TfT Bulletin #5 | November 6, 2024

In The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, Archbishop Desmond Tutu offers this blessing:

Dear Child of God, you are loved with a love that nothing can shake, a love that loved you long before you were created, a love that will be there long after everything has disappeared. You are precious, with a preciousness that is totally quite immeasurable. And God wants you to be like God. Filled with life and goodness and laughter—and joy.

The Archbishop’s words are an invitation for us to embrace the type of joy that stems from abiding in God’s love for us. Joy has nothing to do with our circumstances, our goals, or our achievements—it has everything to do with our identity as children of God.

November teaching can be tiring days. I invite you and your students to embrace the blessing that these words intend: joy is birthed from our identify and not our circumstances.

Christian Deeper Learning: Making Creation Integral

If you are heading to the Converge conference in Orlando this February, I invite you to consider attending the pre-conference offering by Christian Schools International (CSI) on Christian Deeper Learning. Partnering with other organizations, Teaching for Transformation will play a role in framing the learning of the day. This gathering will be a great opportunity for learners to both experience TfT as a learner and see how it manifests the ideas of Christian Deeper Learning.

FLEx Cards

I have been encouraged by the amount of communication generated by the inclusion of FLEx cards in the previous TfT Bulletin. Many schools are considering how they can be used to share the learning in their schools with their wider community—including prospective families who are curious about Christian education at their school.

Our elementary example this week comes from the Second Grade team at Sioux Center Christian School. Living into their grade level Deep Hope to identify, imitate, and celebrate Christ’s characteristics together, the second-grade students grew plants to gift to residents at Whispers of Love, Hope, and Joy.

Our secondary story is from Wendell Schaap’s Grade 10 Language Arts class at Avail Academy. The students engaged literature set during World War II and used their developing writing skills to connect to both veterans and the Children’s Peace Memorial in Hiroshima, Japan.

TfT Masterclass Roundup: Elementary FLEx

We continue to highlight work that stems from this summer’s TfT Masterclasses. This Bulletin highlights the Elementary FLEx Masterclass led by Kelly Fish of Eastside Academy.

Using a shared document, participants in this masterclass share how the language and practices of invite, nurture, and empower came alive during a FLEx from their class. This document illustrates stories from six different teachers. We are grateful to the participants for sharing their work via the TfT Bulletin.

Inviting Students into FLEx: The role of Experts as Real People

We continue the series Inviting Students into FLEx created by Elizabeth Benscoter, Instructional Coach at Grace Community and TfT Masterclass facilitator.

One of the core elements of a FLEx is having students engage with real people. This week Elizabeth shares K-12 FLEx examples that were launched using an expert from the community. Elizabeth highlights numerous examples from a wide range of ages, subjects, and experts (Real People).

The TfT Tips Trio

Throughlines are discipleship habits and practices that form the learners and transform God’s world around them.

Living out and practicing a Throughline can be beautiful and powerful, but it is the living out and practicing of Throughlines within the context of The Biblical Story that is truly peculiar. Check out this week’s tips for ideas on how to invite, nurture, and empower learners in their practice of Throughlines as part of God’s Story.

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