We long to see our students have hearts that are tuned to, and turned toward, God. In our world of loud, conflicting, insistent, constantly streaming voices it takes purposeful intent and a good measure of self-discipline, on a personal level, to attend to what is needful and that which results in a flourishing life that bears good fruits. Author David … Read More
Grace This Time
When Ms. Lang mentions the grape–the one that was flung into a circle of girls–Jackson’s face goes red. “Yeah, that was me,” he admits with a sheepish grin. “Jackson, you know that throwing food in the cafeteria is an automatic detention, don’t you?” His voice falters now: “I was just teasing; I wasn’t trying to be mean. Please, Ms. Lang. I … Read More
I Don’t Do Projects All the Time
I don’t do projects all the time. But Project-Based Learning (PBL) has profoundly changed what happens in my classroom even when I am not in the middle of a project. For my first 10 years of teaching, I operated under the illusion that my energetic enthusiasm and sense of humor was engaging all my students. About 20 years ago, I … Read More
4 Ways to Improve Your Facebook Feed to Fill Your Classrooms
Can we be candid for a moment? As long as there are open seats in your Christian school, all marketing channels should be working to drive enrollment. Full classrooms mean freedom to live out your mission! What higher calling can a communication channel have than to help you achieve that freedom? Understanding what makes your school special is critical for … Read More
Attitude Germ: Releasing the Hold
If Kelsey likes the learning activity, it flies. If she doesn’t, the lesson bombs. Daniel carries the same sort of influence in his classroom. As soon as he disengages, the others shut down, too. If students disrupt class with silly comments, they turn to check if Daniel is laughing. “Attitude germ” is a condition that holds classrooms captive to the … Read More
Project-Based Learning: A Christian Pedagogy?
When she saw from my nametag that I was at the conference representing the PBL Residency, she said, “It’s so important that we provide more hands-on learning for some students.” Perhaps, but Project-Based Learning is not “hands-on learning,” at least not essentially. For the last 150 years or so, education was mostly about educating the head. This is a limited … Read More
Attitude Germ and How to Treat It
I call it “attitude germ” because of the way it proliferates. Similar to colds or the flu, the bug disperses through social contact: children with large social networks transmit it more readily than those who keep to themselves. How would you know if an outbreak has occurred? Check for a general loss of appetite for learning. Fear of taking risks, … Read More
What is Project-Based Learning?
When one of my kids came home on a Friday and declared, “I have to finish my project this weekend,” I was filled with dread. Weekend plans would have to be abandoned so I could try to achieve the impossible: learning the material the project was supposed to demonstrate, balancing my child’s expectations with reality, understanding the standards against which … Read More
Webinar – Embracing Everyday Diversity (Part 3): Stupid Stuff Smart People Say / Intent vs Impact
This is part 3 of the “Embracing Everyday Diversity” series we’ve been doing with Justin Jones-Fosu. The conversation of this webinar is focused on “Stupid Stuff Smart People Say”, and Justin provides some personal context to understanding others and thinking before we speak. Before watching this session it is important to watch part 2 “Circles of Grace” to put into … Read More
Stop Your Attitude!
Cole’s yawn from the back row is loud enough for everyone to hear, but Audrey ignores it for now. She’s got to choose her battles, and this disruption isn’t worth a showdown. After a moment, Cole leans back and rests his feet on the desk. Students nearby smile, eager to watch the situation play out. “Cole, feet back on the … Read More
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