I have several grandchildren who are in the early years of involvement in a number of different Christian schools. As I watch them develop through different experiences, challenges, and opportunities, I’m impacted again by the glorious privilege and honor we have as Christian parents and teachers to unpack the mysteries and wonder of God’s creation with our young ones. When we have … Read More
God Loveth Adverbs: Teaching (and Living) “Christianly”
One morning in May of 2015, I had the opportunity to sit in on a conversation with a hero-of-sorts for me: Dr. Nicholas Wolterstorff. He was in the area for some other speaking engagements, and arrangements were made to have him on campus to share some of his thoughts on Christian higher education in an informal session. It was fascinating … Read More
Should Christian Schools Be More like Seminaries or Churches?
Out of its best motives, the Christian day school movement was born from the deep conviction by parents that God’s truth be recognized in every subject and every aspect of learning. Knowing that a teacher’s worldview has a powerful and undeniable impact on students’ worldviews, public schooling was not acceptable to these parents because of concerns over what core values/worldview … Read More
What Happened to the “E”? A Perspective on our Grading System
“If you received an A on the test, you may take a seat in the back row. B’s in the next row, C’s, D’s and F’s should grab seats in the front two rows please.” Unbelievable, right? Would a teacher really do this in a classroom, seat students by the grade they received? Unfortunately the answer is yes, and I … Read More
Aligning Philosophy and Practice to Propel Potential
I’ve been working in the past several years with schools who are trying to move from being traditional schools to what we have called, for sake of understanding, 21st century classrooms (albeit a now somewhat outdated term). As I have been reflecting on this effort by these schools, I have come to realize once again how critically important the mindsets … Read More
Virtual Christian Education?
Higher education has used virtual schooling for years. And with so much of culture already customized, individualized and in the grips of isolating technology, it shouldn’t surprise us that K-12 education would discover and promote virtual schooling. Whether or not this is a good thing – particularly for those parents desiring a Christian education – remains to be seen. Perhaps … Read More
Reformed Critical Realism as A Dynamic Intellectual Paradigm for Christian Educators
It’s wonderful when you observe Christian educators make the giant leap forward in realizing that education is not neutral but is always driven by beliefs, as they come to understand the domineering influence, even in Christian schools, of the religion of secularism on pedagogical theory and practice. It then often turns to distress when you observe these same educators running … Read More
Our Deeper Learning Conversation Update
It was a joy-filled day in the western suburbs of Chicago as learning leaders gathered from all across North America for a substantive conversation around student learning! Our time together was bookended by an opening time of “singing” the parts of an orchestra as a celebration of community, reflecting on how our loving God sings over us, and closing with … Read More
Who Is Ultimately Responsible for Learning?
How long will we continue to limit the learning of our children by our need to be in control of it? The new ELSE Education Act replacing NCLB, should have included an apology from the Congress for all of the mischief that the NCLB led to in spite of its good intentions. It was an inappropriate response to a misunderstood … Read More
A Typology of Paradigms for Improving School
After thirty years of significant criticism, perhaps it is time to go back to the past in search for future thinking about our schools. In 1846, Horace Mann’s 12th annual report to the Massachusetts Board of Education affirms, “… the absolute right of every human being that comes into the world to an education.” It required a national commitment to … Read More