By Sahira Kodra “We need to celebrate the individuals in our classes, but only celebrating times when we don’t come to school sends the wrong message to students. We should never have countdowns to holidays in our rooms or celebrate snow days. Even if we feel some internal joy about the blessed reprieve of an unexpected day off due to snow or a much-hoped-for break, let’s avoid celebrating this with our students. Instead, let’s communicate […]
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In Pursuit of Paul’s “I Became”
By Dr. Joel Hazard The apostle Paul’s ultimate goal was to guide individuals toward embracing faith in Christ by engaging with them on their own terms and making the message relatable. In 1 Corinthians 9:20-23, Paul outlines his strategic approach to evangelism, emphasizing the importance of adapting to diverse audiences. He simply became. “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22 NIV). […]
The Greatest of These
By Dr. Jon Eckert The four-year-old boy was recovering from a seizure on a pad on the floor of the pre-kindergarten classroom. He had braces on both legs, looked like he weighed about 30 pounds, and had a tiny wheel chair parked next to him. He was making a small noise and making eye contact with his teacher. She walked to him, scooped him up, held him close as she told me, “Sometimes he just […]
Through the Lens of Eternity
By Jami Courson Virtual learning revealed to the world what educators have known for decades: teacher-student relationships matter. Research shows that student achievement increases and questionable behavior decreases when students believe that their teacher cares for them. As Dr. Jon Eckert writes in his book Just Teaching, “We have learned that being present and in relationship matters for each student. Learning in person increases student morale and student achievement. Having teachers who care improves student […]
What To Do When You’re Not Loving It
By Meredith Frey The McDonald’s arches beam bright as I drive to school, beautifully framed in front of the rising sunshine. I wonder to myself, like the McDonald’s slogan, what do I do when I am not loving it? What do I do when teaching becomes hard, and I am already thinking about heading home during my drive to work. What do I do when my heart yearns to be back in my cozy bed, […]