The early adopters of St. Cloud Christian recently completed this year’s TfT training and took time to celebrate the work they accomplished together.  As part of their celebration, their TfT School Designer, Peter Welle, invited the early adopters to reflect on their personal and professional growth while also considering the role of Early Adopter in next year’s whole staff TfT journey. And, yes, their early adopter journey involved a diaper-wearing goat.

“I'd say being a TfT early adopter is like discovering a lost (and advanced)civilization and getting to know the citizens personally before returning home to tell your friends—and bring them too.”
- Jimmy Gotta, secondary Bible & English teacher

“I have thoroughly enjoyed learning the skills associated with TfT because it gives the educator the ability to verbalize why we do what we do and TfT invites the students into the process as well. It's no longer, "I know this is important for you to learn," but rather the students start to say and see what the things we are learning are vital to them; not just as students but as active participants in God's Kingdom.”
- Meredith Oistad, 4th grade teacher

“I used to think TfT was going to require me to revamp my entire curriculum and way of teaching - that what I was currently doing was no longer considered best practices so I'd have to start everything over from scratch. I now know that TfT has changed my mindset in how I can best get my students to interact with the material. I now know that getting my students, and myself, to reflect on the material causes us to see the material in a different light. And hopefully interact with science and God in a deeper way.”
- Ashley Magaard, secondary science teacher

“Being on the early adopter team gives me the opportunity to discover a deeper way of meeting the learning needs of the whole child before my team of teachers. The realization that I get to lead the way in this framework of teaching is exciting!”
- Mackenzie Hansen, principal of St. Cloud Christian School

“Being a TfT early adopter is like holding a magnifying glass up to my deep hope, having no idea where it is going to lead, and then observing the transformation of my students through their reflection and relationship with their life-long Savior.”
- Jennie Hamre, kindergarten teacher

“Being a TfT early adopter is like being on the ‘dream team’ of developing a great thing. It’s not like designing the office space, it’s more like designing the building and inviting everyone in to fill it.”
- Holly Madison, secondary art, drama, and yearbook teacher