I consider myself very blessed! I have the wonderful privilege of learning in two different classroom settings. From 7:30 a.m. till 12:30 p.m., I sit in a classroom at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary as a student. From 1:15 p.m. till 3:00 p.m., I stand in front of a classroom at Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School (KMLHS) as a teacher. I have witnessed incredible growth both in myself and in my students. I have grown in my skills as a teacher and future pastor, and my students have grown in their desire to learn more about God’s Word.

I never thought I would teach in a high school setting. Before teaching at KMLHS, I didn’t have much experience doing ministry with teens. However, when the opportunity was offered to me, I thought I would give it a shot and see how God would help me grow through it. I am very grateful that I took that opportunity! I have grown in my confidence in teaching God’s Word and in my love for the God-fearing teens I get to teach.

The seminary schedule is busy already. This teaching role certainly made my schedule even busier. This was a good thing! I had to figure out how to balance doing my seminary homework, teaching fifty students, correcting their homework, and preparing lessons at the same time. This helped me grow in my time-management skills. I had to learn how to be more efficient at getting things done while not sacrificing priorities.

Thankfully, my vicar year was instrumental in helping me do so. My supervising pastor, Pastor Stephen Helwig (Gethsemane, Omaha, Nebraska), got me in the habit of planning my week out ahead of time via a block plan. This helped me delegate tasks to certain periods of time throughout an entire week. This routine during my vicar year has been very helpful for me during my senior year at the seminary. This has been the busiest school year for me by far, and yet it has also been my most productive school year by far. All these tasks and priorities have forced me to make sure all my available time is used efficiently and wisely while also still making time for necessary breaks and rest.

I also have grown in confidence as a teacher. The first couple weeks of class at KMLHS were intimidating. I had never taught a high school class before. Yet there I was, standing in front of a bunch of sophomores I had never met. Eventually, I got used to teaching them and grew to love it! It brought me much joy to teach these students more about God’s Word. It especially brought me joy when my students got to ask me deeper questions about faith and God’s Word.

On Fridays, I gave the students the opportunity to ask me anything they wanted about the Bible and our faith. They frequently asked me all sorts of deep and thoughtful questions about the Bible, ministry, faith, and doctrine. Their questions showed that they were interested in taking a deeper dive into Scripture. It was a joy to see the students grow in their desire to learn more than just the familiar stories of the Bible. I’m thankful that God blessed me with the opportunity to get to see that growth.

Malachi Mortenson, a 2025 seminary graduate, taught part time at KMLHS during the 2024–2025 school year.