Moments of Learning in Mathematics

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Written by Dr. James Carlovsky

Important moments of learning do occur in a classroom. For many classroom teachers, these moments can be difficult to describe. “Skilled teachers often recognize when important mathematical moments occur during a lesson” (Leatham et al., 2015, p. 88). This article intends to shed light on these important moments of learning on behalf of the classroom students and their teachers.

Pedagogical Moves
So, what does a teacher do? These classroom student moments of learning often can lead to a classroom teacher action, also known as a pedagogical move (Jacobs et al., 2010). These moments of learning may lead a classroom teacher to ask a specific question, to revise a portion of a lesson, to refine what a classroom student has expressed, or even to test a classroom student in a formal or informal way (Lesh et al., 2003) So, what do teachers do in the process of student learning? Sherin suggested that “emphasis on understanding the ideas that students offer is one of the hallmarks of mathematics education”(2001, p. 84). A teacher should keep a focus on the student and their thought process. Continue reading →

Building Relationships Through Active Technology

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Written by Professor Rachel Feld

Picture a child using technology. What do you see? Is it a grade-schooler in a restaurant, glued to a screen instead of talking to their family? Or maybe a baby in their bouncy seat complete with a tablet holder? (Really, this was an actual product—although it doesn’t seem to be available anymore.) These pictures all come to mind for me too. The negative effects of technology on our children seem to be everywhere.

But I like to focus on a picture from my own childhood. I’m with my dad in his office, playing a game on his lap or learning about the new gadget or program he brought home from work. These are some of my favorite childhood memories, and they’re a big reason why I’m involved in technology to this day.

What’s the difference between these pictures? Why does the first picture make me cringe while the other gives me warm fuzzy feelings? While there are many factors that separate these different technology uses, one of the biggest factors is how the technology is being used and, more specifically, whether that use is active or passive. Continue reading →

Cultural Responsiveness in Christian Education – Part 2

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Part 2 – Cultural Responsiveness in Schools

Written by Benjamin Clemons

This article is part 2 of a 2-part series. As WELS schools experience growing diversity in their enrollments through either active outreach or demographic shifts, they will need to examine the ways in which culture influences teaching and policy. In part 2 we will consider the impact of culture in schools.

Recognizing the Influence of Culture
A school’s operation consists of more than the policy written in the handbook, and classroom instruction involves much more than the lessons printed in the textbooks. We design school policy and instructional practice based on multiple factors. In WELS schools, we begin with the purpose of Christian education, often explicating foundational principles and explaining how the school serves the mission of the congregation and the work of the kingdom. We also consider pedagogically sound practices, the faculty’s composition and gifts, and the resources available.

We produce school handbooks and curriculum guides to spell out much of our rationale, but there are often unwritten rules based on common assumptions or beliefs. For example, traditionally, schools held parent/teacher conferences in the afternoon and evening based on the often reasonable and accurate assumption that most of their parents work one job during the day. In a school serving primarily middle-class two-parent families, this model probably causes little conflict. However, as more parents work multiple jobs or work in the afternoon and evening hours, and as our schools encounter more single-parent families, this assumption no longer holds. Continue reading →

Cultural Responsiveness in Christian Education – Part 1

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Part 1 – Examining Culture

Written by Benjamin Clemons

This article is part 1 of a 2-part series exploring cultural responsiveness in Christian education. As WELS schools experience growing diversity in their enrollments through either active outreach or demographic shifts, they will need to examine the ways in which culture influences teaching and policy. In part 1 we will begin by looking at culture and its impact.

There is a growing call for culturally responsive teaching practice in public schools (Linton-Howard, 2017; Saphier, 2016). What does this entail, and is it appropriate for WELS schools? I believe that it is beneficial for Lutheran schools to consider the cultures of students and their families in determining teaching practice and school policy. Doing this well requires a careful balance between the necessity for common points of understanding and the biblical encouragement to be all things to all people (1 Cor. 9:10-23). Continue reading →

Sustaining Compassion in Education, Part 2

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Written by Kelli L. Green

In part 1 of this series, we discussed the stress that teachers are under during these difficult times and how important it is to show compassion to those they serve.

Masks. Quarantine. Isolation. Distance learning. Discrimination. Riots. Political divides. We live in a challenging time. Education and everything we have known about it has changed over the past year. Reaching our students through a mask, a computer screen, or even through alarmed brain states have been our new reality. When faced with adversity, we need to step back and understand our own behavior. When we understand ourselves, it makes us more capable of understanding our students’ behavior. Continue reading →

Sustaining Compassion in Education, Part 1

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A Lutheran Educator’s Reflection on 2020

Written by Kelli L. Green

Why has teaching become so stressful? Am I trusting God enough? These are questions you may be asking yourself. Here’s my reflection.

Remembering Why.
Last month, as I opened a Special Education Task Force meeting, we took a moment to share how God called us into the teaching ministry. Over Zoom we took turns sharing our “Why.”

Some mentioned external factors, and others mentioned internal factors used by the Holy Spirit to guide them into education and to Martin Luther College, formerly known as Dr. Martin Luther College, as preparation. Thinking back on the original reasons for entering the teaching ministry, I became overwhelmingly aware that the purpose had evolved over time. Continue reading →

Six Top Anxiety Management Strategies

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Written by Dr. Jennifer Londgren

Lutheran teachers, you have a lot on your plates right now. Whether it is managing the educational needs of your own children or the stress and anxiety of students, parents, and congregation members in your care, dealing with those things along with your own personal emotional reactions can feel like too much. Developing outlets and ways to cope is essential. I believe that Christians who develop strategies to take care of themselves are better able to serve others.

Taking care of ourselves is not something we should “get around to doing at some point.” It is necessary for our health and wellbeing. As a Christian, university professor, mental health clinician, wife, and mother of three, I understand how important it is to create harmony between my roles. I have a set of self-care strategies and tools that I apply to myself and teach to my students, clients, interns, and even my friends. Continue reading →

Digital Strategies for the Multi-Grade Classroom

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Written by Alan Uher

Stressing over distance learning? Is the imminence of a pivot to distance learning getting you down? Struggling with meeting the needs of students who are not present while others are? A team of MLC educators presented ideas for online learning in June 2020 to encourage WELS teachers to embrace distance learning, unmask its blessings, and utilize existing technology resources to serve students who cannot be in our classrooms.

Having had the privilege of visiting nearly 100 MLC teacher candidates in over five dozen WELS elementary classrooms, I have gleaned ideas and current web resources, teaching tools, and assessment strategies that may assist you in delivering quality instruction in less-than-quality circumstances. Continue reading →

How Educators Can Help Children Build Resilience

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Written by Dr. Ashley Schoof

We hear a lot today about resilience and its importance in coping with the prolonged stress of COVID-19. What exactly is resilience? And how can educators help encourage its development in children?

Resilience is the determination, grit, and perseverance to tackle problems and cope with the challenges of school and life. That’s the psychological and emotional definition. Spiritually speaking, we can think of resilience the way the apostle Paul described it in Philippians 4:6-9:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Continue reading →

Quarantine Kids

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Written by Jason Schmidt

Coronavirus is here to stay, and we now need to move past crisis education and into utilizing our available resources to meet our students’ needs. Utilizing technology appropriately in a classroom is no longer optional since it has become an essential tool for connecting students with their classrooms—especially when students are in quarantine or isolation for days at a time.

Video conferencing tools like Google Meet and Zoom have been used to help give students an opportunity to participate in class even though they may be in isolation or quarantine. The following tips will help teachers make this experience beneficial for students both in school and out of school. Continue reading →