Do you ever get tired of all the negativity surrounding education? I know I do. It can be exhausting trying to block out the noise. Even those with good intentions often default to what’s wrong—discipline issues, poor leadership, overemphasis on testing, lack of motivation, uninvolved parents. The list goes on and on. As Christians serving in education, how do we navigate all of this without letting it control our thoughts and shape our perspectives? The challenges are real.

A few years ago, I had the privilege of helping plan the very first Leadership Summit for the Association of Christian Administrators (ACA) in Phoenix. It was an exciting season—vision meetings, speaker calls, schedule drafts, sponsor conversations, prayers over details both big and small. We weren’t just organizing another conference. We were asking the Lord to knit together Christian school administrators from across the country into something deeper than a professional net

With an impending forecast for the possibility of 10-15 inches of snow in Oklahoma, I thought my middle school students would be excited. I certainly was. Snowpocalypse? Bring it on. I couldn’t wait to be snowed in for a week so I could bask in the warm glow of my fireplace while something delicious simmered on the stove, surrounded by stacks of books and absolutely no reason to put on make-up for days. But if you’ve spent more than four minutes with a middle schooler, you pr

Have you ever felt unloved? As educators, we frequently witness the impact of not being loved. On an almost daily basis children walk into our schools feeling unloved. These students often struggle to trust, hope, and belong. Feeling unloved shapes how they see the world, how they view others, and even how they understand their own identity and worth. Feeling unloved is devastating, especially for children who are still discovering who they are. We know this is true because w

I am always amazed by how much we can learn from children. As educators, we are so often the ones doing the explaining, guiding, and teaching. Nevertheless, if we pay close attention, we will discover that some of the most important lessons come not from our training but from the children we serve daily. Sweet Ellie. Age 7 I was reminded of this truth over the holidays when my granddaughters came to visit for a couple of weeks. I treasure every moment I have with them, especi

In August I took my daughter to Manhattan Christian College where she plans to work with both MCC and Kansas State to earn a degree in elementary education. My first thought was excitement for her future. As a strong Christian woman, I know she will fill her classroom with faith and compassion. She already has a record of working in a second-grade classroom during her senior year of high school. The students showered her with notes and care packages, showing they recognized h

The past few days have been…interesting. I’ve been forcing myself to do something I’m honestly not very good at—year-end reflection. I don’t slow down easily. I’m usually so laser-focused on what needs to be done next that pausing to look back feels unproductive. However, I know it matters. I vividly remember my first year as an assistant superintendent. Near the end of that year, I walked into my superintendent’s office with a long list of future tasks, ready to sprint into