Teachers Can Help Close the Education Gap for English Learners

Gotta share this fantastic interview with SupportEd president Diane Staehr Fenner about equity in English language learner (EL) education. Diane shares what individual teachers and districts can do to close the education gap for ELs, along with resources to help make it happen. It's a great Q & A to share with staff at start-of-the-year PDs. We want our English learners to have the best back-to-school experience possible, starting with teachers who care to make a difference.

Follow me on Instagram @amyballardwriter.

An Interview with Dalene Parker About Her New Book, Words To Live By

It's a great day to welcome back author Dalene Vickery Parker, who's here to share with us about her new devotional book, Words To Live By: 52 Words that Lead to an Extraordinary Life. Dalene is a high school teacher in the South Carolina public school system. I hope you enjoy our interview!

Dalene has agreed to give away a copy of her book, so make sure to enter the giveaway by clicking on the Rafflecopter box below. You'll have two chances to win. Contest ends Saturday at midnight EST.

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Welcome back, Dalene! I can't say enough good about your first book, Christian Teachers in Public Schools, so it's exciting to have you share with us about Words to Live By. I got my copy in the mail on Tuesday, and I've ordered more copies to share with friends. It's going to be a great devotional and resource for me, I can tell already.

Let's get started!

Available at Amazon

Amy Ballard: I see that you've gotten your doctorate. Congratulations! Tell us a little bit about your degree.

Dalene Parker: In 2013, I earned a doctorate of education (Ed.D.) from Bob Jones University. This challenge claimed every weekend, every holiday, and every summer for five years. The level of excellence expected and the consecration of every intellectual pursuit to God’s glory made this degree meaningful far beyond its prestige or monetary value. Far from making me feel any smarter, the pursuit of this degree made me realize how much more there is to learn! I owe a huge debt of gratitude to all the family, friends, administrators, and professors who supported me through this effort.

AB: What an accomplishment! How did you meet and decide to work with Linda Gilden? Is there a story behind your collaboration?

DP: Linda and I attend the same church and were neighbors for many years. We attended our first writing conference together back in 1991.  From there, she pursued a path of full-time writing, speaking, and editing while I taught high school English full time and wrote only in spurts. However, our writing paths began to merge again a couple of years ago as we collaborated on the book proposal for Words to Live By. Twenty-five years after our first writers conference, we have a book together! I can honestly say that although I may have originated the idea for our book, it would never have materialized without Linda’s insight and persistence. I could not ask for a better co-author.

AB: Your book focuses on words. Why are words so powerful in a Christian's life?

DP: First of all, God’s Word in a Christian’s life provides wisdom, guidance, strength, and comfort for every situation and every relationship. Likewise, the words we speak, read, and hear impact our actions, feelings, and relationships.  Words are powerful. It is our responsibility as Christians to use them with care.

AB: That's something we all need help with! How will this book be a blessing to teachers specifically?

DP: Many of the stories in Words to Live By come from experiences in the classroom, insights gained from interactions with students and colleagues. Many other stories deal with issues universal to all ages, stages, and professions. Teachers will be blessed by the focus of one word per week and its impact on their personal and professional lives.

AB: I love that idea. Sometimes it's hard to carve out time for daily devotions, during the school year, but it's so important. How can your book make it easier?

Christian Teachers in Public Schools

DP: I know from personal experience that it makes a huge difference in my school day if I have prioritized having a quiet time, making sure I’m attentive to what God is trying to teach me
before I try to teach others.  Words to Live By provides a short, but meaningful way to put our antennae up for scripture and life lessons to apply throughout each week – at school and at home. Whereas we might forget the focus of a daily devotion, the emphasis on the same word throughout the week should help us retain our focus!

AB: I agree! What is one of your favorite words you focus on in the book? Why?

DP: I have a new favorite word each week! Seriously, the word celebrate keeps rising to the top of the list because each day is cause for celebration in some way.  I want to celebrate each breath, each moment, each opportunity, each relationship, and even each challenge God provides because He makes each of those things worthwhile and meaningful.

AB: What a great word. I noticed your book includes an appendix listing all the scriptures used throughout.  Why is that significant?

DP: Again, the focus comes back to God’s Word and its power.  As we wrote about the 52 weekly words we selected, we made a special effort to include scripture from every book in the Bible.  This feature gives our book the sense of being completely undergirded by His Word from Genesis to Revelation.

AB: I love that! I am reading and enjoying my copy of the book, and I know it's going to be something I use throughout the year to enrich my quiet time. Dalene, thank you so much for blessing us today! I wish you and Linda success and joy as you introduce others to your book. And have a wonderful school year!

DP: Thank you for having me.


Find Dalene at her Web site, www.worddoctor13.com.

The Outlaw Takes a Bride Is Finalist in Will Rogers Medallion Awards

I wanted to share the news that my mom's book The Outlaw Takes a Bride is a finalist in the 2016 Will Rogers Medallion Awards. For those of us who love clean romance novels, that's good to hear. The Bible tells us to "approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ" (Philippians 1:10 KJV). It's nice to see inspirational fiction being picked as a finalist in a prestigious contest like this one.

Susan Page Davis did an interview here for her newest book, River Rest, earlier this summer. I just finished reading that one, and it was sweet and fun, though it did make me homesick for Maine.

Also making me miss my home state is another of my mom's new books, Tearoom for Two. It's a contemporary cozy mystery from Guideposts Books.

I hope you've enjoyed some good reading this summer, and not just those very important professional journals and ed books! Leave a comment to share your summer reads, then hop over to Facebook to congratulate Susan!

When God Wants To Bless You

The P20 Educator Conference was a huge success, and coordinators tell me that the dates are already set for the same week next year. If you're an Idaho teacher and you missed it, plan on attending next year.

The high point of the conference for me was an interview with MK Asante, hip-hop artist, author, university professor, and keynote speaker. After his first keynote, I approached him about interviewing with me, and he was generous enough to give me twenty minutes of his time after the conference. As it turned out, the interview took a surprising twist. I'm going to have to keep you in suspense on that one for a little while, but I'll have stories here soon.

Earlier in the day yesterday, I also had the chance to visit with my friend Janet and marvel about the way that God picks up the threads of our lives--all those "random" things we've done for so long--just when we finally surrender control of it all. What we'd tried to make sense of but couldn't, the trials, the work experiences, the family craziness, God had a plan for all along if we would just let go. For both of us, the winding path of a life spent following the Lord has begun to seem more visible and more compelling lately. The destination and the goodness of it and the way to it seem more designed.

On the drive home from the conference, I had a good hour and a half to think about my eventful days at CSI. I kept thinking, "God must want to bless me. Look what He gave me!" I'll share more about the specific blessings soon. But just think about that. A day when you know God wants to bless you! Maybe that obedient surrender that my friend and I were talking about has to happen first. Then God can bless.

"If you love me, keep my commandments," He says in John 14:15.

And, "'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11).

I believe God offers that love and care to all of mankind. And this one, also from Jeremiah: "'Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.'"

Blessings,

An Interview with Susan Page Davis, Author of River Rest

Available now at Amazon.com

I'm thrilled to introduce my mother, inspirational author Susan Page Davis. Susan is the author of more than sixty books and has won her share of awards along the way. Her new book, River Rest, is available now from Tea Tin Press.

Before we get started, check out our contest! You can enter to win a copy of River Rest just by posting a comment below (required for entry) or by stopping by Susan's Facebook page (bonus entry!). Mention "Christian Teacher" when you post. Contest ends at midnight EST on Saturday, June 25th. We teachers love freebies!


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Winner chooses the format, either paperback (USA only) or ebook (available for Kindle or Nook).

Amy: Hi, Mom! Let's start out with some background on the book River Rest. What was your inspiration for the story?

Susan: River Rest is purely fiction, but many of the events in it were inspired by things that really happened in my family. My great-aunt Belle left a journal she wrote in the 1920s and ’30s. It gave such a vivid picture of life in rural Maine that I wanted to write a story in that setting. I decided to push it back to 1918, near the end of World War I, because of the added tension, and because my grandfather (Aunt Belle’s brother-in-law) served. I adapted some details of his story to fit my heroine’s brother.

Aunt Belle noted so many cultural things in her diary—who she voted for, the famous boxers of the day, the way the neighboring farm boys were building tractors out of truck chassis, and all the community events and gossip. She never had children of her own, but she doted on her nieces and nephews. I think I would have loved her.

Amy: Cool. I remember you sharing details from the old diary years ago when you first transcribed it. Tell us more about Judith, the main character inspired by great-aunt Belle.

Inspirational author Susan Page Davis

Susan: Judith has left her teaching job to help her family. In real life, my grandmother (Aunt Belle’s sister) was a schoolteacher before she married my grandfather. Judith has a lot in common with both my Nana and Aunt Belle. She loves her bird feeder, she learns to make quilts, and she cooks many of the same things my Nana served. Her life on the farm is a lot like theirs was.

Amy: I was looking at some of Nana's fudge recipes recently in the family cookbook. I don't think I have the knack for candy making that she had. Like your character Judith, you taught school, and then you homeschooled your six children.

Susan: Yes, I taught in a Christian school after graduating from college, and then I substitute taught for a short time. I later homeschooled for about 30 years with the six of you.

Amy: And a good job you did of it, in my humble opinion. Is there a certain Bible verse that is important to the story? What spiritual themes do you bring out?

Susan: Matthew 11:28-30 is at the front of the book. The last part of that is,

“...and ye shall find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

The Christian theme is spiritual rest/peace. Judith feels inadequate. Her mother always seemed so serene and at peace, and she chose the farm’s name, River Rest. But Judith can’t seem to latch onto that restfulness. She also becomes very concerned about being an example to the younger children and especially keeping watch over her next-younger sister, Christina. She assumes the mother role and finds it challenging and sometimes wearisome.

Amy: I guess every Christian woman can relate to that! It sounds like this book will appeal to readers who are looking for clean historical romance. Who is the target readership for the book?

Susan: This book will appeal to a wide range of readers. Judith is young, about 21, and her brother who gets drafted is 19, so young people who like historicals should like it, but it will also appeal to older readers who remember doing things the old way. Some of the activities mentioned, like apple picking, making butter, cutting ice, and quilting, might bring back memories for older readers. The quilting bee, where Judith helps her female relatives make a quilt for an aging uncle, reminded me of times spent with my own mom, sisters, aunts, and cousins. Some of my most cherished memories are of times spent doing productive work with people I love.

Amy: I'm a beginning quilter myself, so I'm always glad to read about quilting in fiction. It's such an important tradition in rural America. The ninth-grade literature anthology I use contains the short story "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker, and I use it to springboard to a lot of other quilt-themed activities. Even the boys seem to enjoy it.

I'm looking forward to reading River Rest. Thanks so much for joining me, Mom!

Susan: I'd like to add that there are discussion questions in the back of the book for book clubs, etc. Thank you for having me.

Amy: And one more reminder to enter to win a copy of the book by leaving a comment for Susan below! Mention "Christian Teacher" when you post on Susan's Facebook page for a bonus entry.

Buy River Rest here. Don't forget to share Susan's interview and follow her on Twitter @SusanPageDavis!

May we all remember to take time for resting in the Lord.

Coming Soon: An Interview with Susan Page Davis

Coming Monday, stop by Christian Teacher Public School for a mother/daughter interview I'll be doing with my mom, inspirational author Susan Page Davis. You can enter to win a copy of her new book River Rest, available now from Tea Tin Press. Winner chooses paperback or ebook format.

Susan's books have won several awards including the Carol Award for her novel The Prisoners Wife; the Inspirational Readers' Choice Award for The Prisoner's Wife and The Lumberjack's Lady (Maine Brides series); and the 2012 Will Rogers Medallion Award for her novel Captive Trail (Texas Trails series). Visit her website at www.susanpagedavis.com or follow her @SusanPageDavis.