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.

Idaho Coaching Network, Year Two

I'm excited to be attending training meetings this week for the Idaho Coaching Network. It's my second year, so I'll be mentoring a "newbie" to the program and helping her with planning and drafting a unit, among other tasks. This year I'm the only teacher from my district participating in the ELA branch of the Network, but I get to hang out with (and learn from) lots of generous, dedicated, experienced teachers from other districts. Our coaches are wonderful, and I can honestly say it's been the best teacher training I've ever received.

One of the biggest benefits to me has been my growth as a presenter, whether it be in professional developments (PDs), conference sessions, or the public speaking aspect of classroom teaching. I've learned to give more meaningful feedback and to plan and write engaging, meaningful units that align with the standards. And I'm seeing myself as more of a teacher-leader, which encourages my administrators and colleagues to view me in that role, too.

If you teach in Idaho, consider learning more about the program and asking your district to let you participate next year. It's a time commitment for sure, but the training and research will stretch you as a professional. Continuing ed credits are available through Boise State University.

Visit the Idaho Coaching Network for more information and lots of free resources. If you're on Twitter, join the conversation at #IDedchat.

10 Ways To Be a Teacher-Leader

For some teachers, the idea of being a leader is frightening, so we delay it or even avoid it as much as possible. For others, we know we want to be leaders, but struggle to make wise decisions with the opportunities we're given or to be patient while waiting for leadership opportunities to come our way. To the new teacher, leadership can seem like a distant, hazy prospect always out of reach. "It takes ten years to become an expert at anything," or so they say.

Here are some practical ways to steer toward a leadership course, no matter how many years you've been in the classroom.

1. Read current education news.
You can do this by subscribing to email newsletters such as the excellent SmartBrief from ASCD. Choose an ed-focused magazine or journal in your area to keep up on the latest research, techniques, and classroom technology. If you're a writer, you might eventually try submitting an article to your favorite publication.

2. Hone your public speaking skills.
It's true that you speak publicly in the classroom every day, but let's face it. Those kids don't scare you anymore. Look for opportunities to speak in front of more varied audiences, such as your school staff or the school board. Talk to a parent group or a community group about what your school is doing in STEM or character education. Speaking skills are leadership skills.

3. Take on extra responsibilities (responsibly).
The freshman class needs an adviser. The PTO needs more teachers at their meetings. From selling tickets at the football game to organizing an after school program, there is an infinite number of extra activities you can take on to demonstrate leadership in your school. Learn to take on only what you can handle and to say "no" when an activity is sure to hinder your everyday productivity or sanity. Volunteerism gets noticed. It also gives you needed practice in small-scale leadership tasks.

4. Do the grub work.
A student throws up in the hall. Is your default reaction to comfort the child, to get the janitor, to start cleaning it up, or to cower by the wall until someone else deals with it? All but the last show leadership. Have you ever noticed that secretaries and principals often get stuck doing the grub work, not because that particular task is in their job description, but because they are leaders? Sometimes, serving is leading.

5. Continue your professional education.
Before you can renew your teaching certification, you have to take professional development classes and/or academic classes for your professional growth. Don't ever think the only benefit of these classes is certificate renewal or a pay raise. Continuing your education shows leadership. You prove that you are willing to learn and grow as a person and as a teacher. It also helps you find specific areas of focus for your leadership talents.

6. Try new things.
Just because you're an English teacher doesn't mean you can't organize a STEM field trip for the high school. Never served on the RTI team before? You'll learn fast. Adopt a growth mindset and show your leadership skills.

7. Mentor informally.
You don't have to be an official mentor to help other teachers find their way. You have areas of expertise you can share with others on your staff, even if it's in a brief chat around the water cooler or a pop-in after class. Watch for opportunities where a colleague is asking for help, but also where you have found a strategy that works and you can share it. When you read a helpful article, pass it on by email. When you've attended a conference, share your notes and handouts. Chances are, it'll open a discussion that benefits you, too.

8. Share gleanings from workshops with your staff.
It may be intimidating, but sharing what you've learned at a PD or academic class can benefit your staff and grow you as a leader. First, determine the specific topic you'd like to present and how long you'll take to present it. For beginners, twenty to thirty minutes is a good max. Second, ask your administrator for time at the next staff meeting or collaboration. Be prepared to tell what you'll be sharing and how it will benefit other teachers. If you're not given time, try again with another topic in future. If your proposal is accepted, prepare a clear and concise presentation that does not go over the time limit you and your administrator have agreed on. Give a minute or two for questions at the end and be sure to thank your administrator for allowing you to present.

9. Inspire your students.
When you capture a student's imagination through story, through vision, through the arts, through tech, through debate, through biography, you show leadership. Parents and administrators like nothing better than hearing that your students are engaged in and excited about learning. What will inspire students? Probably the same things that inspire you. Maybe you'll be the teacher that inspired a student to become a doctor or a software engineer or a writer.

10. Work hard.
A strong work ethic shows leadership more than just about any other quality a teacher can cultivate. Show up on time. Don't leave till the job is done. Take fewer personal days, and only use sick days when you are actually sick. No substitute can do your job as effectively as you can do it. Don't procrastinate about grading papers or writing lesson plans. Complete tasks promptly, especially when they are assigned specifically by your boss. Know your subject. Be faithful to your students and loyal to your school.

It's a long haul, but being a teacher-leader will reap dividends, both tangible and intangible.

Grateful as I Ponder a Deadline Met

Phew! It feels good to meet a deadline.

Today was the big day when my unit was due in the class I have been taking this school year. I have a lot to be thankful for, now that I've hit "submit" to send the unit in for review.

First, I'm so glad I started teaching the unit in my sophomore English classroom a week ago. That has allowed me to make some changes along the way after getting feedback from students and my aide.

Second, I'm grateful for my classmates who informally chatted with me about my unit all along the way. Many are more experienced teachers than I, so I had a lot to take away from each conversation.

Third, I'm praising God for encouragement from Dalene (see her post below!), who seemed to intuitively know that I needed encouragement and sent me a prayer yesterday. God has been so good to me, and even the pressure of a major deadline became manageable because of His help and the encouragement of friends.

Fourth, I am thankful for parent help on Saturday with concessions (my advisory class fundraiser). Instead of being on my feet the whole time selling hot dogs and candy bars with my students, I was able to sit at my desk and (mostly) tune out the hullabaloo so I could fine-tune my unit. Unbeknownst to me, our power at home would be out that day and Sunday, so that work time became time even more priceless.

And fifth, I am thankful for a holiday today so I could finish the thing and send it in on time. Maybe that's a narrow view of the holiday, but today I am grateful.

Other random blessings for which I am thankful at this moment? The magazine Christianity Today, the Gospels, Internet that works again, kids who rediscovered some of their low-tech hobbies while the Internet was down, blog readers from Poland, and drama class!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

The Christian Teacher's Close-Reading Superpower

One of the hot topics in education is close reading, or "reading to uncover layers of meaning that lead to deep comprehension" ("Closing in on Close Reading" by Nancy Boyles). In order to meet state standards, particularly in Common Core states, teachers are introducing close reading skills as early as Kindergarten.

Some approaches to close reading are:

      Examining meaning thoroughly and analytically
      Directing attention to the text, central ideas, and supporting details
      Reflecting on meanings of individual words and sentences, and
      Developing ideas over the course of the text (The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, quoted by Nancy Boyles).

When I attend my professional development class twice a month, the instructor teases me because when she assigns a passage to read, she can trust me to close read it. The first time she pointed it out, I was a little surprised. I've always thought of myself as "a slow reader," though a good reader. I have to go slowly so I can extract the fullest meaning from the text, be it Pride and Prejudice or the book of John. Sometimes, I'm enjoying the author's techniques so much that I couldn't speed up if I wanted to. In a PD setting, this close-reading habit can get me into trouble because I may still be reading long after my colleagues have moved on. It can also cause me to fall behind on assignments. Still, I appreciated my instructor's assessment. Seeing my own close reading for what it was helped me to think about how to teach close reading strategies to my students.

What are some close reading strategies that work? Nancy Boyles outlines the following in her article:

      Work with short texts
      Aim for independence
      Teach students to ask the questions
      Focus on observing and analyzing

Boyles goes on to suggest the types of questions teachers need to teach students to ask. She also states that teachers need to be prepared to ask text-dependent questions while students are getting the hang of questioning the text for themselves.

What stands out to me as a Christian learning to teach close reading is the way the suggested text-dependent questions resemble the questions I ask when I read the Bible, particularly the more challenging passages.

For example, Boyles suggests teaching students to ask the following four basic questions:

      1. What is the author telling me here?
      2. Are there any hard or important words?
      3. What does the author want me to understand?
      4. How does the author play with language to add meaning?

If I'm reading a text like Matthew 8:11-12, my mind is swarming with questions just like these. What important truth is Jesus teaching here? What does he mean by "many will come from east and west and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob"? This looks like a prophecy. Why is it tucked in here between hearing the Centurion's story and healing his servant? What does the prophecy mean? Who are the "sons of the kingdom" who will be cast out into the outer darkness? What bearing does this short passage have on the miracle Jesus performs? On my life?

In the case of the passage above, I was so motivated by my unanswered questions that I consulted a commentary and read up on one theologian's interpretation. More often, I'll seek answers by comparing the challenging passage to another in the Bible (one of my college professors reminded his students constantly that "the best commentary on the Word of God is the Word of God").

This is studying the Word. This is meditating on it. This is treasuring its wisdom as David urges believers to do in Psalm 119. In the public school setting, it's just close reading, and the text and the purpose will be different. Instead of seeking to know the author of the Bible more intimately, we are seeking to become better readers of any complex text. Sometimes we are also seeking to make proficient on a standardized test. Still, Christian teachers who themselves close-read short Bible passages every day of their lives are experienced analysts of the finest literature ever written.

Close reading--and Bible study--do take practice. So does teaching close reading. But don't put yourself in a box (like my "slow reader" one). Understand that you bring skills to the table. Ask God to unleash your close-reading superpowers.