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| Bulletin 18 | May 5, 2021
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Hi Peter,
I’m currently in your classroom 147 proctoring the ACT exams. I have basically been walking circles around your classroom all morning. I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the posters around your room that recognize the blessings and curses of US History and encourages coming alongside Jesus in restorative work. As a black Christian woman who struggles with what is being taught to my children at school (particularly in history) and is passionate about telling/learning the truth about our collective history and responding in understanding, compassion, self-reflection, and action, . . . I just wanted you to know that these visuals alone encouraged me and could go a long way in making students of all different cultures, backgrounds and experiences feel that they are seen and that they belong.
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Of course, many of these “posters around the room” were part of Peter’s doc panels. For many TfT teachers across the network, this year has involved deepening skills around the practice of doc panels. Wherever you are in both your mindset (conviction) and skillset regarding doc panels, I hope you find this doc panel impact story inspiring as you invite yourself, students, and your community to “See the Story” through this TfT practice. The walls of your classroom implicitly and explicitly shape the imagination and desires of all learners.
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Save the Date! TfT Instructional Coaching Intensive Is Back!
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We are grateful that, after going 100% virtual this year, we are returning to an in-person Instructional Coaching Intensive on Nov. 18 and 19 at Grace Community School in Tyler, Texas. SAVE THE DATES! Imagine how you can either begin or continue to nurture the practice of instructional coaching within your school. We will also host a pre-conference day on Nov 17 when we will introduce and provide training for a new TfT lesson design tool that is currently being piloted across the TfT network. More details and registration links will come in the next TfT Bulletin.
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TfT Masterclasses: A New Initiative for Professional Development
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We are excited to launch our TfT Masterclasses—a facilitated opportunity for teachers to come together in a concentrated timeframe for the purpose of creating their TfT implementation plan for the next school year. In addition to leaving with a TfT plan, your sessions will be facilitated by an experienced TfT teacher within your curricular and/or grade level. You will also form a professional network with TfT teachers beyond your school walls who specialize in the same areas of teaching responsibility. The deadline to register is May 28. Masterclass information and registration links can be found here. Please contact me (Darryl DeBoer) with any questions.
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Practicing Faith Survey: Assessing Our Impact on Faith Formation
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CACE is excited to launch the Practicing Faith Survey (PFS), a tool that aims to help faith-based schools assess their impact on students’ faith formation. PFS was developed jointly by the educational research organization Cardus and the Kuyer’s Institute for Faith and Learning at Calvin University. Schools are encouraged to use the PFS as a benchmarking tool with students in their faith journey. A website has been developed to provide support tools for survey implementation. As an encouragement to our network, TfT schools have access to the survey at a 50% discount. Use code PFS4TfT at the checkout to redeem this offer. Learn more about the PFS from this recent CACE blogpost or by contacting CACE Senior Fellows Dan Beerens or Steven Levy.
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Teaching for Transformation Graduate Course: Dordt University
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After a highly successful launch year, we are pleased to announce that Dordt University will again offer a graduate-level course in Teaching for Transformation. This course closely follows the learning plans of the eight-day TfT implementation schedule and is designed for teachers or administrators that are new(ish) to a TfT school or for veteran TfT teachers desiring to sharpen their design skills while earning credit. Based on feedback from our TfT network, next year’s course can be taken either for three graduate credits or for licensure renewal credits. As before, this course is offered to the TfT network at 50% of the regular tuition rate for Dordt’s graduate courses. Further information, including registration links, can be found here.
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Grandparents/Special Friends Day: Sioux Center Christian School
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“Grandpa, how have you had to trust God throughout your life?” a fourth grader asks as she conducts an interview on Grandparents/Special Friends Day. Grandpa’s response informs her class’s deep hope: to “trust God, see Him in everything, and follow Him where He leads us.” Guests to Sioux Center Christian School were invited to “See the Story” of student learning as they viewed document panels, heard Deep Hopes, explored Storylines, and chatted with the children about how their learning empowered them to “Live the Story.”
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AP Environmental Science: Ripon Christian School
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With the earth’s residents nearing 8 billion people, good stewardship of its resources is a necessity. While studying population growth with her AP environmental science students, Kayla Kootstra of Ripon Christian High School posed the question, “What problems are created because of population growth?” One obvious issue is food production and distribution. The students were then challenged to develop and share an improvement plan for a local foodbank in recognition of their roles as Christian stewards in a broken creation. What a great way for these students to live into their Storyline of Know, Explore, Restore as they lived into the class’s Deep Hope: [B]y learning about creation, we can grow in our understanding and appreciation for who God is, recognize the beauty and brokenness that exists, and join Christ as instruments of renewal in our relationship with all creation.
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Connecting English Language Arts and Science: Manhattan Christian
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As an annual practice, Manhattan Christian Secondary English teacher Kim Adams coordinates with the science department to do a research project.This year it was focused on genetics and the exploration of the Throughline Image Reflecting. To set the scene for the genetics research, students read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Students considered to what extent Frankenstein and other characters embodied Image Reflecting. Students continued to connect to this Throughline in their research and classroom presentation. Kim shares the design of this unit, including a couple student presentation examples, in her TfT slideshow.
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