Loving God, Even In a Pandemic

It's been a while! It's true that I'd like to be able to blog twice a week like so many fantastic teachers out there, but I've never been ready for that kind of commitment! But that's okay. That's the kind of freedom you have when you're doing it for free.

Here's a little update since the worldwide pandemic hit! Last March, like much of America, my community went into quarantine. My school went to soft-closure, meaning we were teaching and learning remotely. That lasted for the rest of the school year, with our 2020 graduating class having a modified commencement ceremony with limited guests and rigid social distancing in place. 

In the fall, we were back to school face-to-face until partway through November, when a new quarantine was put in place. That time around, I came down with COVID, along with my whole family. I'm so thankful that none of us had very bad symptoms. The worst side-effect was probably the debilitating tiredness. I'd think, "I should really do the dishes," and then my body would respond, "Yeah, right."

After a second round of quarantine in the first semester of 2020/2021, I was ready for life to return to normal. Okay, that still hasn't happened yet. Currently, my school is teaching and learning face-to-face again, crossing fingers that it can be this way for the rest of the year. With just five weeks to go, the end is in sight! 

I love the tee shirts that say, "I taught during a worldwide pandemic. What's your superpower?" This past year and a half has certainly proven our mettle as educators, spouses, parents, friends, and community members. For some of us, it's taken a major toll. Never have we needed each other more. Never in my lifetime (well, since 9/11) have we collectively cried out to God in greater desperation. I for one know that God was there for me. 

Some of the scariest times have revealed the greatest blessings. When the grocery shelves were bare of flour and toilet paper and tissues, God provided for my family. We never ran out. When I feared my family getting sick, we got sick mildly and recovered uneventfully. Of course, that is not the case for some we care about. It's tempting to question God in these dark times. 

All right, so question Him. He invites us to do so. Will we continue to believe that He loves us? 

Amy 

FREE Conference to check out: 

Idaho Coaching Network's all-online statewide conference 

The theme this year is Passion & Purpose

"Hold Fast," Here Comes Fall 2020

We've all decided that 2020 needs to end. As I smell the smoke of wildfires burning in the distance, the mantra "What next?" comes again to mind. It seems like diminished air quality fits right in with all the other plagues of the year of COVID-19. Yet we choose our own talking points, our own mantras, our own storylines within this drama that is 2020. As fall approaches and teachers return to schoool, what words of hope can we speak to ourselves and our coworkers? Surely Christians can do better than "What next?"

For me, the words "hold fast" are what I need right now. They come from Hebrews 3 and 4, speaking of how a believer must be faithful,  holding her confidence in Christ "firm until the end."

Our examples are Moses (Ch. 3 v. 2-5) and Jesus (Ch. 3 v. 1-6), as well as other believers who have come before us and who encourage us in our faith. We need these examples in troubling times. How did Jesus hold fast, "faithful to Him who appointed Him" (3:2)?  There is a choice involved, an exercise of the will. We may choose to fall away (3:12), to be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (3:13). Or we may choose to hold fast our confession.

If we follow the example of Jesus, who has now entered into rest (4:10), we will also enter into rest when our work is done.

And what is the work? Chapter 3 verse 13 says that part of it is encouraging one another. Not saying to each other, "What next?" but "Hold fast!" For Christian teachers in public schools heading into the 2020/2021 school year, our work may be to make this year the year that we believed. The year that we held onto our faith in Him who appointed us, who called us to this time and this place and this task. Whatever the ministry is that He has called us to, may Fall 2020 be the time when we were faithful despite the chaos that surounded us.

Be encouraged, beloved. Encourage one another to hold fast our confession. Rest is coming soon.

Amy

P20 Conference 2017

Amy at the P20 Conference

The P20 Educator Conference at the College of Southern Idaho is going full steam ahead, and I'm excited to share my presentations. This morning it's Faith and the Public School Teacher, followed by Choose Your Own Adventure tomorrow afternoon.

In today's session I'll give away a copy of Words to Live By: 52 Words That Lead to an Extraordinary Life, a wonderful devotional book by Linda Gilden and my friend Dalene Parker. Don't miss Dalene's first book, Christian Teachers in Public Schools: 13 Essentials for the Classroom.

Looking forward to an awesome conference with my fellow Idaho teachers! May the Lord bless us as we gather tools and strategies for the coming school year.

Words To Live By

Faith and the Public School Teacher at the Idaho Education Super Conference

"I thank my God always. . .that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge. . ." I Corinthians 1:4-5

Today at the Education Super Conference in Boise, I had the pleasure of enriching others and being enriched by them in my session, Faith and the Public School Teacher. There were about 25 attendees, and they eagerly shared their thoughts on what it means to be a teacher of faith working in the public school environment.

Some perspectives from our discussion:

• One attendee said it was her faith that caused her to enter the teaching profession in the first place. So many of us feel a strong sense of calling to be where we are, doing what we do.
• When questions of religion and faith come up in class, teachers must answer ethically and honestly. One attendee stated that when explaining viewpoints on the origins of life in his science class, he makes sure that students understand that the areas of controversy are small. On so many areas of science, consensus is easy.
• A kindergarten teacher in today's session pointed out that the age of students matters when a teacher is determining whether to make her faith public. High school students may be able to understand that their teacher, while employed by a government entity, holds religious views not endorsed by the government. Kindergarten students, though, often can't make that kind of distinction.
• One high school teacher suggested that teachers of faith "always offer students an out." Teachers cannot give the impression that a student's views are not valid or that the teacher's own religious views are right or more valid than other views.
• It pays to be peaceable. One attendee told of a student who asked to be given an alternate assignment for religious reasons. The teacher handled the matter peaceably, satisfying the student's concerns rather than escalating them.

Some classroom-ready strategies we used:

• Agreement statements
• Teacher reads statements
• Students move to one of three places in the room: agree, somewhat agree/somewhat disagree, or disagree
• Teacher facilitates discussion throughout, noting especially when a few loners stand alone; why?
• Close reading
• All students receive a copy of the text
• Teacher offers text-annotation strategies, such as writing a question mark beside text portions the student would like to know more about
• Students silently read and annotate the text
• Teacher facilitates discussion; often, text-based questions are used to keep the discussion focused on the words of the text throughout
• Group and share
• Students form groups of three to five
• All students read the text
• Groups discuss the text
• A member of the group shares with the whole class
• Student readers
• When presenting a slideshow, the teacher invites students to read slides
• This strategy reduces the monotony of having just one speaker, and it helps keep students engaged

Not only were this session and the conference as a whole a huge blessing to me, but on the drive home I had the chance to mull over some of the questions I still have about the enormous topic of Faith and the Public School Teacher. The Lord has opened the way for me to begin work on my master's degree. Will working on my degree help me answer some of my questions? I can't wait to find out how.

Would your school staff like to learn more about what it means to be a teacher of faith in the public school setting? I would love to present Faith and the Public School Teacher for professional development at your school. Contact Amy Ballard by email at amy@ amyballard .com (just remove the spaces). You can also connect with me on Facebook.

Learning Across All Dimensions--Meet With Christian Teacher, Public School's Amy Ballard at Idaho's Education Super Conference

Amy Ballard

It's almost conference time for Idaho teachers planning to attend the Education Super Conference in Boise Oct. 6 and 7. I'm thrilled to be presenting two sessions:

Writing and Publishing Narratives Using Digital Technology
Description:  In this session, teachers will learn to apply choose­-your-­own­-story structure to narrative fiction or nonfiction writing. Using Google Drive, teachers will learn to link story pages to form narratives with alternate endings.

Faith and the Public School Teacher
Description:  Can your faith coexist with your professional life? New legislation and news headlines may shake things up, but by identifying your stance on faith in the classroom, you will face the turbulence of our changing world with more confidence. In this session, teachers will learn what the law allows and expects of teachers who hold to a religious faith; take a look at teachers whose actions have come under scrutiny; and share appropriate ways to live out faith in the public school environment.

I'm eager to see how God will work, since conferences are always a time for reflection and change. Who will God bring across my path? Which sessions will bless me in unexpected ways? How can I be a blessing to some other attendee?

Okay, maybe for most people an education conference is just an education conference. But the way I see it, a Christian can and should view life through a spiritual lens. At a conference of any kind, you're outside your usual circle of acquaintances and responsibilities. Simply by making small talk with strangers between sessions or at lunch, you can let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify God.

Hope to see you in Boise!

Learning Across All Dimensions Education Super Conference
6 Strategies For Avoiding Conference Fatigue
Choose Your Own Adventure and Narrative Writing
Resources for Christian Teachers in Public Schools

See you at the Idaho Super Conference: Learning Across All Dimensions

School is going full steam ahead, with new faces, new adventures, and new blessings at every turn. I'm so thankful to have an enthusiastic freshman class this year. It's also been a blessing to see my youngest child enter Kindergarten and make new friends. My high school field trip to see Shakespeare's First Folio has been approved, and my advanced literature students and I are loving reading Fahrenheit 451!

One more blessing to add to my overflowing cup this fall is finding out that my two session proposals for the Idaho Super Conference have been accepted. That means I'll have a roomy ninety-minute presentation on Faith and the Public School Teacher, and I'll be giving my Choose-Your-Own-Adventure-inspired narrative writing presentation to a wider audience.

Join some 1500 teachers at Timberline High School and White Pine Elementary in Boise on Oct. 6 and 7 (state teacher in-service days). Registration closes Sept. 14, so be sure to sign up now. Professional development credit is available from Boise State University.

Writing and Publishing Narratives Using Digital Technology
Description:  In this session, teachers will learn to apply choose­-your-­own­-story structure to narrative fiction or nonfiction writing. Using Google Drive, teachers will learn to link story pages to form narratives with alternate endings.

Faith and the Public School Teacher
Description:  Can your faith coexist with your professional life? New legislation and news headlines may shake things up, but by identifying your stance on faith in the classroom, you will face the turbulence of our changing world with more confidence. In this session, teachers will learn what the law allows and expects of teachers who hold to a religious faith; take a look at teachers whose actions have come under scrutiny; and share appropriate ways to live out faith in the public school environment.

Planning to attend? Let me know in the comments! And join me on Facebook to chat with me and other teachers who'll be there.

Too Much Fun at the P20 Educator Conference in Twin Falls!

Having a blast at the P20 Educator Conference at the College of Southern Idaho! I have to thank all the people who turned out for my first presentation of Faith and the Public School Teacher. You were all so generous and civil (I say that because we covered some controversial territory!) and didn't complain about my not having enough handouts for the 31 of you who packed the room. Next time I'll request a bigger room and more time! But truly, the discussions were thoughtful and helpful, and I couldn't ask for a better crowd. Thank you to my friends and family who prayed for me!

My earlier presentation on Choose Your Own Adventure: Writing and Publishing Narratives Using Digital Technology was also tons of fun. I gathered lots of ideas from my wonderful attendees on classroom strategies to try, tech stuff, etc. and I even found a new friend who has agreed to guest blog for us soon.

One more quick story before I crash for the night. . .

The College of Southern Idaho has a wonderful planetarium at the Herrett Center. Several of us teachers went and viewed one of the planetarium showings ("Rock on Demand": The 60s, 70s, & 80s) to relax after our busy day at the conference. I had the pleasure of being seated between two adorable children (one of whom went to sleep partway through) and being surrounded by fellow teachers.

Toward the end of the showing, the Pink Floyd song "Another Brick in the Wall" came on, and we all started chuckling because the song is a protest against teachers brainwashing their students in a "rigid" school system, to paraphrase Wikipedia. To me it's about a dystopian (or just plain Communist?) society, brainwashing vulnerable school children with government-approved propaganda--not something any of us would approve of. I felt like we had a moment.

Blessings,

Narratives of Grace

Narrative is a powerful way of connecting people with people. The best teachers use it to connect students with wisdom and knowledge to encounter their world with confidence. The best writers tell stories to help readers learn about their own journeys and the heroes they could become.

Reading in Luke Chapter 4 this morning, I'm struck once again by the compelling nature of the Gospel story. Jesus, born to a virgin, fulfilling prophecy, teaching his teachers, well-pleasing to His father, refuting the Devil's blasphemies, casting out demons, healing the sick--loves me. That's a story I want to read and share again and again while it is "the favorable year of the Lord" (v. 19).

Even as a public school teacher whose job requires prudence in the matter of living my faith, I know that God will be faithful to bless the opportunities He gives outside of the classroom to witness of God's grace to me. And in the classroom? Faith is the conviction of things not seen (Heb. 11:1). God's power extends beyond the limits of my free speech. When our lips are silent, God still works.

Be faithful to tell your story of grace to those around you with humility and love.

Goodies in the Mail

When I checked the mail today, I was thrilled to find two books waiting for me.

The first was my own personal copy of River Rest, my mom's new inspirational historical novel. If you haven't had a chance to read last week's interview with Susan Page Davis, do check it out and pass it on.

The second book in my mailbox was Dalene Vickery Parker's Christian Teachers in Public Schools: 13 Essentials for the Classroom. Dalene has guest blogged here, and she was kind enough to send along a copy of her book to give as a door prize at my Faith and the Public School Teacher presentation in July. Thanks, Dalene!




I'll also be presenting Choose Your Own Adventure: Writing and Publishing Narratives Using Digital Technology. In this session, teachers will learn to apply choose-your-own-story structure to narrative fiction or nonfiction writing. Using Google Drive, teachers will learn to link story pages to form narratives with alternate endings.

Hope to see you in Twin Falls at the College of Southern Idaho on July 12!

A Call to Christian Teachers

'. . .your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. Your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left. And you will defile your graven images overlaid with silver, and your molten images plated with gold. You will scatter them as an impure thing, and say to them, “Be gone!”'

Isaiah 30:20b-22

The headlines are bleak. The world is shifting. It's easy to be discouraged by the way Christians specifically and Conservatives generally are being actively targeted. The Left is stepping up its game. Where is God?

The passage from Isaiah 30 is a glimpse of God's heart for Israel, and by extension, for Gentile believers. The world can shift its values, but we are asked not to follow--not to turn to the right or to the left. In fact, we are to live lives that are purer and higher, defiling our own idols, scattering them, disowning them. In a time when the world has disowned the concept of Sin, we are asked to be iconoclasts, smashers of idols.

The idols we have allowed ourselves have to go. Whatever it is that takes our eyes off God and our God-given calling has to go. A big thing can be an idol--envy, lust, self. A little thing like an iPhone can make a very pretty idol, too.

The world doesn't know where it's going or what it's doing. It just wants to go anywhere, so long as it's away from God. It'll take us all with it if it can. We have to stand somewhere and draw a line. We have to walk a path that God has blessed: "This is the way, walk in it."

We have to make the decision for ourselves. I can't force you and you can't force me. I hope that when I'm no longer here and my children have to choose to live for God or live for idols, they'll choose the right path, the one Way.

And these are things I can't mull over with my students, since I am a public school teacher who abides by the law. If it means so much to me to light the way to God for others, how can I stay in this line of work? How can I be at peace when I have to hold my peace to keep my job?

The answer is faith. One of my heroes is Christian missionary martyr Jim Elliot, who said,

"Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.”

We must do all for the glory of God and do it diligently. Examples abound of Christians who said not a word but were lights for the Gospel.

Another missionary hero, Olympic athlete Eric Liddell, said,

“I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast! And when I run I feel his pleasure.”

Are you a writer? Write for God, every word, whether it be a grocery list or an editorial. Are you a teacher? Teach for Him. Your students may not hear you speak of your God, but they will learn of Him by knowing you. Faith makes it possible. Teachers, we can't see the path to its end, but there will be a voice behind us saying, "This is the way, walk in it."

And we do not walk by sight. We walk by faith.

A Stance on Creationism and Evolution in the Public Schools

Many Christian teachers are required to teach evolutionary theory as fact in their classrooms. In some states, laws outline how cosmology and biology may and may not be taught. A simple Google search will reveal some of the more recent battles state legislatures have fought over evolution in schools.

See, for example, NPR's summary here or the Pew Research Center's take here.

Many Christians are tired of the topic. Is it really that important? Can't I be a Christian without believing the Biblical account of Creation?

The trouble is, the Creation account is everywhere in the Bible, and it's considered part of the Gospel (Rev. 14:6-7):

"And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he said with a loud voice, 'Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and springs of waters.'"

It's not something you can pry out of the Word of God. It's part of the final message to a dying earth: Believe in the Creator.

So how about teaching Creationism in the public schools?

The way I see it, we have to be realistic about the world in which we live. The public schools belong to the state and not the church. Just as I cannot expect my unsaved neighbor to obey God's laws in his home, I cannot expect a fallen government (and they are all fallen governments on this earth) to enact God-centered laws for their schools. There are several implications of this perspective.

First, if I'm a voter, I vote.

Second, if I'm a parent, I consider prayerfully whether to place my child in public school or to home school him or her or seek some other school. If choosing public school, I interview my child's teachers and dialog often with my child about my beliefs, knowing I can't force my child to believe the same way I do. I can only lead and pray. Every parent has to work through the school choice question for himself.

Third, if I'm a public school teacher, it means I look carefully at the expectations placed on me in my job. Will I be required to teach evolution? If so, how must I teach it according to state laws?

I would like to hear from other Christian teachers about this tough topic. The matter of Evolution vs. Creationism is no small matter to Christians. We may never convince others to agree with us, but that doesn't mean we should roll over and play dead. The God of the universe asks us to persevere. What does this mean to you? How has Creation affected your thinking about your profession?

"Come and Worship" Meets Evolution

Author David Rains Wallace wrote in 2004 that "If there is a Sistine Chapel of Evolution, it is Yale University's Peabody Museum." This month's Smithsonian magazine cover invites readers to "worship" there by way of the issue's pages. For so many of its adherents, Evolutionary theory is true religion.

Presenting Faith and the Classroom Teacher

This July 12 and 13, I will be presenting at the P20 Educator Conference: Reaching for New Heights at the College of Southern Idaho. The subject of my session is Faith and the Classroom Teacher. We'll look at current controversies over First Amendment rights of teachers and students, laws we live by, and crafting a personal philosophy of faith in the classroom. It's my first time speaking to a conference audience on these topics, and I'm eager to open the conversation. Join me in praying that the session will be a blessing to teachers and administrators who attend.

Snow Day

Continuing the theme of asking in faith, I was challenged on Sunday to ask in faith, believing. What was my request? That day, it was for school to be called off because of snow.

It wasn't such a far-fetched idea. After all, the snow was falling fast, and several inches had fallen the night before. On Sunday afternoon, I asked my children to pray with me. We asked for safety in the weather and for God to give us a snow day.

That evening, I was already planning how I would spend my day off school. I'm on an organizing kick, so I started clearing off the dryer, imagining my newly-tidied laundry area and how much laundry I would get done today with school cancelled.

When the phone rang a few hours later, my husband put the call on speaker. It was a recording from the principal, announcing that due to inclement weather, school had been cancelled. I called my son to my side for a high five.

That's the way I want my children to see prayer. Not that every little thing we imagine will be ours, but that God sees the desires of our hearts, and that He is powerful enough to do anything. His authority over the wind and the waves and the weather has not diminished since Jesus calmed the Sea of Galilee.

So today as I do laundry and my kids play in the knee-deep snow, I thank God for his love. I hope my children will remember this answered prayer for a long time.

Teaching as Calling

Matthew 10:5-10

"These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support." (NASB)

Many times in my teaching career, I've wondered about God's call on my life and my conviction that teaching is part, but not all, of that calling. There's a part of me that longs to speak the Gospel to the lost and to edify the body of Christ more actively. Working in the public school environment, it's difficult to see how I'm doing either. "I'm not going anywhere, I'm not preaching, I'm not healing the sick, I'm not raising the dead, I'm not cleansing any lepers or casting out demons!" It takes faith to believe that He is, even so, at work in me and through me as a light to a dark world.

Teachers are often asked to consider their motivation for teaching. Are you in it for the money (Okay, that's just a joke. Moving on.)? Are you in it to help others? Are you in it for personal fulfillment? Are you in it for love?

I've often struggled to answer these questions honestly, even for myself. Saying I do it for the students is not enough for me. I do see in my interactions with students the gifts that God has given me--and many areas where the gifts need to be matured. God has given me a talent for teaching. He is also reminding me constantly that I have more to learn about using that talent effectively. The students are part of that process. They challenge me, motivate me, puzzle me, entertain me, put one over on me, annoy me, charm me, and teach me. The students are both my frustration and my delight every day.

Saying I teach for personal fulfillment may be closer to the truth. Every day I see God's blessing in giving me a profession that is intellectually stimulating. I am able to read and write and converse and challenge myself and be challenged by others, and I get paid to do it! I think, I grow, I change, I laugh, I cry, I learn. I learn to depend on God. Now that's a life I want to live, job or no job.

But there's more to my motivation for teaching. The way I view my life in Christ, teaching is one of the gifts God is developing in me as part of a larger whole. It is part of the journey and part of the destination, but there is more. What is that "more"? God knows. It's an overall path, set out with purpose and care before I ever came to be. I hope you know this sense of God's purpose for your life. It is written all over the Bible, intertwined with themes of God's love and wisdom and grace.

What if I don't have a clear sense of where I'm going on this path God has given me to walk? That's the essence of faith--"the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1 NASB). I believe God is preparing me for intense ministry. It doesn't matter what that ministry is--He knows, and He is already watching over it. Teaching? It's part of the preparation for service. It is also service now. And there are some parts of the puzzle that I can know now.

For one, I am ministering to "lost sheep." Matthew 10:42 says,

“And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.”

Teach those kids. Give them a drink. God is watching over these simple actions of service. Do them in His name.

For another, I have received freely. "Freely give." In teaching in the public school, I show the world that God has given freely to me, and that the great gift of His salvation prompts me to give freely to others through sacrificial teaching. And teaching is a sacrifice, or else no one would ask why we do it.

For another, I know it's not for the money anyway. "Do not acquire gold." "Or even two coats." It's not about the paycheck. The paycheck is not enough. God is enough. His salvation is enough. I will share it however I can.

Don't be frustrated or ashamed when you wrestle at times with doubts about your motivation for teaching. Don't leave the profession simply because you can't see the good you are doing. As Christians, we ought to look at the world as a place where the invisible is more important than the visible.

In Colossians 2, Paul urges believers to think less about functions of earthly society--the celebration of feasts and what other people think about our celebration or abstinence from celebration--and more about the world to come:

"Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day—things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ."

Other people may concern themselves about why you do what you do. Your task is to leave their judgment to God and set your eyes on the invisible--the coming kingdom of God. Ask Him to give you peace about your calling. He will be faithful to complete it in you.