October 2020
Communities That Care
Editorial
by Steve Tuit and Abby Zwart When we came up with the idea for this issue last January, the pandemic was just coming into the periphery of vision for anyone outside of China. When we started planning it in earnest in May, COVID-19 loomed so large it was hard to see anything else. And now, […]
Article
A Truly New School Year: Emotional Wellness during a Pandemic
If we think back to our childhood days, we probably remember getting something shiny and new for our birthday or Christmas and usually loving it. And sometimes we got a sweater or socks or a book, and maybe we didn’t love that gift so much. Some might say that 2020 has been that less-preferred gift. […]
Article
The Trauma-Informed Educator: Helping Students and Caring for Yourself
By Kylene Dalton-Koons and Brad VanDenend In schools these days, there is a lot of talk about trauma—and for good reason. According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, “One out of every 4 children attending school has been exposed to a traumatic event” (4). Not only does this research support the idea that educators […]
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Using a Multi-tiered Approach to Support the Social-Emotional Development of All Students
One of my favorite courses to teach in my role as a school counselor educator is social-emotional development. It’s not that other areas of development (e.g., academic or career development) are less important when working with children and adolescents but that social-emotional development plays a central role in shaping how we approach living our lives […]
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Using Christian Mindfulness to Support Student Thriving in a Pandemic Season
Mindfulness has emerged as a leading intervention for dealing with stress in the school setting. But the term has become overused and watered down, and it can be difficult to sort through the clutter to understand what mindfulness is and how it fits with a Christian worldview. In fact, many Christians are wary of mindfulness […]
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Selective Mentoring: The Case for Apprenticeship in Academic Discipleship
The summer after I graduated from high school, I walked into a piano lesson wanting to play like Ben Folds; I walked out wanting to be like Dr. Hsu. My teacher, the late Dr. Hsu, was a world-class pianist. He could have spent that hour networking with other elite musicians or instructing Juilliard-bound students, but […]
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Building Student Confidence through Creative Expression in Art Class
Schools today struggle to help students who daily deal with serious mental health issues that include anxiety, depression, eating disorders, addiction, and suicide. Christian schools, too, face challenges. They aren’t exempt, and they may be better equipped to address mental health issues than other schools, since they stand on God’s truth and are strengthened by […]
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Smiles at Graduation: A Student Assistance Program Story
The fellowship hall at my church was the last place I expected to be one Sunday night several years ago. We were meeting there instead of in the sanctuary to grieve and process the suicide of a teen in our church family. As a teacher and a school administrator, I had been part of grieving […]