Photo by The Miscellanista on Unsplash Bible class is the most important class we teach. How can we make it come alive for students? What can we do to keep students’ attention, keep them involved in class, and help them apply God’s truths...

Photo by Hanna Morris on Unsplash Persecution and martyrs may not seem like topics for children, but at the time of this writing, it is a theme my Sunday School students (1 st -3 rd grade) are studying. We had lessons about Stephen, and...

Hold Fast Your Dreams by Louise Driscoll Hold fast your dreams! Within your heart Keep one still, secret spot Where dreams may go, And sheltered so, May thrive and grow Where doubt and fear are not. Oh, keep a place apart Within your heart...

I sighed as I looked at my fourth grader’s tattered trashcan. I had given them each a trashcan (a gift bag with the handles removed) at the beginning of the year, and this one was already falling apart. Really, all of them were somewhat...

Years after my childhood, I returned to the school I once attended. The rooms of the building were empty and cool, the tiled hallways vacant. A musty smell lingered in closets and in corners of classrooms. My feet sounded loud on the...

Photo by Cas Holmes on Unsplash Crimea – Battle of Balaclava Lord Raglan, British cavalry commander, sat high on a hill and watched the Russian soldiers withdrawing naval guns from the captured redoubts. His plan was that the action of the...

Usually I think of the words, “Me first!” in connection with students jumping in line ahead of others, eager to get the biggest and best of whatever is happening at the moment. I equate it with selfishness and pride. But those same words...

Have you ever wondered why children, who generally love to talk, have a hard time translating their vibrant, imaginative chatter into quality writing? I can spin several explanations. First, the physical act of writing is still difficult...

Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash As a 20-year-old, I mistakenly believed that faithfulness meant saying, “Yes!” to every request I received. Not only was that unsustainable, it was also very unfaithful because of the amount of no's each...

A teacher’s joy is the oxygen of a classroom’s atmosphere. I’ve found that when joy is alive in me, the classroom is alive. Joy energizes positive interactions with my students, whereas joylessness brings my troll-like qualities to the...

Many of us remember those days in the learning-to-read process when we read aloud haltingly, sounding the words out and maybe guessing what the words were from the first letter. In a classroom setting, we counted the students ahead of us...

“Time for Heggerty!” I say cheerfully even though I am tired of Heggerty*. Moans and groans come from the first graders. We are all tired of Heggerty! In math class, I look around and see several children sitting listlessly, some with...

The Word of God is living, powerful, and precious. Because of this, it is of inestimable value to have God’s Word become deeply ingrained in the hearts and minds of our children from a very young age. But while we may all agree on its...

Every object, said Mr. Newton, tends to remain at rest, or to continue in a straight line until compelled to change by external forces. The same is true of children, who have an inordinate fondness for continuing to do what they are...

Photo by Rabie Madaci on Unsplash During my childhood, my mother had a habit of regularly visiting the local library and bringing home stacks of books. When we finished reading these stacks, we turned to our bookshelves, because my mother...

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash The body of Christ has been given the mandate to preach the gospel to every creature. Our very job description is to be fishers of men. But how does a person fill this mandate when he can’t go fishing? How...

Photo by Wulan Sari on Unsplash One day, a squirmy thing full of legs and brown stripes was carried into my classroom. It was a caterpillar, but an unusual one. Shades of brown and tan patterned its body, giving it a snake-like appearance....

Photo by Mael BALLAND on Unsplash Winter is the perfect time to find a cozy book and snuggle down to read. In a classroom where literacy is of great importance, students always enjoy a good read from the teacher. These five books are not...

Image by Dylan Gillis on Unsplash In this post, Arlene responds to a question from a reader: "I am curious if you all or anyone in the Dock for Learning Community has ideas on how to do good character evaluation on report cards... I’m...

Have you noticed how easy it is to focus on the negative things in both people and circumstances? It comes so naturally. Once I start noticing an irritating trait in a student or situation and think about it repeatedly, it mushrooms. Soon...