My introduction to Dan Beerens was as a sixth-grade transfer to Timothy Christian Schools where Dan was a young fourth-grade teacher.
Remixing Your Soundtrack Playlist
As a music and soundtrack enthusiast, it is no surprise that the mere title of Jon Acuff’s book Soundtracks: The Surprising Solution to Overthinking caught my attention.
Converge 2025: Faithfully Present, Courageously Good
The theme for Converge 2025 is Faithfully Present, Courageously Good. This series invites leaders, thinkers, and practitioners to unpack this theme and consider its implications for our time together at Converge 2025.
Friends Who Wrote Books You Might Enjoy
Writing a book is a labor of love. Publishing one in the education sector, and to go a step further, publishing in the Christian education sector, is an even greater labor of love with little hope of any financial return. Recently a number of my friends have done some really good work authoring books, and it is my joy to … Read More
Lessons from the First-Ever Christian School
Catechetical School of Alexandria Learning from the founding of the First-Ever Christian School (Note to the reader: Most of what follows is gleaned from Dr. Willem Oliver’s research summaries here and here on the history of the Catechetical School.) The Catechetical School of Alexandria was started in Alexandria, Egypt in the 5th decade of the first century — less than … Read More
Love & Logic: Reading Between the “One-Liners”
When I read the apostles’ letters to early Christian churches, I’m always curious about backstory. Why did Paul write these words to the believers in Philippi, for instance? Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. … Read More
The Limits of Love and Logic in Christian Classrooms
People sometimes ask me if student behavior today is worse than it was in the past. Given the impacts of technology, the media, and declining parent control–combined with the disappearance of corporal punishment–they kind of presume that kiddos must be a lot harder to manage nowadays. So are students getting worse? That’s a tough question, to be honest. My grandpa … Read More
Keeping the Mileage off Your Discipline Tools
My witty seventh grade teacher used to say, “Come on now, air out those armpits!” No, he wasn’t asking us to vent our stale areas–no junior high classroom needs more funky odors wafting about. What Mr. Vanden Berg wanted was participation, to see more hands in the air; and the statement worked because it was offbeat, unexpected. We all crave … Read More
Love & Logic and My Search for What Works
It was one of those years when spring gets trampled in the clash between winter and summer. Just after we emerged from five months in the deep freeze, May set off a heatblast that nearly scorched us. Still, something in me always demands fresh oxygen when school lets out. So after an hour of listening to the fluorescent lights buzz … Read More
See the Story, Live the Story
When my daughter was five years old, she was a princess. I know this because I visited her kingdom. As she played with her Barbies and Ninja turtles, she entered an imaginary and magical kingdom she called “Ergensis” and commenced to reign royally. She invented scenarios and stories that involved friends, brothers, and imaginary characters. As I eavesdropped on her … Read More
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