As a teacher, you care about helping your students make good choices in life—but sometimes, it’s hard to bring up difficult topics in a natural way. Reading a thought-provoking book with your class gives you the perfect opportunity to discuss tough issues in a comfortable setting. As you talk through the story, you can guide the conversation to include similar situations your students might face. One excellent book that will inspire discussions is Message of the Mountain (5th-6th grade), which completes the series begun with Secret in the Maple Tree (3rd) and Song of the Brook (4th). The story ..read more

In our latest “Teacher Talk Live,” Miss Cindy Quinlan and Mrs. Amy Yohe joined us to discuss “How to Enhance Spanish 1 Instruction.” Here, you’ll find a recap of their discussion, including a quick overview of the new curriculum and how it came about, digital resources to enhance classroom instruction, and real talk from teachers like you. The Updated Curriculum How did we update our Spanish 1 curriculum? We listened to teachers. We sought out the expertise of veteran educators from various Spanish-speaking countries. In the first phase, we identified seven different educators from all over th ..read more

Teaching is a profession that requires a great amount of energy and enthusiasm, so what do you do when those are lacking? Discouragement happens to all of us, but remembering the following tips can make a huge difference when we’re feeling zapped: Stay grounded in your faith Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Lean on your faith when things get tough. Take a deep breath, pray and let your faith ground you in the moment. God is always with you. Take it one day at a time Tackle one challenge at a time. Focus on what’s in front of you. Make small li ..read more

Character training is one of the supreme goals of Christian education. God says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). Children must be faithfully trained, line upon line, precept upon precept, day after day after day. It is not enough to merely present a list of character traits and definitions for students to memorize and then suppose that the job of character training has been accomplished. Character training through biblical discipline To train means to exercise, to discipline, to teach and form by practice. When a p ..read more

How are your kids doing in school? Standardized tests tell you how much information your children were able to retain. They are not graded pass or fail. Look at standardized testing as a progress report. This progress report shows where your children are excelling and where there is room for improvement. Where do your kids rank on a national scale? Are they at grade level? Standardized tests tell you this and more! They prepare your children for high school and college. In these environments, standardized testing is a regular occurrence. If you begin testing your children now, future standardi ..read more

Whether you’re using ProTeach videos as a substitute for when your teacher is out, or as the main source of teaching for your students all year round, keep the following keys in mind to get the most benefit from using ProTeach. Although your teachers may not be teaching lessons, they’ll still need to be trained in areas like classroom management, discipline, and communicating with parents. The annual Summer Seminar at Pensacola Christian College provides a valuable source of training in these important areas and others, plus a session on how to set up and operate a video classroom. Adequate St ..read more

Do you feel like your work never ends? Like you just can’t keep up with everything? Most teachers do. After all, your instructional time is only part of your workday. Then you’ve got a mountain of tests and papers to grade, several meetings to attend, and a classroom that constantly needs to be organized by the next morning. How is a busy teacher supposed to handle it all? Look no further than these eight time-saving tips to incorporate into your daily routine.  1. Teach classroom expectations. At the beginning of the year, spend a little extra time explaining class guidelines for request ..read more

As teachers, we’ve all encountered discipline issues in the classroom–it comes with the territory! Strong classroom management skills are one of the most important factors in becoming an effective teacher. Picture this: you’re teaching a lesson. Most of your students are on task, steadfastly writing their narrative essays, taking notes, or working on their math problems. You hear a whisper from the back of the room and see two heads bent together in private conversation.  What to do next? Incorporate these next six tips into your classroom management routines to prevent these kinds of dis ..read more

As preschool educators, one of the most important things we can do is teach our students the skills that enable them to learn to read and write. Phonics is one of the most popular methods of doing this because it is easy and logical to understand, so it helps children become confident in their ability to decipher words. Phonics is the true foundation of reading. At Abeka, we use a phonics approach that helps students to develop the necessary tools to decode and analyze words. With phonics, your students become fluent, confident, and careful readers. But why  phonics and not another method ..read more

Kick the school year off with this fun, easy-to-follow paper bowl craft that will inspire your students’ creativity and get them excited for hands-on learning in the classroom! Recommended for 1st grade – 5th grade. Materials: Three patterned card-stock papers Quarter (coin) or 1″ circle paper punch Scissors Balloon Small bowl String Glue Water Paintbrush Piece of cardboard Spray gloss sealant   Step 1: Select three-patterned card-stock papers. Step 2: Use the quarter to trace 30 circles on the card-stock papers. Skip this step if you have a 1″ circle paper punch. Step 3: Cut the circ ..read more