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Patiently waiting for a first grader to painstakingly sound out a word, resisting the urge to help him out or correct him, and then relishing in the moment when he pronounces it correctly—this isn’t something most people can easily do. Noticing months later how much a student’s handwriting, spelling skills, or history grades have improved is another reward bestowed upon… READ MORE

“If only we didn’t have to fight for souls!” This was the lamentation of a teacher friend of mine a number of years ago after a conversation on the difficulties we were facing with some of our students. It summed up our discussion quite well. As Christian school teachers, we are indeed engaged in a battle for the souls of… READ MORE

Bright sunshine, balmy breezes, stuffy classroom, worn workbooks, antsy students, dreamy teacher—it’s springtime and the end of school is beckoning. The countdown is getting lower but there are still some weeks left until the welcome summer break. Do we just set the autopilot and coast till the end of the school year—maybe trying to just hang on and not let… READ MORE

Dear High School Senior, You’ve made it! It is graduation time and an end to twelve or thirteen years of studying, learning, and growing up. You probably have some mixed feelings about this: excitement, relief, maybe a little fear? I have seen you grow as a student in the last four years; I have prayed for you, encouraged you, and… READ MORE

Hmmmm…why won’t this DVD play? I remove the disk, insert it again, and try again. It still won’t play. This is annoying! My class is getting restless, waiting on me, so I try to fill in with some conversation while I try the disk for the third time. No, it still won’t play. Maybe restarting the computer will help. After… READ MORE

Creativity flourishes best within boundaries—or at least, that’s what they say. As counterintuitive as this may seem, it is absolutely true when it comes to teaching children how to write. As a teacher, perhaps you’ve had the unfortunate experience of giving your students a writing assignment that you thought would be straight-forward: provide a sentence starter and have each child… READ MORE

You can get more out of your students by presenting thought-provoking, inspiring examples and additional ideas. One of the most effective strategies that can be used in the classroom is to give students creative examples and additional ideas before having them do creative work on their own. Doing this covers two important aspects. It gives students a framework, a tangible… READ MORE

In his classic memoir of school teaching, The Thread That Runs So True, Jesse Stuart tells this little story: “At the noon hour of my first day at Landsburgh High School, I noticed a last year’s sign beside the walk that read: KEEP OFF THE GRASS. Beneath these words, in smaller print, the sign read: If you don’t, you will… READ MORE

  Father, We are weary. We admit that sometimes the task before us seems too great to accomplish. We are daunted by our never-ending to-do lists. We are overwhelmed by the students whose needs can’t be filled. We are carrying an emotional load that threatens to crush us. We need you. In humility and inadequacy, we cry out to you.… READ MORE

Being organized is often an indicator of a student’s success in school, and it certainly does help a student function better.  When everything is in its right place, all assignments written down, and student activities directed in an organized way (especially in the younger grades), students are much better organized and function better as they progress through school. Students also… READ MORE