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
Wholehearted and Finite: Teaching Effectively within a Theology of Limits and Calling, Part 2
This post is the second 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. In the first … Read More
Schools that Inspire: Do you Belong?
A Short Review of 2024-25 This year’s Schools that Inspire series showcases an extraordinary array of Christian schools around the world, each deeply rooted in its cultural context yet unified by a common mission to nurture students in faith and learning. From Memphis to Ghana, England to Indonesia, and Guatemala to British Columbia, the featured schools exemplify innovative approaches to … Read More
Inviting Student Voice: Questions You Must Ask Students When Studying Animals
The animal kingdom reveals the extraordinary creativity of our Creator. Given the right assignment, students, too, are able to demonstrate incredible levels of creativity when reflecting on animals.
Lessons from a Taxi Driver
A taxi ride to the airport turned into an intuitive discovery for understanding the process of professional development. If you are an experienced teacher, you understand that when students walk into your classroom, you never really know what you are going to get, and that, “the success of our teaching depends on those moment-by-moment decisions as much as any lesson or project plan.”
Third Thoughts on Curiosity
When one of my grandsons comes to stay, you can be sure that among the first books he plucks off the bookshelf and curls up on the couch to read is How Things Work. He has a delightful curiosity in how aspects of the created order function (such as photosynthesis or the limbic system) or how human re-creations operate (such … Read More
What If Assessment Was A Gift?
Each fall when I teach a graduate course in assessment, I begin by having my students engage with a powerful article by Elaine Brouwer called “Assessment as Gift: A Vision,” in which she posits that assessment should be a gift that honors our students as image bearers. My students and I wrestle with this idea throughout the course. It is … Read More
Teaching the “Real” American Revolution
As we celebrate Independence Day and the political incarnation of the idea that is “America,” I think of all the teachers who have the opportunity to invite students into the story of the American Revolution. What guiding question will you use to spark curiosity and stimulate deeper investigation into this remarkable event? In a letter to H. Niles in 1818, … Read More
Transform Learning: Let Students Do the Planning
A courageous principal can have an amazing impact. Darren Spyksma, SCSBC Director of Learning, uses this TEDx presentation to share how one decision by his principal significantly increased the quality of learning in an intermediate classroom. While navigating risks and errors, Darren shares how learning focused on personalization, inquiry, and engagement, can lead to deep, authentic learning which also meets … Read More
Education and the Good Life: Conversation with Dave and Doug Sikkema
I recently had a conversation with Dave and Doug Sikkema, twin brothers, who are not only fun to talk with, but both of which have an abiding love for learning. I was intrigued at the combination of classical learning and digital innovation in their writing, work, and lives. Dave quotes, Hicks in his article “Playful Minds” saying, the school is … Read More