In my daily devotion, I was directed to a passage from Joshua 1. It spoke about being courageous in our daily battles.

As I meditated on this, I was reminded of the many men and women who daily march into the classroom and courageously fight to empower students with the skills for academic success.

For those who've never been in the classroom it may be hard to imagine anyone declaring it a "battlefield".

A single teacher can face a dozen or more students for whom education is just a means to an end rather than a source of knowledge. Those who are lacking in basic skills provide challenges of remediation and corrective teaching. Behavioural challenges, stemming largely from internal perceptions of non-academic ability, regularly interfere with the flow of a lesson.

Fortunately, there are many who, fortified by prayer and a belief that all children can learn, daily enter the classroom to make a difference.

And sometimes the "battle" is internal. Educators who have been serving for a long time take a huge risk as they open themselves to new methodologies and instructional practices.

Whether you're like "Blondie", who is deepening her understanding of her role in a leadership position; or like "Peaches" who is raising the standard and challenging others to do the same; or like "Wen" who, despite being an educator for nearly 20 years yet still is motivated to help students, I encourage us to "stay strong and be of good courage".