Christian Educators Journal: April 2025

Christian Educators Journal April 2025 Vol. 64 No. 4

Resource Review Understanding “the Other” and Ourselves From Picture Books to Page-­Turners Best of the Best Teaching The Catcher in the Rye Teaching Poetry for Personal Connection Diagnosing and Responding to Failure in the Classroom Hope for the Anxious Generation SPARKing Transformation

Contents

3 Editorial 4 Understanding “the Other” and Ourselves:

Using Memoir and Autobiography in Middle School and High School Classrooms ABBY DE GROOT

14 From Picture Books to Page-­Turners: Books for Every Young Reader MARY JO STAAL

20 Best of the Best: Excellent Reading Experiences across a Range of Eclectic Categories BILL BOERMAN-­C ORNELL

29 Listening to Holden: A Case for Teaching The Catcher in the Rye JUDITH E. ANDERSON

36 The Resonant Moment: Teaching Poetry for Personal Connection

HANNAH MAIN-­V AN DER KAMP

40 “Well, There’s Your Problem”: Diagnosing and Responding to Failure in the Classroom ERIC WILDERMUTH

43 Hope for the Anxious Generation: Engaging with Jonathan Haidt TOBY COFFMAN

47 SPARKing Transformation: Redemptive Adaptive AI Courseware for Student Achievement

LISA DEVALL-­M ARTIN AND MATTHEW SCHONEWILLE Christian Educators Journal

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Christian Educators Journal Vol. 64 No. 4, April 2025 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.

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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.

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.

This month’s cover illustration is by Ava Boes, Class of 2025 at Grand Rapids Christian High School

Editorial

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joined a book club this year. I’m a female English teacher in her thirties living in the Midwest, so you’re probably not surprised—I seem like someone who is probably in three book clubs. But actually, it’s my first time! As I write this in February, I haven’t attended my first meeting yet, but we’re gearing up to discuss Niall Williams’s This is Happiness at the end of the month. As I read, I’ve been excitedly scribbling thoughts on the index card I’m using as a bookmark— things I notice about the prose, questions I have about the characters—and just the other day, it hit me: this is what I’m training my students for.

Many of my high schoolers don’t love to read. Some do, of course, but for the majority of them, being assigned a few chapters of a novel each night is a hoop to jump through rather than something to look forward to. Because of that, I have occasional moments of doubt that the skills I’m teaching will ever be of use to them in “the real world.” But then I’m reading Niall Williams on a Saturday morning with a cup of coffee thinking of questions I can ask my new book club, and I remember that humans just love stories. Whether or not I can convince my students to enjoy reading, someone someday will ask them about a story they love. Maybe that story is a movie or a TV show or a YouTube channel or a recipe blog. But chattering on about that story will help them build a connection with a coworker or a friend or a partner. And that’s a “real world” skill.

In this, our annual resource review issue, we’ve got a lot of stories. Abby DeGroot’s students at Dordt have suggestions of memoirs to teach in your middle or high school classrooms. Mary Jo Staal and Bill Boerman-Cornell have a plethora of genres and titles for your middle grades and elementary school kids, too. Judith Anderson thinks Holden’s story in The Catcher in the Rye can still resonate with students despite being frequently ignored in Christian classrooms. And Hannah Main-van der Kamp recommends a book that can help you teach the story of poetry.

From there, we continue the issue with two articles focused on our readers themselves. Eric Wildermuth reviews Alex Quigley’s Why Learning Fails (And What to Do About It) and Toby Coffman has some faith-centered thoughts to add to Jonathan Haidt’s much-discussed The Anxious Generation.

Lastly, Lisa Devall-Martin and Matthew Schonewille address the technology tool of the decade and offer a framework to help our Christian schools decide how to use AI ethically.

Maybe you’ll gather a club of coworkers, pick a book from this issue, and spend some of your summer with a great story. (And if reading’s not your thing, maybe writing is? Consider contributing to CEJ next year—our issue themes announcement is at the end of this issue.)

—Abby Zwart Christian Educators Journal

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Understanding “the Other” and Ourselves: Using Memoir and Autobiography in Middle School and High School Classrooms ABBY DE GROOT

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love memoir and autobiography as a genre. Throughout my time as a reader, they have played a key role in helping me discover, tweak, and name things about my own identity; these books have also unlocked for me a secret glimpse into the way that God has wonderfully created other people.

Rudine Simms Bishop famously coined a phrase regarding the particular power that books have to act as “mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors”: Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created or recreated by the author. When lighting conditions are just right, however, a window can also be a mirror. Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of a larger human experience. (Bishop x)

First, these texts can serve as great mirrors for students to explore their own identities at this crucial time in their lives.

As a former high school English teacher, church youth group leader, professor who regularly teaches about adolescent development, and—most importantly—a mom of two middle school daughters, I am keenly interested in the ways that stories can play a part in shaping our young people’s perspectives. I want them to examine the stories that they tell themselves about their own identities and the stories they believe about others, to deeply explore what it means to be human and how to live faithfully with those who differ from us. I believe that memoir and autobiography are tools made fittingly for that task, and this article is dedicated to sharing ideas about how to use these genres, as well as offering up a few titles that may work well in a variety of classrooms as mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors.

First, these texts can serve as great mirrors for students to explore their own identities at this crucial time in their lives. At this point in their development, adolescents are often “trying on” different versions of themselves, cycling through friendships and hobbies, considering future school or career plans, and looking for affirmation that they are doing OK—that who they are is acceptable and lovable. Autobiography and memoir can serve as wonderful mentor texts for students in these endeavors, allowing students to study how authors crafted their own life stories, how they organized their experiences around themes and ideas, and how they came to accept themselves or work through their challenges. Students may be able to see their own life circumstances in some cases, but more often, they may be able to identify with feelings, perspectives, or epiphanies that authors share, reinforcing that they are not alone or teaching them a new approach to a trial.

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The reading experience can lead to powerful writing experiences in these cases, offering opportunities for students to write their own stories in unique ways, to explore experiences that have defined them, and to come to conclusions about their own identities in Christ. Practicing daily quick writes in the style of an autobiographical text or around the topics it addresses is a wonderful way to generate student ideas for these longer writing pieces.

In addition to seeing and thinking about their own life experiences, it is also important for our students, many of whom have had homogenous home and school environments, to encounter and contemplate diversity through their reading. While children from dominant social groups (such as white middle class Americans) have had many mirror-­like reading experiences, they suffer a disadvantage in their perspective when not exposed to the lived experiences of other groups. Bishop passionately argues that these students “need [diverse] books as windows onto reality, not just on imaginary worlds. They need books that will help them understand the multicultural nature of the world they live in, and their place as a member of just one group, as well as their connections to all other humans” (xi). We are robbing students of the chance to see the reality of God’s diverse creation if we limit our texts to stories from one perspective. Additionally, it may lead students to have an “exaggerated sense of their own importance and value in the world” if they are only reading reflections of themselves (Bishop xi).

Autobiographies and memoirs are a wonderful antidote to this skewed reading diet, as many of them offer windows and doors into unfamiliar but real-­ life experiences of the authors. They allow readers to build empathy and comradery that will hopefully carry into real-­life encounters with “the other”—people from different walks of life who share our humanity.

Of course, the key to teaching this genre well is picking the right book for your students. The reviews shared here were written by my students in Education 354: Methods of Teaching English at Dordt University in the fall of 2024, with each of them submitting a review of a relevant memoir, autobiography, or autobiographical fiction book that helped them understand “the other,” and in turn, themselves. The variety of experiences represented in these books includes multiple ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses, physical abilities, religious affiliations, and native countries. They are written as vignettes, graphic novels, and plain prose. They are suitable for different grade levels and a variety of reading abilities. Simply said, they represent the beautiful diversity of human experience, and we are excited to share them. We humbly hope that these suggestions serve you well as you help students look in mirrors, peer through windows, and walk through some sliding glass doors.

We know that these stories alone, and even the instruction that we as teachers may dutifully design around them to shape student learning, will not always move students toward the outcomes we desire. Because we are human and sin still taints the world, we will see ourselves and others imperfectly. But alongside students, we can work diligently toward seeing God’s world more clearly, loving those around us more authentically, and developing our identities more fully in Christ. These things are the worthy end goals of lesson plans and units, the meaningful takeaways that standards, outcomes, and scaffolds should build toward. And someday, perfection will come: “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall Christian Educators Journal

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We are robbing students of the chance to see the reality of God’s diverse creation if we limit our texts to stories from one perspective.

Alongside students, we can work diligently toward seeing God’s world more clearly, loving those around us more authentically, and developing our identities more fully in Christ.

see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (1 Cor. 13:12). What a wonderful promise to cling to in this Kingdom work!

Dr. Abby De Groot serves as an associate professor of education at Dordt University.

Motivated by her own experiences with the transformative power of exceptional teachers and effective pedagogy, she is committed to preparing future educators who can make a lasting impact on students’ lives. Formerly a high school English teacher and curriculum coordinator, her research interests focus on adolescent literacy, literacy across content areas, and teacher action research.

The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother,

by James McBride Reviewed by Ashtyn Billings Suggested Grade Level: 9–10

Poignant Excerpts: “I felt like a Tinkertoy kid building my own self out of one of those toy building sets; for as she laid her life before me, I reassembled the tableau of her words like a picture puzzle, and as I did, so my own life was rebuilt” (191). God is the color of water. (51) Summary: The Color of Water tells the story of James McBride’s gradual growth and understanding of his heritage, identity, and family. Throughout the memoir, the narrative alternates between the perspective of the author, James, and his mother, Ruth. Ruth, a white Jewish woman, married a Black man who unfortunately passed away when James was very young.

She raised twelve children, the youngest being James, in a predominately black, poor neighborhood in Harlem, Massachusetts. With James’s mother being white and his father deceased, James wrestles with the confusion of his identity. Throughout the course of the text, James reveals his family’s legacy through the stories he learns from his mom and explores his identity as an African American person.

Review: The Color of Water is a wonderful resource to use in the classroom because of its unique perspective on race and identity. Throughout the text, James McBride recounts his experience wrestling with his identity as a black man with a white mother. In a diverse classroom, this could be the story for many students. There is a sense of empowerment that comes with seeing yourself in a story. In this text, students may be able to relate to or connect with James’s experience as he navigates life as a black man.

Reading The Color of Water allows teachers and students to be exposed to diverse experiences and understand “the other.” In this text, there are a few different diversities to note: racial, religious, and generational. Teachers can use this text to teach themes of race and identity as they read through James’s experiences as a bi-­racial man. They can also teach themes about diversities in religion while considering Ruth’s journey to faith. The themes of generational diversity can be taught as the story’s narrative switches between the point of view of James, a young boy, to his mother, Ruth. Through each of these diversities, teachers can encourage their students to seek to 6

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understand differences, whether that be their own or those they notice around them. The Color of Water allows for many conversations about race and identity to come out of reading and discussing, which lets students reflect on how to understand “the other” in light of the text.

The text is also written in a unique format, which allows for teachers to teach author’s craft. The dual perspective narrative is a key component to the structure of this story and should be studied and learned from. Teachers may use the dual perspective narrative to teach lessons on point of view, flashbacks, and timelines that are out of order. The dual perspective also allows for teachers to emphasize how tone gives clues to the reader that the narrator has changed. Because one narrator is older than the other, the tone of their speech is different and can be studied to help students analyze text in an advanced manner.

In conclusion, The Color of Water, by James McBride, is a great resource for teachers to provide for their students to consider diversity, to study authors’ craft through a dual perspective narrative, and to learn how to understand “the other.”

Ashtyn Billings is a student at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa (taking a course at Dordt this semester). She will receive her Bachelor of Arts degrees in both secondary education and English in 2025. She is eager to unlock students’ minds to the power of story.

Stealing Buddha’s Dinner, by Bich Minh Nguyen Reviewed by Wenwen Fan Suggested Grade Level: 11–12

Poignant Excerpt: “When I think of Grand Rapids I think of how much time I spent trying to make real the dream of the blond-­haired girl with a Betty Crocker mother and a kitchen to match” (247).

Summary: Stealing Buddha’s Dinner is a memoir by Bich Minh Nguyen that explores her struggles to fit into American society as a Vietnamese immigrant. Through the lens of food, Bich examines the contrasts between her Vietnamese heritage and American culture. At the start of the memoir, her family moves to Grand Rapids, Michigan, as refugees after the Vietnam War. She feels isolated both at school and at home. At school, her Vietnamese lunches set her apart from her predominantly white classmates.

At home, her father’s busy work schedule leaves little room for emotional connection. Bich admires the American lifestyle and becomes fascinated by foods like peanut butter sandwiches, Pringles, Jell-­O, and Toll House cookies. She often compares herself to her sister, Anh. They both navigate the complexities of their dual identities. Their grandmother, Noi, plays an important role in Bich’s life by upholding Vietnamese traditions through dishes like pho and by maintaining a Buddha altar. Initially, Bich feels embarrassed by these customs. However, as the memoir progresses, she gradually learns to appreciate her cultural heritage, embrace the richness of her identity, and find value in both her Vietnamese roots and her American experiences.

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Review: Stealing Buddha’s Dinner is an excellent book for helping adolescents understand and appreciate other cultures. By reading the memoir, young readers gain insight into the struggles and complexities of living in American society as a young person from another culture. The memoir focuses on Vietnamese culture and introduces adolescents to Vietnamese food, religion, and traditions. Beyond these cultural elements, readers also come to see Bich as a unique individual with her own childhood memories and family relationships, rather than merely a representative of her culture.

Her identity is shaped by both Vietnamese and American influences, which adds to the richness of her experiences.

Despite coming from a different background, readers may find Bich’s experiences relatable. Her feelings of not fitting in and her embarrassment about her social status are common struggles for many adolescents. These relatable moments can foster empathy, respect, and inclusivity among students and encourage them to better support classmates from different backgrounds.

A major theme of the memoir is cultural identity. English Language Learner (ELL) students especially may find parallels between Bich’s story and their own experiences of adjusting to a new culture and shaping their identities. Reading this memoir can benefit them by helping them reflect on their own challenges and triumphs. The memoir is also a rich source for studying symbolism. Foods from both Vietnamese and American cultures symbolize the two cultures Bich navigates. Her embarrassment over her grandmother’s Vietnamese food and her desire for American food reflect her struggle to fit in. This symbolism is reinforced through the chapter titles, which are all food-­related and offer opportunities for students to explore these themes throughout the book.

Overall, Stealing Buddha’s Dinner is an excellent choice for introducing students to Vietnamese culture, especially its cuisine. Major themes in this memoir—identity, culture, isolation, and belonging—are important for adolescents. By reading about Bich’s challenges in adapting to American culture, students have an opportunity to develop empathy, respect, and inclusivity. The memoir is also rich in symbolism, making it a valuable resource for educators.

Wenwen Fan is a senior at Dordt University, majoring in secondary education with a focus on English language arts. She enjoys reading, writing, swimming, and running.

El Deafo, by Cece Bell

Reviewed by Yisa Hu Suggested Grade Level: 4–7 Poignant Excerpt: “But everything is still so new, and so different, for all of us. Most of the time we are lost, drifting along on our own planets. But we are together in the same universe, at least” (33).

Summary: Before turning four, Cece lived a happy life, playing with friends, watching TV with her family, and riding on her father’s bike. At four, she 8

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contracted meningitis. Although she recovered, she lost her hearing, making communication challenging without her hearing aids.

In kindergarten, Cece attended a school for deaf and hard-­of-­hearing children, where she felt a sense of belonging because her peers shared similar experiences. After kindergarten, her family moved, and Cece attended a regular elementary school. She wore a heavy hearing aid called the “phonic ear” to participate in class, and her teacher used a microphone to ensure she could hear the lesson. This device made her feel different and made fitting in difficult. Seeking a way to adjust, Cece imagined herself as a superhero, El Deafo, which gave her the confidence to face her challenges.

Cece started trying to build connections with her classmates. She encountered a range of reactions—some classmates, despite good intentions, made her feel pitied rather than understood, while others, unaware of her situation, seemed inconsiderate. Eventually, Cece found a true friend, Martha, who eased her loneliness and provided the companionship she needed.

Review: El Deafo is a graphic novel that will engage even readers who typically dislike books. With its illustrations and accessible language, Cece’s story draws readers into her journey of self-­discovery, friendship, and overcoming loneliness. Adolescents often worry about appearance, fear standing out, or feel misunderstood. Cece’s story reassures them that everyone has value and is worthy of love.

Beyond self-­acceptance, El Deafo encourages readers to develop empathy and understand those who require special assistance. It shows that those with good intentions may unintentionally embarrass or misunderstand others and highlights the importance of understanding and listening before offering support. It inspires students to consider caring for others with great awareness and kindness.

Overall, El Deafo is an excellent resource for teaching the graphic novel format while enhancing reading and writing skills. Its combination of text and illustration engages readers and strengthens critical thinking and comprehension.

Yisa Hu is a senior majoring in English secondary education. She is passionate about combining her love for teaching and literature to make literature accessible and relevant for different students.

Free Lunch, by Rex Ogle

Reviewed by Morgan Pap Suggested Grade Level: 7–8 Poignant Excerpt: “So don’t tell me that love is free. ‘Cause I know. Nothing in the world is free. Every little thing costs something. But for some reason, things cost a whole lot more when you’re poor” (13).

Summary: In this memoir, Rex Ogle brings us on his journey of being a sixth-­grade boy who faces poverty, hunger, and abuse as he grows up with his little brother in a house with his mom and stepdad—both of whom are unemployed. He describes his childhood through a variety of stories about Christian Educators Journal

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being a poor kid in a wealthy school district. Through vivid storytelling, Ogle lets readers see the world through his eyes as he tries to fit in at school while trying to escape his home life, which is marred by outbursts of violence. His story reveals not only the physical hardships of poverty but also the emotional weight of relying on free lunch at school.

Review: Free Lunch is an empathy-­inspiring narrative appropriate for a whole class novel in the middle school classroom—the chapters are concise, and the content is extremely engaging. This memoir, told through Rex Ogle’s first-­person point of view, allows students to see the world from a new perspective and empathize as they read about someone’s story, which may be vastly different from their own.

There are many themes to explore, such as the effects of socioeconomic struggles, the challenges of friendships, and the complexities of being seen as “other.” With these themes, students will be challenged to think critically through a new perspective, and readers should find themselves filled with empathy and contemplating their actions and beliefs toward people who come from different socioeconomic backgrounds. This narrative goes beyond financial struggles and dives into the emotional hardships and social isolation associated with being a child from a low-­income family, which could lead to compelling class discussions as students grapple with these challenges that real people face.

Elements of the text that will provide value in the classroom and are worth studying include characterization, the author’s craft, critical thinking, and theme, as previously mentioned. Ogle engages readers by using vivid imagery and descriptive language that help bring his stories to life so that readers hurt as he hurts and rejoice as he rejoices. In the classroom, students can be encouraged to look at how his writing style creates a sense of heartbreak and hope as the story unfolds. The memoir also features multiple characters, including Ogle’s family and friends, which allows students to explore these complex relationships and how they are affected by socioeconomic differences. Free Lunch invites readers to think critically about their personal experiences and how they affect their identity, belonging, and acceptance. Overall, this is a powerful text that can enrich students’ understanding of and empathy toward “the other” and help them think critically and reflect on their own lives as they experience walking in the author’s shoes.

Morgan Pap is a junior studying secondary education and business at Dordt University. She hopes to teach in a Christian school and has always loved reading, even as a little kid, so she decided to take Methods of Teaching English, even though it isn’t required for her major.

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The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros Reviewed by Rylee Visser Suggested Grade Level: 9–10

Poignant Excerpt: “Sally, do you sometimes wish you didn’t have to go home? Do you wish your feet would one day keep walking and take you far away from Mango Street, far away and maybe your feet would stop in front of a house, a nice one with flowers and big windows and steps for you to climb up two by two upstairs to where a room is waiting for you” (101).

Summary: This book is filled with vignettes that are written detailing the life of a twelve-­year-­old Latina girl, Esperanza, and her experience of growing up. While this book is not strictly a memoir, it is semi-­autobiographical: the author, Sandra Cisneros, draws from her own experiences as a Mexican-­ American in describing the feelings and emotions of Esperanza during this time in her life, specifically living in Chicago on Mango Street. Mango Street is known to be a poor part of town, and Esperanza feels trapped living there.

Her experiences display what living in poverty looks like. Esperanza faces challenges that change her throughout the book. While growing up, Esperanza realizes what living on Mango Street is like compared to other places.

She has stories connected to her home life that readers may not have. Esperanza starts to long to escape Mango Street and have a house of her own to leave the life of poverty and gain independence. However, Esperanza also connects with other people living on Mango Street and dreams of helping them get out as well.

Review: The House on Mango Street could be very valuable in a classroom.

It is an easy read academically, since it has short, clear chapters. However, there is some tough content within that may be difficult, but also beneficial, for readers. The majority of the book is about living in poverty. That can be a hard subject, and probably not something that most students have experienced. Since it is from the point of view of a young Latina woman living in poverty, her life is very different from many students’ lives. Since she is Latina, students are also exposed to cultural differences. By reading this, students could gain empathy for “the other” and learn about people different from them.

Additionally, the book can provide a rich study of literary elements in a classroom. One of the elements worth studying in The House on Mango Street is the use of imagery. Sandra Cisneros relies heavily on imagery throughout this book and does a beautiful job explaining Mango Street, which is crucial to the story. Another area of the text worth studying is theme. There are many strong, important themes in this book, such as discovering identity, the limits of gender roles, and the struggles of growing up in an impoverished community. The House on Mango Street could be a good resource for teachers and allow students to learn about others who are different from themselves while immersed in poignant language and vivid stories.

Rylee Visser is a junior at Dordt University. She is studying K–12 special education, with an English education endorsement and a minor in pre-­law.

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Educated, by Tara Westover

Reviewed by Natasha Sampson and Maddie Wolgen Suggested Grade Level: 11–12 Poignant Excerpts: “I wasn’t the only one whose feet were searching for solid ground” (132).

“Everything I had worked for, all my years of study, had been to purchase for myself this one privilege: to see and experience more truths than those given to me by my father, and to use those truths to construct my own mind” (304).

Summary: This memoir tells the story of Tara Westover, the youngest of seven children in a strict, isolated, Mormon family from Idaho. Growing up, Westover’s father was very anti-­government, meaning he kept his family away from the outside world. A few members of their family have birth certificates, but most of them grew up without proof of their identity. Westover and her siblings were not allowed to attend school and did not go to the doctor, even if it was needed. Also, her father required her mother to be a midwife so she could assist with the births of their eventual grandchildren.

The Westover children were expected to help their parents with each of their jobs: in the scrap yard and as a midwife.

After traumatic experiences of physical abuse at the hands of an older brother when she was thirteen, Tara was urged by another brother to apply for college to get away from the family. In January 2004, when Westover was just seventeen, she applied and got in to Brigham Young University in Utah by passing herself off as homeschooled.

Through her educational experiences in the outside world, Westover was exposed to just how isolated and unhealthy her childhood was. She applied for a study-­abroad program at Cambridge University in England.

Although she had immense academic success, Westover constantly felt out of place socially and was afraid to mention anything about her past to new people she met. Westover moved to England and occasionally came back to Idaho to visit, eventually gathering the courage to expose the abuse she suffered as a teen. As a result, Westover became more and more ostracized from the family, who would not trust her allegations. This estrangement resulted in a deep depression for Westover because she realized that she would probably not have a relationship with her family again. She received her PhD in history from Cambridge University and remains in England, where she has accepted that her independence and self-­discovery was worth the division it caused.

Through themes of family bonds, self-­discovery, and the lasting effects of one’s childhood, Westover crafts a compelling memoir that invites readers to empathize with her journey and gain a fresh perspective on resilience and growth.

Review: Educated is a compelling novel for teaching adolescents how to understand “the other.” The exploration of Westover’s world, unfamiliar for many students, can help them see what life might be like for someone in an isolated family, especially in the realms of education and healthcare. It also allows students to see how different life is depending on one’s perspective. Westover’s story shows how getting away from her family’s particular 12

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mindset gave her the opportunity to expand her knowledge and change her outlook.

Westover intertwines genius craft throughout the memoir—a story incredibly intriguing to the reader, but incredibly devastating when the reader must place themself in Westover’s shoes.

This memoir would bring a powerful message to a classroom where every student has a unique upbringing hidden from the rest of their peers.

Even if none of the students experience the extreme isolation or abuse that Westover experienced, reading this memoir would give students at least an awareness of how different everyone is and how outsiders never truly know what goes on behind closed doors for their classmates.

Additionally, students can see that it might be necessary for people to sacrifice parts of their life to do what’s best for them. In discussion about the themes of pursuing independence and questioning former beliefs, students can look at their own lives and see where they relate to Westover. By reading this book, students are invited to put themselves in the shoes of someone different from themselves to empathize with “the other.” Students will also get to practice open-­mindedness and self-­reflection.

Natasha Sampson is a senior secondary education major at Dordt University. She is also on the dance team. In her free time, she enjoys reading and hanging out with friends and family.

Maddie Wolgen is a current junior at Dordt University majoring in English/language arts and secondary education. She is involved in the concert choir at Dordt and also participates as an editor for the campus newspaper, the Dordt Diamond.

Works Cited Bell, Cece. El Deafo. Abrams Fanfare, 2014.

Bishop, Rudine Simms. “Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Glass Doors.” Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classroom, vol. 6, no. 3, 1990, pp. ix–xi.

Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. Knopf, 1994.

McBride, James. The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother.

Penguin, 2006.

Nguyen, Bich Minh. Stealing Buddha’s Dinner. Penguin Random House, 2008.

Ogle, Rex. Free Lunch. Norton Young Readers, 2019.

Westover, Tara. Educated. Penguin Random House, 2018.

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From Picture Books to Page-­Turners: Books for Every Young Reader MARY JO STAAL

Picture Books Partly Cloudy, written and illustrated by Deborah Freedman Viking Books for Young Readers, 2024

“What do you see when you look at the clouds?” is the opening question of this breathtaking book about what two bunnies see when they look at the sky. One bunny sees whipped cream, popcorn, and pea soup. The other bunny sees cumulus, stratus, and cirrus clouds. While the bunnies can’t agree on what is in the sky, they can start to appreciate the other’s perspective and eventually learn from each other.

Partly Cloudy would be a great book to introduce a weather unit, teach different points of view, or simply celebrate the beauty God put in the sky in the form of clouds.

My Daddy Is a Cowboy, written by Stephanie Seales, illustrated by C. G. Esperanza Harry N. Abrams, 2024

A girl and her dad get to spend the start of the day with “just-­us time” in this beautiful picture book set in a city where cowboys ride through town bringing people joy. The two of them ride their horses through the quiet streets before dawn as they watch the sky change from black of night to blue of day.

My Daddy Is a Cowboy would be a great book to share with students when breaking down stereotypes. The cowboys in this book are not the cowboys most people picture in their heads. Stephanie Seales was inspired by the Compton Cowboys of southern California, and every place in the text is a real place in Compton. The vibrant colors of the book combined with the relationship between a father and a daughter make this a great book to use on so many different levels and for a variety of purposes.

The Yellow Bus, written and illustrated by Loren Long Roaring Brook Press, 2024

The Yellow Bus appears to be just a basic back-­to-­school book, but it is surprisingly so much more. Readers experience the life of a yellow bus from being a school bus to a homeless shelter to a playground for goats and beyond.

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Loren Long got the idea for this book when he saw an abandoned bus and started to wonder what stories that bus held.

The Yellow Bus would be a great book to use in writing exercises to discuss where to find ideas. This book could also be used in reading to discuss how books are so much more than their covers. The art and story of this book are stunning, and readers will enjoy all the twists and turns this yellow bus takes.

We Are Definitely Human, written and illustrated by X. Fang Tundra Books, 2024

When Mr. Li is startled awake by a crash, he doesn’t know what to think about the three unique strangers he discovers. The strangers declare themselves to be definitely human and ask for help to fix their broken car. Mr. and Mrs. Li are kind humans and do what kind humans do—help others in need. The whole town is filled with kind humans, so they all help fix the strangers’ car and see them safely back on their journey.

Celebrating kindness to everyone, We Are Definitely Human would be an outstanding book to use at the beginning of the year, or anytime readers need a reminder that we can all be kind humans.

Jump for Joy, written by Karen Gray Ruelle, illustrated by Hadley Hooper Astra Young Readers, 2024

Joy has always wanted a dog. Jump has always wanted a kid. They both create dogs and kids out of different things in nature like flowers, sand, sticks, and snow. All of their creations wilt or melt or blow away, but when Joy and Jump finally find each other, they don’t disappear. Joy’s and Jump’s dreams come true, and all is right in their world.

The illustrations in this book are unique. Illustrator Hadley Hooper used brush and ink alongside found textures and images from the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries. Put the art together with Karen Gray Ruell’s text, and you have a picture book that could be used to talk about perspective, voice, and celebrating unique art.

Chapter Books Bibsy Cross (series), by Liz Garton Scanlon Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2024–25

Bibsy Cross is full of life. She exemplifies the best parts about being a kid: she is curious, passionate, and excited about everything. Bibsy Cross reminds me of Ramona Quimby or Beatrice Zinker. Bibsy happily lives with her parents and a cat, she has a best friend named Natia, and she struggles with asking too many questions. In each of the three books—so far— Bibsy bumps up against problems that kids will relate to: a teacher who is very strict, her desire to win a fundraiser, and a terrarium jar that is out Christian Educators Journal

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of control. This series is a great introduction to novels in verse for younger readers.

Bibsy Cross would be an excellent read-­aloud in first or second grade.

It would be helpful to show each page as you read, however, in order for students to start to have an understanding of what a novel in verse looks like. We all have Bibsys in our classes, and this series celebrates them well.

Felix Powell, Boy Dog, by Erin Entrada Kelly Greenwillow Books, 2024

Felix Powell, eight years old, is excited because Nana has given him five dollars to spend at a thrift store. Felix discovers a worn-­out blanket for only one dollar and knows he just has to have it. While Felix waits for dinner, he plays with his new blanket. All is well, until Felix decides to cover himself with the blanket and suddenly turns into a dog! Felix is now able to talk to his dog, Mary Puppins. Felix discovers new smells, new perspectives, and even talks to a cat named Gumbo. Being a dog is fun, but Felix is ready to be a kid again. Will Nana be able to get him back, or will he be a dog forever?

Felix Powell, Boy Dog has short chapters, great illustrations, and an easyto-follow plot. Readers will think it is hilarious when the dogs start sniffing each other’s butts and will end up being informed about why they do that.

Felix Powell, Boy Dog is just a fun early chapter book.

Operation: Happy, by Jenni L. Walsh Zonderkids, 2024

Jody and her military family are on the move again. This move takes them to Pearl Harbor in 1940. Jody’s mom is not thrilled about this move, as she fears Pearl Harbor’s location is too close to the war raging on the other side of the world. Jody, on the other hand, is enjoying the island and her new dog, Happy. December 7, 1941, turns Jody’s world upside down. Forced to leave Hawaii without their father and with their mom in the depths of depression, Jody and her sister, Peggy, struggle to adjust to life after Pearl Harbor.

With Happy’s help, Jody thinks up a plan to save her family. But will she and Happy be able to make it happen?

Operation: Happy celebrates hope, courage, family, and the loyal friendship of a pet. This book is a beautiful way to introduce students to Pearl Harbor, while also delicately handling the theme of a family member with depression.

Slugfest, by Gordon Korman Balzer & Bray, 2024

Yash is the best athlete at Robinette Middle School. He’s so good, he has been pulled out of eighth grade P.E. in order to play on the high school’s JV teams.

A new state law, however, requires students to pass eighth grade P.E., and Yash has not met that requirement. Yash needs to take a summer school course called Physical Education Equivalency (P.E.E.), affectionately known 16

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as Slugfest. Yash is forced to learn from a retired home economics teacher, Mrs. Finnerty, and interact with students who all failed eighth grade P.E. Will Yash realize that the team is more important than the individual? What secret is Mrs. Finnerty hiding?

Slugfest is filled with fun, relatable characters. This book celebrates the underdogs and teamwork. Gordon Korman has a knack for writing books that kids easily relate to and understand.

The Hiding Place: A Graphic Novel, by Corrie ten Boom written by Elizabeth Sherrill and John Sherrill, illustrated by Ismael Castro Chosen, 2024

The Hiding Place was originally published in 1971. Corrie ten Boom’s story of bravery, heroism, and faith is well known. I was skeptical when I saw that a graphic novel adaptation was being released, but I decided to give it a chance. The publisher did an amazing job sticking true to Corrie’s story while handling the Holocaust and the Dutch resistance in a way that is accessible to a variety of readers. Corrie’s faith is evident throughout the book, with the inclusion of Scripture references on many pages.

The Hiding Place: A Graphic Novel would be a valuable book in middle school and high school history classes in order to continue to celebrate the life of Corrie ten Boom.

Mary Jo Staal is a pre-­K–4 librarian and Nurturing Faith Coordinator at Hudsonville Christian School in Hudsonville, Michigan. Follow her on Instagram for even more recommendations: @readalongwithmj.

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Best of the Best: Excellent Reading Experiences across a Range of Eclectic Categories BILL BOERMAN-­C ORNELL

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elow are some of the best books out of the two hundred or so I read in 2024. When I teach children’s literature, I remind my students (most of whom will be teachers in a year or two) that reading is a gift from God, that reading should be fun, and that not every book is for every person. I hope you’ll find some good books in this list. But if you start reading a book and don’t find yourself enjoying it after a few chapters, feel free to put it down and find a better one!

Best Graphic Novel for Middle School Readers A First Time for Everything, written and illustrated by Dan Santat First Second, 2023

Opening lines: “I grew up in a small town just outside of Los Angeles. Everything I knew about the world happened in Camarillo.”

Interesting quote: “Do you know what the best part of being a teenager is?

You only have to do it once” (268).

Short summary: After a rough time in middle school—bullying, ridicule, insecurity—Dan has an opportunity to go on a class trip to Europe with the same kids who made fun of him. He isn’t too optimistic about his chances of survival. But he is surprised to find himself getting to know kids he never talked to before, making new friends, having amazing experiences together, and maybe even finding his first girlfriend.

Why should I read this book? What makes nerd stories so fantastic is that they are about an underdog who feels like he has little to offer but finds out that his contributions are indispensable to his community. What makes nerd stories so wonderful is the depth of sympathy we feel for the character and the excitement we feel when the character succeeds. This isn’t a nerd revenge story—it is more about the nerdy kid growing up and the kids who were jerks to him growing up, too. This graphic memoir is a heartwarming story about what it means to discover yourself at the same time others are discovering you.

Who is this book best for? While fourth graders would have no trouble comprehending this book, the content would probably resonate best with middle school students. High school students might also enjoy it, but in a 20

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nostalgic way. Thematically, this book is certainly strong enough to be used for literature circles and possibly for whole class study in combination with another book focusing on identity or independence or cultural experiences.

It would also be a great choice for class and school libraries.

Is this book likely to be challenged? I don’t think so.

Best Nonfiction Picture Book Champion: The Comeback Tale of the American Chestnut Tree,

by Sally M. Walker Henry Holt, 2018

Opening lines: “Have you ever climbed a tree? Have you ever breathed in the spicy scent of pine trees or looked closely at a leaf?”

Interesting quote: “You know you’ve got a good neighbor when he or she plants a tree” (99).

Short summary: American Chestnut trees, which were once the mainstay of North America’s eastern forests, were wiped out by a tree disease in the early 1900s. There were almost no trees that survived. This is the story of the scientists that have been working to restore the trees, what they are doing, their chances for success, and some indications of hope that someday the majestic American Chestnut will return.

Why should I read this book? Forestry science is not glamorous. It is a branch of science that gets overshadowed by fields like medicine, astrophysics, and robotics. However, forestry scientists could make a huge impact by both restoring a beautiful and important tree and also educating about the disease and how we can respond to such blights in the future. Part mystery, part history, and part comeback tale, this book is surprisingly captivating and features amazing photography.

Who is this book best for? Though it is technically formatted like a picture book, the vocabulary and concepts make this book best suited to fourth grade and older. This would be an excellent book to use as a supplemental text for any unit connected with plants or genetics. Classroom libraries in upper elementary, middle school, and high school science as well as school libraries should consider it.

Is this book likely to be challenged? No.

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Best Elementary Graphic Novel Series Mr. Wolf’s Class, written and illustrated by Aron Nels Steinke Scholastic, 2018 (This is the first book in a series.)

Opening lines: “Don’t let the bedbugs bite. / Night.”

Interesting quote: “I can’t wait to go back to school tomorrow! Now all I want to do is lie down and read my new book” (148).

Short summary: It is the first day of school for the fourth-­grade class and their teacher, Mr. Wolf. Together they make it through the day in spite of Penny falling asleep in a box in a library, rats stealing Abdi’s lunch, another teacher stealing Mr. Wolf ’s stapler, and Sampson almost not making it to the bathroom on time.

Why should I read this book? It is hard to explain. This book isn’t really plot driven. The events of the day are not particularly remarkable. But almost from the start the reader is rooting for Mr. Wolf and his class of energetic, sometimes difficult, and always interesting kids. The drawings are amazingly detailed and clear. The thing that strikes me most about this book though, is that, without seeming to, it is about hope. The kids aren’t perfect, and neither is Mr. Wolf, but they make it through the day—and it is clear that Mr. Wolf cares for his students and that his students really appreciate him as a teacher. I consider it to be a deeply comforting book to read.

Who is this book best for? Third to fifth graders will love this book (maybe sixth graders too—but they won’t admit it). This book belongs in every third, fourth, and fifth grade classroom library in the universe.

Is this book likely to be challenged? If it is, I am leaving this planet.

Best Mathematics and Science-­Based Middle Grades Novel Jadie in Five Dimensions, by Dianne K. Salerni Holiday House, 2021

Opening lines: “My target holds her phone against her ear, scurrying down the sidewalk in high heels.”

Interesting quote: “The last person to come as close as you have to the mathematical truths of the universe was killed, Dr. Lowell” (153).

Short summary: Jadie Martin was rescued by alien beings from another dimension when she was abandoned by her parents as a baby. Now Jadie helps her rescuers by intervening in small events that have far-­reaching consequences. The aliens teleport her to where she needs to be, and then she steals someone’s plane ticket or spills water on someone’s laptop to change the events of the future. One day, however, when she swaps a mission assignment with a friend, Jadie finds herself in an apartment of a family that 22

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lost an infant child, and Jadie begins to suspect that the story of her past may not be complete. When she discovers that the aliens she works for are not the only ones trying to change the future, her life becomes much more complicated.

Why should I read this book? First of all, Jadie gets herself into and out of dangerous situations throughout the narrative, which makes for an exciting read. Second, the concepts explored in this book are fascinating. Not only the part about Jadie changing the lives of those around her through small manipulations, but also the descriptions of movement between dimensions, the physical qualities of other dimensions, and the ways in which the main characters respond will keep you turning the pages. Finally, the story resembles a detective novel in that you are trying to figure out who is trustworthy, what is the right action to take, and which characters are on the side of good. Oh, and the ending is deeply satisfying too.

Who is this book best for? High school students and middle school students who are interested in science fiction will have the easiest time connecting with the story. This would be a great choice for a classroom or school library. It would be a fun book to teach in connection with a math course.

Is this book likely to be challenged? I do not think so.

Best Graphic Novel Adaptation Anne of West Philly, writted by Ivy Noelle Wier, illustrated by Myisha Haynes.

Little Brown, 2022

Opening lines: “Marilla! // Today’s the day, right? // It is. Matthew’s just gone to pick her up.”

Interesting quote: “I love to read. And because I read so much, I’m very good at understanding people” (12).

Short summary: This is the familiar story of Anne of Green Gables set in modern day Philadelphia. Sister/brother duo Marilla and Mathew Cuthbert have decided to foster a teenage girl. When Anne Shirley arrives, her passion to live life to the fullest upends the Cuthberts’ quiet lives and results in Anne getting into trouble again and again. In the end, the Cuthberts and Anne are attached to each other and their larger community by bonds of deep love.

Set in West Philadelphia, the graphic novel reimagines the story if Anne and her foster parents were all people of color.

Why should I read this book? I have enjoyed Anne of Green Gables since I first read it. It is a funny, heartwarming story. This adaptation may make Anne of Green Gables accessible to those who might not normally give it a second look. Readers of color might have an easier time seeing themselves in this book, and the modern setting may make it easier for contemporary readers to connect to that story. Critics might object that the Cuthberts’ Christian Educators Journal

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ethnicities and cultures are not an important part of the story. I am sympathetic, but it also seems to me that not every story concerning people of color needs to be centered in struggle, injustice, and ways of being different. My bottom line with this book is that it is a good story and one worth reading.

Who is this book best for? This book would work for fifth and sixth grade, middle school, and up. Fans of Anne of Green Gables might particularly enjoy it. This book would be great for a classroom or school library, but it also would be interesting to study as a class in contrast with the original text.

The decisions of the adapters could make for some really good discussions.

Is this book likely to be challenged? The most significant change in the adaptation is that Anne and Gilbert Blythe’s relationship becomes just a friendship because Anne is attracted to her friend Diana. While not much is made of this relationship, the hints and suggestions might be enough to cause a challenge. I would encourage you to read the book and see what you think.

Best Middle Grades Book about Community, Grieving, and Mythology The Labors of Hercules Beal, by Gary D. Schmidt Clarion Books, 2023

Opening lines: “Some things I need to tell you here at the beginning to get them out of the way. Everyone has stuff to get out of the way, right? So here’s the first thing. My name is Hercules Beal. I know. It’s a stupid name.”

Interesting quote: “Sometimes you need a disaster to teach you something new about life” (179).

Short summary: The best books are the hardest to summarize. I could tell you that Hercules Beal is a middle school kid who has lost his parents. His brother is working hard to keep his parents’ greenhouse business alive— so much so that he doesn’t see that Hercules needs him. When Hercules’s teacher assigns him to recreate the labors of the mythical Hercules, it turns out to be an opportunity for Hercules to discover that he is not as alone in the world as he thought.

Why should I read this book? The summary above doesn’t do this book justice. You have to read it. There is enough humor and grief and joy and community to remind you that although the world is more deeply broken than we can ever know, God’s grace shines through the people around us— often through the ones we least expect.

Who is this book best for? This book would be an excellent read aloud for fifth and sixth graders. It would also work well for literature circles in middle school. It would be a great choice for classroom and school libraries from fifth through twelfth grades (mostly because major characters in one 24

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of Schmidt’s books often show up as minor characters in others. Students who read Schmidt when they were in middle school often enjoy returning to him in high school or later). I should also mention that this book is a great choice for teachers who need to read something to restore their sanity after a rough semester, unit, or day.

Is this book likely to be challenged? It should not be.

Best Novel in Verse Enemies in the Orchard, by Dana Vanderlugt Zonderkidz, 2023 Opening lines: I am from hand-­me-­downs, soft McIntosh apples simmered down to sauce, and crisp hard Cortlands eaten straight off the tree.

Interesting quote: It’s not my fault I was born German.

I have only followed orders, Done what I have been told.

I have always been given plenty of good reasons to sign up stand up stand tall fight belong believe But my mind flashes to Claire’s face I realize . . .

None of these reasons hold weight anymore. (151)

Short summary: Karl, a German prisoner-­of-­war, is shipped to Michigan, where he picks apples every day for Claire’s family’s apple orchard. The apples are necessary for the war effort, and Claire’s older brother is serving in the army and unable to help harvest. Karl, expecting to be ill-treated, deprived, and unhappy, is surprised to find that he enjoys the work and relative freedom. Claire is unhappy about former German soldiers being on their property. At school, her fellow students suggest that all of Claire’s family are traitors for allowing Germans to work on their farm. Claire notices that Karl, who speaks English, is kind and friendly, but she does not reciprocate his kindness until he is assigned to help her at the apple stand, where their friendship blossoms. Eventually, Claire’s family is devastated when they get word that her brother has died in combat, and her relationship with Karl sours after an incident at the funeral. In these circumstances, is friendship even possible?

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Why should I read this? I will admit it. I had all the wrong ideas about this book. When I saw that it was a novel in verse about German POWs picking apples in a local orchard that is told in chapters that alternate between the points of view of a German prisoner and the daughter of the farmer who owns the orchard, I expected a delightful story about distrust becoming friendship and eventually romance. I expected that at the end of the book, Karl would be released to Germany but would eventually return to the States to marry Claire and live happily ever after. I expected that there might be some Christian echoes thrown in for good measure. Having read the book, I would like to formally apologize to the author. This is more than a book about hatred turned to tolerance turned to friendship. It’s also a book about the discovery that a tribal enemy is actually human and not the character they were painted to be. And the ending is the right one. There is hope, of course. There is always hope. But there is also grief.

Who is this book best for? Fifth grade and up.

Is this book likely to be challenged? I hope not.

The Best Audio Book about a Middle School Science Teacher Who Has the Chance to Save the World Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir, narrated by Ray Porter Audible Studios, 2021

Opening lines: “What’s two plus two? Something about the question irritates me. I’m tired. I drift back to sleep.”

Interesting quote: “ ‘Well, you’re not alone, Buddy,’ I say. ‘None of us are’ ” (213).

Short summary: Something is pulling energy from the sun, causing the energy coming to Earth to decrease. The planet is cooling. Humanity will be extinct in a matter of decades or less. Mark Grace, a middle school teacher, stumbles into a discovery that could offer Earth a chance. Through an amazing series of events, he finds himself part of the team working on Project Hail Mary, a desperate long-­shot that could save the earth. The only problem is, Mark Grace doesn’t want to be a part of it.

Why should I listen to this book? I have read this book cover to cover, listened to it on my way to work, listened to it with my amazing fourth-­ grade teaching wife on long trips, and listened to it again because we wanted our amazing daughter to hear it. This book has wonderful characters (some deeply likeable, some less so), a gripping plot, plenty of surprises, and a whole lot of hope. As an audiobook, Ray Porter does an excellent job with all of the voices and reads it in a way that I can only describe as the right way. The ending is the best ending I have encountered in at least a decade.

Who is this book best for? High school students could read this—but really 26

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this book is best for teachers who need a good read during their commute or to wind down after school.

Is this book likely to be challenged? I don’t think so. The book has very little vulgar language in it, partly because, being a middle school teacher, Grace watches what he says. There are two characters who talk frankly of having sex, but there are no descriptions of those situations.

Bill Boerman-­Cornell is a professor of education at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, IL. Boerman-­Cornell has co-­written five books, three of them about using graphic novels in the classroom, most recently Using Graphic Novels in the STEM Classroom, published by Bloomsbury Academic. He loves biking, reading, and writing, preferably with his family. Bill posts about the children’s literature he is reading on Instagram (@bbc_onbooks) and his book reviews can be found on bookcommercials.wordpress.com and gnclassroom.com.

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UNTIL ALL IS MADE NEW

Listening to Holden: A Case for Teaching The Catcher in the Rye JUDITH E. ANDERSON

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. D. Salinger issues several salvos against traditional education in his bildungsroman The Catcher in the Rye. The first occurs when Holden Caulfield tells his history teacher, Mr. Spencer, that English is the only subject he hasn’t failed this term, and Spencer doesn’t listen. We English teachers should listen, for this novel, though it has been challenged or banned in schools both religious and secular, offers a banquet of material to fill many course objectives. Among these are an introduction to linguistics (e.g., discourse analysis, lexical semantics, etymology, morphology) and philosophical worldviews (Freudian, Rousseavian, Marxian) that facilitates the study of narrative elements (characterization, point of view, conflict) that are often studied, less effectively, in isolation. Additionally, this linguistic and philosophical approach generates material for an apologia for Holden that emerges from the language and ideas of his own narration. Christian high school teachers should not avoid The Catcher in the Rye. From small-­picture attention to detail to big-­picture practice with synthesis, listening to Holden develops critical thinking and communication skills that benefit students well beyond the classroom.

Audience participation is plainly welcomed by the novel’s narrator, who opens his monologue with a deictic* “you” that conflates listeners/readers and a fictional psychoanalyst in a quest “to know the truth” (3, 276). Not too many people want to listen to Holden, though they themselves demand to be heard. “Listen,” Carl Luce says. “I refuse to answer any typical Caulfield questions tonight” (189). While it’s true that Holden’s questions are often annoying—by turns prying and peculiar—at his sixteen-­year-­old best, he seeks answers to ancient questions about matters like the physical and metaphysical nature of love, existence, and death. According to Christian apologist Os Guinness in his book Fool’s Talk: Recovering the Art of Christian Persuasion, many people today are mostly “untroubled rather than unreached, unconcerned rather than unconvinced” and therefore “need questions as much as answers” (124). Perhaps this is why Holden feels so out of step. He is troubled and concerned—about things like sex, socioeconomic inequity, and the death of innocence and innocents. He is passionately unconvinced by the prevailing belief that “life is a game that one plays according to the rules” (12). And he is unreached in the missional sense.

Christian education has an implicit missional purpose neatly summarized in an archaic but apt sense of the word conversation. Meaning “citizenship” in heaven and “conduct” and “behavior” toward others on earth, * Deictic (or indexical) refers in linguistics to a word dependent upon spatial, temporal or (in this case) personal context for clear reference.

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From small-­picture attention to detail to big-­picture practice with synthesis, listening to Holden develops critical thinking and communication skills that benefit students well beyond the classroom.

this definition of conversation articulates a twofold relationship fundamental to all of Christian life (“Conversation”). To assign Catcher with the objective of conducting this kind of conversation with its protagonist is to involve students in a literary thought experiment with real life applications for the missional opportunities common to all of life’s vocations.

What follows is a conceptual sample of one way in which this objective could be implemented.

Listening Critically: The Heart of Stories

A discourse analysis of two words in Holden’s storytelling—catch[er] and hold[en]—reveals treasured but skewed notions of innocence, justice, and freedom.

Holden’s psychotherapist is schooled in the listening skills modeled by Sigmund Freud in his talking cure. Freud claimed an ability to “observ[e] what [people] say and what they show” in order to lay bare “the most hidden recesses of the mind” (69). Christian apologists also observe what a person says and does—in order to discern what Jesus refers to as the “treasure of their heart” (Guinness 123).* Since we do not have Christ’s “instant discernment,” we need to “take the time . . . to listen to their stories” (Guinness 127).

A discourse analysis of two words in Holden’s storytelling—catch[er] and hold[en]—reveals treasured but skewed notions of innocence, justice, and freedom. Though other words in Holden’s story could also be profitably investigated, these two words, semantically dependent on context because of their polysemy, are ripe for this listening activity.

Listening Critically: Catching the Contextual Drift

Here and elsewhere in the novel, physical illness may be a metaphor for the infectious influence of a corrupt society, which Rousseau and other Romantics have written about.

Holden’s ironic misquoting of Robert Burns’s poem (“if a body catch a body” rather than Burns’s “if a body meet a body”) conveys his desire to save children from a loss of innocence or life, but catch is not always used salvifically.

For instance, Holden also wants the unjust perpetrator to be caught—and vengefully punished. His outrage over the lenient penalty imposed upon the bullies responsible for James Castle’s suicidal fall is echoed in his use of identical language to describe a less harmful wrongdoing at his sister’s elementary school: someone has written “f-­--­ ­you” on a wall. He imagines himself “catching” the offender and “smash[ing] his head on the stone steps till he was good and goddam dead and bloody” (221, 261). The unjust excess warping his sense of justice is quickly followed by a fear of being misjudged that is also conveyed by catch. As he erases the profanity from the wall, he is “afraid that some teacher would catch me rubbing it off and would think I’d written it” (261).

In yet another context, catch denotes contagion. Salinger’s choice of the old-­f ashioned term grippe to refer to Mr. Spencer’s influenza implies a synonymity with catch that he later makes explicit. Holden’s younger sister, Phoebe, assures her mother that she “didn’t catch anything” from her friend Alice, whose mother kept “asking her if she felt grippy during the whole entire movie” (230). Here and elsewhere in the novel, physical illness may be a metaphor for the infectious influence of a corrupt * Calvin references Matt. 6:21 (heart treasure) in his commentary on citizenship and conversation in Phil 3:20.

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society, which Rousseau and other Romantics have written about. In this interpretative vein, the youthfully innocent Phoebe and Alice are immune to society’s clutches, whereas Holden may have caught Old Spencer’s grippe.

A significant development in Holden’s characterization, conveyed through the merging of catch’s different meanings, occurs when he returns to the familiarity of home. Suddenly feeling free of pneumonic symptoms, he “quits worrying about whether [his parents would] catch me home or not” (212). When he leaves, it is with considerably less stealth, partly because he doesn’t “give much of a damn any more if they caught me. . . .

If they caught me, they caught me. I almost wished they did, in a way” (233–34). He seems willing to be caught-­nabbed because he needs to be caught-­saved.

Listening Critically: Holding On and Being Held Though Holden has no say in his naming, his uses of hold, which is derived from Middle English holden, are generally consistent with the aggressive or protective contexts of its synonym catch (“Hold”). His “wrestling hold” on his frenemy Stradlater could “choke him to death” (39). But when dancing with Phoebe, “hold[ing] her close as hell” (227),* he seems to want to keep her innocence safe in his grasp—a custodial “watching over” identified in hold’s Germanic etymology (“Hold”).

The etymology of hold’s prefixed form, behold, attributes a prophetic intensity to looking that “hold[s its object] in view” (“Behold”). Its dictional formality excludes it from Catcher’s stream-­of-­consciousness, but its weaker synonyms—look, see, and watch—pervade the narrative, often intimating nostalgia for a lost Eden. For instance, Holden pauses almost reverentially before a snowfall that makes the human landscape “look . . . nice and white” (48). The next day, in Central Park, he beholds “dog crap, gobs of spit, and cigar butts from old men” and doubts that “Christmas was coming soon” (153).

He admits to a troubling “fascina[tion]” with watching the hotel’s “perverts” (139), but watching Phoebe on the carousel (watch occurs repeatedly in this penultimate chapter) floods him with happiness because she “looked so damn nice” (275).

Behold’s past participle, beholden, originally described a protective keeping, but its etymology has evolved to mean obligated or indebted (“Beholden”). Holden does not want to be beholden. In language echoing his description of his wrestling hold on Stradlater, he feels like he might “choke to death” (233) on his uncontrollable sobs after Phoebe gives him her Christmas dough. When she begs to join him on his trip out West, he is cornered by competing treasures—her innocent, loyal love and his desire to be free of love’s obligation. Consumed with antipathy, he wants “to smack her for a second” (267) and finds that he “almost hate[s] her” (268).

* Critics have discussed the sexual tension suggested here; however, Freudian presuppositions and conclusions are not thus proved, as this article argues.

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When she begs to join him on his trip out West, he is cornered by competing treasures— her innocent, loyal love and his desire to be free of love’s obligation.

Listening Critically: A Dialogic Conversation

“Goddam” appears at least eighty-­nine times amid Catcher’s abundant profanity. Much of this language occurs in Holden’s interior monologue or in the remembered dialogues he’s relating to his therapist.

Full of contradiction and ambivalence, this unreliable narrator concludes with the same ironic filler he used to begin: “if you really want to know the truth.” His therapy seems not to have yielded many insights, for at its end he admits, “I don’t know what I think about it [all]” (276). As part of his deictic “you,” we are implicitly invited to respond. And we can do so by folding his monologue—laden with discrepant bits of Rousseavian Romanticism, Marxian class consciousness, and Freudian psychoanalytic theory—into a Christian conversation.

We weigh in as clay jars, and we can avoid a few pottery pitfalls if we examine our hearts before we offer an apologia for the treasure that lies within the story. Chief among these pitfalls might be an egotistic certainty that “love[s] to hear the sound of our own answers” (Guinness 175). Closely aligned with this egotism is an idolatrous appreciation for technique.

Though technique is part of every endeavor, “when it is used to communicate God’s truth, the mere technique is swallowed up in . . . the truth and dynamic of the subversive gospel of the cross” (Guinness 44).

With these groundings in mind, we begin to ask questions and offer observations about those things we’ve heard to be treasures in Holden’s heart.

His Rousseavian desire to protect youthful innocence from the world’s corruption prompts questions about whether any savior could arise from within the problematic muck.* Though history’s human saviors must be acknowledged, they must also be contrasted with the spotless Messiah, who keeps his “little ones” (Matt. 18:14) in his hand—not just temporally but eternally. In a related thread, we could ask why Holden thinks that “the goddam movies . . . can ruin you” (136), perhaps then moving to talk about Paul’s somewhat similar struggle against doing the very thing he hates (Rom. 7:7–25).

“Goddam” appears at least eighty-­nine times amid Catcher’s abundant profanity. Much of this language occurs in Holden’s interior monologue or in the remembered dialogues he’s relating to his therapist—a contextualization factor noted by linguists studying the ethical and sociological implications of swearing. Though this qualification does little to counter arguments about the offense (to God) and contagion (among people) of morally transgressive language, there is more to the matter of cursing than meets the ear. Rousseau observes, “We will no longer profane the name of the Lord of the Universe by swearing, but we will insult it with blasphemies, without offending our scrupulous ears” (47). This is Holden with an improved vocabulary. Rousseau’s sentiment explains Holden’s vulgar denunciation of a gaudy celebration of Christ’s humble nativity (178). It emerges ironically in Ackley’s farcical and blasphemous defense of the faith (65). And it exposes preachers who adopt “Holy Joe voices” (131) as devotees of mimetic method rather than the Word’s message.

But the moral logic behind Holden’s keen criticism of hypocrisy is betrayed by his own verbal behavior. He is outraged by the sexual profanity on Phoebe’s school’s wall, yet he persists in saying “goddam” despite her repeated demands that he “stop swearing” (218, 223, 224). Rather than make this a gotcha moment, we might ask whether anyone can perfectly obey the third—or any—of the ten commandments and what this says about innocence and salvation. * Many have noted Rousseau’s hypocrisy in disparaging traditional pedagogy as abusive while consigning his children to an orphanage.

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More problematic for some than Catcher’s offensive language are the atheistic dogmas dominating the narrative’s scope. For instance, Holden fears that his charitable contribution to the nuns is inadequate because he’s reserving money for theater tickets. This Marxian slant leads him to ruminate on the suitcases that Dick Slagle identifies as “bourgeois” (141–42) and conclude that “money . . . always ends up making you blue as hell” (147).

Later, in the lonely environs of one of the world’s richest cities, he takes the remaining “dough” (202) in his pocket and skips the coins across the lagoon.

This sounds like an allusion, and Holden is an Ecclesiastes (11:1–2) type of guy, but his despondent action ignores biblical teachings about the good use of coins, whether small or great in number.

The other half of Catcher’s Freudo-­Marxist perspective includes Holden’s unflattering sketches of his father and other adult male authorities. His analyst likely explains this conflict in the context of Sophocles’s Oedipal myth, a foundational Freudian text. What, we wonder, does Holden know of Jesus’s parable of the prodigal son, a narrative of earthly situations that teaches eternal truths? Like the prodigal, he spends a monetary gift (67) on a prostitute and other forms of reckless living. But his father, unlike the biblical father who watches hopefully for his son’s return, is reportedly “going to kill” (216) him when he returns home after being expelled from school. The biblical father is a type of the one true lawgiver and judge, whereas Holden’s lawyer-­f ather seems interested only in “mak[ing] a lot of dough” and “look[ing] like a hot-­shot” (223). His prestige-­building use of wealth contrasts with the lavish feasting and dancing born of the parabolic father’s compassion and joy. What does Holden think of the son’s two journeys and of the father’s reactions? And what can be inferred about justice, innocence, and freedom as taught by Sophocles and by Jesus?

Catcher’s end is inconclusive, but it appears that Holden has been caught and saved, at least temporarily. His suicidal ideation and the misanthropy fueling it are in remission. He now misses everyone he’s talked about— from the lowly to the louche. Psychoanalytic treatment has facilitated his being in the world by means of a perspective that is decidedly of the world.

Excluded from this unresolved ending is any mention of Holden’s moral conscience. Remember that Maurice, whom Holden now kind of misses, is a pimp of underage girls. And it is not crazy talk when Holden tells the nuns that “it drives me crazy if somebody gets killed, especially somebody very smart and entertaining and all—and it’s somebody else’s fault” (145). It would seem that his questions about this world’s injustice have been muted by this world’s cure.

A Biblical Apology Holden’s “psychoanalyst guy” (276) can help him see that while he is ostensibly speaking of Romeo and Juliet’s Mercutio, he may have James Castle—or Allie—in mind. But in devoting himself to the writings of secular sages over the foolish wisdom (1 Cor. 1:18–31) of scriptural revelation, the psychoanalyst can only lay the blame for Allie’s and James Castle’s* deaths on impersonal * Critics have written (not always biblically) on the significance of this character’s initials.

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More problematic for some than Catcher’s offensive language are the atheistic dogmas dominating the narrative’s scope.

Like the prodigal, he spends a monetary gift on a prostitute and other forms of reckless living. But his father, unlike the biblical father who watches hopefully for his son’s return, is reportedly “going to kill” him when he returns home after being expelled from school.

All of the various meanings of catch (salvation, judgment, and sickness) and of hold (protection, suffocation, watchfulness, and obligation) converge as we behold the ugly and beautiful awesomeness of the cross.

Fate. There is nothing impersonal, however, about Jesus standing before a fault-­filled crowd as Pilate says “behold the man” (John 19:5 ESV, emphasis added). Though perfectly innocent, Jesus willingly takes all humankind’s guilt upon himself, inaugurating a new creation where no one will ever “disappear” (8, 257). Everyone—the Allie and James Castle types, as well as the Elkton bully and Maurice types—will be truly free from the fall’s endless ruin, if they “look on the one they have pierced” (John 19:37, emphasis added) in faith.

All of the various meanings of catch (salvation, judgment, and sickness) and of hold (protection, suffocation, watchfulness, and obligation) converge as we behold the ugly and beautiful awesomeness of the cross.

There the relentless contagion of personal and systemic sin is conquered by a savior who rises with healing in his wings (Mal. 4:2). There, the watchful shepherd endures the looks of beholders who misjudge this singular savior, wrongly inferring that he is the offender (Isa. 53:4–5). There, he who is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8) comforts all who are haunted by the past and afraid of the future. There, humanity beholds the one whose Spirit makes us sincerely willing to be beholden to others because of our beholdenness to him, whose debt of love we can never repay.

Conclusion In listening to—hearing—the sublime treasure of Scripture’s unparalleled narrative, we are conversationally transformed. Wholly trustworthy and able to save for eternity, this treasure equips citizens of heaven for every earthly endeavor. Biblical discernment will warrant the exclusion of some texts from classroom study, but for others that appear problematic, Christian parents and teachers can humbly yet confidently “buy [our children] a lot of books, and teach them how to read and write by [them]selves” (Salinger 258).

Works Cited “Behold.” Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper. www.etymonline. com/word/hold. Accessed 22 November 2024.

“Beholden.” Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper. www.etymonline. com/word/hold. Accessed 22 November 2024.

Calvin, John. “Commentary on Philippians.” John Calvin: Commentary on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, Christian Classics Ethereal Library, ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom42.iv.iv.iv.html#.

“Conversation.” Encyclopedia of the Bible. Bible Gateway, www.biblegateway. com/resources/encyclopedia-­of-­the-­bible/Conversation. Accessed 1 October 2024.

Freud, Sigmund. Dora: An Analysis of a Case of Hysteria. Edited by Philip Rieff.

Touchstone, 1997.

Guinness, Os. Fool’s Talk: Recovering the Art of Christian Persuasion. IVP Books, 2015.

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“Hold.” Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper. www.etymonline.com/ word/hold. Accessed 22 November 2024.

Rousseau, Jean-­Jacques. Jean-­Jacques Rousseau: Fundamental Political Writings. Translated by Ian Johnston, edited by Matthew W. Maguire and David Lay Williams. Broadview, 2018.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Back Bay Books, 1979.

Judith E. Anderson, a retired English teacher, is the author of Stones and Stories: A Primer on Literary Analysis, Hermeneutics, and Writing, and of the essays “Doers of the Word: Shakespeare, Macbeth, and the Epistle of James (Christian Scolar’s Journal) and “Seriously Comic Vision: Poe’s ‘Hop-­Frog’ and the Book of Esther” (The Edgar Allen Poe Review, Penn State University Press).

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The Resonant Moment: Teaching Poetry for Personal Connection HANNAH MAIN-­V AN DER KAMP

A Review of Word Made Fresh, by Abram Van Engen Eerdmans, 2024

A master teacher and scholar, Abram Van Engen teaches poetry in congregations. He is a missionary of poetic arts. His purpose, methods, and motivation are equally suited to classrooms of senior English students, especially those in Christian schools.

Van Engen explores forty poems, traditional as well as modern, and reveals the riches they offer. Always encouraging rereading and never insisting on finding a message, he invites readers (and listeners) to let poems do what they do.

What Poems Can Do What poems can do is refresh and enliven language, eliciting from the reader new perceptions, nuances, and insights.

What poems can do, even when they may be initially confusing, is refresh and enliven language, eliciting from the reader new perceptions, nuances, and insights.

One of the first poems Van Engen discusses is “When Kingfishers Catch Fire” by Gerald Manley Hopkins. He recounts how struck he was on first discovering this poem as a fifteen year old. It confused and also fascinated him. It spoke to him as he was held by the sound of the words. His heart was stirred: it was a resonant moment. By rereading with close attention, gradually he discovered it has many layers, including a theological dimension.

When teaching the poem, Van Engen does not start with “what the poem means” but with asking if the reader/student finds a connection. If so, is it strong enough to want to reread and learn more? If not, his advice is to leave it but keep reading other poems to find those that connect with personal experience.

Just Start and Keep Going Why do so many Christian readers avoid poetry? Van Engen asks. Though they are familiar with the poetry of the Scriptures—that of psalmists, prophets, wisdom teachers, gospel and epistle writers—poetry is not valued. Van Engen suggests that it is in part because people believe it cannot speak to them. They find it puzzling and irrelevant. Poems are as relevant as the life experiences readers can bring to them. Every reader, whether an adult in a church or a teen in class, has unique life experience. Not all poems 36

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will connect with all. We shouldn’t struggle over it. There are so many more poems waiting. When you experience the resonance between yourself and the poem, pay attention: it’s a gift.

Readers do not have to “understand” a poem to appreciate it. Do we fully “understand” the opening of John’s gospel or the powerful images of Revelation? Using linear, rational skills to explicate destroys the depth of imaginative writing. As Van Engen takes on a more thorough reading of the layers of background, form, and theological import, he demonstrates how worthwhile it is to do some patient “digging deeper.”

How should one read a poem? Just start—any way will do. “No fancy sword swings back and forth to guard the entrance,” he notes (22). Some words, a line, or an image will go directly to the heart; they surprise and delight. It is a moment of resonance.

When you experience the resonance between yourself and the poem, pay attention; it’s a gift.

What Is Christian Poetry Anyway?

George Herbert, the seventeenth-­century devout Anglican priest and poet, is one of Van Engen’s favorite “friends.” Van Engen encourages approaching poems as friends. This befriending is a pleasure, though it may also be challenging in the way some friendships are. Van Engen discusses four of Herbert’s poems without didacticism.

When we engage poems as friends, they begin to speak in new ways.

Herbert’s poems do not preach; they entice. Readers who approach Herbert’s work for delight find it also reveals the wounds of our hearts and opens us to mercy.

The pieces Van Engen discusses with his adult learners in a church building are not all by Christian writers or on Christian themes. Instead, he shows how a poet like William Carlos Williams invokes awareness of the same concerns that Milton did in Paradise Lost.

What is “Christian poetry” anyway? It can’t be limited to writers of faith who may be good or bad poets. Nor can it exclude writers of other faiths or no faith whose work shows profound awareness of sin, goodness, redemption,and community. There is no clear distinction in good writing between sacred or secular writing. No poem will be experienced by students in exactly the same way. Good writing prompts divergent responses. Poetry truth and the Christian truth are not in competition.

Philip Larkin’s famous poem “Church Going” describes a non-­believer who often enters into empty old churches just to look as a tourist with a critical and bored eye. Wondering what, if any, use “this special shell” still has, he’s pleased to just stand in the silence. Nevertheless, he admits it’s a “serious house.” The last lines admit an awareness that he has “a hunger in himself to be more serious.” Van Engen comments, “The effects of this poem matter beyond any intention of the author” (33). Larkin was an ardent atheist, yet there is an awkward reverence. Van Engen reads it personally.

It evokes strong memories for him of childhood experiences of worship in churches—the hymns, the community—and, like Larkin, he feels “compelled to return often to a place that takes seriously the love and hope and fear and regret and healing and longing of human hearts” (35).

William Carlos Williams wrote small poems about ordinary things. Van Engen uses twelve pages to explore “This Is Just to Say,” the famous poem Christian Educators Journal

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Poetry truth and the Christian truth are not in competition.

He demonstrates how slow reading concentrates the attention and how an everyday small domestic event can hold huge metaphysical implication.

about cold plums, all twenty-­eight words of it. Carefully, he demonstrates how slow reading concentrates the attention and how an everyday small domestic event can hold huge metaphysical implication. As a poetry mentor and teacher, Van Engen takes the poem further and further on the theme of “the fruit that should not be taken” (85). He ends the discussion by reminding us, as he does repeatedly: don’t do this unless the poem has struck you in the first few readings. Don’t sweat it. If a poem hasn’t met you, find a poem that does. This should be an encouragement and solace for students who insist that they don’t “get” a poem. It’s perfectly okay to go and find one that you do get. This should also take pressure off English teachers.

The Christian School English Teacher

Confidence in reading and appreciating poetry develops imaginative attention.

Looking at how Van ­Engen opens up some of the poems in Word Made Fresh can inspire and offer enjoyment to a weary English teacher.

There are voices in the Christian school movement that tend to prioritize a utilitarian view of curriculum. Literature is seen as a “light” pursuit or entertainment in contrast to more useful time spent on Scripture knowledge, academic success, and technical skills.

Confidence in reading and appreciating poetry develops imaginative attention. Where would we be without it? Yes, we can survive without art, music, and poetry, but would we be fully alive? Training creative inquiry is necessary for all learning. It develops an appreciation for the views of others, as everyone has a unique “take.” The educated imagination can hold seemingly contradictory ideas without anxiety. Poetry especially uses language in delicate ways, nuanced for various interpretations. Though language cannot express the inexpressible, it creates a tolerance for waiting, pausing without proclamation, to see what will be further revealed, much like meditating on biblical prophecy and wisdom literature.

Not all English teachers in Christian schools explore poetry for their own pleasure. The essays or exam questions they set may not be grounded in personal “wow!” moments of reading. But poems can speak for themselves.

There are students who are ready to be encouraged, given a little push, and set off on their own to read and write.

Looking at how Van Engen opens up some of the poems in Word Made Fresh can inspire and offer enjoyment to a weary English teacher. Many poets will admit that their reading and writing of poetry was shaped by a high school mentor, a teacher, or a librarian. There are those kinds of kids in your classes. They do not need praise. Praise too soon stops the process; self-­consciousness is not freeing. Do not suggest early publication for the same reason. Just question, widen, support, recommend, notice, and give the occasional push. If you write poetry yourself, admit it. Encourage a readers/writers group. Buy stacks of used anthologies and lend them freely.

You can even tear out pages to hand to an interested learner! Some student writing is brilliant, but the prodigy may not be able to repeat it. The attention is ready, but the writer does not know, yet, how it was accomplished.

Techniques in reading and writing need to be taught and practiced until they become easy tools. Don’t offer critique—just demonstrate other examples. Practice is what music students and athletes do; writing is no different.

Word Made Fresh also includes some excellent chapters on form, content, experiment, and voice that may inspire student poets in your classroom.

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and telling it “slant.” Poetry has a mandate to tell the truth, but not in any straightforward true-­f alse proposition. In the chapter “To Tell the Truth,” Van Engen remarks, “The truth of poetry often comes to us differently and more abundantly than any straightforward true-­f alse proposition. Poets like Walt Whitman take us on a journey instead of offering us a fact” (177).

The Vocation of Naming For Christians, language, especially poetic language, flows from our understanding of God. The story of creation is about the Word and the naming.

Adam’s first task was to discover the perfect and particular name for created beings. The creative words of God pass to human speech. This magnificent moment is the origin of poetry in the world and the mandate of poetry. In the act of naming, the careful use of language requires that Adam, the poet, must pay very close attention. Without noticing, there cannot be adequate naming. Brevity of a name is like a poem; most poems are short. The being or event noticed can be “caught” by a dedicated name. The words of poetry help shape reality by knowing and remembering. Naming helps creation become more itself, revealing more of its fullness. God spoke and it was good. Poets shape words, and if the words are right, they create anew. What a mandate!

Human language is insufficient to fully account for reality, but it may one day become fully sufficient. In the multitude of available poetry, some is as close to sufficiency as can be imagined—so close it can make a difference for good on earth. Although he is not the first to see the work of poets and the attention of readers in this way, Van Engen articulates a distinctly Christian poetics. The calling of writers is not for entertainment or education or to push a moral. It is not for gain or for ego or for passing a course.

The ground the poet works is a vineyard; yes, there are thorns, but the fruit it yields is extraordinary.

In the final coda of Word Made Fresh, Van Engen returns again to the initial poem “As Kingfishers Catch Fire,” by Gerard Manley Hopkins. Hopkins (1844–1889) was a Jesuit priest whose innovative style and vivid nature imagery sets him apart as a uniquely gifted Christian poet. It’s a dense, difficult poem on first reading, but with the help of this exegesis, layer after layer unfolds. “The poem brings alive the theology it conveys so that the saying is the doing, the experience is the theology and the poem brings the theology to life” (256).

Now, read it again, expectantly. It may be a resonant moment.

Hannah Main-­van der Kamp has been both student and teacher in Christian schools. Her six poetry titles include With Averted Vision, According to Loon Bay, and The Slough at Albion. She regularly contributes poems, lyrical non-­ fiction, and book reviews to a variety of publications. She lives on the BC coast.

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Naming helps creation become more itself, revealing more of its fullness.

“Well, There’s Your Problem”: Diagnosing and Responding to Failure in the Classroom ERIC WILDERMUTH

A Review of Why Learning Fails (And What to Do About It),

by Alex Quigley Routledge, 2024

Overall, Quigley’s work offers educators a diagnostic and treatment manual for eight of the most common roadblocks to learning.

The first lesson I ever taught was a failure. Despite my best planning and the strategies I knew at the time, the exit tickets showed that I had missed the mark. I had an idea that this was the case when a student immediately approached my supervising teacher and asked him to explain what I had just taught. Eleven years later and with much growth as a teacher, I have experienced many more failures in the classroom. Perhaps you have had a similar experience in your own teaching. If so, then we are the type of teachers for whom Alex Quigley wrote his 2024 book Why Learning Fails (And What to Do About It). “Failure,” Quigley states, “is one of the few consistent norms of every classroom. . . . If you are not failing—as a teacher or a pupil—then you are likely not tackling the types of challenges that maximize learning” (130).

After fifteen years in the classroom and many more supporting teachers, Quigley has distilled insights from dozens of research reports, articles, and books from the field of cognitive science to present a coherent overview of the causes of learning failures. His aim is that by “naming and framing the common problems that cause learning to fail, this book then offers substantive professional learning to support teachers in their pursuit of expertise” (139). Each chapter begins with an explanation of the issue, suggests a variety of evidence-­backed solutions, and provides frequent summaries throughout. Overall, Quigley’s work offers educators a diagnostic and treatment manual for eight of the most common roadblocks to learning.

Why Learning Fails . . .

Imagine Blake, an eighth grader who has been near-­chronically absent since second grade. After missing twenty or so school days a year over the previous six years, he has lost the equivalent of nearly a full year of school.

Blake’s work is sloppy, he has trouble completing assignments, and he rushes through his work as quickly as possible. Where can a teacher even start to intervene with a student like this? Quigley has some ideas.

Through naming eight common learning obstacles, teachers can gain a sense of what precisely is happening in the brain of a student like Blake.

The learning failures are 1) limits on working memory, 2) gaps in prior knowledge, 3) student misconceptions, 4) overconfidence, 5) poor planning 40

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strategies, 6) lack of independent learning skills, 7) scattered attention, and 8) failing motivation as a result of failure (6). Each of these can present on its own or in conjunction with any number of the others. Indeed, one learning failure often leads to another over time.

A student like Blake, then, has profound gaps in prior knowledge and as a result has developed numerous misconceptions in trying to interpret all of the content his teachers present to him. He does not know how to plan to learn effectively or independently. Consequently, he is deeply unmotivated by learning because he has come to believe that he is not “good” at school.

Not every student is in such a bad position academically, but every student will experience some of these challenges in their education. Armed with the knowledge from Quigley’s book, a teacher can begin to plan out effective classroom strategies to help Blake, and any student like him, overcome these obstacles.

The learning failures are 1) limits on working memory, 2) gaps in prior knowledge, 3) student misconceptions, 4) overconfidence, 5) poor planning strategies, 6) lack of independent learning skills, 7) scattered attention, and 8) failing motivation as a result of failure.

. . . And What to Do About It How might a teacher work with a student like Blake, whose time in school has been marked by failure? Or perhaps, how can the teacher who feels like their best efforts are inadequate adapt their teaching in a classroom that continually feels like a slog? After thoroughly explaining each learning obstacle, Quigley concludes each chapter with multiple strategies optimized to help teachers address the specific challenges and support students at their stage of cognitive development.

One of the themes Quigley emphasizes is that in order to become confident learners, students must have an age-­appropriate understanding of how their brains work. For Blake’s teachers, Quigley may suggest they get him to “think aloud” so that they can pinpoint gaps in his knowledge (33).

They may also employ concept mapping with specific graphic organizers to help him form stronger knowledge schemas (27). “Contrasting examples” that demonstrate clearly what the content does not mean can also inoculate students against misconceptions (49).

To build confidence and wherewithal for learning, Quigley suggests that teachers use “learning sprints” (107). He explains that “learning sprints are about breaking down complex tasks into smaller steps that get around the limits of both working memory and human attention spans (108). Blake’s teachers might consider setting more specific goals focused on effort, emotions, or self-­regulation, depending on their content, so that he learns to learn independently (122).

More broadly, his teachers ought to nurture a “culture of error” (Lemov qtd. in Quigley 48) in which students are comfortable to make mistakes and learn from them. This psychological safety in the classroom, which encourages smart risk-­taking without fear of mocking, derision, or teacher exasperation, is essential for significant learning (124–25).

Taken together, teachers who can name student learning failures and adapt to them with well-­timed interventions will form positive self-­efficacy (117), learn “industriousness” (85), and increase the “courage spans” (123) for their students. Quigley challenges educators to move past simplistic attributions like “Blake is lazy” or “I am a failure of a teacher” and instead diagnose and respond to learning breakdowns in specific, meaningful ways.

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One of the themes Quigley emphasizes is that in order to become confident learners, students must have an age-­appropriate understanding of how their brains work.

Psychological safety in the classroom, which encourages smart risk-­ taking without fear of mocking, derision, or teacher exasperation, is essential for significant learning.

By doing so, teachers can embody the grace of Christ for students who feel beat down by their lack of achievement.

Evaluation and Uses One of the greatest strengths of this book is the common grace insights Quigley provides about the brain for teachers who may not have the time or confidence to pore over academic research.

One of the greatest strengths of this book is the common grace insights Quigley provides about the brain for teachers who may not have the time or confidence to pore over academic research. Understanding how the brain works this side of Eden is essential for creating effective learning environments, and Why Learning Fails distills these insights into a concise, accessible guide. At under 150 pages, it is approachable for busy educators. Because of its brevity, the book is concentrated on cognitive factors affecting student learning, without deeply exploring emotional, social, or spiritual dimensions.

While Quigley’s primary focus is on student learning failures, a reflective practitioner can use the book’s examples to assess and refine their own teaching practice. Experienced teachers will likely recognize many of the suggested methods from prior training, though they will also discover new strategies or a clearer reasoning for approaches they already use. Regardless of what stage of their career a teacher is in, Why Learning Fails will equip them with plenty of ideas for improving student learning.

Any teacher or administrator will find value in this book, but it will be especially beneficial for those actively teaching and looking to apply its insights toward “intelligent failure” (139). For administrators seeking to improve instructional practice, Why Learning Fails could serve as a valuable faculty reading group selection, an in-­service training resource, or a recommended professional development tool. The final chapter is devoted entirely to supporting teacher success and is useful for teachers and administrators alike. Ultimately, this book is for any educator who wants to look failure in the face and learn to reach every student more effectively.

Works Cited Quigley, Alex. Why Learning Fails (And What to Do About It). Routledge, 2024.

Eric Wildermuth is the Director of Advancement at the Christian Academy in Brookhaven, PA. Previously, he taught Bible and history in middle and high school for eight years. Eric lives outside Philadelphia with his wife, Janel, and their two wonderful toddler boys.

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Hope for the Anxious Generation: Engaging with Jonathan Haidt TOBY COFFMAN

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f one book in the past year not explicitly about education has had an outsized effect on educational practice and policy, it is undoubtedly Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation. Though the book’s subtitle, “How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness,” accurately reflects Haidt’s aim in writing, the more pragmatic policy fallout from the book has been perhaps the most straightforward lever to pull: the now-­ nationwide drive to ban cell phones in the classroom or the school building altogether. This issue is, miraculously, bipartisan. Left and right, coastal metropolises and flyover country, California and Florida—it feels like the lion is about to lie down with the lamb.

And let’s give credit where credit is due: no one has moved the national dial on smartphones in schools to the degree Haidt has in the past year. For this, every educator owes him a tip of the hat. Ten years ago, we could pretend to be ignorant about what smartphones were doing to our teenagers.

Now, we can no longer do so. The data are in, and they are damning. Haidt has the charts to back up his case. Since roughly 2010, teenagers in the United States endured an inexorable rise in mental health diagnoses. Something changed around then, and that change was the mass adoption of smartphones and the apps, games, and pornography accessible on those phones.

Like many school administrators, I picked up The Anxious Generation last spring when it first appeared. Haidt’s previous work—namely, The Righteous Mind and The Coddling of the American Mind—has proven helpful in the classroom, and I knew this would be a worthy read. If luck is when opportunity meets preparation, Haidt picked the right time to publish this book.

A growing unrest about the state of things with our teens has simmered beneath the surface for some time. Haidt’s book gave voice to these frustrations, which were felt acutely by teachers, administrators, parents, and the young men and women who had been unwittingly plunged into a massive social experiment. His four encouraged reforms are worth considering and would enrich the experience of most students, teachers, administrators, and parents. They are as follows: 1. No smartphones before high school.

2. No social media before 16.

3. Phone-­free schools.

4. Far more unsupervised play and childhood independence. (15) Haidt makes these recommendations after carefully portraying the scope of the current crisis. Perhaps the superlative contribution of Haidt’s book is that it has broken the spell cast by the supposed inevitability of our increasing Christian Educators Journal

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Credit where credit is due: no one has moved the national dial on smartphones in schools to the degree Haidt has in the past year.

We are, Haidt reminds us, making choices. And we can make other choices.

digital saturation. We are, Haidt reminds us, making choices. And we can make other choices. We can, as he argues, “regain control of our own minds” (17). Inevitability breeds passivity. Haidt awakens us from our lethargy.

In this space, I do not have time to do justice to the scope of his argument. In particular, I would love to unpack his delineation of the different effects experienced between boys and girls. But here, I want to focus on three things: 1) Haidt’s central claim about the way we raise kids today, 2) his chapter on “spiritual elevation and degradation” (199), and 3) his hope, despite it all, for Gen Z and the future lives they still might lead. I trust that this constellation of issues will benefit those of us called to educate young people in the traditions and practices of the Christian faith.

Growing Up on Mars

Haidt describes the members of Gen Z as “test subjects” in a Silicon Valley–funded experiment that has rewired their brains.

“These two trends— overprotection in the real world and underprotection in the virtual world—are the major reasons why children born after 1995 became the anxious generation.”

In the book’s introduction, Haidt uses a metaphor to explain our current milieu: we have trained our children for an earthbound life, but they are growing up on Mars. Haidt describes the members of Gen Z as “test subjects” in a Silicon Valley–funded experiment that has rewired their brains. Growing up with powerful devices in their pockets that pull them out of the real world (embodied and synchronous, with few simultaneous interactions, and having communities with standards) and into the digital world (disembodied, asynchronous, having vast audiences and a low bar for entry), this generation marked the final transition—first begun in the 1980s—from what Haidt calls a “play-­based” childhood to a “phone-­based” variety (5). Worse, this transition to a phone-­based childhood came with precious few protections. The big internet companies have done little to verify the ages of people signing up for accounts or searching for pornography. Kids can check a box that “verifies” their age, but no other accountability measures exist.

This Wild West of a digital landscape is complemented by a weirdly protective parenting culture that arose in the 1980s, blossomed in the 1990s, and reached its fruition with Gen Z. Parents became fixated on the physical safety of their children to the detriment of their children’s social, physical, and psychological development. The upshot is a cultural mishmash of overprotection and underprotection. This bipolar state leads Haidt to his central claim: “These two trends—overprotection in the real world and underprotection in the virtual world—are the major reasons why children born after 1995 became the anxious generation” (9).

In my opinion, Haidt’s argument here gets at something that can apply independently of social media or smartphones. As his chronology shows, parenting had already changed two decades before the advent of smartphones. In an Atlantic article responding to Haidt’s work, “America’s Top Export May Be Anxiety,” Derek Thompson challenges Haidt’s causal relationship between smartphones and anxiety. Thompson notes that there has indeed been a rise in anxiety and other mental health conditions since 2006 but that this only applies to the Anglosphere, or the English-­speaking world.

While suicide attempts and self-­harm rates have skyrocketed in those countries, Thompson relays this interesting fact: “There is no rise in suicide or self-­harm attempts in similar high-­income countries with other national languages, such as France, Germany, and Italy.” We are, he argues, exporting American anxiety to English-­speaking regions around the globe.

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Thompson locates part of the cause for this discrepancy in what psychologists call “prevalence inflation,” the phenomenon “of people developing apparent anxiety disorders from the sheer ubiquity of concern about anxiety disorders that swirl all around them.” Americans and other Anglophone teens have been encouraged to fixate on their “traumas” and anxieties. They have complied accordingly.

In his response to Haidt, Leonard Sax, a psychologist and physician, places the blame squarely on parents and parenting culture. Rather than drawing appropriate boundaries and policing their children’s technology use, parents have been all too quick to hand their kids an iPad in the grocery store. Sax argues, “It’s not enough to just say ‘No’ to the world of social media and smartphones. We also have to say ‘Yes’ to a healthier culture” (“Toxic Phones”).

Both Thompson and Sax indicate that the “great rewiring” phenomenon extends beyond smartphones and social media. Those two things might exacerbate the problem but did not create it.

Teens have been encouraged to fixate on their “traumas” and anxieties. They have complied accordingly.

Spiritual Elevation and Degradation One of the causes of the current crisis is a degraded spiritual condition on a national scale. Smartphones, Haidt argues, pull us downward, further into ourselves and away from transcendent experience. You can sense Haidt’s discomfort as he, an atheist, “needs words and concepts from religion” to understand our malaise (201). Religion is not always purely about theology; the practices and mindsets inherent in a traditional faith system teach us how to live as well as what to believe. As we have lost broad religious practice, we have lost these tools that help us cope with life. Haidt even admits to the classic “God-­shaped hole” argument: “Many people feel a yearning for meaning, connection, and spiritual elevation.” A phone-­based life, by contrast, consists of the “trivial and degrading” (218).

As such, the phone-­based life has left people unsatisfied. It is good for Haidt to sense that the crisis is not only technological or psychological but also spiritual. Our struggle is not against smartphones and social media. But while he is right that religion consists of more than theology, it does not consist of less than theological conviction. While it may be tempting to imagine the beneficial accouterments of religion without the exasperating doctrines, the two are intertwined. As Christian educators, we are uniquely poised to help our students and families in this area. We do not recommend Christianity (or any other world faith) for its pragmatic personal value. We preach Christ and seek to raise our students in the paideia of God (Eph. 6:4).

We do not just think that much smartphone use is trivial and degrading; we know that our students are made in the image of God and worthy of ennobling and righteous engagement with the world beyond a glowing rectangle.

The Future of Gen Z One of the things I appreciate the most about the book is Haidt’s bullishness in defending the strengths of Gen Z. From the introduction to the end of the Christian Educators Journal

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Smartphones, Haidt argues, pull us downward, further into ourselves and away from transcendent experience.

Our students are made in the image of God and worthy of ennobling and righteous engagement with the world beyond a glowing rectangle.

A student at my school recently put it to me like this: “None of us are happy. But none of us know what to do.”

Because of God’s grace, we can go beyond restricting harmful practices to doing whatever is in our power to make—within the walls of our schools— the kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.

book, Haidt mentions many of Gen Z’s strengths, but two stand out: 1) they are not in denial about the reality of how this experiment has panned out; 2) they desire to bring about a more just world (12).

I mentioned this earlier, but it is worth focusing on as I bring this article to a close. This generation has been at the mercy of and did not choose modern practices around technology and social media and parental over/underprotection. Haidt acknowledges this when he begins delineating his recommendations: while it is hard to be a parent, teacher, coach, and so on today, “it’s even harder to be an adolescent” (226). One of the keenest responses I see from thoughtful members of the Gen Z cohort is an overwhelming feeling of letdown. A student at my school recently put it to me like this: “None of us are happy. But none of us know what to do.”

I was raised at the tail end of a “stiff upper lip culture.” I was encouraged to tamp my emotions and pretend everything was fine. It is safe to say this generation has seen the pendulum swing in the opposite direction. Rather than lamenting this cultural shift, however, we should see it as an opportunity. Our students know that they are broken. Parents feel unprepared and ill-­equipped to navigate a foreign cultural moment. The traditional mission of the school, to serve in loco parentis, has never been more needed.

To be a teacher is to be squarely and irrevocably involved in the roiling and seemingly insurmountable world of the teen mental health crisis. And for those of us who have not been high school students in some time, this new world can be confounding and difficult to navigate. But navigate it we must. And, as Christian educators, we must navigate it with the gospel blend of grace and truth.

In many ways, Haidt’s book has provided Christian educators with an opportunity to address the problems we have seen in our classrooms in a way that is scientifically based and non-­sectarian. But we must not forget what my pastor calls the “how much more” (Matt. 7:11) quality of the gospel: because of God’s grace, we can go beyond restricting harmful practices to doing whatever is in our power to make—within the walls of our schools— the kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. I pray that we do just that.

Works Cited Haidt, Jonathan. The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. Penguin, 2024.

Sax, Leonard. “Toxic Phones—or a Toxic Culture?” Institute for Family Studies, 30 September 2024, ifstudies.org/blog/toxic-­phones-­or-­a-­toxic-­ culture. Accessed 4 January 2025.

Thompson, Derek. “America’s Top Export May Be Anxiety.” The Atlantic, 19 June 2024, www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/06/mental-­ health-­crisis-­anglosphere-­depressed. Accessed 4 January 2025.

Toby Coffman is the Dean of Humanities at Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, where he has served since 2014. He and his family live eight thousand feet above sea level. They are regularly visited by bears, bobcats, herds of elk, and debilitating snowstorms.

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SPARKing Transformation: Redemptive Adaptive AI Courseware for Student Achievement LISA DEVALL-­M ARTIN AND MATTHEW SCHONEWILLE

T

he arrival of generative artificial intelligence (AI) parallels that of the Ford Model T in the early twentieth century. This model revolutionized transportation by making cars affordable and accessible. However, the infrastructure to support this transportation was lacking. The roads were rough, traffic laws were non-­existent, and driving skills were undeveloped.

Urban congestion, rural inaccessibility, and decades of trial and error were necessary to build the infrastructure—highways, traffic signals, and driver education—needed to fully realize the potential of motorized vehicles.

Generative AI presents similar realities. It holds incredible promise; however, society lacks the essential infrastructure to fully realize AI’s wholesome potential. Ethical guidelines, data privacy protection, regulatory frameworks, and grade curricula are required to reflect God’s justice, wisdom, and care for human dignity.

From a Christian perspective, embedded courseware has become a critical tool in stewarding this technology wisely. Similar to highways and driver education, which supported the safe adoption of automobiles, embedded courseware equips students and educators with structured ways to operate AI responsibly. By integrating digital tools, interactive content, and frameworks—such as Matthew Schonewille’s SPARK—discernment, critical thinking, and ethical use are nurtured, which aligns AI’s potential with a commitment to serve others in Christ-­like humility, ensuring that technology serves as a tool for good rather than harm.

Embedded courseware equips students and educators with structured ways to operate AI responsibly.

Say Goodbye to Textbooks: How AI Courseware Is Changing the Classroom Imagine opening an e-­textbook and finding not just text but also videos, simulations, quizzes, and even personalized tutoring powered by artificial intelligence. This is what embedded courseware promises: a new way of learning that moves beyond the dusty pages of a static book. As Walter notes, “To equip both students and teachers to become apt in the use of AI for their academic purposes, a new ‘culture of AI’ seems in order” (8).

The embedded courseware provider TopHat supports the science-­of-­ learning through peer-­to-­peer connections, data-­informed interactions, and scaffolded assessments with immediate feedback (Leung). Research shows that low-­stakes assessments, such as quizzes, promote retrieval practice, which strengthens memory and is more effective than passive methods such as re-­reading (Roediger et al. 385). Retrieval practice improves long-­ term recall, understanding, and problem-­solving, supporting Bloom’s Christian Educators Journal

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Imagine opening an e-­textbook and finding not just text but also ­videos, simulations, quizzes, and even personalized tutoring powered by artificial intelligence.

An AI-­powered tutor adapts to the student-­ user’s learning style, provides instant feedback, and even supports them individually using

taxonomy, especially in the stages of “remembering” and “understanding.”

Low-­stakes assessments encourage students to recall factual knowledge and reinforce their memory and accuracy. Integrated into classes or within readings, these tools promote engagement, critical thinking, and improved grades (Spencer et al. 210). Additionally, embedded courseware allows students to visualize complex concepts and deepen their grasp of content through dynamic multimodal tools. For example, an AI-­powered tutor adapts to the student-­user’s learning style, provides instant feedback, and even supports them individually using multiple languages. It is like having a personalized study buddy on demand. This collaborative, AI-­enhanced, nuanced approach amplifies student engagement and accountability while building critical thinking skills and digital literacy.

multiple languages.

A New Teaching Traveling Partner

The result? A more equitable and efficient learning experience for everyone.

For teachers, AI handles repetitive tasks, such as grading or creating lesson plans, and frees up time to focus on teaching. In addition, these tools can be customized to meet diverse student needs, ensuring inclusivity for learners from all backgrounds. The result? A more equitable and efficient learning experience for everyone.

The students benefit in other ways as well. AI-­enhanced courseware makes learning more engaging and affordable. Students are no longer spending hundreds of dollars on books that might only be used once. Instead, interactive content, such as simulations and gamified challenges, helps students enjoy the learning process while improving retention.

However, challenges such as data privacy concerns, AI dependency, and the need to protect sensitive student information do exist. Resistance to change is another hurdle, with some educators hesitating to adopt AI. Training, support, and a growth mindset are essential for embracing AI as a teaching partner.

Guardrails and the Role of Christian Teachers

Matthew Schonewille’s SPARK framework provides “guardrails” for using AI responsibly, ensuring it complements human expertise and aligns with Christian values.

A key question is how AI will affect Christian educators. AI cannot replace human connections that make education transformative. As Parker J. Palmer writes in The Courage to Teach, “Good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher” (7). Educators bring empathy, creativity, and moral discernment—qualities that AI cannot replicate. This reflects John’s gospel call to nurture and guide one another (15:12–17). Education is not just about gaining knowledge but also embodying Christ’s values and teachings and engaging discerningly with the use of all technologies.

Matthew Schonewille’s SPARK framework provides “guardrails” for using AI responsibly, ensuring it complements human expertise and aligns with Christian values. This framework reflects the balance between human stewardship of technology and a commitment to being watchful of the anti-­Christian creep into AI generated results. SPARK stands for the following.

Simplicity is the key to effective AI interactions, emphasizing clear communication. This aligns with the book of Matthew, where learning is 48

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manageable and approachable (11:29–30). By using AI to simplify concepts, teachers can ensure that content is accessible and relevant. For example, AI can create customized reading materials based on grade level, thematic focus, and vocabulary to meet students’ needs. This clarity guides the AI outputs and fosters meaningful learning. Similarly, Jesus taught through parables, making profound truths accessible and meeting people where they were, ensuring that his teachings resonated with all listeners. Simplicity enables deeper understanding and connection.

Precision builds upon simplicity by encouraging intentionality in AI interactions. Proverbs reminds us, “The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent, and their lips promote instruction” (16:23). Precision in teaching reflects wisdom and intentionality, ensuring that communication is purposeful and tailored to meet the needs of those being served. Clear and specific instructions ensure that AI tools generate outputs that align with both pedagogical goals and students’ needs. For example, when crafting reading comprehension exercises for English as a second language (ESL) learners, educators may define linguistic levels and cultural relevance, ensuring inclusivity and resonance across diverse contexts. This precision enhances contextual alignment and content intent, supporting the relevance and utility of AI-­generated materials.

Adaptability highlights the dynamic nature of teaching and the necessity of flexibility when working with AI. In 1 Corinthians, Paul’s ministry serves as an example of adaptability, as he adjusts his approach to connect with diverse audiences (9:22). Similarly, educators can refine AI-­generated outputs to reflect faith-­based values, incorporate reflective questions, and tailor learning experiences to the unique needs of their students, ensuring that the integration of AI aligns with spiritual and educational goals.

Reinforcement builds on previous interactions, enabling teachers to scaffold learning through iterations and refinements. Educators can layer prompts and feedback to improve the quality and depth of AI outputs over time. For example, a general project outline can evolve into a detailed thematic plan with repeated AI-­guided refinements, ultimately enhancing student engagement and comprehension. This principle mirrors the biblical call to perseverance in doing good, as seen in Galatians: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (6:9). Just as persistence yields fruitful results in faith and Christian Educators Journal

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Jesus taught through parables, making profound truths accessible and meeting people where they were, ensuring that his teachings resonated with all listeners.

Educators can refine AI-­generated outputs to reflect faith-­based values, incorporate reflective questions, and tailor learning experiences to the unique needs of their students.

By modeling responsible technology use, teachers empower students to engage critically and thoughtfully with AI, fostering discernment and integrity in the learning process.

character, consistent refinement in teaching and learning ensures deeper understanding and sustained growth for students.

Knowledge, in Proverbs, reflects the biblical view that true wisdom begins with reverence for God (1:7) and an understanding that without God we are merely fools despising wisdom and instruction. For educators, this principle calls for ongoing professional growth and a commitment to understanding the capabilities, limitations, and ethical dimensions of AI. By modeling responsible technology use, teachers empower students to engage critically and thoughtfully with AI, fostering discernment and integrity in the learning process.

When contextualizing each element of the SPARK framework through biblical principles, educators can navigate the integration of AI into education with confidence, ensuring that technology enhances rather than diminishes the relational, ethical, and spiritual dimensions of learning.

What Is Next for Education?

The future of learning is exciting but uncertain. As AI evolves, education must adapt accordingly. Traditional classrooms using e-­textbooks with courseware can provide personalized, dynamic experiences, such as virtual labs, real-­time simulations, and adaptive AI tutors. With well-­thought-­ through guardrails like the SPARK framework, AI can wholesomely improve accessibility and affordability and promote global equity in education. However, ethics and human values must remain central, ensuring that AI enhances learning without replacing the Christ-­centered relationships and connections that make education truly meaningful. Education must emphasize the application of knowledge to serve others and glorify God, while fostering skills for the future.

Works Cited Leung, Kevin. “How Retrieval Practice Improves Learning: The Impact of Frequent Low-­Stakes Assessments.” TopHat, tophat.com/wp-­content/ uploads/Summary-­of-­Foundational-­Research.pdf. Accessed 30 January 2025.

Palmer, Parker J. The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life. Jossey-­Bass, 2007.

Roediger, Henry R., et al. “Test-­Enhanced Learning in the Classroom: Long-­Term Improvements from Quizzing.” Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, vol. 17, no. 4, 2011, pp. 382–95, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/22082095/.

Schonewille, Matthew. ChatGPT for Educators: Crafting Authentic Assessments with ChatGPT. TWC, 2023.

———. The Spark Framework: Future Proofing Yourself with an AI Mindset. TWC, 2025.

Spencer, R., et al. “Exploring Top Hat’s Impact on Undergraduate Students’ Belongingness, Engagement, and Self-­Confidence: A Mixed Methods Study.” Journal of Research on Technology in Education, vol. 52, no. 2, 2020, pp. 197–215, doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2020.1722977.

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Walter, Yoshija. “Embracing the Future of Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom: The Relevance of AI Literacy, Prompt Engineering, and Critical Thinking in Modern Education.” International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, vol. 21, no. 15, 2024, doi.org/10.1186/ s41239-­024-­00448-­3.

Lisa Devall-­Martin serves as an assistant professor in the School of Education at Redeemer University and has over two decades of experience as an Ontario public school teacher and administrator. With a doctorate in Entrepreneurial Leadership in Education from Johns Hopkins University, she equips pre-­service teachers to be effective, reflective, and Christ-­centered professional educators. As president of Education-­4-­Change, she champions poverty alleviation through education for girls and youth in Ethiopia. Most importantly, Lisa is devoted to the vital power of curating a contemplative Christ-­centred life amid the demands and distractions of professional living.

Matthew Schonewille, assistant professor in Redeemer University’s School of Business, integrates AI into education, bridging academia and technology. With research involving 30,000+ prompts and 5,000 conversations, he empowers educators globally, reflecting a commitment to modernize teaching for the digital age. Creator of Case-­spiration, a newsletter on AI-­driven case writing, he also consults organizations on AI strategies, while fostering innovation and creativity in education.

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Future Issues

October 2025—Movies Students and teachers everywhere love a good movie day.

Students likely see watching a film as a special treat or a reward, while every honest teacher will admit that showing a movie is often just a lesson plan for a day when we need a break! But films, of course, can be valuable teaching tools. What movies (fictional or factual!) do you show every year to improve your students’ understanding of a topic? What film adaptations of novels are totally worth it? How do you help students to learn and use discernment when selecting films or TV shows to watch on their own? What films have you found that help students wrestle with their faith?

On the creation side, what projects do you assign where students use video to show their knowledge? Does your school have video production or film studies courses?

Do you show movies after school hours and invite families for a fun night out? Or on a personal note, what are some of your favorite movies about teaching? In this issue, share your best lessons, projects, and events that incorporate film.

Proposals due June 23, 2025 (informal—just send us an email explaining your idea). Articles due July 21, 2025.

December 2025—The Analog Issue Whether you’ve been teaching for five years or twenty-five, you have seen the ways that new technologies have transformed your own teaching and the education system as a whole. From the wonder of a simple word processor or an electronic grade book to the incredible things students can now do with Canva or virtual reality headsets, technology has certainly benefited teachers and students. But have we thrown the baby out with the bathwater? What “analog” practices do you still rely on in your classroom? When is doing something on a computer actually worse? Are there technology tools you’ve abandoned? What are your favorite lesson plans that don’t involve a single screen or iPad or website? How does your school deal with the ubiquity of cell phones? Maybe you’ll compare and contrast a low-tech and a high-tech way you’ve taught a lesson or write a narrative-style reflection on the way technology has changed education during your career. In this issue, feel free to write about anything you consider analog or old-fashioned—even if it does involve a little bit of technology.

Proposals due August 25, 2025 (informal—just send us an email explaining your idea).

Articles due September 22, 2025.

February 2026—Money Scripture has a lot to say about money. There are Proverbs encouraging generosity or caution with money, many biblical stories serve as examples of what not to do with money, and Jesus speaks at length about how we as his followers should be using the financial blessings we’re given, be they big or small.

And while some of us think of it as a necessary evil, money is also a vital piece of our Christian Educators Journal

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world that offers great potential for doing good in God’s world. In this issue, we’d like to hear about the ways you’re teaching students about money or how your school approaches various financial matters. What are your best lesson plans for teaching elementary students the basics? How does your high school’s social studies or family and consumer sciences department teach economics, budgeting, or investing? Does your school have any businesses that are planned and run by students? Beyond the classroom and curriculum, what fundraisers have been successful in your building?

What scholarships, church support, variable tuition, or other discounts does your school offer to help families with tuition? We’re looking for articles on Christian ways of teaching about and using the monetary blessings we’re given.

Proposals due October 20, 2025 (informal—just send us an email explaining your idea).

Articles due November 17, 2025.

April 2026—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). Articles may focus on one text or may be written in a list style featuring multiple texts around a particular theme.

Proposals due December 15, 2025 (informal—just send us an email explaining your idea).

Articles due January 19, 2026..