early, her curriculum in her arms. She also had small cards with a Bible verse for the students. Ms. James placed one of the cards on each child’s desk.

As she waited for class to get started, she looked out the window. She saw a little dog chasing squirrels, followed by a little boy chasing the dog and screaming, Stop! Come here! The squirrels scurried up the oak tree. The dog stopped at the bottom of the tree and stood barking. Little girls skipped up the street. Some children were walking, and playing tag, some running. Other children rode bikes and scooters. Parents were helping children out of cars. All were excited for school.

As the first bell rang, Ms. James stood at the classroom door to greet her students. The students came into the classroom one by one, full of excitement for their first day of school.

Then Tina and her mother arrived. Ms. James talked to them briefly, showing them where Tina would sit to accommodate her wheelchair. Soon afterward, Johnny and his mother arrived. Ms. James