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
The 60% Rule
Do you have a favorite teaching strategy? What is your best approach in the classroom? Do you lecture with passion? Do you involve your students in collaborative groups? Do you have students complete stacks of worksheets? Do you use project-based learning? Do you have students craft personal, creative responses to demonstrate what they have learned? Do you use digital simulations? Do … Read More
What’s Your Homework Policy?
Oh…homework. What shall we do with thee? I wonder, wonder, wonder about the value of homework. At different times in my teaching practice, homework has taken very different roles. Early in my teaching career, I assigned a lot of homework; my middle school math students had an assignment almost every day with a few dozen problems being the norm. Later, … Read More
Excuses: A Reflection on “Calling” from Jeremiah 1: 4-10
The problem with certain questions is that they tend to assume too much. “When will you be starting a family of your own,” the well-meaning aunt asks the recently married couple, assuming first that these newlyweds will surely want to have children and second that their marriage to one another is somehow not already its own family. “Who was … Read More
Platooning and Schools?
Two words that do not immediately fit together in my mind. My immediate connection to the word “platoon” will continue to be the Oliver Stone movie from 1986, starring Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, and Charlie Sheen as Vietnam soldiers on their tour of duty. I don’t know if this film made the act of war more real for an … Read More
What Is Your Best Interview Question? The Results Are In
In March we asked you to share the best interview questions you use when hiring teachers. The results are in, and the top answers have been compiled below! “If your students were asked, ‘Do you remember Miss DeJong?’ at a reunion some years hence, what would you like them to say about you?” “Is there a question for which you’ve … Read More
Teaching the Way They Learn
Throughout my teaching career, I’ve made bold claims about my students and my beliefs about who they are. I’ve often said things like, “I believe my students are unique image-bearers of God, created with individual gifts, talents, strengths, and weaknesses.” Do you believe that about your students? Have you ever made a similar statement about them? But is it enough … Read More
Critical Thinking: A plea for less problem “saying” and more problem “solving”
So much has been written about the realities (positive and negative) of the digital information age. Information is disseminated at increasingly higher speeds, granting the end user unprecedented access to the seemingly most up-to-date information. Social media and blogs create platforms for posting and re-posting ideas, perspectives and opinions. It could be argued that society, in one sense, is more … Read More
Saving Money for Public Education through Christian Schooling?
Jeff Spalding, former CFO for the City of Indianapolis and current director of Fiscal Policy and Analysis at the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, published an interesting blog post last week titled If you think expanding school choice is expensive. I found his examples intriguing as they stimulated some good discussion around the question of whether we can really fund school choice in North … Read More