By Aaron Bond All of life is relational. I start every class by lighting a candle and saying the following prayer, “Lord prepare our minds to seek knowledge, develop understanding and grow in wisdom so we can live and love well.” There are three wicks on the candle. The first flame represents our pursuit of knowledge; the second understanding; and the third, wisdom. The hard wax melting to soft liquid represents our life to love […]
Author: jill_anderson
Joy Through Struggle
By Jon Eckert, Ed.D. Easter is about joyful celebration that follows the darkest day of suffering in the history of humanity when Christ was crucified. Joy and suffering are intertwined in our experience of Easter. Joy and struggle are inversely related in that the depth of our struggle determines the peak of our joy. In James 1:2, we are told to “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many […]
Waypoints: Leveraging Feedback to Catalyze Growth
By John Walker, Ed.D. While there are many ways to define what a “waypoint” is, I love how the National Geographic (2023) defines a waypoint: “a waypoint is a reference point that helps us know where we are and where we’re going. Whether we’re driving, sailing, or flying, waypoints help us find our way.” If you are like me, you love working with a diverse group of people whom the Lord has placed in your […]
Inspire Lifelong Learners: Modeling the Novice Mindset
By Sierra Downs The First Year “Genghis Khan was a pretty good guy, actually.” This concluding remark to a student essay written during my first year of teaching has haunted me for years. I had just begun teaching history at the middle school level and had high expectations for my classroom–I wanted to encourage my students to ask big questions, consider lofty ideas, and allow the subject to shape the way that they saw themselves […]
The Middle Season: Thriving All the Way Through Change
By Anna Surratt The Middle Season In my last post, I offered encouragement to school leaders endeavoring on change initiatives at the beginning of the school year. While I hope that the encouragement from that post inspired a strong start to the school year, I know very personally that we are in a much different season as we head into the second semester of school. In this Harvard Business Review article, Rosabeth Moss Kanter calls […]