“What is the first commandment? How would you answer that question?” Predictably, the twelve- to seventeen-year-old scholars who receive the Willing to Wait Sexual Risk Avoidance Program at various Christian schools will respond, “Love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul with all your mind.” Certainly, that’s how Jesus […]
Despite my title, “Karl Barth’s Mozart,” I should say that I am not here directly concerned with Barth or Mozart so much as what I propose are lessons for Christian music education. Specifically, I consider Barth’s thoughtful and emotional engagement with Mozart’s music and argue that Christian music educators are in a special place […]
Some of you may have the wrong impression. First you’ll notice there are no bold primary colors or catchy tunes in this article. Second, while I may sound like an old puppet in the balcony, this is not about conjunctions’ functions at any junction, nor is this article sponsored by a consonant. However, I do […]
Is the purpose of Christian education to isolate or immunize students, to protect them from a secular culture or prepare them for it? Is it better to organize lessons by kind of literature, by history, or by theme? Should Christian schools be governed by the church, or by an association of parents? Can a Christian […]
Question 1 Why can’t we operate like other schools and just teach rather than having to put so much time into this vision business? Although I attended a Christian college in preparation for teaching in a Christian school, I recall that my main focus in the first few years of teaching was lesson preparation and […]
The following list is in random order, allowing the reader to create opinions easily and to glean any wisdom quickly. 1. Be a model. It’s you. Yes, your students are looking at you. Your words and your actions make a difference. Years from now, they will remember that you loved history, or rang a little […]
I’ve always joked that I landed my first teaching job in a Christian high school because I had supper with my sister-in-law’s parents at the nearby Dutch retirement building before the interview. As you probably know, or have guessed already, I am not Dutch (and apparently not much … please read this as a joke!). […]
This article is adapted from a devotional presented at the annual general meeting of the Ontario Alliance of Christian Schools in November, 2009 by Leo Van Arragon, the Coordinator of Secondary Programs at OACS. Previously he worked in Ontario Christian schools in the elementary and secondary panels both as teacher and as principal. He is […]
For many years, Romans 12:1–2 has been for me one of the key texts of scripture. So it surprised me when I learned just a few weeks ago how radical a text it really is. When Paul says, “offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship,” […]
When a Christian family is choosing a school for their child, what factors do they consider? To what do we as Christian educators invite them to participate? In this article, three common views of Christian schooling as identified by its claimed benefits are considered and critiqued against biblical priorities with the hope of encouraging Christian […]