I have been having many fun conversations about education recently, and have other blogs that I am working on entitled “NCLB Reauthorization and Private Schools”, “I Hate Homework”, and a follow-up to “Innovation and Digical Schools”. However, March 2015 is Multiple Myeloma Awareness month, and I thought I would share some leadership lessons from my journey through the early days … Read More
The Intermountain Christian Story: Culture Making II
To evaluate a school’s culture, one must first understand the essence or the way of being of the institution. Why do we do the things we do? What do our habits say about who we are and what we value? What practices have become entrenched in our school? In what ways have we become robot-like in the way we do … Read More
Our Quest for Congruence, Part 2: Exciting Developments
A student centered learning movement is emerging in North American Christian education – this is a very exciting development! Now you might say, “Hasn’t Christian education always been about viewing students as image-bearers of God and being student centered?” I would contend, however, from my perspective as a recipient, participant, and observer of Christian education for the past 50 years, … Read More
Marketing Research: When is it Healthy to Compare?
I am a marketing researcher by profession and training. I have been conducting research and leading teams that do research for 20 years. Prior to that, I studied statistics and research methods and used what I learned (sometimes with difficulty) for my own research, not realizing that as a student in a political science graduate program, I would actually use … Read More
Effective Christian Leadership: The Work of Leadership
In my first year as the head of a school, I was enthusiastic and organized, with big dreams and a plan that I was developing and implementing. At first, though, I kept finding myself getting frustrated, because I would have seemingly constant interruptions that kept me from getting to the tasks that I needed to do in order to carry … Read More
Innovation and the ‘Digical’ School
My View: Innovation in Christian Schools Educators in general and Christian schools in particular are often ridiculed for their lack of innovation, forward thinking, and risk taking. That criticism is what brought a small group of us together in 2010 to improve our own schools, and we found a group that was anxious to do something in an attempt to … Read More
Effective Christian Leadership: Ezra’s Model of Team Leadership
As I have studied the book of Ezra (and I’m not sure why I did, but I think it originally had something to do with being struck by a particular verse – Ezra 7:10 – which in turn piqued my interest and led to a lengthy study) I have learned many lessons that were personally valuable for my spiritual growth. … Read More
Effective Christian Leadership: Prepare Yourself to Lead
Do you remember your first opportunity to serve in a leadership capacity? I do. I remember feeling like I was not ready, but putting on a front to convey the opposite. I was young, and had accepted a position as the head of small Christian school. I knew how to teach, because I had been doing so for a number … Read More
Empower Your Timothy
“As I’ve been pondering empowerment, I realized that I certainly don’t have to go far to come across people that I’ve encountered who have truly been empowered. One of the most vivid examples was this past summer when, after she returned from her three week trip to Nepal, my cousin and I met in a cozy coffee shop in Downtown … Read More
For Christian Education?
When we say we are for something, what does that mean? When we say we want something, what does that look like? I have been involved with Christian education now for almost 20 years professionally. As a graduate student, I chose Christian education and as a parent, I have chosen it as well. When we say we are pro-Christian education, I think a question that needs to be asked is what does that mean?