Mayday! or May Day? Finding Purpose and Beauty in the Final Weeks of the School Year

by Mark Hobbs As April turns into May, educators often find themselves contemplating how to navigate the remaining weeks of the school year with a sense of optimism and energy. The term “Mayday,” as defined by Merriam-Webster, serves as an internationally recognized radio word to signal distress, mostly by aircraft and boats. While most of us are happily only familiar with it through TV and fiction, stepping into a 7th grade classroom in May might […]

Students carrying different cultural flags in Baylor's Homecoming Parade.

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). […]

A F.E.W. Just Words

By Bing Parks A RAP LESSON  My students’ favorite music genre is rap. We will analyze the messages in rap lyrics and discuss the impact of the rapper’s diction. Sometimes the students wonder why we are spending so much time on the lyrics and ask if they could just listen to the song and move on. They argue that they are just words, after all. So, one day I told them I was the best […]

Prayer circle with lights

Replace Yourself: The surprising call that K-12 school leaders and fraternity guys have in common

I was in a fraternity in college.   Yes, I’m aware that in 2023 that statement comes with a lot of baggage. However, for all the beauty – fellowship, service, and philanthropy – and the real brokenness I witnessed in Greek life, my fraternity was my first, authentic classroom for leadership lessons, and no experience was more instructive than recruitment.   The recruitment process, also known as “Rush,” may be the most revealing undertaking of any fraternity […]