Christian Educators Journal December 2024 Vol. 64 No. 2
Classroom Management Sowing Seeds of Success Encouraging Classroom Management Understanding Discipline Climate Control in the Classroom Tips on Classroom Management Strengthening Individual and Schoolwide Relationships Space-Making to Make Positive Impacts What Works with the New Generations?
Contents
3 Editorial 5 Sowing Seeds of Success: Cultivating Safe, Joyful
Classrooms in the Early Weeks of School through Social-Emotional Learning ALEXANDRIA MIDDLEMISS
11 Encouraging Classroom Management in One Word SUSAN DYKSHOORN
16 Learning Readiness: Understanding Discipline Rooted in Capacity and Capability LIZ ULLRICH AND OWEN WEBB
24 Mockers, Fools, and the Wise:
Climate Control in the Christian Classroom ADAM RASMUSSEN
30 We Are Enough: Tips on Classroom Management BEN NEAL
34 Community Circles: Strengthening Individual and Schoolwide Relationships through Restorative Justice Practices JENNIE CARR AND TAMMY MAY
37 “Chair-ished Spaces”: Space-Making to Make Positive Impacts for Life MITCHELL SKJEVELAND
42 How Do We Know What Works with the New
Generations? An Invitational Behavior Framework YVONNE HARVEY
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Christian Educators Journal Vol. 64 No. 2, December 2024 cejonline.com Editor 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. Subscriptions Klaas Wolterstorff 2474 Westboro Dr NE Grand Rapids, MI 49506 business@cejonline.com Subscription Price (US dollars) US: $25.00 (one year, print) Canada: $30.00 (one year, print) Digital: $25.00 (one year) Beginning September 2021, all subscriptions outside the US and Canada are digital only. Please visit www.cejonline for subscription information. US Postal Information Nonprofit Organization Postage paid in Grand Rapids, MI Permit No. 657 Return postage guaranteed to: Christian Educators Journal 2474 Westboro Dr NE Grand Rapids, MI 49506 Address Correction Requested Canadian Postal Information Registered under Publications Mail Agreement: No. 40022165 at Norwich, ON Return postage guaranteed to: Christian Educators Journal PO Box 39 Norwich, ON N0J 1P0 Indexed in Christian Periodicals Index Copyrighted 2000 CEJ. All rights reserved. Christian Educators Journal (130630) is published quarterly by Christian Educators Journal Association. Scripture All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
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. Editor 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 Sara Leo Albert Kok (Chair) Gayle Monsma Ed Noot Jim Rooks Sean Schat Christine Scholma (Secretary) Tricia Stobbe Edith van der Boom Heather VanDyke Christine Webb Supporting Institutions Calvin University Edvance Christian Schools Association 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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alk to any educator who taught both pre- and post-COVID and they’ll tell you a tale of two classrooms. Shutting school doors and bringing learning fully online had a huge impact on students academically, socially, and emotionally. This sometimes sounds unbelievable to the accountants and farmers and sales managers and CNC designers of the world—kids are still kids, right?—but those folks can likely tell you stories of how their fields changed after nearly two years of global disruption. Though I can’t speak for every teacher, I’ll say that, personally, I feel I can handle the academic challenges of our post-COVID students. We’ve still got some catching up to do, sure, but I know my subject area and I have lots of strategies (plus great institutional support) to help students learn at a high level. It’s the post-COVID gaps in social and emotional skills that still have me stumped. Students struggle to sit still, focus, be curious, stay organized, and interact appropriately with each other. Classroom management has become a challenge like never before; what used to work just doesn’t anymore. Researchers and educators worldwide are scrambling to locate the source of student struggles and find ways to help. And on top of that, classroom management wasn’t exactly easy for all of us to begin with! New teachers tend to identify it as the hardest part of their first few years, and even the veterans with quiet, harmonious classrooms had to do a lot of trial and error to get there. When a student misbehaves—or, wait . . . we don’t say “misbehaves” anymore, right? There’s no such thing as “bad” behaviors, just ones inappropriate for the situation. So uh . . . when a student exhibits inappropriate behavior, teachers are told to dole out punishments—oops, I mean . . . uh . . . consequences! Even deciding what language we use to discuss behavior and management is fraught with debate. Regardless, when a student is struggling behaviorally in our classrooms, a lot goes through a teacher’s mind. Did I set clear expectations? Did the student understand them? Am I using systems to support those expectations? Have I dealt with this student’s behavior early enough? Am I being consistent? Have I built a relationship with this student? Is the student engaged, or is our current activity boring or too easy? Will I get administrative support if I discipline this student? Are they just hungry? Have I prayed for this student enough? And on top of that, every single classroom is different and requires different methods. The teacher’s management style and preferences matter. The grade level matters. The individual students in the room matter. The combination of students matters. The set up of the room matters. The
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presence or absence of parapros or aides matters. Heck, the month and the day of the week and the time of day matter. Our task, then—as post-COVID, research-informed, faith-centered, student-loving educators—is simply to find something that works. This issue is full of great suggestions, and we hope that you’re able to gather some new techniques. The writers here give tips about everything from seating arrangements to restorative justice circles to social-emotional learning to using the wisdom of Proverbs to redirect struggling students. What works for me might not work for my hallway neighbor, and what works in Maine might not work in Manitoba, but be encouraged by the knowledge that we’re working together to find solutions for this new generation of students. — Abby Zwart
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Sowing Seeds of Success: Cultivating Safe, Joyful Classrooms in the Early Weeks of School through Social-Emotional Learning ALEXANDRIA MIDDLEMISS
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t’s a crisp October afternoon, and my first grade classroom is filled with excitement around our autumn leaves investigation. Some students are creating leaf mosaics while others make crayon leaf rubbings at a nearby table. Some read stories from the fall-themed book basket in our library corner; two students just picked up It Starts with a Seed and are going through it together, helping each other to tackle the trickier words. One student sketches and labels different types of leaves, while a few others create beautiful pastel drawings of the autumn forest. A group sits with me at the teacher table, writing an acrostic poem about leaves with a bit of prompting as they sound out words using the alphabet and phoneme wall behind me. Two girls are busy gluing leaves into a large chart that they’ve spread out on the floor, sorting them by color and size. One gently lifts off a leaf after realizing she glued it in the wrong spot; her friend smiles and reassures her: “Mistakes are learning—there, you’ve got it now!” The class is lively, but not loud; vibrant, but focused, with students engaging at different times in collaboration, independent learning, and teacher-led small groups. A sense of peacefulness rests over the class as students demonstrate the many skills they’ve learned in order to operate with autonomy in the classroom environment. They know the appropriate volume for their voices, how to cross the room carefully while holding scissors safely, how to use and access art tools, how to return books to the classroom library, and how to ask a classmate for help and share ideas with each other. I feel a deep sense of joy and gratitude looking around the room. This positive classroom environment was not achieved by accident. It was intentionally nurtured through an emphasis on social-emotional learning (SEL) during the early weeks of school, drawing on inspiration from the Responsive Classroom® framework. This article focuses on the proactive side of classroom management strategies: cultivating routines and expectations early in the school year to set the stage for a flourishing community of self- regulated learners.
Why Social-Emotional Learning? Social-emotional learning is defined by CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) as “the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring Christian Educators Journal
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This article focuses on the proactive side of classroom management strategies: cultivating routines and expectations early in the school year to set the stage for a flourishing community of self-regulated learners.
Learning Readiness: Understanding Discipline Rooted in Capacity and Capability LIZ ULLRICH AND OWEN WEBB
W For educators, teaching within a context where behavior is a daily concern results in anxiety, burnout, departure from the profession, and ultimately a lack of support for our students and schools.
Discipline has to be viewed as discipleship, whereby it transitions from punishment and compliance to focus-
e want to acknowledge this from the beginning: teaching is a challenging profession. A recent survey states that the number one concern of teachers is student behavior and discipline (Veney et al. 4). Students today struggle with the highest ever rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide (Desautels, Intentional Neuroplasticity 12). For educators, teaching within a context where behavior is a daily concern results in anxiety, burnout, departure from the profession, and ultimately a lack of support for our students and schools. When our capacity as educators is reduced, we turn to classroom strategies that rely on control and compliance. Indeed, Selwyn (64) posits that schools are places where students are coerced into behaving in certain ways. We hear many individuals state that the cause of poor student behavior is a lack of punishment or “discipline.” This narrative implies that if we simply “disciplined” more, the behaviors we see in students would disappear. Wachtel and McCold (1) describe this as the school version of tough-on-crime, surmising that we fall into a punitive-permissive continuum. This narrative states that if we are not punishing, then we are permitting students to get away with their behaviors. This continuum reduces the responses of educators to two student outcomes: either students comply and “get in line” or we remove them from the classroom and potentially remove them from school. “How we view discipline is personal and often is intimately connected to our values that have formed from the practiced thoughts we have activated repeatedly,” writes Desautels (Intentional Neuroplasticity 273). In this article, we want to reclaim what it means to discipline. Hudson (qtd. in Webb 16) articulates that the word discipline is rooted in the Latin word discipulus, meaning “one who follows”—that is, a student. Hudson expresses that discipline has to be viewed as discipleship, whereby it transitions from punishment and compliance to focussing on community and relationships. Hudson conveys that discipline in the community and relational paradigm is rooted in social responsibility, creating a learning environment centered on student success rather than student compliance. Desautels states:
sing on community and
Discipline, unlike punishment, is proactive and begins before there are problems or challenges. It means seeing conflict as an opportunity to problem solve. Discipline provides guidance, focuses on prevention, enhances communication, models respect, and embraces natural consequences. It teaches fairness, responsibility, life skills, and problem solving. (Connections Over Compliance 63)
relationships.
Second Corinthians 5:14 states, “For Christ’s love compels us.” As we discipline, or teach, our students, we are shifting away from external 16
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motivators of compliance and control toward internal and intrinsic motivation. Responses to behavior are based on building or restoring relationships and compelled by love rather than seeking change through punishment. We desire to create environments where students make choices that honor their educators, their peers, and themselves. Ultimately, we want to lead our students to engage in learning that isn’t immersed in fear but rather centered in hope.
Behaviorism Howard (qtd. in Brummer and Thorsborne) explains how responses to behavior and conflict, specifically in schools, have been centered around compliance and control: “The challenge for trauma aware education is that the bulk of the more common approaches to ‘behavior management’ in schools is mostly informed by Behaviorism and is not informed enough by neuroscience” (33). Behaviorism assumes that behavior is a matter of motivation and that what you reinforce will likely increase or reduce a behavior. We have heard teachers express, “He knows better, he is just choosing to behave this way,” assuming that students, and ourselves, are always in control of our behavior. Therefore, educators use rewards and punishments to demand compliance and control as classroom management strategies. The problem is that rewards and punishments are often ineffective with the students that struggle with ongoing behavior (Kohn qtd. in Brummer and Thorsborne 34). Kohn (50–62) explains that rewards are a form of punishment that ruptures and warps relationships, as the teacher controls the ultimate outcome, ignores reasons behind student behavior, discourages risk-taking, and changes how students feel about what they do due to the motivation behind the outcome. Rewards and punishments fail to take into consideration the role our brain plays in our behavior, reducing the likelihood of developing problem-solving skills, internal motivation, and emotional regulation. Kohn likewise shares that the effects of rewards wane over time (37). When we shift to consider behavior from the perspective of the role of the brain, we also shift from viewing what is explicitly seen (one’s actions), to what is unseen (the brain’s response). “Behaviorism privileges shaping behavior above understanding behavior. It sees behavior as a whole picture rather than an expression of unmet needs” (Kennedy xi). A central tenet of behaviorism is that educators are waiting for students to change. When they don’t change, further discipline or punishment is used, in the belief that eventually the student will move. (Think of the scene in the movie The Breakfast Club: “You just bought yourself another Saturday.” . . . “Ooh, I’m crushed.” . . . “You just bought yourself one more!”). We know that educators desire genuine and lasting change in their students. Desautels challenges educators to shift from a model of behavior management to behavior engagement (Connections Over Compliance 59). In behavior engagement, we use moments of behavior to walk with our students, leading them to experience discipline as teaching at all moments, specifically when they are struggling with behavior. This is a just response, fulfilling Scripture’s call to us: “This is what the LORD Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another’” (Zech. 7:9). Christian Educators Journal
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The problem is that rewards and punishments are often ineffective with the students that struggle with ongoing behavior.
In behavior engagement, we use moments of behavior to walk with our students, leading them to experience discipline as teaching at all moments, specifically when they are struggling with behavior.
Mockers, Fools, and the Wise: Climate Control in the Christian Classroom ADAM RASMUSSEN
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For the most part, problems in difficult classes start with the attitudes of a few.
ne bruised peach can spoil many more.” I learned that lesson years ago when a box of fresh fruit was delivered to our front door. The problem started when the well-intentioned teenagers from our church fundraiser enthusiastically packed the box too tightly. Shortly after a handful of peaches were bruised, the rot quickly spread to many more inside the crammed container. By the time I opened it, I wouldn’t say the whole box was ruined, but many more of those delicious peaches were destroyed than I wanted. Upon further reflection, this truth translates to Christian education. “One bad attitude can spoil many more.” We’ve all been there. We remember those difficult classes. In a fraction of an instant, the faces of some students flood your mind, right? We can pinpoint the issue. For the most part, problems in difficult classes start with the attitudes of a few. Rotten attitudes come with bad behavior. And when those spread, they tend to spoil classes. Maybe it will not destroy an entire school, but the influence becomes greater than we would ever want. Mature Christian educators, not the attitudes of closed-minded students, should set the climate control in our classrooms and schools. If we understand the environment, we can change it. But as the saying goes, to do so we must “be the thermostat, not the thermometer.” Whether we are novice educators, veteran teachers, or school administrators, we can all grow in our ability to effectively lead students who have bad attitudes. Wonder by R. J. Palacio is a touching and thoughtful book. It is a New York Times best seller, with over 15 million copies sold worldwide. Wonder is also a successful movie. The 2017 film stars Hollywood greats Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, and Mandy Patinkin, along with newcomer Jacob Trembly, who convincingly plays the lead role of August “Auggie” Pullman. Wonder is about bright, ten-year-old Auggie who struggles to fit in to the fifth grade at a new school. Several students relentlessly harass Auggie because of his disfigured face, which underwent several surgeries. The school bully, Julian, spreads the rumor that he started having nightmares after seeing Auggie. He calls him “Zombie boy” and “freak.” Even Auggie’s best friend, Jack Will, is cajoled into mistreating him. In their not-so-great moments, Julian and Jack Will displayed mocking behavior. In his book Scorners and Mockers: How to Dampen Their Influence in Your School (2015), Rick Horne identifies several indicators of a mocking spirit. Nonverbal Styles • rolling eyes • a smirk or patronizing smile 24
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• an angry glare • a sigh of disgust or contempt • avoidance of eye contact when being spoken to • the silent treatment when being addressed • stubbornness • slouching defiance • disruptive, annoying noises Verbal Styles • nasty, sneering, or derisive speech • belittling, rude name calling, or labeling • patronizing or derogatory speech • the disrespectful “why” that is not really a question but a statement about how stupid or unreasonable you are • an arrogant tone of voice • uncooperativeness • contempt • lies • defiance (15–16) The situation in Wonder greatly improves when the school administrator, Mr. Tushman, courageously addresses the mocking behavior of the bully in the presence of his parents. Because he has a plan with procedures in place, including the support of the school board and the teachers, Mr. Tushman effectively leads all people involved toward a constructive resolution. We know that this kind of change doesn’t happen by chance. Someone must put forth purposeful effort when he or she chooses a course of corrective action. It takes courage, and it takes kindness. Whether conscious of this verse or not, Mr. Tushman carefully applies the truth found in Proverbs 22:10, which instructs us, “Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease” (ESV). From this verse we infer that mocking travels with a bunch of grubby sidekicks—strife, quarreling, and abuse. So, when the mocker and/or the mocking behavior is removed, those pesky problems stomp out the door with it. Eventually, Auggie triumphs over all the hurdles set before him. But what is truly remarkable about Wonder is not just the victory claimed by this young boy, but the retooling of an entire community. Not only does Auggie win, but so do his parents, sister, teachers, administrator, peers, and friends. The complete reshaping of an ecosystem of relationships is on spectacular display. We want a vibrant learning environment for all our students. We want everyone to grow in wisdom. But when mocking and foolish behavior rule unchecked, they spoil an otherwise healthy learning atmosphere. In those situations, firm, direct action toward a mocker may be precisely the most loving thing one can do. When mockers are properly addressed, fools are given a fresh opportunity to become wise. In that type of classroom, the wise flourish. “When a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise; when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge” (Prov. 21:11 ESV). The Bible underscores the benefits that abound. First, discipline halts the scoffer from causing any more damage. It also gives that student an Christian Educators Journal
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We know that this kind of change doesn’t happen by chance. Someone must put forth purposeful effort when he or she chooses a course of corrective action.
But when mocking and foolish behavior rule unchecked, they spoil an otherwise healthy learning atmosphere.
How Do We Know What Works with the New Generations? An Invitational Behavior Framework YVONNE HARVEY
Bridging the Generational Divide: Navigating the Classroom in a Rapidly Changing World
As a Gen X principal, four generations away from the little ones at our school, how can I even begin to understand the world they live in, be it real or virtual?
The classroom is not like it was when you were at school. The classroom is not like it was five years ago. As teachers, at the back of our minds, we are aware that we cannot keep up with this rapid rate of change. At some point, we find ourselves unable to relate to words, humor, and technology as Gen Z gives way to Gen Alpha, soon to be Gen Beta. As a Gen X principal, four generations away from the little ones at our school, how can I even begin to understand the world they live in, be it real or virtual? Today’s children have been shaped more than ever before by technology, social media, and a changing zeitgeist brought on by cultural trends (Lukianoff and Haidt 110). New behavioral dynamics are evident in the classroom, on the street, and in interactions with parents. Historically, older generations have often expressed concerns about the differences between their own experiences and those of younger generations and have perceived children’s behaviors as changing or declining compared to the past. However, the gap today between experiences and world interpretations has never been wider (Twenge 23).
Balancing Expectations and Grace: The Role of an Invitational Behavior Framework in Christian Schools In our Christian schools (open or closed enrollments), it is the parents who decide to place their children in an environment that honors God above all else. The children do not necessarily sign up for this journey, yet they are immersed in a world that inevitably seems contradictory to the one they live in outside of school, be it online or physically. Christian schools’ student codes of conduct tend to have high expectations and may seem unreachable for students. One could argue that they are impossible to reach because of our human nature. However, we must have rules in any institution, and thus, these high expectations are to be applauded. The downside of these expectations is that they could lead our students into Christian fundamentalism and legalism due to the fact that student codes of conduct often depend on mandating a list of behaviors rather than cultivating desired dispositions. This is where an invitational behavior framework—student behavior guidelines that emphasize a welcoming, respectful, and positive environment where all members of the school community are invited to participate fully and feel valued—can bridge the gap. As William Purkey 42
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suggests, invitational education offers a way to make schools more inviting places where each person is intentionally summoned to realize his or her fullest potential in every aspect of development (45). It is an easy jump to include a biblical worldview in this ideal. For example, invitational education offers a way to make schools more inviting places where each person is intentionally summoned to realize his or her God-given potential, reflecting the image of God in every aspect of development.
to make schools more inviting places where each person is intentionally summoned to realize potential.
Modern culture often emphasizes individualism and self-expression, which can present challenges in managing classrooms effectively. Individualism stands in direct contrast to the way of Christ, who calls his followers to be part of a collective body. As Scripture teaches, we are many members of one body in Christ, each with different functions, but all belonging to one another (1 Cor. 12:12–14; Rom. 12:4–5). In Christian schools, this creates a unique difficulty, as not every child or parent may follow Christ. However, they are expected to exhibit Christian behavior, which can conflict with their usual practices. There is a large difference between living out one’s faith and the more culturally acceptable moralistic therapeutic deism (the simplistic idea that God wants us to be nice and happy people). A student code of conduct may not explicitly define what it means to be a Christian, and students are expected to know the expectations. To be a Christian is to be “a follower of Jesus, a disciple, who is then given a vocation to participate with the mission of God” (Judd et al. 5). However, it is typically rooted in a set of beliefs that affirm essential Christian doctrines. Therefore, educators must engage with families, helping them understand the school’s expectations. Moreover, educators should seize opportunities to regularly explore New Testament teachings with students, helping them to authentically represent Christ rather than merely adhere to a generalized set of moral values (Judd et al.103). For schools to neglect this responsibility would be to miss the opportunity to cultivate the spiritual disciplines that Richard Foster, in his well-loved Celebration of Discipline, argues must be integrated into everyday life.
Navigating Complex Worldviews in Christian School Behavior Frameworks A worldview is a “comprehensive and cohesive understanding of the world and one’s place in it” (Goheen and Bartholomew 13). Let’s face it: students’ worldviews today are complex. James Sire expands on this by describing a biblical worldview as a fundamental orientation of the heart, not just a set of intellectual beliefs (37). The heart drives how one perceives, interprets, and responds to the world. This perspective clarifies that a student code of conduct is not merely about following rules but about navigating our hearts, where deeply held convictions reside. Reflective practice involves balancing the behavioral obligations of the children of the families we journey with together with the faith commitments of staff and the school’s covenant, ensuring a coherent December 2024
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his or her God-given
Navigating Individualism in Christian Schools: Upholding Christ-Centered Community in the Classroom
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For example, invitational
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Educators must engage with families, helping them understand the school’s expectations.