Looking up to the “big kids”

Carly addressing the students

Carly addressing the students

The short week of school during Thanksgiving week is a challenge.  It is a challenge for students to remain engaged knowing that a long weekend – with family and turkey – is so very close.  It is a challenge for teachers because they, too, are excited about the opportunities provided by the holiday, as well as the fact that they are the ones called upon to keep those kids engaged.  As I am sure many schools are doing, we at WCCS are taking the opportunity of the short week to have combined chapels to call our attention to the Thanksgiving holiday.  So, very first thing on Monday morning, the entire lower school (from the 3k to 5th grade) gathered together in Westminster Hall for their Thanksgiving chapel.  I heard that this would be the first whole LS chapel of the year and was curious to see how it would go, so I snuck over to watch.  BOY, am I glad that I did, as I was reminded in very vivid terms just how blessed we are to be a 3K-12 school.  Allow me to explain…

LS Worship Team in Action

After Dr. Jolly opened the chapel, the LS worship team led the school in two songs.  It was a great blessing to hear so many children singing praises to our Lord and Savior!  Then, Mrs. Hali Christopher, the High School Student Council Advisor (and Theater/Yearbook teacher extraordinaire)  stepped to the microphone.  After doing her very best to ramp up the noise and excitement level in the room, she announced that there were four high school student council members with her to lead the chapel time.  As only she can, Mrs. Christopher even played a game with the lower school students as she was introducing the high schoolers.  It was a sight (with lots of sounds!) to behold.  Then, the students took over and the blessings multiplied!

Chapman, Hannah, Carly, and Jacob getting project ready for chapel

Hannah Basha (10th grade) spoke first and talked about the connection between gratitude and joy. Carly Setzer (12th grade) shared several Bible verses with the children about gratitude.  Jacob Haley (10th grade) told a story from his life about a time when he was reminded just how thankful he is for his family.  Chapman Petty (9th grade) was there in support of the others and managed a “project” as a leave-behind for each classroom that was a great reminder to us all about the need to be thankful.

Jacob taking the microphone to the kids…

As a parent, I am greatly blessed by the Christian teachers/coaches/staff that speak truth into the lives of my children.  There is no doubt in my mind that they have an eternal impact!  But, that impact is even greater when the “big kids” speak the same truths as it further solidifies the learning.  That’s exactly what happened in chapel this morning.  The little kids had gratitude modeled by the big kids.  And, they will never forget it!  As a matter of fact, it won’t be long until those who are currently the “little kids” will be the “big kids” sharing with children who have not yet been born!  WOW!

Gotta LOVE Teacher Development Days…

 

When I was a child, I remember wondering exactly what teachers did on those “Teacher Professional Development” days.  It didn’t keep me up at night – except for the fact that I could stay up later the night before because I didn’t have to go to school on those days.  But, I did wonder.

Now, I am the one creating the school calendar for the 15-16 school year and am trying to work out the details to set aside time for those same Teacher Professional Development days next year.  And, after spending this morning (Friday, 11/14) with the faculty of Westminster Catawba Christian School, I am even more determined to see that these days are scheduled because of the multiple blessings they provide!  Here’s a glimpse of what we did this morning…

We, the entire faculty, gathered at 8:00 for a light breakfast together.  This may not seem like a big deal to many, but it is.  Teachers can become very isolated from each other.  We are always around people, mostly students, but the normal daily schedule does not allow us to be together very often when we are not in a hurry.  The lower school teachers do meet together on an almost weekly basis, as do the upper school teachers, but, given the distance between the two campuses, we are not ALL together very often at all.  So, it is a blessing just to break bread together as an entire faculty!

Scott Dillon leading devotions during our Teacher Professional Development Day!

Scott Dillon leading devotions during our Teacher Professional Development Day!

We began our meeting time at 8:30 with a devotional on Ephesians 4 where we are reminded of our calling as teachers (4:11) – and the intended SO THAT result:  “so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (4:12-13).  It made all of us long for the day when we are all (teachers and students alike) are like Christ!

After devotions, we moved into the actual “development” time where we looked at two related, and hugely important, topics – Biblical Integration and Differentiated Assessment.  In other words, we looked at the need to be sure EVERY student learns what it is that we are trying to teach and how we assess them (differentiated assessment) AND it means that one of those most important objectives that we want the students to learn is the biblical perspective on that particular topic!  I had the pleasure of leading the devotional time and the presentation on Biblical Integration and Joanna Swafford, our Excel Director, did a wonderful job of challenging our faculty in their assessment strategies.

After these presentations, the teachers were all given their own classwork/homework assignment (not kidding) where they were asked to apply what they had learned in our time together and turn it in to their principal.  After their work was turned in, the teachers were given some time to spend together at lunch and then had the afternoon to work on some of their long-term projects – everything from updating their curriculum maps to lesson plans to, quite probably, reworking some of their upcoming assessments.

So, why do we need these days?  Why can’t the teachers accomplish all of this in their weekly faculty meetings?  Well, both the short and long answers are TIME.  There seems to never be enough of it.  However, when a full school day is set aside for this kind of “PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT”, it allows for the continued growth and development of our teachers as professional Christian educators.  Proverbs 9:9 says, “Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.”  That’s what we did this morning.  We sought to make the wise teachers even wiser, and added to the learning of our teachers.  And, don’t worry, we reminded them often that the desired end remains the joy in seeing our children walk in the truth!