John Walcott: When the editor shared with me that the February 2016 issue would focus on LGBTQ-related issues in Christian schools, my first response was that I would like the contributors to this column to have the opportunity to participate in the discussion. I have both appreciated and learned from the ideas, suggestions and perspectives […]
Recently I heard from a friend who went to a relative’s one hundredth birthday celebration. The dear lady claimed that she achieved the century mark by eating lots of turnips and carrots, which she had stolen from her mom’s garden, first wiping off the dirt. Upon reflection, I realized that though I grow lots of […]
This issue may cause a certain amount of discomfort in our school communities or even within us personally as Christian educators. No matter how carefully the matters affecting LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning) students (or staff or parents) in our Christian school communities are raised, there is no avoiding the complex range […]
“The foreigner living among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:34). I am a pre-service elementary teacher. Sometimes I am overwhelmed by the complexity of the profession I hope to get into post-graduation. It seems like all […]
In many ways, the lives and experiences of students with disabilities have improved since the late 1970s when federal legislation requiring an appropriate public education for these students began to be implemented. Christian day schools, however, have been slow to accommodate the needs of children and youth with disabilities, often focusing only on students […]
Last November, I was blessed to be a part of leading a wonderful, integral, and responsive discussion on the role of special education in Christian schools. During the Ontario Christian School Teachers Association Convention in fall 2009, participants of the “Educators Helping Educators: Special Education” session passionately probed key questions surrounding this ever-growing area of […]
November 17, 2010 Al Boerema introduces the topic: The theme of this issue of CEJ is diversity. Let’s talk about this from the perspective of whether diversity is a value that Christian schools should seek. What does it mean for a Christian school to be diverse, and what are barriers to creating and maintaining diversity […]
“The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship … God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding” (Ps. 19:1, 4b–5a nlt). I’ve been thinking about rainbows lately: rainbow trout, the rainbow-colored Swiss chard that grew in […]
Question 1 How would you go about handling a classroom that has seven Individual Education Plans (IEPs) out of twenty-two students? This is a public school setting that is a culturally diverse environment. As a teacher, how do you go about looking out for the care of those who are IEP students? How will you […]
It was a story I’d heard before, but hearing it in the Christian school I’d graduated from brought a level of emotion that surprised even me. In ten years of engaging with those outside the heterosexual mainstream, I have sat with countless individuals who shared stories of unsafe environments within the Christian community. But hearing […]