February 2017
Two summers ago, my amazing wife, Amy, and I traveled to Poland for a literacy research conference. To be honest, Poland wasn’t really on my list of must-see destinations. But we both like going to new places, and so we went. The conference was in a town which is spelled Wroclaw but pronounced more like […]
Our Culture Shock: Practical Advice for Teaching International Students from Honor-Shame Cultures
In 2001 I taught American literature at a university in Central Asia. It was my first year living overseas, and the experience of teaching cross-culturally caused many instances of culture shock. I enjoyed the friendships with students, but I resented their ongoing attempts to honor me as a teacher—they always stood when I entered the […]
Following God’s Call to Indonesia: An Interview with Holli Moote
Holli Moote is a graduate of Trinity Christian College who did her student teaching at Sekolah Pelita Harapan (SPH; “School of Light and Hope” in English) in Indonesia. She then accepted a job there. Moote teaches at SPH’s college preparatory middle and high school during the day. Most nights she travels to the slum quarter […]
Learning from Our Neighbors: Christian Schools in Latin America
We have reason to be grateful for the long and thoughtful tradition of Christian education in North America. In addition, as the world becomes smaller and our schools and communities become more diverse, it is crucial that we equip our students to be global citizens and to better welcome and embrace all members of God’s […]
To say that following God’s call to a Christian international school in Tokyo, Japan, was daunting would be an understatement. I grew up just outside of Lynden, WA, a town of roughly 12,000. By contrast, with more than 37 million people, Tokyo’s greater metropolitan area is the most populous in the world, well over 3,000 […]
Wanted: Christian Schools to Host Chinese Students
In the past few years, due partly to its proximity to the Pacific coast, our school, Bellevue Christian, has been flooded with applications from Chinese students. That’s true of many west coast schools, especially those that are only a quick flight home. As the west coast schools fill up, many Chinese families are considering schools […]
Welcoming International Students: One School’s Approach
It seems that with the start of each new school year, the number of international students in my classes increases. Names like Yeonhui, and HaEun appear on my attendance list next to Nicholas, Samantha, and Adam. Incorporating these international students into the student body at Unity Christian High School (an independent Christian high school of […]
We started our discussion with the following two questions. First, what are you doing in your school to help your students connect to a larger global understanding of the world? Second, how do you make room for students of other cultures and countries to come to your school? Christian Altena: Greetings to all from a beautifully […]
Day in the Life
While this is my first year teaching language arts, it is my fourth year at the American School of Guatemala (ASG). ASG is a bicultural, bilingual school serving mostly Guatemalan families, along with a small percentage of international families. I moved to Guatemala to work with a faith-based nongovernmental organization (NGO). After three years of […]
Slouching Toward Bedlam
Slouching Toward Bedlam: Admission Impossible, or International Treasure
The entire faculty gathered in the staff room immediately after school. It was rare for Bentley VanderHaar, the principal of Bedlam Christian, to call a meeting like this, and when he did it often involved news about misbehaving students being expelled or news about a parent or staff member going suddenly into the hospital or, […]