Episode 73 - Teaching Is a Mission Field: How God Uses Educators Every Day with Gretchen Huesmann

Date: April 25, 2025

Podcast Show Notes: Interview with Gretchen Huesmann

 

Episode Highlights: In this inspiring episode of The Women Behind the Words, host Debbie Dufek sits down with Gretchen Huesmann—teacher, speaker, and award-winning author—for a conversation filled with honesty, insight, and hope for today's educators. As the author of It’s a Good Day to Be a Teacher: 52 Devotions to Equip and Encourage Educators, Gretchen brings her heart and firsthand experience to the table, offering support to those navigating the complexities of the classroom post-pandemic.

Gretchen shares how God called her back into the classroom after a season of stepping away, revealing the unique challenges students, teachers, and administrators now face. From children struggling to hold books to overwhelmed parents and burned-out educators, she unpacks the urgent need for spiritual and emotional reinforcement in schools today.

This episode explores how Gretchen’s devotional came to be—not just as another book on a shelf, but as a God-ordained resource rooted in Scripture, prayer, and practical application. With 365 daily reflections divided into four school terms—fall, winter, spring, and summer—her devotions offer tangible tools to strengthen teachers from the inside out.

Debbie and Gretchen also discuss how Christian educators can bring the presence of God into even secular classrooms, the power of prayer over class lists, and the mindset shift needed to see each school day as an opportunity to make an eternal difference.

Whether you're a classroom teacher, homeschool parent, or simply someone who knows and loves a teacher, this episode will stir your heart, offer encouragement, and equip you to face the educational front lines with purpose and peace.

 

About the Guest: Gretchen Huesmann is a seasoned teacher, speaker, blogger, and multi-genre award-winning author with a heart for helping others connect to Jesus—whether they're three or ninety-three. She’s taught in seven different states, served alongside her pastor husband in five congregations, and currently resides in Pensacola, Florida. Gretchen is the author of numerous articles and devotions, an active member and leader in Word Weavers International, and a certified speaker for women’s and educational events. Her first book, It’s a Good Day to Be a Teacher, was released in March 2025, and her debut picture book Our Daily Bread is set to release in 2027.

 

Book Spotlight: It’s a Good Day to Be a Teacher: 52 Devotions to Equip and Encourage Educators Today’s educators face unprecedented challenges in and out of the classroom. This book offers more than encouragement—it delivers biblical tools to empower teachers in their calling. Each weekly devotion provides:

• Spiritual insights and inspiration

• Courage to continue the calling

• Practical steps for application

• Additional prompts for deeper study

Teachers will discover the strength and joy to teach from a place of peace and purpose while seeing lives transformed—starting with their own.

 

Connect with Gretchen: Website: www.gretchenhuesmann.com Email: [e-mail] Instagram: @gretchenhuesmann Facebook: Gretchen Huesmann, Author/Speaker

 

Closing Thought: The classroom is a mission field, and every day is a new opportunity to sow seeds that will outlast the lesson plan. What might change if we started every school day with this truth in mind?

 

Featured Scripture (TPT): "The Lord alone is our radiant hope and we trust in him with all our hearts. His wraparound presence will strengthen us." — Psalm 33:20 (TPT)