You might not know this, but Dan Beerens has been named an honorary Canadian by the hosts of the Every Square Centimetre Podcast, a podcast that celebrates Christian education in Canada and around the world. Over Dan’s career in Christian education, he worked in every region of the country, supporting growth and improvement in both small and big ways. This commitment to Christian education included helping rebirth a Christian education organization in Ontario and resource development in BC.
What set Dan apart from others who came from abroad to do work in Canada was his commitment to relationship with those who were driving this work nationally. As I reflect on his career devoted to Christian education, themes emerge that are worth celebrating. God gave Dan many gifts, and he shared them generously with others.
Humility
Dan is an expert, not was an expert, is an expert. He understands how faith and learning can be one and believes that documenting this reality is key to longevity and sustainability for Christian schools. However, this expertise never stopped him from learning about what was new in education and rooting new good practices in the strong tradition that is Christian education in North America.
For Dan, there was no resting on his laurels; he knew that there were always things to learn, relearn, and unlearn. He was a significant advocate for the Christian Deeper Learning movement, which is still alive and present at the Christian Schools Canada national conference. He never felt like he had arrived, choosing cognitive humility as an engine for perpetual learning and growth.
Confidence
Dan’s work life showed his level of comfort with cognitive complexity. He was able to follow through with what he believed was important (e.g., curriculum mapping) while also engage in conversations that promoted other directions. It was not uncommon to see Dan graciously receiving critique from a person who will not be named, who regularly suggested that the curriculum was living and always adapting and that a rigid mapping process might take life out of the curriculum. His work demonstrated comfort living in the in-between, confident in his convictions without illusions of infallibility.
“For Dan, there was no resting on his laurels; he knew that there were always things to learn, relearn, and unlearn.”
Ice Cream
Dan loves ice cream. For me, this passion is worth mentioning because of what the ice cream represented in Dan’s life. Dan uses his love of ice cream as a vehicle for hospitality, generosity, and humor.
In the numerous trips and conferences I was able to attend alongside Dan, the after-dinner ritual was an opportunity for connection. On numerous trips Dan would collect a small group of colleagues, always searching to add someone who might not have a social link, and slowly walk toward an ice cream spot he had chosen. His ability to collect colleagues and give them an opportunity to connect will have an immeasurable impact on Christian education in North America and beyond. It is with ice cream in hand that both relationships and ideas were born.
I first met Dan in the pages of a book he authored, Evaluating Teachers for Professional Growth. Next, we met in person at a conference we both attended. Now for me and for many a colleague and friend, Dan consistently places people and relationships at the front of his way of being in the world. The fruit of this approach not only resembles the Savior he follows, it reaches around the globe even as he turns his attention to local and global initiatives that will support flourishing. Congratulations, Dan, on a career that honors both God and others.
