Ben’s request Lao Tzu of the 6th Century BC is credited with saying, “The good traveler is not intent on arriving.” This quotation has been a favorite of mine for more than thirty years, not because I live it out well, but because it serves as a reminder for me, someone who has been destination-oriented, that I have often missed … Read More
An Invitation To Imagine: Strategic Excellence for the Sake of Formation
During a new family interview, a father paused before asking a question that carried more weight than he likely intended. “Can you tell me more about the academic program here? Is it better than what I experienced?” He went on to explain that he had attended a Christian school himself but felt unprepared for college and eventually dropped out. “I … Read More
An Invitation to Imagine: Unity, Partnership, and Shared Mission
Imagine a Christian school where the common thread holding the staff, leadership, parents, and students together was a shared understanding of the gospel (the creation-fall-redemption-restoration narrative of God’s work in the world) and the fundamental truths that have historically defined orthodox Christianity. What if that understanding, and that alone, was the litmus test for a school’s mission, academics, culture, and … Read More
Wholehearted and Finite: Teaching Effectively Within a Theology of Limits and Calling, Part 4
This is the final post of a four-part series excerpted from Dr. Leah Zuidema’s article on how God’s good design of limits can help orient our teaching to promote flourishing within our callings and among those we serve. The full article was originally published in Integration, an online journal of faith and learning, on September 5, 2025. Posts one and two of … Read More
Entrepreneurship Education is Powerful, and When It’s Christ-Centered, It’s Transformative
For the last twelve years, students at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy have been doing everything from managing a coffee bar and selling produce out of a greenhouse to starting a wood-fired pizza oven business and launching the world’s first fine-dining experience out of a high school teaching kitchen. And they’ve been calling it entrepreneurship education. At its core, true entrepreneurship … Read More
Hiring Quality Teachers: Insights from New Research
Research has shown that the school-level factor that explains the most variation in students’ academic outcomes is a student’s teachers.
Welcome (back) to the Profession of Teaching!
Professionalism is something that is “caught as well as taught,” in my opinion. Your school’s professional identity formation process, whether stated or hidden, is activated this time of year.
Classroom as Gathering Place
Most good educators want their classrooms to go beyond ordinary: we want them to be extraordinary. Don’t we all want our classes to be memorable, impactful, rich with purpose and meaning?
Step Up Your Science Class Without Canceling That Beach Trip
Developing meaningful faith and science connections can feel like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. Below are a few simple ways to invite students to think about how their faith intersects with science and the wider world.
Growing Our Own: Addressing the Teacher Shortage
How can we have a great teacher in every room? Growing our own. We need to look at local candidates and recruit members of our own communities.