Christian Educators Journal: April 2022

Christian Educators Journal April 2022 Vol. 61 No. 4

Resource Reviews Young Adult Books You Should Read Mock Caldecott and Newbery Awards 2022 Mr. Lincoln’s Way Teaching Students about Residential Schools Creating a Culture of Belonging

Future Issues October 2022—Science in the Christian Community When we think about faith and science, it’s easy to think about the clash of ideas. But science is also made up of daily practices of working together in disciplined forms of inquiry. Christian faith brings to the task of science not just ideas, but also a commitment to certain ways of being together with others, a set of relational practices. How might those practices inform the way we learn and do science? In this issue we will explore how a focus on Christian community can shape specific practices and how those practices might be relevant to the science classroom and the laboratory. We will also share results from a research study examining the practical implications of intentional team practices for how Christians approach science. This issue is guest edited by David Smith et al. and is not accepting submissions.

December 2022—Engaging Communities, Loving Neighbors No school exists in isolation; each is part of a broader community with its own assets and challenges.

What are the different ways that schools can work in and with the communities that they inhabit to form partnerships, enhance their mission, and work for the kingdom of God in their specific place? Articles may explore curricular connections, partner organizations, service opportunities, unique ways that schools celebrate the identity or history of their place, or other practices that Christian teachers and schools use to engage their broader neighborhoods and communities. The most helpful articles will present models that other educators can adapt to their own contexts. Proposals are due August 29. Articles are due September 26.

February 2023—This Is Our Father’s World Because the first instruction God gives his people is to care for his creation, that task is part of our mission as Christian educational institutions. How do classroom teachers teach environmental stewardship at different grade levels and in different subjects? What building practices and procedures do schools use to conserve resources and model care for God’s world?

How is the glory of God’s creation celebrated in school activities, student activities, and curricula? We’re looking for articles from classroom teachers, administrators, custodians, architects, cafeteria managers, student environmental clubs, and community garden tenders about the way they’re having a positive environmental impact on God’s world. Proposals are due October 10. Articles are due November 14.

April 2023—Resource Review Each year we highlight the best books, films, websites, teaching tools, and other resources for Christian school teachers. We publish reviews of student-facing material (like which books to stock in your classroom library), as well as materials relevant to school staff (like curricula or books about teaching). Proposals are due January 2. Articles are due January 30.

Contents

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Editorial STEVE TUIT AND ABBY ZWART

Six Amazing Young Adult Books You Should Read BILL BOERMAN-CORNELL

A School Tradition: Mock Caldecott and Newbery Awards 2022 LOIS BOERMAN

Does Mr. Lincoln’s Way Look Like God’s Way? LUCIANO CID

Faith Journey: A Classroom Tool for Remembering and Forgetting KENT EZELL

Speaking Our Truth: A Text for Teaching Students about Residential Schools EDITH van der BOOM

How Ungrading Can Change Your Classroom DANIELLE DAUJATAS AND ARON REPPMANN

The Resource I Wish I Had as a New Teacher TYLER HARMS

Creating a Culture of Belonging in Christian Schools TYLER HARMS

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Christian Educators Journal Vol. 61 No. 4, April 2022 cejonline.com Co-­­­­­editors Steve Tuit and Abby Zwart cejeditor@gmail.com The Christian Educators Journal (CEJ) encourages letters to the editor in response to articles presented in the CEJ. Letters must be accompanied by the author’s name and email address. The CEJ reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. Where a letter addresses issues raised by the author of an article, the CEJ reserves the right to invite the article author to respond to the letter.

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Statement of Purpose The Christian Educators Journal Association publishes the Journal as a channel of communication for all educators committed to the idea of Christian day school at the elementary, secondary, and college levels. The views expressed are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the association.

Reprint Policy We allow free reprinting or photocopying of individual articles that have appeared in our journal, as long as the copied articles are used within the context of schooling and the source is acknowledged.

Co-­­­­­editors Steve Tuit and Abby Zwart Copyeditor Bethany Murphy Design Editor Klaas Wolterstorff Business Manager Klaas Wolterstorff Web Shepherd Heather Altena Board of Trustees Dr. Henry Algera Heather Birch Justin Cook Dan Diephouse (Secretary) Albert Kok (Chair) Gayle Monsma Ed Noot Jim Rooks Sean Schat Christine Scholma Tricia Stobbe Edith Van Der Boom Heather VanDyke Christine Webb Supporting Institutions Calvin University Edvance Christian Schools Association Institute for Christian Studies The King’s University Redeemer University Trinity Christian College Tyndale University Subscribing Organizations Christian Educators Association Christian Educators of British Columbia Prairie Centre for Christian Education Printed back issues (if available) can be purchased for $7.50 per copy (cost of shipping to be added to total).

Some back issues may be available in digital format.

Editorial

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f there’s one thing teachers across disciplines, grade levels, and dispositions can agree on, it’s that reading is essential to the success of our students. (Okay, okay—we can also probably agree that February is too long, even if it’s the “shortest month.”) Whether it’s a word problem about pizza and fractions, a set of instructions for a chemistry lab, a news article about upcoming elections, or a novel set in the American South, students need their reading, comprehension, and interpretation skills in every subject.

Reading promotes empathy, identity formation, and community. It encourages higher level thinking, calms our nervous systems, and promotes sharpness of mind as we age. This isn’t news to most of us.

But . . . many of us busy teachers might not be able to bring to mind the last book you read for personal pleasure or edification. There’s always something else to be done—a parent to email, a child to parent, a paper to grade, a meeting to attend. Many of us don’t cultivate a habit for reading, and so it falls by the wayside. We shouldn’t be surprised, then, when our students also show reticence to read.

In our annual resource review issue, we hope to provide you with a smattering of books and other tools you can use in your classroom. This month, we’ve got picture books and young adult novels and nonfiction about reconciliation for your students, and we’ve got a book about grading, a devotional, and a useful app for you. And, of course, we’ve got our own personal recommendations, below. We wish you a blessed and energetic end to the school year and a restorative and story-filled summer ahead.

—Abby and Steve Our review issue this year is full of books, so I thought I would bring you two movie recommendations to balance out your spring plate. Both are a favorite genre of mine (and, I suspect, of many teachers): the coming of age story. First, check out Licorice Pizza, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Two young adults form a close and quirky bond as they grow up one summer in Southern California, and any high school teacher will laugh out loud at their awkward exchanges and harebrained get-rich-quick schemes. The second film is C’mon C’mon, directed by Mike Mills. The star here is the relationship between Joaquin Phoenix’s character and his sweet and hyperactive nineyear-old nephew, who is feeling his way through some big and very adult emotions. The beautiful black and white cinematography matches the tone, which teeters between anxious and nostalgic, perfectly.

—Abby Zwart Christian Educators Journal

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I actually can remember the last book I read for pleasure. Over January, I managed to read A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles, which takes place almost entirely in one hotel in Moscow. It begins in 1922, when the title character, Count Rostov, is sentenced to house arrest by a commissariat rather than being executed for being an aristocrat. The novel spans ­thirty-two years of his life as he reinvents himself, spars with Bolsheviks, and raises a young woman almost as his daughter. It started slowly for me, but I grew to admire the old Count. Apparently, it will soon be made into a “major television series,” but I encourage you to read the book first.

—Steve Tuit

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Six Amazing Young Adult Books You Should Read BILL BOERMAN-CORNELL

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he world of young adult literature continues to turn out some amazing novels and non-fiction with every new year. The following books are the best ones I have read in this past academic year. All are recent, though they span the last five years or so. While there continues to be a flood of good literature, like other media (movies, YouTube, television shows, and social media), vulgar language is becoming more commonplace, as are frank discussions of sexuality and increasing depictions of gender diversity. This is not surprising because one of the things literature has always done is try to accurately represent the world we live in. The following books all have strong themes worthy of discussion in your classroom. In each review, I will include information about content in the book that might result in parental challenges, depending on the school and community you serve.

1.Illegal, by Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin, illustrated by Giovanni Rigano (Jabberwocky, 2018)

Opening lines: “Now. Seahawk inflatable rubber dinghy. Maximum safe load, six people. Currently carrying 14 passengers.”

Genre and format: Realistic fiction graphic novel Which academic disciplines could use this book? English and history Quick Summary: Ebo’s brother, Kwame, left during the night. He is traveling on a dangerous journey from the refugee camp where they live to Europe, where he hopes to find their sister, Sisi, and bring her back. Ebo decides to go after him. To do so, he will have to cross the Sahara, evade bandits, and earn enough money to pay for bus rides and boat passage. And all Ebo has going for him is his ability to sing and his dedication to finding his family.

Why should I read this book? This graphic novel highlights the plight of illegal immigrants and refugees as they try to find those they have been separated from and a safe place to live. It does this by bringing us inside the lives, minds, and hearts of two brothers, and the story is both captivating and moving. The art is beautiful, but more importantly, it draws you so deeply into the story that you don’t notice its beauty as you get lost in Ebo’s world.

If there is a story that would cause those who dismiss all immigrants as criminals and freeloaders looking for a handout to think again, this is that Christian Educators Journal

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book. It shows Ebo and his siblings as deeply human and in need of help.

Colfer brings a storytelling ability honed on writing the Artemis Fowl books to bear on an important issue of compassion and justice and shows that he can tell that story with seriousness and insight.

Who is this book best for? The short answer to this question is “everybody,” but I would say sixth grade and up could probably handle it best.

This would fit well with language arts or social studies units focused on global issues. It would also be a great addition to a classroom or school library.

Is it likely to be challenged? I don’t think so, unless a particular parent would see the story as too political. It seems to me, however, that this is the sort of story that Christians need to read.

2. Torpedoed: The True Story of the World War II Sinking of “The Children’s Ship,” by Deborah Heiligman (Henry Holt, 2019)

Opening lines: “September 17, 1940. Nighttime. In the mid-Atlantic Ocean, a German war submarine has an ocean liner in its sights. The U-boat commander and his crew have been following the ship all day. They are waiting for the right moment.”

Genre: Historical nonfiction Which academic disciplines could use this book? History, English Short summary: During World War II, when London was suffering the effects of Hitler’s blitzkrieg, one strategy to get children safely away from the danger was to send them to Canada in passenger liners. The SS City of Benares left England on a September day in 1940, escorted by British warships. They did not know they were being followed by a German submarine. When the escort ships left, the German U-boat torpedoed them, not knowing there were a hundred children aboard. The children and their caregivers soon found themselves in lifeboats and clinging to bits of refuge in the freezing North Atlantic water. The crew managed to get a distress signal sent. From that point on, it was a matter of survival for the children and a race against time for the rescuers.

Why should I read this book? The story is gripping. The research is strong.

And besides humanizing the war, the book helps readers understand some of the difficulties that Britain was facing. The aerial bombing made staying put unsafe, but the submarines made escape an uncertain thing as well.

There is heroism in this story, and plenty to grab a student’s attention—but there is also a fair amount of description of Heiligman’s research process, which might energize some students to be excited about historical inquiry.

Who is this book best for? Sixth through twelfth graders—anyone who is interested in history, World War II, the evacuation of London, or learning 6

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to write a narrative. This would be great for a classroom or school library.

It could also be a valuable supplementary reading to a WWII history unit.

Is it likely to be challenged? No.

3. Just Like That, by Gary D. Schmidt (Clarion, 2021)

Opening lines: “In June, the June before Meryl Lee Kowalski’s eighth grade year, she watched the news reports from the Vietnam War: 23 American soldiers in a CH46A Sea Knight had helicoptered in to evacuate marines not far from Khe Sahn, South Vietnam. Their helicopter was hit by enemy fire and went down. Half the men were killed.”

Genre: Realistic fiction Which academic disciplines could use this book? Primarily English. It could perhaps be used for a history class focusing on the 1960s, since the background of the story reflects what was happening in history at the time, but that is not its primary interest.

Short summary: Meryl Lee and Matt are both lost. Meryl Lee’s best friend died in an accident, and in an attempt to get her away from all the memories in her community, her parents have sent her to a boarding school where she feels very much out of place and without a home.

Matt has been on the run for most of his life. Stolen away from his parents at a young age and forced to work for a criminal gang, Matt only had one friend in the world. When that friend was killed by the leader of the gang, Matt stole a cache of money from the gang leader and has been on the run ever since. Every time he settles down and begins to feel part of a community, the gang leader’s men find him, and Matt knows that those he loves are in danger.

Both Meryl Lee and Matt are taken under the wing of the quirky headmistress of the school, along with her friend (and aging suitor), a fishing boat captain. Meryl Lee is trying to fit in, find her purpose in life, and deal with the fact that her parents are separating. Matt can feel the danger from the gang getting closer. But both of them have found in each other a reason for staying put and fighting back.

Why should I read this book?: Gary Schmidt consistently delivers spellbinding stories that explore interesting themes. This book looks at how individuals contribute to and are blessed by communities, how a family can be a different thing for different people, and, at its root, what each person’s moral responsibility to change the world involves. It’s easy to sympathize with the characters, the story is consistently gripping, and the writing is brilliant and intriguing. This book has joy and sadness and hope and grief and vision in it.

Who is this book best for? While I think strong middle school readers would enjoy it, Just Like That seems best for high school students. This book has enough going on in it that it could easily be the focus of a whole class unit or Christian Educators Journal

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could be considered in literature circles. It would be a great read-aloud book for high school English classes (for ten minutes every Friday, for example) or a good choice for a classroom or whole school library.

Is it likely to be challenged? I wouldn’t think so. But if it were challenged, this book is worth fighting for. Your students need to read this.

4. The War I Finally Won, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (Dial Books for Young Readers, 2017)

Opening lines: “You can know things all you like, but that doesn’t mean you believe them.”

Genre: Realistic historical fiction Which academic disciplines could use this book? English and history.

Short summary: This is the sequel to The War That Saved My Life. The story is exciting and follows Ada, the eleven-year-old protagonist from the first book. Her club foot has been fixed by surgery; she and her brother, Jamie, are living with Susan, their guardian; and their Mam is no longer a threat, so things should be much better. But Lady Thornton gives up her manor for the war effort and moves into the cottage that Ada thinks of as her home, and a German refugee girl moves in with them as well. Through it all, Ada still hasn’t learned to trust that her new family loves her, that the war won’t kill them all, and that hope could lead to happiness.

Why should I read this book? Often the problem with sequels is that the story has already been told. The sequel is then a reboot of the first story, played out with higher stakes but essentially the same plot and with a character who has already changed. This book is different in that it follows Ada, who had just begun to change at the end of the last book but has more growing to do. And while the plot is interesting, what is fascinating is reading the tale of how hard the journey still is, even after the central conflict of the first book has been solved. If you have ever read to the end of a book and found hope in the ending but wondered how (or if) that hope could ever come to fruition, this book is the one for you.

Who is this book best for? Middle school and high school readers will get the most out of this book. It would be a great book for a classroom or school library. There is enough here for it to be an option in literature circles too.

It would be great for a read-aloud except, at about 380 pages, it would take more than a semester to get through. If a class read The War That Saved My Life the year before though, it might be a good choice.

Is it likely to be challenged? I wouldn’t think so. The first book mentioned very obliquely the same-sex relationship between Susan and her friend who died before the first book. This book mentions it even less. Very sharp readers might catch it, but it will fly over the heads of most readers.

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5. Dig, by A. S. King

(Dutton Books, 2019) Opening lines: “Marla Hemmings is hiding neon-colored plastic Easter eggs in the front flower bed. Four feet behind her, Gottfried is hacking at a patch of onion grass with a trowel.”

Genre: Realistic fiction with some elements of magical realism Which academic disciplines could use this book? English Short summary: The Shoveler has lived all over the United States with his mom. He doesn’t know why he starts carrying the snow shovel around, but it makes him feel better. The Freak can go anywhere in an instant, but she can’t actually do much—especially anything that would change her situation. CanIHelpYou? works the drive-through at a fast food place, but makes more money selling drugs through the window than food. Loretta, Mistress of the Flea Circus, knows that when her mom and the guy scream at each other, it is all part of the script, and she is amazed at how good they are at acting their parts. Malcolm rides first class with his dad, not because he likes flying, and not even because there is a girl he loves in Jamaica where they are going. Malcolm rides first class with his dad because his dad has cancer, and Malcolm doesn’t know how much time they have left.

These characters seem as different from each other than you can imagine, but as the story unfolds, their lives begin intersecting more and more until they come to understand how they are connected and what they need to do together to try to make up for everything that is wrong with the world.

Why should I read this book? That is a question that is hard to answer without you trusting me. The book starts off weird. It is difficult at first to see what the characters have to do with each other, or, in some cases, whether what is being described is even real. Some of the things depicted in the book are not pleasant—including racism, child abuse, violent murder, drugs, sex, and broken families—but what is amazing about this book is the way, at the end, there is grace and love and redemption where you would not think to find it. I found the ending of the book very much resonant with the most amazing part of being a Christian—seeing the way the Spirit of God works through all the brokenness and garbage of this world to make new things and bring love to places where you would not think love could survive.

Who is this book best for? I would love it if my daughter, a high school senior, would read this as part of her Christian school’s English curriculum, but I very much doubt that it would be a good fit for all students and all families. It might be possible to use Dig as an option for strong, well-read students. I could also imagine it being a good choice for a classroom library, provided the teacher selects the students who could best handle it. In any case, this book is best reserved for high school seniors.

Is this book likely to be challenged? Yes. It contains vulgar language, violence, descriptions of sexual activity, drug use, references to rape and physi­ cal abuse, and characters with racist attitudes. A teacher using this book Christian Educators Journal

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would want to explain to parents what exactly is in the book and why the ending justifies its use in class. But it might be worth the trouble to read a book that so effectively captures the brokenness of the world we live in and the depth of God’s grace.

6. The Firekeeper’s Daughter, by Angeline Boulley (Macmillan, 2021)

Opening lines: “I start my day before sunrise, throwing on running clothes and laying a pinch of semah at the eastern base of a tree where sunlight will touch the tobacco first. Prayers begin with offering semah and sharing my spirit name, clan, and where I am from. I always add an extra name to make sure Creator knows who I am.”

Genre: Realistic crime fiction Which academic disciplines could use this book? English and biology or chemistry Short summary: Daunis Fontaine lives in the Ojibwe community near Sault Saint Marie in Michigan. After her best friend is killed by a boy they know who is addicted to meth (who then kills himself), Daunis is recruited to be a confidential informant for the FBI. She must pretend that an undercover agent is her boyfriend and use her science knowledge to help determine who is behind a new strain of crystal meth that seems to use native expertise about plants to make the drug more potent. Daunis struggles to figure out where her loyalties lie, especially when the clues start pointing toward people she knows and loves, both in and out of the native community.

Why should I read this book? The Firekeeper’s Daughter does an amazing job of immersing the reader in Daunis’s world and in so doing takes us beyond stereotypes into the lives, challenges, joys, and deep ways of caring within that community. Daunis’s respect for her elders, devotion to the traditions of her faith, and belief that what she believes is a part of everything she does makes her a good model in some ways for Christians. While her community isn’t perfect by any means, there is a lot there that people of faith can learn from. It is also a gripping story that will have you rooting for Daunis and Jamie (the FBI agent) all the way to the end. I also appreciated that solving the crime did not solve the problems that the crime brought about. Justice is done here, but it is incomplete. It is a remarkably realistic crime story in that sense.

Who is this book best for? High school students. This might be best for a classroom or school library. It could also work as an option in literature circles. I do not think it would work well as a whole class unit since I am not sure everyone would connect with this story—though over half the class probably would.

Is this book likely to be challenged? It is certainly possible. It has some vulgar language (though far less than you might hear in the hallways of a real high 10

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school any given day). There is a description of a rape, though not much detail is given. Some parents might object to the description of Native Ameri­ can religious practices, though that description is an interesting contrast to the way many Christians worship and perhaps is an example of what Christianity would look like if we took our faith more seriously.

I enjoyed all of these books a great deal, but they may not fit with every reader or every school context. Check them out and see what you think.

Bill Boerman-Cornell is a Professor of Education and English at Trinity Christian College. He has written two books: Graphic Novels in High School and Middle School Classrooms, and Using Graphic Novels in the English Language Arts Classroom. You can follow his book reviews at bookcommercials.wordpress.com and see what he has been reading lately at Instagram bbc_onbooks.

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A School Tradition: Mock Caldecott and Newbery Awards 2022 LOIS BOERMAN

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very year, the Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), announces which literary works of the previous year have earned one of their many awards.

Two of those awards, the Randolph Caldecott Medal and the John Newbery Medal, are the oldest of all of the awards granted by the ALSC. This year marks the one-hundredth anniversary for the Newbery Medal, and the Caldecott Medal is right behind it with eighty-four years and counting.

Each fall, our school library invites the first- through fourth-grade students to hear and see picture books that have the potential to win the Caldecott Medal. Meanwhile, our middle school students are invited to join grade-level book clubs to read and discuss works that could win the Newbery Medal. In preparation for the upcoming awards, we read some of the best children’s literature published in the current year and vote on our own winners.

We call these our Mock Caldecott and Mock Newbery awards. This is nothing new. Countless libraries, schools, and classrooms create their own lists and run programs in ways that work for them. If you haven’t tried it, you might want to consider making an attempt.

When we start the Mock Caldecott program in the fall, I am careful to let the students know that “mock” as an adjective means that we know it’s not real, but it’s a lot like the original (like mock apple pie). We are not using the word “mock” as a verb, because we would never make fun of these books or the Caldecott and Newbery medals.

The following books are highlights of our 2022 mock events.

Mock Caldecott Titles for Read Aloud and Art Lessons I do not consider myself knowledgeable when it comes to art, so it has always been difficult to discuss the artwork of our Mock Caldecott titles with the students. This year, I was able to find a variety of online videos in which the artists talk about their work and demonstrate their craft. This has been a game changer for the students, as they see how the book’s illustrations are created and why certain choices are made regarding line, shape, form, value, space, color, and texture. Two of our 2021 videos could easily lead into art lessons. Using the descriptions, you should be able to easily find them through a Google search. Let’s start with those.

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Wonder Walkers, written and illustrated by Micha Archer (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2021)

“I wonder” is the theme of this romp through nature. In a video interview with the Fort Worth Public Library, author and illustrator Micha Archer does an incredible job demonstrating her technique of creating paper collage art. Before she can illustrate a book, she has to generate patterned papers, which she then tears, cuts, glues, and draws on to create the illustrations. We read the book after watching the video and were astonished to find over one hundred individually cut blades of grass on one page alone.

Knowing that she had painted the paper that was then cut only added to our awe and amazement. Whether or not students make their own paper as part of the process, paper collage is something you may already do in your classroom. If not, you will be eager to try it after watching this video. It is over forty-three minutes long, so you will want to choose specific clips to share.

Have You Ever Seen a Flower? written and illustrated

by Shawn Harris (Chronicle Books, 2021)

This is another book that is contemplative at a young child’s level. Washington, DC–based bookstore Politics and Prose hosts this interview with author and illustrator Shawn Harris. After reading the book, Harris gives a lesson on how to make a stencil and ways to fill it using a variety of colored pencils.

It’s overwhelming to read the book after watching the video. We tried to imagine all of the stencil techniques that Harris used and how it led to the power of the negative white space. The students were so intrigued by this that many of them tried it at home and brought me samples of their work.

More Mock Caldecott Illustrator Videos The following videos demonstrate the illustrator’s craft but may not be easy to replicate in the classroom.

Hurricane, written and illustrated by John Rocco (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2021)

What happens when a hurricane rips through a town? Hurricane exemplifies a community coming together after a horrific storm. There are a number of good video interviews with author/illustrator John Rocco. We chose one posted on Vimeo by publisher Little, Brown. In the nine-minute interview, Rocco explains how he used what he learned working in the animation and film industry and translated that to picture books. This is Rocco’s latest addition to his other books Blackout (a Caldecott honor book) and Blizzard.

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The Lost Package, written by Richard Ho, illustrated by Jessica Lanan (Roaring Brook Press, 2021)

This book takes us on the adventure of a carefully wrapped package that falls out of a USPS truck. How will it get from New York to San Francisco?

MacKids Books put out a video of Jessica Lanan demonstrating her watercolor technique. It’s mesmerizing to watch her paint and shade bringing a mail truck to life.

Wolfboy, written and illustrated by Andy Harkness (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2021)

For fans of illustrator Barbara Reid, Andy Harkness brings us a book about the irritation that comes with being hangry. A video posted by the publisher Bloomsbury gives a two-minute synopsis of Harkness’s work using polymer clay and Photoshop. It was not what I expected.

Books We Read for the Mock Newbery Club For our fifth- to eighth-grade Mock Newbery clubs, every grade level was assigned five books to read, giving us a total of twenty titles. Each month, from September to January, the clubs met in the library to discuss their books.

Members were also encouraged to read the books being read by the other grade levels. The following five titles were read by our fifth-grade students.

A Place to Hang the Moon, by Kate Albus (Margaret Ferguson Books, 2021)

It is 1940 and siblings William (12), Edmund (11), and Anna (9) are without parents and grandparents. They need a guardian, but World War II is making it unsafe to live in London, and the family lawyer thinks that evacuating to the countryside might be the answer to the current problems. All three are evacuated to rural England, along with many other children. The siblings keep their situation a secret as they move from home to home and wonder if they’ll ever find a forever family. The village librarian is extremely kind to them, but the rest of the town shuns her. What do the townspeople know that the children don’t?

A Place to Hang the Moon is a story about the importance of family, and it gives a nod to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It’s a good read for those who aren’t quite ready for The War That Saved My Life, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley.

We have a summer staff book club that reads middle-grade chapter books. This was a title that the teachers loved and were sure the students would as well. When discussing this book with the fifth graders, some loved it more than others.

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The Adventure Is Now, by Jess Redman

(Farrar, Straus & Giroux Books for Young Readers, 2021) Milton P. Greene is obsessed with Isle of the Wild, a video game in which he becomes Sea Hawk, an explorer who tries to survive dangers in nature as he levels up. It’s pure escapism for a boy whose school year tanked after the “Bird Brain” incident and whose parents are separated and contemplating divorce. When Milton is sent to stay with his Uncle Evan on Lone Island for the summer, he decides to become a real life Sea Hawk in order to overcome his social awkwardness as he meets other kids on the island. Working through difficult social situations, Milton discovers that the future of the island is in danger, and he might be able to save it.

The Adventure Is Now is great for kids who like mystery, exploration, adventure, all things quirky, and magical realism. The names of the island’s flora and fauna are reminiscent of The Phantom Tollbooth, Dr. Dolittle, or anything by Roald Dahl. Take for instance the Earthworm Pachyderm and the Push-Pull Centopus, as well as the Enmity-amity Tree and the Menu You Bush. My students were rooting for Milton and his new island friends to solve the clues that would save the island from disaster.

The House That Wasn’t There, by Elana K. Arnold (author of the BAT books) (Walden Pond Press, 2021)

This is a great book for readers who love magical realism. Oak is a fifth grader who has lived in the same house his whole life under the shade of a large maple tree. He lives with his mom and doesn’t remember much about his dad, who passed away when he was young, but he has a picture of his dad under that maple tree, and that’s important to him.

Alder and her family have moved in next door to Oak, and tensions fly when Alder’s mother has the maple tree removed in order to renovate their new house. It takes two lonely kittens, a storm, and a taxidermied opossum to show Oak and Alder how much they really have in common.

The Lion of Mars, by Jennifer Holm

(Random House Children’s Books, 2021) Eleven-year-old Bell narrates this story about an American settlement on Mars consisting of six adults and six children/teens. Bell is the youngest in the settlement and has known no other life since he was sent to the planet from earth as an orphaned toddler. After a supply ship arrives from earth, the adults get very sick, and the children are forced to decide what to do.

Other countries have settlements on Mars, but the youth have been warned for years not to communicate with them. However, if they don’t do something, the adults could die.

The fifth-grade book club at our school loved this book. Many students said that it was the best book they had ever read. It was a great foray into science fiction for them. Imagining life on Mars was not difficult with Holm’s descriptions. Students were intrigued by the daily responsibilities in the 16

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colony, including food production with algae. The themes of survival, reliance on others, and the importance of family rang true, and all of the book club members gave The Lion of Mars two thumbs up.

Starfish, by Lisa Fipps

(Nancy Paulsen Books, 2021) Written in verse, this book tells the story of Ellie, who has been bullied about her weight for years. Being the brunt of fat shaming causes her to see herself as having less worth. After working with a new therapist and finding friendship with the new girl next door, Ellie stands up to her mockers with strength and truth.

My students voted for this book to win our Mock Newbery award. They were full of empathy toward Ellie and frustrated with the ways some classmates and family members were treating her. We had great conversations about what it means to be a good bystander when we see something wrong taking place.

Lois Boerman is the librarian at Ada Christian School in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

She enjoys collaborating with and learning from her book-loving coworkers and fellow librarians. She can be reached at lboerman@adachristian.org.

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Does Mr. Lincoln’s Way Look Like God’s Way? LUCIANO CID

I

Ms. Polacco successfully presents a picture of God’s love, grace, and redemption to her readers.

f you have been an elementary teacher for a substantial period of time, chances are you have heard the name Patricia Polacco. After all, Ms. Polacco has authored numerous books that have gained the admiration of literature critics, educators, and students alike. With titles such as Thank You, Mr. Falker (1998), My Rotten Red-Headed Older Brother (1994), Pink and Say (1994), and Chicken Sunday (1992), Ms. Polacco has been able to not only demonstrate her incredible ability to write and illustrate wonderful works of art, but also to generate conscientious perspectives in the hearts and minds of her readers.

This article’s purpose, however, is not to highlight such professional achievements, but to illustrate the theological truths that exist within one of Ms. Polacco’s books: Mr. Lincoln’s Way (2001). In it, with or without her conscious attempt, Ms. Polacco successfully presents a picture of God’s love, grace, and redemption to her readers. She does so through the love of a kind and wise principal (Mr. Lincoln) toward a troubled and misguided child (Eugene Esterhause, or, as the school community has labeled him, “Mean Gene”).

As a researcher who has investigated how to successfully integrate the gospel message via classroom management techniques, as well as how to create classroom environments that center on the concept of shalom, I have read this book to my students (who are teacher candidates) as a clear illustration of what redemptive discipline can look like (Taylor 1). In addition, I have also chosen to share the book as a demonstration of how to indirectly integrate aspects of theology into one’s classrooms. Using this book along with guided discussion, a Christian teacher could, through inductive or deductive reasoning—depending on the type of environment in which one teaches—introduce a number of theological truths to their class. However, since we do not have space for a deep investigation of every theological connection found within this book, we will limit our discussion to three theological truths: God’s love, God’s benevolence, and God’s redemptive work.

God’s Love A central theological truth of the Christian faith is that God is love (1 John 4:16). As a result, a second truth arises, which is that God demonstrates his abounding love for all of creation (John 3:16), especially for humans (1 John 4:19, Rom. 8:37–39, and Eph. 2:4–5), who are made in his image (Gen. 1:26) and endowed with inestimable value.

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In her book, Ms. Polacco displays a picture of such love through her main character, Mr. Lincoln. In fact, in the first page of the story, readers are exposed to the continuous love this character maintains for the community in which he serves. We read that he chooses to have tea parties with the kindergarteners every spring, that he goes on nature walks with the sixth graders, and that he invites students and their families to spend their nights looking at the stars through his telescope. We also become aware that he purposefully connects with all community members by honoring, respecting, and participating in their diverse religious traditions.

The second page continues with such demonstrations of love, but in this case, instead of being at a macro level, we are introduced to his love for one particular student, Gene. Gene is a boy who is struggling with social-emotional issues. This makes the other characters see Gene as someone with serious anger problems—but not Mr. Lincoln. His love for all of his students, much like God’s love for his creation, is constant and unchanging. So, when others decide to write Gene off, Mr. Lincoln states, “He’s not a bad boy . . . only troubled.” Such a perspective parallels Paul’s explanation of God’s love when he claims that “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). Hence, through this act of loving those whom others have no reason to love, Mr. Lincoln displays one of God’s most important characteristics—agape love.

Mr. Lincoln purposefully connects with all community members by honoring, respecting, and participating in their diverse religious traditions.

God’s Benevolence Both the Old and New Testaments include multiple passages about God’s benevolence (see Exod. 20:2; Lam. 3:22–23; Matt. 5:45; and Eph. 2:8); however, there is no clearer passage displaying God’s kindness to us than John 3:16. In this book, Mr. Lincoln does not sacrifice his son for Gene, but what he does do is provide him with a project that can elevate his awareness of the worth of his soul. To do so, he asks Gene to help him solve a serious problem. Mr. Lincoln has an atrium in which he would want to have birds, but no birds are coming. This invitation to participate, of course, is not random. Mr. Lincoln is very aware of what excites and motivates Gene—in this case, birds!

God displays this same personalized attention and connection. For example, Jesus connects with Peter by asking him to become a fisher of people (Matt.

4:19). Jesus also connects with the Samaritan woman at the well by telling her everything she has ever done (John 4:29). And he connects with Thomas by asking Thomas to touch his wounds (John 20:27). In the Old Testament, God connects with Moses when he provides Aaron as Moses’s voice (Exod.

6:28–7:7), and he connects with Abraham and Sarah by giving them a child (Gen. 17:19).

This personal connection expressed by Mr. Lincoln also parallels God’s approach toward the nation of Israel. In the book of Genesis, God makes a number of covenants with Abraham. As a result, through this partnership, God provides the nation of Israel with an incredible identity, that of being God’s people, chosen for God’s redemptive work. This positive transforming identity would also be what would drive many Gentiles to change their broken spiritual condition, realizing, through Paul’s words, that salvation was not only for the Jews, but also for the Gentiles (Rom. 1:16; 6:6; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 2:20). Again, it is in this invitation of God, grounded in his loving Christian Educators Journal

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This personal connection expressed by Mr. Lincoln also parallels God’s approach toward the nation of Israel.

This commitment ultimately allows for Gene’s much-needed transformed identity, which helps him overcome his anger issues and find his own benevolence.

benevolence, that a new divine purpose is generated among humanity (Eph. 2:10; 1 Pet. 2:9), even among those who, like Gene, appear to be completely lost.

Similarly, throughout the middle part of the book, as Mr. Lincoln invites Gene to labor and take care of the atrium with him, he successfully demonstrates God’s benevolence. He does this through his enduring commitment to Gene. This commitment ultimately allows for Gene’s much-needed transformed identity, which helps him overcome his anger issues and find his own benevolence—first toward the animals for whom he is responsible and then for other individuals in his life (readers notice in the final illustration of the book that Mean Gene has become a fourth-grade classroom teacher).

God’s Redemptive Work

Mr. Lincoln, like God, has found a resting place for the lost sheep, and the lost sheep finally feels at home.

Much like one of the major themes in the Bible, the ultimate theme of this book is that people can be redeemed. In fact, even when Gene slips up in the midst of Mr. Lincoln’s help, Mr. Lincoln never stops his attempt at redeeming the young man. At times, however, it is difficult for the reader to display the same love for Gene that Mr. Lincoln portrays, since there seems to be every reason to dismiss Gene as a lost cause. This, of course, was proba­ bly Ms. Polacco’s intent. After all, she presents Gene as a child with racist tendencies, calling Mr. Lincoln the n-slur and telling the Mexican students that they are “brown-skinned toads, and other unacceptable names”; this is behavior that he has learned from his father.

It is at this point in the story when the theological messages begin to turn inward, as the book suddenly forces the reader to assimilate Mr. Lincoln’s love and benevolence toward Gene. If the readers do, they will be met with the secret of God’s redemptive work, which is that love is the solution to our struggles. This is why Jesus, when asked to name the greatest commandment of the law, identified the love of God and the love of one’s neighbor as the two overarching and all-encompassing rules that believers should follow (Matt. 22:36–40). In essence, with this book, Ms. Polacco succeeds on two fronts. She first succeeds at presenting an objective view of the gospel’s redeeming message for those who are lost; second, she succeeds at presenting a subjective view of what may be required of one’s self in order to become more like Mr. Lincoln—and more like God. In the end, “Mean Gene” is redeemed: the birds are taken care of, and so is he. Mr. Lincoln gives Eugene’s grandfather, a much gentler and loving model for the boy, a call, and Gene and his grandfather embrace. Mr. Lincoln, like God, has found a resting place for the lost sheep, and the lost sheep finally feels at home. In the final page of the book, we are presented with a dialogue between Eugene and Mr. Lincoln that, I believe, once a believer understands God’s work on the cross, should become one’s rightful attitude toward the worship of God: “You showed those ducklings the way out, Eugene,” Mr. Lincoln said.

“Hey, you showed me the way out, Mr. Lincoln.” Eugene smiled.

Then he stopped and looked into his principal’s eyes.

“I’ll make you proud of me, Mr. Lincoln. I promise.”

In short, Mr. Lincoln’s Way is an essential resource for any Christian teacher who is serious about integrating their faith into their classroom. It offers 22

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many entry points into both objective and subjective conversations about the concepts of love, benevolence, and redemption. With it, teachers will be able to generate a bridge between their Christian beliefs and both classroom management and content.

After completing a double major in philosophy and religious studies at ­California State University, Fullerton, Dr. Cid entered a teaching credential program at Chapman University. Dr. Cid went on to receive an EdM from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in the interdisciplinary field of Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE), which has led him to become the Chair of the Brain, Neuroscience, and Education special interest group for AERA (American Educational Research Association). After Harvard, he attended a doctoral program at the University of Southern California in the fields of educational leadership and educational psychology. Today, he serves as the Interim Director for the Elementary Education Program at Biola University. His research interests include neuroeducation, classroom management, increasing gender and ethnic diversity of teaching staff in elementary schools, investigating the connections that exist between a teacher’s pedagogical choices and lesson plan objectives, and investigating the connection and integration of the Christian worldview into the teaching profession.

Works Cited Polacco, Patricia. Chicken Sunday. Penguin, 1992. . Mr. Lincoln’s Way. Penguin, 2017. . My Rotten Red-Headed Older Brother. Simon & Schuster, 1994. . Pink and Say. Penguin, 1994. . Thank You, Mr. Falker. Philomel Books, 1998.

Taylor, Chris P. “The Need for Redemptive Discipline in the Christian School.” Christian Perspectives in Education, vol. 6, no. 1 (2013), pp. 1–6.

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Faith Journey: A Classroom Tool for Remembering and Forgetting KENT EZELL

“N

I was reminded of how many times in the Bible God asked his leaders to make memorials so that people would not forget.

early two-thirds of U.S. 18–29-year-olds who grew up in church tell Barna they have withdrawn from church involvement as an adult after having been active as a child or teen” (Kinnaman). This quote from Barna scared me. It did not surprise me, though. I have seen many of my former students who were passionate about Jesus in my middle school classroom drop away from the faith.

I think there are several reasons why youth who grew up in Christian homes are leaving the faith in alarming numbers. One of the reasons is that they are forgetting God’s goodness to them. Over the past few years, I’ve been able to talk with many people about this fact. One of those people was Sid Hielema. At the time, he was head of Faith Formation Ministries within the CRC denomination. We were discussing how I believe Satan uses forgetting as one of his tools. Sid reminded me of how many times in the Bible God asked his leaders to make memorials so that people would not forget.

Joshua 4:4–7 says, So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israel­ ites, one from each tribe, and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”

Faith Journey exists to aid Christian schools, churches, and parents in raising children to become fully devoted followers of Jesus through documenting and reflecting on their faith journey.

God asked Joshua to put twelve stones together as a way of remembering. Remembering is why my wife and I believe God asked us to build Faith Journey. Faith Journey exists to aid Christian schools, churches, and parents in raising children to become fully devoted followers of Jesus through documenting and reflecting on their faith journey.

Sid said, “The Psalmist declares over and over that remembering the Lord’s faithfulness in the past has sustained them through many dark and challenging times. Living as we do today in a culture of short-term memory, our children and teens need all the faith-memory aid they can get. The Faith Journey app provides that: a rich, contemporary means to live out these ancient Psalms.”

At Faith Journey, we call these stones faith footprints. As people pour faith into students, it is recorded in students’ private, digital, individualized albums. What a blessing that our students have so many people contributing 24

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to their faith development: parents, youth pastors, Christian school teachers, and the students themselves.

They can also reflect on the faith footprints. Reflection is an important part of pedagogy and is often skipped. A friend of mine called making reflections in the classroom “adding stickiness to the lessons.” In their book Learning and Leading with Habits of the Mind, Arthur L. Costa and Bena Kallick explain the value of reflection: “Reflection has many facets. For example, reflecting on work enhances its meaning. Reflecting on experiences encourages insight and complex learning. We foster our own growth when we control our learning, so some reflection is best done alone. Reflection is also enhanced, however, when we ponder our learning with others” (221).

The chief responsibility of every parent is to grow their children to be fully devoted followers of Jesus, and they ask the Christian school to aid them with this task. At the Christian school, it is accomplished through teachers bringing faith into their lessons. The teachers are training the students to “look for God in all things.” In other words, we want our students to be 24/7 Christians. We don’t want them to be Christians on Sundays or when it looks good for them. When faith intersections are done well, students develop a Christ-centered worldview that will impact all areas of their lives today and in the future.

My wife and I had the option to send our children to the local public schools or charter schools. Many of the teachers who work for those schools are wonderful Christians who love Jesus. But we chose a Christian school because they have teachers who are intentional about intersecting their faith into their lessons and all areas of school life. Often, we did this with much financial sacrifice. As my children are nearing the end of their high school years, my wife and I are pleased that they have developed an authentic, strong, Christ-centered worldview. We wanted to help encourage that kind of faith development in other students.

Faith Journey gives Christian schools a tool to measure the effectiveness of how the teachers are integrating their faith into the lessons. It does this by providing evidence of faith integration to the school’s leaders and to the parents. Because of the use of technology, Faith Journey is able to collect and organize the faith footprints for all students efficiently and quickly. The leaders of the school are able to look at the faith footprints that are produced by the faith intersections and then make decisions based on evidence about how they are fulfilling their promise to the parents.

More broadly, the school leaders can use Faith Journey as a barometer to measure or provide evidence of how the school is fulfilling its mission.

Because of how Faith Journey is built, the leader will be able to see how the mission is being fulfilled with every student—not just a few students. The school leaders can then work with the teachers so that every one is producing outcomes that align with the school’s mission.

For example, a student outcome that shows faith integration into the lessons could come from the book The Hiding Place. The book is about two sisters who hid Jews and then eventually were captured and brought to a concentration camp to work. There is a part in the book where Betsy tells Corrie to thank God for the fleas. Corrie protests. The reader finds out later that it was the fleas that kept the Nazi guards out of the barracks. In the barracks, Betsy and Corrie lead many people to know Jesus. The Christ-centered outcome will look different depending on the grade level (developmental).

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The chief responsibility of every parent is to grow their children to be fully devoted followers of Jesus, and they ask the Christian school to aid them with this task.

Because of how Faith Journey is built, the leader will be able to see how the mission is being fulfilled with every student.

The teacher took a picture of each student with the slime, as well as their reflection, and posted them to each student’s album.

Parents can also add to a child’s Faith Journey album.

One outcome for a middle school class may be writing a reflection about what it means to thank God in all circumstances. The reflection becomes the Christ-centered outcome. This reflection can easily be put into Faith Journey.

All the teacher has to do is find a royalty-free picture of fleas on the internet and write a description for the students (and parents). The students then log in to their accounts and write reflections below the picture. No one will see the reflections except for the student, teacher, and the parents.

Another example is from an elementary teacher in science class. The teacher had the students make slime. Slime is like playdough but more fluid.

The lesson objective was to teach students about the three stages of matter (solid, liquid, gas). The teacher explained to the class that God also gives us things to think about, like slime, which sometimes act like a liquid and sometimes like a solid. They can be hard to categorize. The reflection was about how God is a God of wonder and how he created our world. The teacher had each student write a sentence or two responding to the prompt, “How have you seen God in the slime project?” The teacher took a picture of each student with the slime, as well as their reflection, and posted them to each student’s album.

Faith Journey is easy to use for teachers. It takes them two to three minutes for a class post and about ten minutes for individual posts. A teacher should post about one to two times a month. Many teachers have told me that Faith Journey is as easy to use as social media. Also, students of older grades can upload the faith footprints themselves. The teacher just needs to give direction to the post.

Faith Journey sends an email to parents every time a teacher posts a footprint into their child’s album. The parent can see how their child’s faith is being formed. Parents have been charged by God to be intentional about growing the faith of their children. Faith Journey gives the parents a tool to ensure that the school is fulfilling its mission. Parents can also add to a child’s Faith Journey album. They are able to add pictures and videos of baptisms, church choir solos, and family service projects.

Several schools that have adopted or are about to adopt Faith Journey like it because it helps them turn out the kind of graduates they hope to.

Stephen Covey, in his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, tells us “to begin with the end in mind.” In other words, the goal is to think about what the school wants the student to look like at graduation and then work backward from that point. Faith Journey is a tool to provide evidence that the school is doing what it needs to do so that the school fulfills with each student the goals they have for them.

Faith Journey also has other benefits for the Christian school. One is that it helps with admissions. A school is able to provide prospective parents with tangible proof of how the school builds faith in students from preschool through graduation. It also helps with retention. Because Faith Journey sends emails every time a teacher posts a faith footprint, parents are seeing why they are investing in Christian education. They have the evidence to see how their money is being used to advance the kingdom with their child.

Since late 2019, Faith Journey has been piloted by two schools: Dutton Christian School and San Jose Christian School. Both schools have worked with us on improving Faith Journey. My wife and I are so thankful for the administrators and teachers who have worked to refine the technology and implement it in the classroom.

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At this point Faith Journey is available for purchase. We have several schools that have signed on for this coming year or are in the process. It has been a joy for us to share the vision with many leaders of Christian schools.

If you are interested in a demo of Faith Journey, please contact us. We are willing to explore how Faith Journey would work for your school in helping to fulfill your mission. You may also have “sandbox” accounts, which you can play with to see if Faith Journey fits your school. Faith Journey’s website is https://myfaithjourney.com. On the website, you will find the link to set up a demo.

The impact of Faith Journey is that it allows students to remember God’s goodness. King David writes in Psalm 143:5, speaking about God, “I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.” Faith Journey is passionate about giving Christian schools a tool to increase their impact. At Faith Journey, we know that when schools are fulfilling their mission, students will grow to be fully devoted followers of Jesus. This is our passion at Faith Journey.

Works Cited Costa, Arthur L., and Bena Kallick. Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind.

1st ed., ASCD, 2008.

Covey, Stephen. “Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind.” FranklinCovey, www​ .franklincovey.com.

Kinnaman, David. “Church Dropouts Have Risen to 64%—But What About Those Who Stay?” Barna, 4 Sept. 2019, www.barna.com.

Kent Ezell and his wife, Reba, are the founders of Faith Journey. Kent is currently an adjunct professor in the teacher education department at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also serves The Potter’s House as the Director of Admissions. He has taught middle school math and Bible and was a school administrator. He and Reba have two children, Carolyn and Joshua.

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At Faith Journey, we know that when schools are fulfilling their mission, students will grow to be fully devoted followers of Jesus.

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Speaking Our Truth: A Text for Teaching Students about Residential Schools EDITH van der BOOM

A

s we look back on 2021, the discoveries of over thirteen hundred unmarked graves at the sites of residential schools in western Canada leave us shocked. Survivors of the residential school system have long known the injustices and horrors that occurred for over a hundred years, but these new recoveries of unmarked graves have exposed this devastation to the greater population. As an educator on a journey of learning more about the horrendous history of residential schooling, I have been on the lookout for resources that will help inform this journey. The tragic history of Canada’s residential schools is being told with the help of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), a body mandated to tell Canadians about the truth of residential schools through the collection of survivors’ stories and compiling of historical evidence of what happened in these residential schools. Speaking Our Truth: A Journey of Reconciliation has been written for young people about Canada’s relationship with its Indigenous peoples. The book begins to tell in an age-appropriate way the story of those who have suffered as a result of the residential school system. It challenges the reader to ask the following questions: What action can I take today?

What action can I take with my family? What action can I take at my school?

What action can I take in my community?

The book is broken down into four chapters. The first chapter is called “Welcome to the Journey.” Gray Smith uses the metaphor of a journey to describe why learning more about the history of Canada’s residential schools and Indigenous peoples is important. She suggests that readers need to pack for their journey “a willingness to listen to and have meaningful conversations with others, curiosity, openness, and an ability to reflect on difficult things” (14). The things one should leave behind are thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs such as “History isn’t important” or “I, as one person, can’t make a difference” (15). Gray Smith is clear about the trauma that children taken to residential schools experienced, including separation, hunger, and abuse.

Young readers should seek support from an adult to talk about what physical, verbal, emotional, sexual, and spiritual abuse may have looked like for these children. The author, who identifies as both a colonizer and colonized based on her own ancestry, shares her own journey of learning more about residential schools. The chapter concludes with an overview of the seven sacred Indigenous teachings: honesty, respect, love, courage/bravery, truth, humility, and wisdom, and then delves into how each informs what it means to be a respectful, caring, and helpful citizen.

The second chapter continues the journey metaphor and is entitled “Honesty: Where Have We Come From?” Gray Smith suggests that looking back on our history can be hard to believe and difficult to hear. She stresses Christian Educators Journal

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The book begins to tell in an age-appropriate way the story of those who have suffered as a result of the residential school system.

The author, who identifies as both a colonizer and colonized based on her own ancestry, shares her own journey of learning more about residential schools.

Stories from residential school survivors and their families, photos of people and archives, as well as a summary of historical facts from that era make this chapter both interesting and informative.

Readers are challenged to self-reflect as they consider questions such as “What does it mean to apologize?” and “Where do you see your community taking action?”

the importance of knowing where we have come from and where we currently are before we take the next steps to move on. She applies this to the importance of knowing the truth before we can understand the need for and importance of reconciliation. Within this chapter, the author warns that the information and stories may be upsetting and encourages readers to reach out to parents or another trusted adult for support. Stories from residential school survivors and their families, photos of people and archives, as well as a summary of historical facts from that era make this chapter both interesting and informative. Reflection questions that engage readers on both a cognitive and emotional level include “Why do you think the Government of Canada made it illegal for Indigenous peoples to practice their ceremonies?” (39), “What year did the last residential school in your province/territory close?” (48), and “How do you think it would feel to be referred to by a number instead of your name?” (51).

The third chapter, “Love: Where Do We Stand Today?” encourages readers to consider love as a means to overpower evil and heal the wounds created by the residential schools. Gray Smith suggests that Canada’s journey of reconciliation requires love that “is rooted in respect and honors the uniqueness of each individual” (80), a response that was rarely practiced in the residential school experience. This chapter includes stories from both young people aged nine to thirteen years old and adults who were interviewed in order to share their understanding of reconciliation. The history lesson continues with information about the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, the apology made by Canada’s prime minister Steven Harper, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the events that followed. Again, readers are challenged to self-reflect as they consider questions such as “What does it mean to apologize?” (88) and “Where do you see your community taking action?” (96).

The final chapter, “Kindness and Reciprocity: Where Do We Go From Here?” suggests that the journey of reconciliation is a process in which we will need to continue to grow, heal, learn, and find our way forward. Gray Smith describes reconciliation as an ongoing journey that can be likened to building bridges. Throughout the chapter, the voices of kids from across the country are shared as they reflect on their own conversations about reconciliation. Reflection questions in this chapter include “Have you spoken up or taken action about something important to you? How did it feel?” (104).

The author goes on to provide ideas of what steps of reconciliation can be taken. A few of her ideas include • Learn whose territory you live on and go to school on.

• Learn what the First Nations people near you preferred to be called.

• Have a conversation with your family about what you are learning about history, reconciliation, and what you want our country to be like.

• Read books by authors who are Indigenous.

• Participate in Orange Shirt Day (typically on or around September 30), which honors residential school survivors and speaks up against racism and bullying.

The chapter includes descriptions of several projects and initiatives that are currently going on across the country, like the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, the Kairos Blanket Exercise, and Project of Heart.

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Speaking Our Truth, which shares details of traumatic residential school experiences, is written in a narrative tone that is sensitive and inviting to young readers and adults alike. Gray Smith writes with compassion for the wrongs that have been committed and encourages the reader to move forward with hope and action. She clearly highlights vocabulary that may be new to students and offers a clear definition for each word in the margin of the page, as well as in the glossary at the back of the book. Equipping students to use words such as ally, genocide, and privilege is an important part of inviting them into the conversation. In addition, questions are asked throughout the book that encourage students to self-reflect on their own thoughts and experiences and how these might connect with what they are learning on this journey. I appreciate that readers are encouraged to think about whether a treaty covers the land that their home or school is on and, if so, to investigate which treaty it is. The book ends with a list of online resources and a reading list, while the book’s website includes additional resources including links to videos.

Gray Smith does a good job of balancing the need to share the trauma and suffering of the residential school experience with the fact that her readers are primarily young people. She uses primary sources, including personal accounts and photos of residential school survivors, to frame difficult conversations about Canada’s history and our journey of reconciliation. Even those not familiar with Canadian history will be able to understand the context of this part of Canada’s story, the impact on Indigenous peoples, and the importance of valuing all people’s identities and cultures.

Throughout the book there are references made to faith and spiritual beliefs, but there is no reference to the Christain faith. The book does not consider to be foundational Christian assumptions about what it means to be human, including being an image bearer of God, being called to love our neighbors, being broken, and being a part of God’s story. As Christians, we need to know and understand life’s purpose as we engage in real work for real people and learn what living well together could look like. So although I believe the book is a great resource, we need to wrestle with the why of truth and reconciliation so that we can truly contend with the what and the how.

That being said, I recommend this book as an excellent resource to use with young people and adults alike who desire to increase their understanding of residential schools.

Work Reviewed Speaking Our Truth: A Journey of Reconciliation, by Monique Gray Smith (Orca Books, 2017) Dr. Edith van der Boom is Assistant Professor of the Philosophy of Education and the Practice of Pedagogy, as well as Director of the Master of Arts in Philosophy in Educational Leadership at the Institute of Christian Studies in Toronto, Ontario.

With over thirty-four years of experience as an educator in both K–8 schools and university settings, she acknowledges that she has benefited from privileges due to the white color of her skin and is on a journey to become more aware of the racial and cultural injustices within our world and specifically in our classrooms.

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Speaking Our Truth, which shares details of traumatic residential school experiences, is written in a narrative tone that is sensitive and inviting to young readers and adults alike.

Even those not familiar with Canadian history will be able to understand the context of this part of Canada’s story, the impact on Indigenous peoples, and the importance of valuing all people’s identities and cultures.

How Ungrading Can Change Your Classroom DANIELLE DAUJATAS AND ARON REPPMANN

“U

The point of ungrading is not to make the process of responding to student work easier, quicker, or more efficient for the teacher.

ngrading” is an umbrella term for a wide range of instructional and assessment practices; some other common terms for these practices are “de-grading” and “going gradeless” (Blum 2). What all of these practices have in common is that they create structures and processes that direct the attention of students and teachers (as well as other stakeholders, such as parents and academic departments) toward the process of learning by directing their attention away from the ratings (marks or grades) that are attached to the artifacts of the learning process. In recent years, there has been an increasing amount of practitioner-focused, “how-to” literature on ungrading. Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead), edited by Susan D. Blum, gathers together some of the fruit of that literature and provides it with a shared scholarly foundation: “Based on rigorous and replicated research, this is the first book to show why and how faculty who wish to focus on learning, rather than sorting or judging, might proceed” (jacket description).

As both Susan D. Blum and John Warner point out in their contributions, unlike other approaches to reforming grading (such as developing and using highly detailed assessment rubrics), the point of ungrading is not to make the process of responding to student work easier, quicker, or more efficient for the teacher. In fact, ungrading can sometimes require more and longer work than conventional grading does! What it does do is offer the promise of better work, work that is focused on appreciating what students have done and helping them toward doing it better in the future, rather than picking apart what they have done in order to rate and judge it (212–14, 219).

The book consists of thirteen essays, organized in three parts, plus a foreword by Alfie Kohn and a preface, introduction, and conclusion by the editor, Susan D. Blum (who also contributes one of the thirteen essays).

The parts are entitled “Foundations and Models,” “Practices,” and “Reflections,” but those groupings reflect general emphases of the various pieces rather than hard distinctions among them; the three-part structure seems to have been introduced by the editor after receiving the submissions, to give a sense of shape and flow to the collection, rather than to have guided the commissioning process. In fact, every contribution contains some statement of foundations and models, some description of particular teaching practices, and some reflections on the implications of those practices. While the book can be profitably read straight through from beginning to end, individual readers (or better yet, groups of colleagues reading and discussing together) might find it engaging to take a more dynamic approach, beginning with the foreword, preface, introduction, and part 1, then allowing their particular interests to guide their selection of what to read first in parts 32

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2 and 3 (which are relatively more focused on specific case studies from particular courses, disciplines, or educational levels), before finishing with John Warner’s “Wile E. Coyote, the Hero of Ungrading” (the last chapter of part 3) and the editor’s conclusion, “Not Simple but Essential,” in which she not only looks back but also traces several areas for further investigation, experimentation, and reflection.

All of the contributors to this book describe the ways in which they have worked to de-emphasize grades, while still working in educational systems that do, at some point, require grades. (For this reason, perhaps the term “ungrading” might be better written as “un/grading,” or, as in the book’s cover art, “UNgrading”). This realistic, practical focus on working within the existing system means that the authors largely give their attention to decisions that are within the agency of individual teachers, although both Kohn in the foreword and Blum in her essay “Just One Change (Just Kidding): Ungrading and Its Necessary Accompaniments” point out that making an incremental change in grading practices often reveals the need for more profound changes, and can even stoke the desire for system-wide overhaul.

If you’re looking for a few small, easy changes in your teaching that will leave you feeling permanently satisfied, beware this book.

There is a wide variety of practices described in the contributions. Some of the most frequently recurring ones involve students building and reflecting on portfolios rather than completing single, disconnected assignments; the determination of grades (when they are ultimately determined) as a collaborative effort between teacher and student, often via a conference reviewing and reflecting on the student’s work; an emphasis on teachers giving significant qualitative, formative feedback in response to students’ work; and various kinds of grade contracts agreed on by the student and the teacher. Although there is only one brief reference to students with special education accommodations (163), we noted three ways in which ungrading could be especially relevant to special education contexts. First, assessments and ratings are already fraught for special education students, since every one of them is in special education due to some sort of assessment that has taken place. Second, ungrading, with its emphasis on formative feedback, contributes to the strengths-based approach (rather than a deficit-based approach) that has been gaining ground in special education. And third, the portfolio-review approach advocated by many of the contributors could work well within the context of a series of IEP (Individualized Education Program) meetings.

The research foundations on which the contributors draw in making their cases for ungrading can be summarized in four categories, roughly in order of the frequency with which the various contributors appeal to them.

First, the authors draw on findings on the psychology of extrinsic versus intrinsic motivation and its results on the effectiveness of learning. Second, the authors point to findings on the harm that conventional grading practices do to students’ senses of self and attitudes toward learning. Third, the authors offer historical perspectives on how, when, and why the grading systems that we assume came into existence. Fourth, the authors refer to studies of the contested meaning of grades (such as demonstrations of the lack of inter-rater reliability).

The authors of Ungrading encourage teachers to devise assessment processes that are suited to their particular subject matter, rather than Christian Educators Journal

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All of the contributors to this book describe the ways in which they have worked to de-­emphasize grades, while still working in educational systems that do, at some point, require grades.

The authors draw on findings on the psychology of extrinsic versus intrinsic motivation and its results on the effectiveness of learning.

imposing a single (supposedly objective, but more likely arbitrary) numbers-and-letters scale. Computer science professor Christopher Riesbeck describes how he “replaced grading with critiquing” in a programming course: “I replaced weekly (or longer) one-and-done assignments with a continuous do-review-redo submission process” (123). The cycle continued until there was no more critique to offer, because the computer program the student had written “works and meets all the specifications,” “the code is fairly easy to read,” and “the code could be reused in other programs.”

Riesbeck calls this a “single-point rubric,” as opposed to the multiple levels of achievement laid out in conventional rubrics (133). He argues that this matches the skills-development process that computer programmers need to master (136–38). In a very different context, philosophy professor Marcus Schultz-Bergin devised for his philosophy of law course, which had a significant focus on anarchist philosophies, a contract grading system that embodied anarchist principles: “I sought to establish an anarchist classroom where the rules are generated by the community and members of that community feel generally obligated to themselves and to one another” (173).

Is this a book for K–12 teachers, or for college professors? The answer is, yes! Of the main thirteen articles, eight are by teachers working primarily in higher education and five by teachers working primarily in high school or middle school. This does not, however, represent as much of a divide as might be expected. While there are some predictable differences (for example, when teachers from pre-college contexts include discussions of communicating with parents, or when teachers from college contexts display relatively greater instructor autonomy over assessment practices in their courses), they regularly draw on common bodies of research, and most of the specific practices described are portable (or adaptable) across the divide. As prominent educational theorist and contrarian critic Alfie Kohn pointedly observes in his foreword to the volume: The first few times I was invited to speak to college faculties about grades and other issues, I dived into the arguments and research I had already used when writing to K–12 educators in order to see what was relevant.

The answer, I quickly concluded: just about everything. That’s true partly because much of the research (notably on the effects of grading) has been conducted on college students as well as younger children—with essentially the same results. (xix) Our own experience in reading, discussing, and writing about this book testifies to its relevance for both K–12 and higher education contexts.

Our own experience in reading, discussing, and writing about this book testifies to its relevance for both K–12 and higher education contexts. Danielle is a preservice high school special education teacher, and Aron is a college philosophy professor, and we both found that nearly every essay in the book had something for both of us—it was not at all the case that Danielle gravitated only (or even primarily) to the chapters written by secondary school teachers, nor Aron to the ones by college professors.

Why might the readers of Christian Educators Journal take a particular interest in this book? None of the authors writes from an explicitly faith-­ informed perspective, and there is no discussion of specifically religious matters. All of the authors, however, offer moral arguments against conventional grading practices—and in favor of ungrading—that Christian educators should take seriously. While Christian educators do not have an 34

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exclusive corner on moral concerns in education, it would seem that Christian respect and care for the dignity of human beings created in God’s image compels us to reconsider and reform instructional practices that are demonstrated to be dehumanizing (2); that tempt students to “cheating, corner-cutting, [and] gaming the system” (3); that provoke crippling anxiety or even suicidal thoughts (4); that are arbitrary, inconsistent, or incommensurable (10–12); that discourage students from taking good risks (13–14); and that disadvantage or exclude some students on the basis of ethnicity or socioeconomic status (163).

In practice, ungrading turns out to be more of a mindset and a commitment than a particular set of techniques. While each author describes their own particular practices and systems, there is deliberately no attempt in this book to codify any one core method or set of methods. In her concluding essay, after surveying some of the diversity of approaches offered in the book, Blum writes:

Christian respect and care for the dignity of human beings created in God’s image compels us to reconsider and reform instructional practices that are demonstrated to be dehumanizing.

We share the conviction that within the realm of our responsibility, we have an obligation and an opportunity to improve our facilitation of student learning. We hope that by reporting on our separate experiences, our suggestions will be understood not as the one way that works for everyone but as a multitude of possible approaches. (226)

The fundamental idea and shared commitment of all of these various approaches is that students and teachers alike desperately need to get out of our habitual obsession with grades as the focus of learning. As long as grades are required by the educational systems in which we participate, any system for objectifying students’ learning into a grade—even an “un/grading” system that keeps the focus on learning for as long as possible—can become an undue focus of students’ and teachers’ attention. Therefore, adopting an ungrading approach also implies a commitment to always trying new things and adapting as we go. Making mistakes and learning from them is vital, not only for students, but also for their teachers.

Work reviewed Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead),

by Susan D. Blum (Morgantown: West Virginia University Press, 2020) Danielle Daujatas is a preservice teacher, majoring in special education and minoring in philosophy, at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois. Aron Reppmann is a professor of philosophy at Trinity Christian College. They have shared various experiments in ungrading together in Aron’s courses, and reading and reviewing this book together provided an integrative capstone to Danielle’s studies in philosophy and education in the final semester before she embarked on her student-teaching internship.

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Students and teachers alike desperately need to get out of our habitual obsession with grades as the focus of learning.

The Resource I Wish I Had as a New Teacher TYLER HARMS

I As I flicked on the lights to my dark, empty classroom, I realized I had no idea what I was doing.

remember my first day as a teacher walking into my classroom after I was handed the keys by my new principal. I was filled with joy and anticipation of shaping the lives of young minds. I was excited by the memories to be made and relationships to cultivate as I started my career in education. Then as I flicked on the lights to my dark, empty classroom, I realized I had no idea what I was doing. My college courses and student teaching experiences were excellent, but I had no idea where to start. Looking back, I wished there had been a book on that empty desk that would have told me how to begin my year, what to focus on, and what to anticipate as I started on this journey.

Well, the book was not around when I started teaching, but it is now. Teaching for God’s Glory: Daily Wisdom and Inspiration for New Teachers (Elm Hill, 2020) is the resource that I wish I was given when I began teaching.

Daily Practical Application for New Teachers Teaching for God’s Glory begins as a prelude to the school year. The first few pages contain ideas on how to set up your classroom, ways to prepare for new students, and how to prioritize the massive amounts of new learning.

There is also an amazing back-to-school prayer that helps to ground teachers in what is most important—the students.

This book is an excellent resource for new teachers because it contains advice, thought-provoking Bible verses, and wisdom for each day of the school year. Divided into quarters, a teacher can pick up the book and turn to any page for practical applications and inspiration for that day. For example, a teacher could pick up the book, turn to a page in early October, and find a page dedicated to helping educators prepare for upcoming parent-teacher conferences. In the third quarter, there are tips and strategies to support students who struggle with behaviors through the long winter months. Other topics include how to motivate struggling learners, allow for self-care, partner with families, and work through conflict with colleagues.

The reading for each day is perfect for busy educators, taking approximately two to three minutes and giving teachers something to immediately implement with their own students and colleagues. This book is a great resource for teachers to keep in their desks and pull out each morning before students walk into their classrooms.

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Reflection and Refinement Teaching for God’s Glory makes an intentional effort to help educators practice personal and professional reflection. Each week, there is space in the book for teachers to write down any personal reflections on the past week.

I would have used this space for noting what went well, as well as what I could have changed, in my lessons. This space also lends itself to prayer requests not only for teachers but for students as well. Teachers could also use this space to write down all the funny things that students say throughout the year. This serves as a wonderful way to record the experiences of those first few years of teaching and an excellent way for educators to reflect on their teaching and learning. It would also become a great keepsake as they look back on their career in the classroom.

Each week, there is space in the book for teachers to write down any personal reflections on the past week.

An Essential Resource for New Teachers It is becoming more difficult to find and retain great teachers in today’s classrooms. Many new teachers feel unprepared and overwhelmed by the responsibilities that educators encounter each day. Teaching for God’s Glory helps new teachers navigate and plan for many of the challenges that could occur during the first years of teaching. With over 180 days of advice from master teachers from around the country, this resource is a must-have in the toolbox that schools utilize to equip and empower their staff. Teaching for God’s Glory is not only a practical guide for new teachers, but it also serves as a way for educators to intentionally pause and reflect on their own teaching and learning. Every new teacher should have this book on their desk when they turn on their lights for the first time.

Work Reviewed Teaching for God’s Glory, by Tyler Harms (Elm Hill, 2020) Tyler Harms is currently a teacher consultant for many K-12 schools across the country. He works to support administrators as well as individual teachers with curriculum development, intervention implementation, behavior supports, and self-care promotion. Previously, Tyler taught special education for twelve years and attended Calvin University.

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With over 180 days of advice from master teachers from around the country, this resource is a must-have in the toolbox that schools utilize to equip and empower their staff.

Creating a Culture of Belonging in Christian Schools TYLER HARMS

T

he Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) has recently published a series entitled Leading Insights, edited by Lynn E. Swaner.

Throughout this series, ACSI highlights the latest thinking and best practices for Christian school educators. The monograph reviewed here—Leading Insights: Special Education and Inclusion—provides insight and practical application for how Christian schools can create and promote a culture of belonging within their school communities. It is divided into three sections: Philosophy and Research, Perspectives on Inclusive Education, and Shaping Our Practice.

Philosophy and Research

Inclusive Christian schools find a way to accept students and share the Great Commission with all students without judgment or prejudice, even with limited resources.

Thomas L. Boehm, of Wheaton College, lays a foundation of nine pillars for any school that is considering students with more significant needs. Within each pillar, there are applications for Christian schools to consider. Pillar 9 resonated with me: “Inclusive Christian schools must recognize that students with disabilities are not problems to avoid nor people with needs too heavy to carry in a learning community with limited resources” (19). Inclusive Christian schools find a way to accept students and share the Great Commission with all students without judgment or prejudice, even with limited resources.

Dr. Erik Carter, from Vanderbilt University; Elizabeth Lucas Dombrowski, from All Belong Center for Inclusive Education; and Dr. Kate Strater, from Calvin University, go into detail in the subsequent chapter on how schools can create communities of belonging. Carter states that “creating a culture of belonging is not a one-time endeavor, but a journey that is refined over time” (37). The research presented by Dr. Strater gives examples of inclusion models, training requirements for educators serving children with varied abilities, equitable tuition for all students, and ways to present emerging research priorities to educational leaders.

Perspectives on Inclusive Education In this second section, Dombrowski; Matthew Lee from ACSI; and Rick Kempton, Superintendent of Annapolis Area Christian School, showcase from multiple perspectives what the inclusive education experience could be like in Christian schools. As shown through the student perspective, “educators and school leaders who take the time to truly listen to students 38

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with disabilities and involve them in their own education . . . can have a profound impact on the student’s academic learning, personal and social development, spiritual growth, as well as the school community as a whole” (51). The journey will not be without roadblocks, but the testimonials of the students, parents, and school leaders provide a way to make belonging possible for all students in our school communities.

Shaping Our Practice In the third section, Dombrowski, Strater, and Lee highlight how schools can begin the transformation from an inclusive program to embracing an inclusive identity. An inclusive Christian school with an inclusive identity rather than merely a program views students through a lens of recognizing their strengths and regarding each one as having unique gifts and talents, as opposed to limiting a student based on a student’s diagnosis or disability.

The use of person-guided planning examined in this section does three things: it allows educators the ability to know the whole child well; it opens a path for a positive and supportive educator response to student behavior (77); and it provides students with peer support, interventions for academic and behavior challenges, and ways to engage students in social-emotional learning. In the appendix of this resource, there is a person-guided planning transition tool for high school students created by All Belong Center for Inclusive Education, as well as other great resources for educators and school leaders.

Finally, this section discusses how to make funding for all students in Christian schools possible through multiple pathways. First, schools must communicate their vision throughout their school community. By inviting students with varied abilities into their communities, schools are not only accepting one student into their building but whole families that are looking for a school community where everyone is welcomed and belongs.

Final Thoughts Leading Insights: Special Education and Inclusion is a resource that encourages us to take a closer look at inclusion in our schools. While an inclusive identity may take some time to develop and permeate through our buildings, the impact on our school communities is worth the investment. The research and perspectives from students, parents, and administrators give us a glimpse of what our schools can become when we all experience belonging.

Work Reviewed Leading Insights: Special Education and Inclusion (Association of Christian Schools International, 2021) Tyler Harms is currently a teacher consultant for many K-12 schools across the country. He works to support administrators as well as individual teachers with Christian Educators Journal

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By inviting students with varied abilities into their communities, schools are not only accepting one student into their building but whole families that are looking for a school community where everyone is welcomed and belongs.

curriculum development, intervention implementation, behavior supports, and self-care promotion. Previously, Tyler taught special education for twelve years and attended Calvin University.

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In the Parking Lot

by Christina Edmonds-Behrend Eastern Illinois University

I pray in the parking lot.

“Why?” you may ask.

I pray in the parking lot in the morning to settle my nerves before I walk into the building.

I pray in the parking lot when I need a quiet place during the day to regroup and recover.

I pray that God guides my thoughts and that I am able to connect to others with my words and actions.

I ask God to be in my heart, so I am empathetic and see his children in the faces that look back at me.

I pray that his patience and ability to forgive are with me during meetings, when answering emails, and when listening to colleagues.

I hope that he hears when we all laugh, treat each other well, and work toward common goals.

I pray in the parking lot before I leave to ask him to watch over my students until I see them again.

I pray in the parking lot because I am a teacher.

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