The universe is made of stories, not atoms. –Muriel Rukeyser Aha! Sonya was a very mature kindergartner whose mother was concerned that she would be bored in my class because she already knew how to do everything in the curriculum. Mom was especially peeved that I would be spending two days on the letter M, when her daughter already knew … Read More
What Do We Mean by Christian Deeper Learning? A Draft Document for Your Consideration – Part 2
In July I shared with you the first part of a working definition of Christian Deeper Learning. To refresh your memory I mentioned this background information by way of introduction: As a core group (authors are noted at the end of the full document – you can reference that here) we each took our turn crafting a document expressing our … Read More
Developing and Incarnating Community Character Traits
In my last blog, I mentioned the importance of a school developing a list of the traits that describe the character of Jesus, and then practicing them together in every aspect of school life. At a workshop my wife and I facilitated on deeper learning last summer, teachers from The Niagara Association for Christian Education (NACE) came to a more … Read More
Successfully Leading a School in a Culture of Change
I have had the pleasure of meeting with hundreds of Christian school administrators this year at conferences and on their campuses. Our conversations often lead to a discussion of their biggest challenges, and I sometimes share the following advice on how to make positive changes. We live in an era of exponential change, and with every change comes an element … Read More
Suggestions to Unleash Innovation
This past year, I’ve had the opportunity to start the Digical Education* podcast where I’ve recorded conversations with twenty-eight educators, innovators, or leaders. This opportunity has allowed me to ask questions about policy and practice in education that will allow us to be more successful in our work. Through these conversations, I’ve developed the following suggestions that might help us … Read More
Celebration of a Leader
With the resource of the Internet and other media outlets, there is no shortage of materials about Christian leadership. Instead of writing another article about this topic, I thought it might be helpful to write about a man who modeled what it means to be a strong Christian leader. We can learn a lot from his life and his legacy. … Read More
On Opening Christian School Doors
In this second segment of his two-part essay, Matthew Beimers ponders whether the wider community would better know Christians by their love if greater diversity were fostered in Christian schools. Growing up in a tradition where children were baptized as infants, I never fully grasped the beauty and importance of the congregation speaking their covenantal, baptismal promises over families until … Read More
Schools Leaning Out
In part one of this two-part essay appearing on CACE this week, school principal Matthew Beimers makes the case that opening doors to strangers might make Christian education even more Christian, not less. “The primary goal of Christian education is the formation of a peculiar people, a people who desire the kingdom of God and thus undertake their life’s expression … Read More
Two Stars and A Wish…
I hope it is OK for me to dedicate this blog to one of the original thought leaders in the biblical framework for teaching that we call Teaching for Transformation or TfT. As some of you may know, CACE has been partnering with the Prairie Centre for Christian Education (PCCE) in developing and delivering TfT to schools in the United … Read More
Christian School Mission Statements
Developing a Mission and Vision statement is a task that every Christian School has engaged in at one time or perhaps, multiple times throughout their history. A lot is asked of Christian school mission statements. They must sell the school to prospective families and donors alike, rally the community in a multitude of different ways, and direct the overall operations. … Read More