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Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. Proverbs 16:3 (NIV) For months we prepared. We read books, memorized scripture, learned key words in a new language, studied culture, and physically trained. Each of us, all from different geographic locations, readied ourselves for the adventure of a lifetime. Then we finally met in San Francisco and spent five days of intense training and team building. We learned to trust each other. Lean

For the traditional public school, there are teachers and paraprofessionals who are in charge of implementing best practices in the classroom. Many of them are part of a team where they take concerns to a team leader. Beyond the team leader the principal or assistant principal. Then these administrators report to the superintendent.

In our opening verses, Paul reminded the believers at Rome to submit to rulers and authorities. He didn’t stop there; he instructed them to be obedient, ready to do good, never speaking evil of others, being gentle without quarreling, and showing courtesy to all. Why would he add those instructions when talking about submitting to rulers and authorities?

Pride stands in direct opposition to the authorities in our lives. We think we know better and don’t need anyone to tell us a different way. Pride is protective. Aggressive. Defensive. And destructive. Even when the authority figure doesn’t act in a way we understand or like, God still instructs us to obey the authorities in our lives.

Many of our students have no idea how to focus on others instead of themselves. Raised behind screens and with parents who are often unavailable, we are educating a me-focused generation. What if we could teach them the value of serving others? What if we created a classroom focused on out-serving the next person?

As adults and teachers, we often struggle in the fun department. We get distracted by our “have to” list and neglect the ignition of genuine wonder and excitement in the lives of our students. None of us enjoy boring lectures, professional developments, or meetings. Nor do our kids want boredom. How can we bring fun, excitement, and newness into our classrooms on a regular basis? And how can we bring it into our own lives as well?

Scaffolding is critical for brain engagement. Think about prior knowledge, then add the next piece to that knowledge. Keep adding and connecting to the original knowledge, but each level gets a little harder, deeper, and requires higher levels of thought. With everything we teach, our goal should be to scaffold the material such a way that every student could teach the content to another person confidently.

The only way I was able to learn how to drive a standard shift truck was by being an active participant. The only way your students will truly learn the content is if they become active participants. Like Jesus sending out the disciples to complete his work across the territories, we must present opportunities for our students to dive into the material and actively participate, taking ownership as they dive in.

We can also ask the students what they want to learn about and offer them choices. Kids will learn more if they are already interested in the topic or if they are in a group of people with similar interests. Posing questions, sharing interesting facts, and offering true stories builds interest quickly.

Engagement changed everything about my classroom, especially when paired with responsibility, pacing, procedures, and routine. I went from having decent classroom management to basically having zero behavior problems. When kids are consumed by learning, secured by a routine, steadied by a fast pace, and feel safe with consistent procedures the classroom can almost run itself.

Just like your class clowns, these kids are often seeking attention, from their peers and teacher. They’ve been allowed to behave badly with zero consequences and are singularly focused on themselves. As hard as it is, it’s important to confront the behaviors. But we also must figure out how to do it with respect, consistency, and love.

For whatever reason, that student needs to participate. Maybe, like me, they really want to understand the material. Or maybe they are longing for attention. Or maybe that’s simply their personality. Offering the whole class think-time after asking a question and instructing students to turn to a neighbor and share might help this personality type.

Let’s step back and consider the hearts of these class clowns. How can we begin seeing them through Jesus’ eyes?

The quiet ones are often your watchers, thinkers, and analyzers. What if you are the person they need to build their confidence?

As teachers, we must remember that every kid, even the bullies, needs love. As a matter of fact, they might need it even more than the rest. And they especially need that Jesus kind of love.

Outside appearances are rarely the truth. Even good homes have dysfunction. When our students act differently than usual, do we automatically think we’ve done something wrong, or have we considered that something in their world might be off?

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 (NIV) I watched my fourth-grade student completely disengage from the social studies lesson. He drew something then used his hands to reenact whatever battle scene he was drawing. He typically participated, so I decided to let him stay in his own world a little longer. Honestly, I was curious about what he was drawing. After fifteen minutes, I walked behind him and silently observed. A cartoon m

And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. Act 17:11 (NLT) When Paul and Silas made their rounds sharing the news of the resurrected Messiah, many of the Jews refused to even consider their claims. They knew the scriptures and there was no way this news of Jesus being the much-anticipated Messi

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 2 Corinthians 13:5 (ESV) I’m a people watcher. From the time I was a small child into adulthood, I learn through observation. When I was in fifth grade, our English teacher of five weeks went on maternity leave and never returned. Disappointed by her absence, we

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV) Kids can be brutal. The teasing, poking, and bullying often happen when teachers aren’t around. That’s exactly what happened to Clyde. Clyde was in my fifth-grade math class. As an infant, Clyde had eye cancer, and hi