There’s just something about spring. When the first daffodils expose their sunny faces or the blooming trees reveal the treasures they’ve been hoarding, it’s hard not to respond with some sort of emotion. Perhaps it’s wonder,...

Wouldn't it be lovely if you could assign a writing project to your students, and every pencil would instantly fly across the page with imaginative, well-crafted writing? Instead, the reality in most classrooms is writing where...

Our Father, our God of peace and power, Give us strength for the ending of this school year. You have led us, guided us, and cared for us. You have been our source of joy, love, and wisdom. You have loved us with a love beyond...

It’s every writing teacher’s dream: the classroom is quiet except for the scratch of pencils flying across paper and the gentle tick of the clock in the background. You can almost hear the gears of creativity and productivity...

Creativity flourishes best within boundaries—or at least, that’s what they say. As counterintuitive as this may seem, it is absolutely true when it comes to teaching children how to write. As a teacher, perhaps you’ve had the...

Photo by Jeremy Yap on Unsplash Father, We are weary. We admit that sometimes the task before us seems too great to accomplish. We are daunted by our never-ending to-do lists. We are overwhelmed by the students whose needs can’t...

Looking for a fun activity to stretch your students’ imaginations? In search of an easy substitute for your regular lesson on a day you aren’t feeling well or are just stretched too thin to prepare everything in time? Interested...

This handout on teaching writing includes brainstorming activities and revision guides.

Photo by Ben Mullins on Unsplash How much time do your students spend writing in an average week? And I don’t mean writing math equations or copying science terms or completing a penmanship paper. I mean real, original writing....

The adage says, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” As conservative Anabaptists, we have traditionally avoided using the sword. But unfortunately, we have often avoided using the pen as well. The following observations are very...

This is the story of how two plastic cups, a coat hanger, and some string revolutionized the way I teach algebra. It started one year when I was teaching my sixth graders some introductory algebra—basically a lot of solving for...

Written prayers are a way to come to God when our own hearts feel reflective, silent, confused, overwhelmed, or exhausted. They allow us to speak true things that help to align our hearts and minds with what God is doing and what...

Photo by Karolina Grabowska The new school year is approaching. For some teachers, its arrival feels sloth-like as their anticipation grows for the happy buzz of students in the hallways, the scratch of chalk on the blackboard,...

Edward Edward is a normal boy in fifth grade. He likes being with his friends, playing soccer, and building elaborate Lego structures. But there's one way that Edward doesn't feel normal. Edward struggles with reading. Ever since...

A Christmas skit for 12-15 actors. In this skit, we hear the thoughts of the animals in the stable on the night when Jesus was born. In the end, we realize that many of the obstacles they face in believing in Jesus are like the...