Is Good Penmanship Important Today?

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By Arvin Jantz

The answer to the title question is a definite YES. It is as important today as it was in the day when our grandparents learned to write. It seems that good handwriting is a lost art today, but still everybody enjoys good handwriting. Good writing, not too long ago, was a necessary art. Business colleges required it. It has been said that you know a doctor by his writing. But who can read a doctor’s prescriptions unless you are trained to read them? If that saying is true, possibly more should have been doctors instead of teachers. Just why must Johnny be taught to write well? Continue reading →

Encouraging Our Pupils for the Teaching and Preaching Ministry

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Written by Rev. Robert Voss in 1962

We have been provided with the Bread of Life, but unless we provide for those following us, they will die of spiritual starvation. How can we today provide the Bread of Life for the people of tomorrow? Obviously more boys and girls must be encouraged for the most satisfying work in the world. But how can we encourage them? Continue reading →

Is Labeling Your Students for You?

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By: Kimberly Rehbaum

The process of labeling is currently one of the most controversial topics in the field of special education. Should students be labeled with such disabilities as autism, ADHD, IDD, and EBD? According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), in order to receive public government funding for special education, students must have a label. Some educators believe these labels have more disadvantages than benefits, but I am led to believe that labeling leads to accommodations that will enable students to succeed in academics and understand their specific abilities. Continue reading →

Technology Planning for Schools

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By Andrew Willems

Ok. No one person is to blame. It did kind of sneak up on you and your school. I’m talking about this whole technology thing. Filtering. Devices. Wireless. Classroom use or distraction. Money. These are issues all schools are dealing with. You aren’t alone. Whether you’re in a new situation with your congregation or you realize you’re part of the current problem, I have good news for you. There is a way out! Continue reading →

Raising Godly Children In a Godless Culture

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By Kenneth J. Kremer

In a world turned upside-down by revolutionary ideas, the ancient proverb sounds quaint, if not old-fashioned: “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6). The prospect of bringing up future generations of young Christians in a culture hostile to our faith should concern all of God’s people. Continue reading →

Will We Instruct or Indoctrinate?

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By Professor David Sellnow

Mr. Scribner stood in front of his sixth-grade classroom. He had prepared a SMART Board presentation titled, “Major Moments of World War II.” At a touch, he brought up descriptions of what happened at various places on the map.

  • Munich . . . an agreement allowed Hitler to keep parts of Czechoslovakia that he wanted for Germany.
  • Poland . . . German blitzkrieg (“lightning war”) marked the beginning of World War II in Europe.
  • Dunkirk . . . British and French troops escaped when they were losing the battle in France.

A student interrupted with a question:  “Why did the Hitler guy want pieces of Checkerslavka?” Continue reading →

Making Professional Development Count

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By Dr. John Meyer

The kinds of continuing education activities that most Lutheran teachers prefer are the least likely to help them grow in their skills.

Lutheran teachers prefer continuing their education in the summer through one-shot workshops or courses (figures 1 & 2). That’s not surprising since most Lutheran teachers also report having insufficient time (79%) and money (71%) (figure 3) for sustained continuing education during the academic year.

Recent research reveals, however, that one-shot trainings in the summer are the least effective (Darling-Hammond et al., 2009; Gulamhussein, 2013). Continue reading →

Digital Textbooks in WELS Elementary Schools

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by Michael Plocher

If your school is like most WELS elementary schools, you follow some sort of schedule to replace outdated student textbooks. The curriculum has been studied, and now it’s time to make a decision on a new textbook that more closely aligns with the content your school plans to teach. If everything goes according to plan, roughly every eight years you will have replaced the textbooks for each subject taught in your school. Continue reading →

Let’s Not Burn Out Our New Teachers!

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By Jonathan Schaefer

As graduation approaches, Lutheran congregations and their new teachers have different expectations, and these expectations profoundly affect teacher performance and school culture.

Lutheran congregations’ top expectations focus on performance. Schmill (2015) shared that the top three qualities WELS schools look for in their teachers are 3) grounded and growing in teaching skills, 2) Christ-like servant, and 1) grounded and growing in God and his Word. Continue reading →