Is politics our new national religion? Political parties have become the place where people find their identity and their community. The post Civics and Christianity: What’s the point? appeared first on CACE | The Center for the Advancement of Christian Education ..read more

In the world of distinctly Reformed Christian education, few individuals I know have left as indelible a mark as my good friend Dan Beerens. The post Standing on Shoulders: Honoring the Good Work of Dan Beerens appeared first on CACE | The Center for the Advancement of Christian Education ..read more

How are we planning for teachers’ well-being this year? The post Planning for Teacher Well-being appeared first on CACE | The Center for the Advancement of Christian Education ..read more

Are we “edutaining” or inviting? Are we covering content or uncovering opportunities? Are we interested in correct responses or thoughtful reflection? At Byron Center Christian School, these guiding questions help us pursue our mission of providing an excellent education that is rooted in God’s Word as we prepare our students for lifelong service in the Kingdom. Using the Teaching for Transformation framework has empowered our staff and students to engage in deeper learning experiences. We are shifting away from breadth of content to depth of content. With that shift in mind, we are focused o ..read more

There are very few educators with a completed to-do list—there is always more to plan and implement, and every day creates new challenges to add to issues from yesterday that are still unresolved. As we look back at the school year (that either just finished or will finish soon), there are certain to be items we had to leave unchecked. Why is this the case? Partly, this reflects the reality of working in today’s schools, with so many different constituent groups pulling us in different directions, and projects and tasks that pile up as the tyranny of the urgent rules the day. But if we’re hon ..read more

Have you ever taught a class or subject that was the last thing you ever expected to teach? For me, that subject was speech and debate–oral interpretation and public forum debate, to be specific. I was a little terrified. A few years in (and a large learning curve later), debate has become one of my favorite topics to teach.  The word “debate” is a loaded term these days, and it can be easy to shy away from incorporating debate in the classroom. However, if harnessed correctly, a debate has the potential to be an engaging, empowering activity for students, one that requires them to think ..read more

Kigali International Community School (KICS) is located in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda. Surrounded by textures and shades of green, both the school and the city are beautiful. The country of Rwanda is known as the land of a thousand hills. Rwanda is also infamously known for the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi where over a million people were killed in a 100-day period. April 7, 2024 will mark 30 years since this tragedy occurred. Whereas this atrocity must be remembered, there is so much more to Rwanda than what happened in 1994. Rwanda’s story is one of resilience, determination, and ..read more

Teaching is toil. Planning, grading, instructing, disciplining, assessing, reteaching, reassessing, re-reassessing–rinse and repeat. The struggle never ends. What’s worse is that you rarely see the fruit of your labor. For example, when’s the last time you felt a deep sense of completeness after planning a lesson? After teaching a lesson? After an assessment? After a school day? After a school year? If you’re like me, you question the relevance of that analogy you used, the lesson structure you created, the questions you put on the test, the long-term plan you had or didn’t have. These questi ..read more

Part 4: The Amazing Opportunity in Front of Us Over the past three posts in this series, I took a brief look at the recent growth of our schools, several foundational elements that ensure school sustainability, and present trends (and potentially future trends) that impact the way we do our work. In this final installment, I will emphasize the amazing opportunity our schools have to impact our communities and the world. With the data and knowledge we have from the past 100 years of independent schooling, we can and do understand how trends (be they educational, civic, political, religious, bu ..read more

As soon as I hear the opening notes of Avril Lavigne’s hit song “Complicated,” I’m immediately transported to another place and time. It’s 2002, and I can feel the sun’s rays on my face and smell the chlorine of Island Park Pool in Fargo, ND. The air is thick with humidity and laughter. I’m sitting next to my best friends, kids I have known since kindergarten, and we don’t have any cares in the world (except for getting a nice tan, obviously). It’s safe to say that “Complicated” is part of the soundtrack of my high school experience. I’m sure anyone reading this post has similar associations ..read more