Author Archives: MLC

Headship and Submission: Timeless Principles, Challenging Applications

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Written by Dr. Kristi Meyer

“Laura summoned all her courage and said, ‘Almanzo, I must ask you something. Do you want me to promise to obey you?. . . Even if I tried, I do not think I could obey anybody against my better judgment.’“

Growing up, I couldn’t get enough of Laura Ingalls Wilder. I loved her strength, courage, and independence—an independence that refused to say “obey” in her wedding vows. But does her attitude align with God’s Word? And how can we communicate the nuanced and potentially offensive subject of the roles of men and women to the next generation of WELS members? Continue reading →

The Need for Research and Writing in History Class

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Written by Professor Peter Baganz

Before teaching at MLC, I taught history for 19 years at one of our area Lutheran high schools. Every student in every one of my history classes wrote a major research paper each year in addition to writing shorter papers and doing other projects. Why did I subject myself to all that correcting? Because research writing is such a vital component of “doing” history. Continue reading →

Flexible Tuition: A Solution for Struggling Congregations

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Written by Bill Fuerstenau

The Problem
Many WELS congregations that support elementary schools are struggling. Membership in our churches is shrinking, and with that, financial support as well. When this happens, church leadership must choose where to use their limited financial resources to remain good stewards of their financial blessings from God. For smaller churches, this restricts the programs and services they can provide to their members if they are also to maintain a fully staffed, effective school. Continue reading →

Why Bother Teaching History?

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Written by Professor Peter Baganz

In the 5th century BC, the ancient Greek Olympics not only featured athletic competitions, but Herodotus, often considered the first historian, read his Histories aloud to a great crowd of people. In 1893, the Chicago World’s Fair not only featured the marvels of technology for that time, but Frederick Jackson Turner presented his famous “Frontier Thesis.” When I mention these famous historians, I tell my students that they had the greatest gig ever, to have crowds gather to hear them talk about history. Then after pausing, I point out, “Wait, that’s what I get to do, to spend each day talking with you about history. I have the greatest gig ever!”[1] Continue reading →

Is Everyone in Your School on the Same Page?

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Written by Dr. John Meyer

Is everyone in your school on the same page when it comes to what effective teaching looks like? I recently spoke with two teachers who were frustrated by their principals’ feedback after a classroom observation.

In one case, the principal had complimented the teacher on his enthusiasm and nicely organized lesson, but suggested the teacher should plan better lesson introductions. The teacher felt like the discussion focused on things that were not very important to student learning. In the other case, the principal left a completed checklist in his teacher mailbox of things observed during the lesson without any written or verbal feedback. Continue reading →

Creating Expert Learners in Our WELS Classrooms

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Written by Dr. Kari Muente

It is a challenging time to be a teacher. As our WELS classrooms are becoming more academically, culturally, and linguistically diverse, tension is rising between curriculum and instruction. Federal and state mandates are requiring students to pass tests, which leads to a more fact-based curriculum, while 21st-century learning encourages the engagement of students in more critical thinking skills.

As our classrooms become more diverse, students are challenging the traditional instructional design framework with their various backgrounds, cultures, and learning abilities. Diversity of learners, or the exceptional learners, require teachers to engage in more inclusive instruction and practices. Teachers struggle and even feel inadequately equipped in designing and delivering inclusive instruction to engage and train all their students to become expert learners (De La Paz, 2005; Minarik & Lintner, 2016). Inclusive instructional practices require not only close teacher involvement but instructional support for all learners. Continue reading →

If You Build It, They Will Learn

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Written by Professor Alan E. Uher

Defining Background Knowledge
In order for learners to learn, they need to have something—knowledge, experience, or a combination of both—to which they can connect new learning. Researchers refer to this something as background knowledge, pre-existing knowledge, or prior knowledge. Marzano (2004) claimed, “What students already know about the content is one of the strongest indicators of how well they will learn new information relative to the content.” As educators muse over myriad decisions to plan and present meaningful lessons, they must avow to activate student background knowledge to ensure student learning. Continue reading →

Welcoming Your New Teachers

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Written by Professor Jonathan Schaefer

WELS schools all over the country are receiving new teachers on their faculties. These teachers are well trained and enthusiastic.

During their first year on a faculty, they have several questions, one of which is, “What am I teaching?” That question includes things like curriculum, procedures, and ways the school operates.

Another question involves, “How am I going to teach? How do I bring my own style to get to know and engage my new students?” Continue reading →

Foster Teacher Collaboration with Micro-Credentials

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Written by Dr. John Meyer

What are the teachers at your school talking about? Schools where teachers talk positively about ways to improve teaching and learning are more successful than those that complain about students and parents (Ronfeldt, Owens Farmer, McQueen, & Grissom, 2015; Gruenert, 2005). Principals and teachers can use micro-credentials as a tool to create the kind of positive, professional collaboration that improves student achievement (Crow & Pipkin, 2017).

Micro-Credentials: Formal Recognition for Informal Learning
Earning Micro-Credentials is a way that teachers can receive formal recognition for skills learned informally. After all, teachers are constantly reflecting on and improving their practice. They experiment with new approaches learned through books, articles, inservices, and conferences. These new skills become effective teaching strategies in a teacher’s toolbox. But such competencies don’t show up in credits or clock hours. Micro-credentials give teachers a way to receive formal recognition for their skills from a respected institution, including colleges like the University of Wisconsin, MIT, Penn State, and Martin Luther College. Continue reading →

21st-Century Skill Development

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Written by Matthew Moeller

21st-Century Education
The fundamental issue is not of new versus old education nor of progressive against traditional education but a question of what, if anything whatever, must be worthy of the name Education. John Dewey, 1897 (Nutbrown & Clough, 2014)

Are the educational activities that we design for our students worthy of the name education? Are we preparing our students for success as employees and citizens in the 21st century? Reflecting on these questions and determining what needs to be changed in our classrooms and schools can be uncomfortable, messy, exhausting, and complicated, but it is a tragedy to prepare students for a future that doesn’t exist. Continue reading →