When Ms. Lang mentions the grape–the one that was flung into a circle of girls–Jackson’s face goes red. “Yeah, that was me,” he admits with a sheepish grin. “Jackson, you know that throwing food in the cafeteria is an automatic detention, don’t you?” His voice falters now: “I was just teasing; I wasn’t trying to be mean. Please, Ms. Lang. I … Read More
I Don’t Do Projects All the Time
I don’t do projects all the time. But Project-Based Learning (PBL) has profoundly changed what happens in my classroom even when I am not in the middle of a project. For my first 10 years of teaching, I operated under the illusion that my energetic enthusiasm and sense of humor was engaging all my students. About 20 years ago, I … Read More
4 Ways to Improve Your Facebook Feed to Fill Your Classrooms
Can we be candid for a moment? As long as there are open seats in your Christian school, all marketing channels should be working to drive enrollment. Full classrooms mean freedom to live out your mission! What higher calling can a communication channel have than to help you achieve that freedom? Understanding what makes your school special is critical for … Read More
Attitude Germ: Releasing the Hold
If Kelsey likes the learning activity, it flies. If she doesn’t, the lesson bombs. Daniel carries the same sort of influence in his classroom. As soon as he disengages, the others shut down, too. If students disrupt class with silly comments, they turn to check if Daniel is laughing. “Attitude germ” is a condition that holds classrooms captive to the … Read More
Project-Based Learning: A Christian Pedagogy?
When she saw from my nametag that I was at the conference representing the PBL Residency, she said, “It’s so important that we provide more hands-on learning for some students.” Perhaps, but Project-Based Learning is not “hands-on learning,” at least not essentially. For the last 150 years or so, education was mostly about educating the head. This is a limited … Read More
Attitude Germ and How to Treat It
I call it “attitude germ” because of the way it proliferates. Similar to colds or the flu, the bug disperses through social contact: children with large social networks transmit it more readily than those who keep to themselves. How would you know if an outbreak has occurred? Check for a general loss of appetite for learning. Fear of taking risks, … Read More
What is Project-Based Learning?
When one of my kids came home on a Friday and declared, “I have to finish my project this weekend,” I was filled with dread. Weekend plans would have to be abandoned so I could try to achieve the impossible: learning the material the project was supposed to demonstrate, balancing my child’s expectations with reality, understanding the standards against which … Read More
Stop Your Attitude!
Cole’s yawn from the back row is loud enough for everyone to hear, but Audrey ignores it for now. She’s got to choose her battles, and this disruption isn’t worth a showdown. After a moment, Cole leans back and rests his feet on the desk. Students nearby smile, eager to watch the situation play out. “Cole, feet back on the … Read More
The CACE Effect: Lessons from The City School
Jesus has come, conquered death and is coming again, and here we are in the middle of the “already, but not yet”-ness of it all. We are called to be bold and to take risks, to live vulnerably, even as we have a father who knows how to give us good gifts. He makes us lie down in green pastures … Read More
Checking the Selfish Gene
This article was originally published by Convivum. Cardus Program Director of Education Beth Green examines a way to inhibit the transmission of the so-called selfish gene in teenagers. Researchers seem to have found a way to inhibit transmission of the so-called selfish gene in teenagers. Or perhaps they’ve simply found a way to prevent that gene from expressing itself … Read More