I am sorry to say that I had not read any book by Frank Gaebelein until I recently picked up a copy of Exploring the Bible off of a friend’s library shelf. Reading this work reminded me of the value of the Christian classics just as we see the value of other classics in literature. Gaebelein’s ideas on Christian education … Read More
Called to be Salt: Is Christian Education Engaging or Abandoning the Mission Field?
In Matthew 5, Jesus delivers the Sermon on the Mount calling Christians to be salt and light to the world. Salt, an ancient world preservative, must be worked in to food to be truly effective, remaining an individual compound but aggressively involved in the decaying matter. In his message, Pastor John Lee asks, “are our Christian Schools missional organizations, preparing … Read More
Why We Cover Silage Piles or The Case for Christian Education
Why should the church work so hard to support uniquely Christian Education? When times are tough, and money is tight, why are we making sacrifices to send our children to Christian schools? Drawing from Colossians 1: 15-23, Pastor John Lee addresses the creational and covenantal roots that ground the case for Christian Education, and why the church continues to champion … Read More
Technology and Innovation
I’m the first to admit it: I’m a technophile. I subscribe to Wired magazine. I love my iProducts. I enjoy networking with other educators through social media. And I am a techie-teacher–I’m always experimenting with new technologies in my classroom! It’s not that I think technology can solve all of our educational problems or make us into super-teachers. But I think technology … Read More
The Power of Connectivity: I Gotta Guy
Growing up in Chicago, we had a colloquialism when asked for a recommendation. This colloquialism displayed how deep your roots went in the neighborhood and how connected you were. And like any Chicago colloquialism it is not meant to refer to a specific gender, but rather to someone who is a great professional, trustworthy in their work, and will provide … Read More
Getting Real about Differentiation
This past year, I was privileged to attend the Association for Middle Level Education conference. This is a huge, national conference in which thousands of educators interested in teaching young adolescents come together to share ideas and strategies and stories of life in the middle. One of the best sessions I had the chance to attend was on formative assessment, summative … Read More
Considering Innovation: Part 1
Does the word innovation bring positive or negative associations to your mind? Does it bring to mind hopefulness, promise, and excitement or fad, “the latest and greatest,” and “this too shall pass?” What can truly be considered innovative when we know, as Proverbs tells us, that there is “nothing new under the sun?” Why mess with new when you can … Read More
Heart-Shaped Leadership
As I have observed various organizations over the years, I have repeatedly seen how critical leadership is to the health and flourishing of the organization. One of the most important aspects of leadership in a Christian organization is the spiritual passion/vitality of the leader – it truly does flow down from the top to the rest of the organization and … Read More
Integrating Faith Outside of the Classroom: Part 2
How we operate and build our facilities is another way we can do things in a distinctly Christian way. Our values of community and fellowship ought to be evident in the way we plan and build. Both aesthetic value and biblical virtue should be considered. “Frugality” is not often heard in the church today and perhaps because we hear it … Read More
Integrating Faith Outside of the Classroom: Part 1
A lot has been written about biblical integration in the classroom. Many valuable conversations with excellent educators in biblical worldview teaching and new texts on Christian worldview instruction are getting new coverage and encouragement that has schools more attentive to this than ever before. And, as CARDUS research shows, biblical integration has a real impact on the worldview and life … Read More