In this presentation, Jeff and Deana Swanson focus on their journey and innovative approaches to education, particularly within a Mennonite homeschooling and teaching context. The key points are: Creative, passionate teaching...

From the time of the early church fathers, to Manz and Grebel, up until now, critical thinking has played an exponentially important role in the development of the Christian church. This discussion will focus on ways to promote...

In "Joyous Classroom Management", Jeff Swanson focuses on creating a joyful, effective classroom through a balance of clear rules and strong relationships. He shares practical strategies like a no-talking rule, structured...

I am somewhat of an expert on this subject, because I think I have been all of these at some point in my life. Relating to these sub-groups should be navigated with great care, grace, forgiveness and empathy. We plan to discuss...

Younger grades. Note names. Sight singing. Vocal training. What age? When? How high should they sing? MONOTONES !!! What is Kodaly? Jeff, who has taught music for more than 15 years, answers lots of questions about starting and...

Are you tired and fatigued while you teach? Does your voice hurt after school? Does your back hurt? Your feet? Do you lose your voice every year? Are you a stressed mess? Do you find yourself thinking more negatively than...

Your students know if you care, and I think they know if you don't care, and I think they know if you don't care and you try to fake it. Their radars are pretty good with that. So I would encourage you to do everything you can to...

Classroom confrontations. So, I have a few things to say about that to help you when it happens—if it ever happens. Two Anecdotes So, a long time ago I had a teacher that replaced a very popular teacher, and the parents didn't...

Have you ever wondered why some teachers have such an easy time relating to students, and why some teachers seem to struggle with almost every interaction? We plan to tackle this head on by looking at case studies (successes and...

Hello. My name is Jeff Swanson, and I am the music teacher at Shalom Mennonite School, which is a K-8 school. And I teach all the music classes there, and I teach there for half a day. And around lunchtime I go to Terry Hill...

One of the things that benefited me and really everybody else that was successful in being an instrumentalist was a daily routine that had short-term and long-term goals in it. Over time, I actually started incorporating that...

You have a huge influence. You’re the teacher. And so, everything you say, do the students say, “Yes, ma'am,” “Yes, sir, I’m gonna do that?” They don't. Sometimes they look at you skeptical. But they think those things and “My...