Overview
of the MK Teacher
Education Program
Teachers of missionary children are missionaries themselves and at the same time serve other missionaries by teaching their children. Their role is part of a network of individuals with many different jobs, the sum of which is the organized pursuit of the different aspects of taking the gospel of Christ Jesus to those in international situations who have never heard it. To that end there is a constant need for more teachers. The road to becoming a teacher of missionary children, (MK teacher) begins with a level of interaction with Christ that leads to a desire to serve Him in this way. This relationship represents a level of maturity, of commitment, and of willingness to become prepared to the degree that one can make a significant contribution to teaching children of missionaries.
The typical route to becoming an MK teacher is to complete a teacher education program, finish college, obtain a teaching credential, teach for a few years, and then make application to a mission agency. The result of this model produces a varying quantity of new teachers each year and is probably the route of choice for practicing teachers who have little or no debt and who want to become MK teachers. However, there are not enough new MK teachers that can be recruited from experienced teachers in order to fill all the vacancies in MK schools. Some schools even begin a school year with an inadequate number of teachers. As good as this model is it has an inherent weakness even though the rationale and logic are sound, especially since the first year of teaching is always difficult. The weakness has to do with the requirement of gaining teaching experience before going to the mission field by teaching for a period of time. A significant number of prospective MK teachers never make it to the mission field because once they begin teaching and begin paying off college debts it becomes difficult to make the change. Some get married, buy a house, start a family, and the vision of teaching in a mission school becomes less of a reality and passion.
The challenge is to provide teaching experience and other readiness items prior to graduation so prospective MK teachers will be ready to go to the mission field immediately after graduation, thereby increasing the number of possible teachers. Related is the need to reduce the debt accumulated while in college since mission agencies do not pay a salary and have debt limits.
The MKTEP provides information that may be useful as you consider becoming an MK teacher. These items include:
1. Bible verses
2. Learning about mission agencies that send teachers to work with children of missionaries
3. Learning about teachers of missionary children.
5. Professional readiness items
6. Attitudinal readiness items
7. Frequently asked questions