A new year is upon us, and advice for next year’s journey is widespread. There is no shortage of recommendations on how we can make our lives better during the next twelve months. While preparing to write the blog this week, I wondered what in the world I could add to the already overflowing treasure chest of potential goals filling many of our minds. · I will lose 20 pounds. · I will start exercising. · I will give up sugar. · I will read my Bible. · I will increase my pray

“Behold, I am a servant of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) I have read Mary’s statement many times as part of the Christmas story, but for some reason this year I am struck with a unique sense of wonder and conviction. I cannot fathom how utterly shocking the news of a divine pregnancy (from the angel Gabriel no less) was to a young, engaged Jewish girl. I say girl because by all accounts she was barely a teenager. Take a moment and try t

All educators understand the importance of “the basics.” Without mastery of the basics, many of our students will be unable to learn what is needed to make them successful. For example, I was visiting with a frustrated English teacher who made the following statement: “How can I teach students to identify the subject of a sentence when they can’t even find all of the nouns and pronouns?” As teachers, it is hard to move on when students are missing prerequisite skills and info

The holiday season is upon us again, and the focus of gift-giving is underway. Retail stores are stocked from floor to ceiling with merchandise, and grocery store aisles are narrower due to the extra stacks of sugar, flour, and Christmas candies. E-mail and social media accounts are being flooded with this year’s deals while television commercials entice us to buy, buy, buy! I often wonder what all of this looks like to a child. Does this time of year encourage our students t

I love the holidays! The colors, sounds, food, time with family, and most importantly the constant reminders of God’s ultimate gift to us—Jesus. As a child, the holidays were always a happy time for me. I know now what a blessing that was. We need to remember that this time of year may not be a joyful time for many. With an overwhelming number of families facing economic hardships, it may prove challenging for many parents and children who lack emotional and financial resourc

As Thanksgiving approaches, I have been giving a great deal of thought to this blog. It makes sense at this time of year that I write about being thankful. I’ve really been praying for God to give me fresh thoughts. After all, when it comes to Thanksgiving, most of us will gravitate toward being thankful for our families, our jobs, our resources, and our God who is ultimately responsible for all we have. However, I feel there is more, so much more. As I organized my thoughts,

As an educator, you are literally changing the world one child at a time. Sound dramatic? Of course not! Most students are in school anywhere from six to eight hours a day, five days a week, 36 weeks a year, for 13 years! This computes to over 16,000 hours of schooling, not including outside activities. Schools help shape who we are and who we become. If you agree with me on any level, then you have to agree that as an educator, you play an important role in the lives of tho

Ever been “down in the dumps ” ? Sometimes it is hard to admit this may be true in this growth-mindset, positive thinking environment. Through social media we are inundated with the high points of everyone’s life, which quite frankly, is a good thing. It might be quite overwhelming to always read about other’s ongoing struggles! However, you don’t have to live long to realize that there are times when no matter how hard you try, you just feel down. It happens to me anyway. I

I will never forget my first teaching job. I had graduated at semester and was hired to be a long-term sub for a teacher who was going on maternity leave. It was the perfect scenario for a December graduate. The school was in an upper middle-class area, starkly different from my student teaching experience. The elementary school was new, and the grade level classrooms were in pods. There were three classrooms per grade level. We did not have a door, and the wide entrance to o

I recently had a conversation with an educator about the value of competition in the classroom. It caused me to reflect—Is there a place for competition within our classroom structure? The teacher assured me, “Kids love competition. It creates so much energy and engagement in my classroom!” I’m not so sure I agree. I grew up in an era of posting students name with stickers to indicate mastery of various skills (e.g., spelling words, multiplication facts). It never bothered m

I once had a student I simply could not reach. It was relatively early in my teaching career. This young man was in middle school, and he had pretty much checked out. I tried everything I could think of, but nothing worked. I didn’t understand. He had potential. He had resources at his disposal, and he had a teacher who truly cared and wanted him to succeed. He even had peers that went the extra mile to encourage him. For reasons unknown to me and others, he chose (in a nice

I still remember my first day of teaching. I can vividly recall standing proudly in my new dress as my husband took my picture to document the beginning of my education career. My excitement was laced with a little trepidation. I had prepared my whole life for this. Looking back now, I never once questioned my decision to be an educator. Although there have been ups and downs, the thought of leaving the profession has never entered my mind. Education is my calling. Unfortunat

I love the state of Arkansas with its rolling hills, flush green countryside, and underground caves. Many of the caves are still living, slowly growing colorful stalactites and stalagmites. On one particular tour we entered a large cave with a seating area. Moments after everyone was settled, you could hear gasps when the lights were shut off and the room became pitch black. No telling what all of us looked like at that moment. I was waving my hand in front of my face thinkin

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him . Colossians 3:17 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ . Colossians 3:22-23 These two verses happen to be two of my favorite memory verses. I have them posted on the wall behind my computer as a constant reminder

Two of my favorite things are family and nature. There is something about the beauty of God’s creation that transports me to a different place. Couple this with family (especially the granddaughters), and I feel I am experiencing a little slice of Heaven. This past August my two favorites converged as I strolled hand-in-hand with my oldest granddaughter through the botanical gardens. We were walking and talking when suddenly she pulled me back toward something she had seen. W

Our world has become so busy, and educators are some of the busiest people I know! It’s as though being busy has become a badge of honor. The busier we are, the more important we appear to be. While there is nothing wrong with being busy, if we are not careful, busyness can distract us and turn our focus away from God’s purpose for our lives. Let me ask you a couple of questions. Have you ever spent time with God in the morning, but once you entered the school building compl

It’s football season, and schools across the country are gearing up for the battles that will occur on the playing field each week. Months of hard work and practice will be put to the test. No Friday night football game experience would be complete without cheerleaders urging family and friends to root for their respective teams. Although I am sure much has changed since my junior high cheerleading days, I am quite certain the premise behind cheerleading remains the same—chee

An educator recently shared this point of view with me: Life isn’t all about sunshine and ice cream. Students today need to be exposed to the real world. Needless to say, I found this a bit disturbing. I have concerns on two levels. First of all, the statement was made by a very young educator. Most young educators I know are full of excitement and determined to make a difference. Have I been living in an alternate universe? Are young teachers becoming more cynical? I surely

Last week many of you responded to my blog, “My Hope for Harper.” It seems we all share a passion for education and the critical role educators play in the shaping of young minds and hearts. As I reflected during my quiet time this week, it seemed as if God whispered this question, “What is your hope for educators?” I automatically thought of Paul and his intercessory prayers for the Ephesian believers. Because of his love for them, he took his hopes and put them in the form

Over the past year, I have had so many opportunities to spend time with my four-year-old granddaughter. I don’t take this for granted. I had the amazing opportunity to grow up in the same town as my maternal grandmother. I am so grateful for her influence. She always poured love and truth into my life. Right now, I plan to do the same for our precious Harper. When Harper and I have time together, we engage in many different types of activities— read books, build puzzles, pla