As a young girl growing up in a small North Carolina town, I loved playing school and having the complete and total attention of the many stuffed animal students that filled my living room classroom. I knew at seven years old that I wanted to be a teacher. God graciously allowed that dream to become…
As a lower school teacher, you must be an expert multitasker. In the span of one minute, you may be helping one student with a math problem, opening a thermos for another, and spelling a tough word on a scrap piece of paper, all while keeping an eye on an evolving argument at the back…
The Presidents Song The Capacity Song As the introverted-est of introverts, I never once answered the question of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” with anything that would require me to do anything in front of anyone. I wanted to be a mailman or a librarian. Furthermore, the last thing I…
I would like to bet you a crisp fiver—if I were the kind of teacher who made bets—that you could walk into my classroom on any given day, ask “Would anyone like to volunteer to read aloud for us?,” and then see hands go up all over the classroom. Once the words, “Would any one…
“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” – James 3:1 Both the most important responsibility and the greatest privilege we have been given as teachers is to present everything we teach from a biblical worldview. Our hearts long to praise…
We’ve all seen them. Maybe you’ve even posted a few yourself: memes and hashtags declaring the endless difficulties that plague our modern lives. Out of coffee! The struggle is real. The power went out for a whole hour! The struggle is real. You want a beach body, but you want tacos more? The struggle is…
When I was a child, I learned about God at church and in Sunday school. My parents talked about Jesus (“He’s the reason for the season!”), and my family always said a blessing before eating a meal. It was clear God was at church and at home. When I was at school, God’s name was…
Is your child an excellent student? How did you answer that question? If you’re like most, your mind immediately evaluated your children’s report card grades and arrived at a response. You probably answered in the affirmative if your child receives mostly high marks, A’s and B’s, and perhaps you answered in the negative if your…
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord…” (Jeremiah 29:11). This is the truth we clung to as doctors spat out words like “blind,” “disabled,” “malignant tumors,” and “developmental delay.” Our first child had been perfectly healthy and easy, but our newest baby girl had not been a normal newborn. She…
In this technology-driven world, children quickly become used to the instant gratification afforded by video games and television. According to a 2015 study from Microsoft Corp., people generally lose concentration after eight seconds, a second less than the proverbial non-focused goldfish. How does this affect Johnny and Jane and their apparent disdain for reading? Reading at…
As part of our history unit on immigration, fourth graders learn about what brought people to America and the rich heritage of our country. This unit integrates history with reading, writing, research, family traditions, and a biblical worldview. We see how God in his sovereignty has delivered families through trials and circumstances to bring them…
Many times as a parent and as an elementary educator, I have been asked the question, “Does penmanship really matter?” As I considered the question and developed an apologetic, I sought answers not only from God’s Word but also from the world of science. In this era of electronic communication, the use of handwriting is…