Waiting....

I'm waiting.

Waiting for Thursday of this week.

I'm waiting because that's the deadline for the applications for the online project I've been running. Any parent who wishes their student to be a part of this program for next school year has to have their application in by then. (If you want to know more check out www.ceiada.org and read this blog as I share more of the journey that led me to where I am today.)

We need the applications then so we can decide what roles I will or will not take in our school this next year.

We have a minimum number of students we need in order to run it, and it's not guaranteed that we'll reach it.

I'm torn.

On one hand, I would love to do a second year of the program. It worked remarkably well this past year, despite a number of challenges, and I'd love to do year two because I can make it so much better now. I have so much more experience and so many ideas for how to make everything better.

On the other hand, I would love to go back to a "traditional" classroom because I have so many ideas and experiences that would make a classroom that I teach anything but "traditional". Which was one of the key purposes of this pilot program we're running in the first place.

So, when the final application arrives and we sit down next week to determine exactly what job I will be doing next year, I want both. I'd love to spend the next year re-fining an online program, or spend the year taking a "traditional" classroom and bending it as far outside of the box as I can. But there's only one of me and I can't. In the meantime.....

I'm waiting.

So What Are You Going to Do About It? Part II

So, what does a Christian iPod look like?

I started searching for podcasts that would provide positive influences in my life instead of leading me into sin.

I found some good ones on the Focus on the Family website about parenting and marriage. I found some good devotionals online. I found some about teaching to help improve my craft in the classroom.

I began to spend my time listening to valuable resources instead of only fluff. I put the headphones away when I walked in the house. I found a more balanced approach to using the device in my life. This tool began to help me become a better person instead of a more greedy and selfish one.

Then I found The Christian Educator Podcast.

That changed everything.


So What Are You Going to Do About it? Part I
So What Are You Going to Do About it? Part II
So What Are You Going to Do About it? Part III
So What Are You Going to Do About it? Part IV

Take aways from Vancouver Symposium

I was privileged enough to be invited to go to the The Vancouver Symposium on Christian Education for the 21st Century a short while ago. I was even asked to share my experiences to a small group. It was a real honour.

I'm still processing all I heard and experienced there. I just finished reading some of the other delegates blogs about their take a ways, and I though I would have to share mine. Thanks Paul Kelly, Barend Blom, and Pippa Davies.

1) I was so amazed to spend time with Christians from all over the world. France, Malaysia, Australia, South Africa, South America, and so many more. It was such a blessing to see so many educators with a passion for Christian Education.

2) It was such a blessing to learn about so many other ways of doing Christian education. The group of schools I belong to is relatively homogeneous, and this group of educators was anything but!

3) I was especially inspired by the work of our colleagues from Northern Beaches Christian School in Australia. Their work is inspiring me to consider doing some very different things here.

It was an incredible experience, and I hope that I have the opportunity to go again next year, God willing.

So What Are You Going to Do About it? Part I

It all begins when my Mom won an iPod.

That's right, my Mom won an iPod. She didn't know what to do with it, so she gave it to me. Being a geek I, of course, said, "Yes!"

Not having a lot of money, I didn't buy any music or any apps. I didn't even know what an app was! Instead, I found podcasts. I happen to be an avid gamer, so I found podcasts about games. Lots of podcasts and lots of games. Podcasts from Korea, from Texas, from all over. My world began to expand. I learned about lots of games that I really wanted to play.

But something else happened too. I started to get covetous. I wanted all those games. I became greedy, I began thinking more and more about all those games I didn't have. What's more, I started listening to the iPod around the house, since there were so many podcasts to keep up on. I started ignoring my wife and children.

In short, the iPod led me into sin.

Now, I happen to believe that this world is God's world. That things like iPods can be used for sin as well as for good.

So I started asking, "What does a Christian iPod look like?"

So What Are You Going to Do About it? Part I
So What Are You Going to Do About it? Part II
So What Are You Going to Do About it? Part III
So What Are You Going to Do About it? Part IV

What did you say?

I can hear the question some of you are asking after my last blog post.

"What? You don't want your child to go to school? Aren't you a teacher at a Christian School?"

Indeed I am. Not just any school either. In fact, I work at a good school, a very good school, an exceptional school even.

We have a vibrant and healthy supportive community, many engaged and committed parents, a visionary school board, a dedicated and innovative leadership team, incredible staff members, and wonderful students. We have a great building that's full, healthy finances, plenty of resources, and so much more.

My fellow teachers are skilled practitioners of their craft, with plenty of creativity to go along with it. I'm watching our grade 7 English teacher lead her students through a wonderful exercise where they interact with seniors and write their life stories. I am amazed at our grade 8 teacher's depth of experience and easy camaraderie with his students, our VP teaches wonderful hands on lessons in his classes and supports us in so many ways through his gifts with tools, and that's only the first two classrooms at my end of the building. I could go on and on naming each staff member and the amazing gifts they bring to our staff.

My son is in grade 1 with a highly skilled teacher from whom he is learning so much. My middle daughter will be entering Kindergarten next year and there are two fantastic teachers she might get. I'm actually torn because I'd love for her to have both of them, but she'll only get one.

So what's my problem?

I think Sir Ken Robinson explains it best:

When I think of my children entering this factory model of education that's why I don't want them to go to school. Except that the school is the best choice we have at the moment. (We entertained homeschooling, but it just won't work for us.)

Our school is a very good school. In fact, I wouldn't want my children to go to any other school. But my school is going to struggle to provide the kind of challenges and supports to help my children to grow to their fullest potential. Let alone the many other children who enter our classrooms every day who have an even wider array of gifts, talents, and challenges. Each child is so unique and our "one size fits all" model of schooling doesn't leave much room for their development.

How could we get away from the factory model of education? What would that look like? How could we create new kinds of schools and learning experiences that would allow for each child to grow and develop to their greatest potential?

These are the questions that circle my mind every day. These are the things I think about as I work in my classroom with my students.

I don't have answers, just lots of questions.