RenewCast

Paul Matthews joins our show to talk about his new book, A Time to Lead, his software to help teachers us A.I. to improve their practice (MyTeacherAide), and how teachers can develop a posture that enables them to embrace changes which helps them become better teachers. Even though the bulk of our conversation connect revolves around the topic of A.I., the main goal is helping teachers fulfill the great commission by more faithfully fulfilling their roles (without fear) so that our students can thrive. Paul is a wonderful resource for today's Christian school teachers, and it is our great joy to celebrate and recommend the great work he's doing. Find out more about his books and resources below.

Every healthy school has a culture of faculty growth, where the school provides and encourages opportunities for teachers to grow in their philosophy and practice. And, these programs are often most effective when they're dependent upon internal leadership, rather than upon external programs. Even more healthy is a culture that nurtures growth in such a way that it's organically ongoing, because it's part of the habits, rhythms, and rituals of the school. Host Noah Brink offers two practical models to nurture a culture of regular reflection improvement among teachers and discusses a theological foundation for why schools should always be committed to professional development.

Brother Lawrence's Classic work *The Practice of the Presence of God* provides a helpful, practical starting point for beginning to experience the presence of God. And, this is something we need if we're going to see any progress in the area of Spiritual Formation, which has to be one of the greatest priorities in the life of the Christian School.

Host Noah Brink discusses what it could look like for the Christian school or individual Christian school teacher to begin to use this teaching from Brother Lawrence and how to begin to put these into the habits and rhythms of the school and/or classroom.

Luke 15's parable of the two brothers (often referred to as the Parable of the Prodigal Son) has profound lessons for all Christians - but especially for those of us who work with Kids.

Host Noah Brink discusses how this parable can help us think about our students and children in light of both brothers and the response of the Father. We aren't merely trying to nurture students toward conformity, but we want to see lasting change. That's central to Spiritual Formation, which is central to the mission of Christian education

Schools as Communities and Building a Better School

Sometimes, it's hard to make it through an entire book and find the Most poignant, practical nuggets to take away. But, both of these books are anthologies or compilations of essays and articles to provide Christian School with helpful resources on a wide variety of topics, ranging from school culture and philosophy to finance and governance. Because they are both compiled from essays written by experts in specific, both books provide easy to digest wisdom for the various dimensions of Christian school leadership.

Schools as Communities: https://a.co/d/4Bt19cu

A Conversation with Bible Teacher, Mark Brink

Join us for a reflective conversation with Mark Brink, 12th-grade Bible Teacher at Evangelical Christian School in Memphis, TN. Over his forty-nine years of teacher more than 5,000 high school students (most of them seniors), Mr. Brink’s life and career were marked by an unmistakable commitment to the gospel of Jesus. Our conversation ranged from topics about curriculum (both for his class, but also for an entire Bible department) and the importance of a clear philosophy to the relationship between academics and faith formation.

More than anything else, Mr. Brink’s faithfulness to the supremacy of the gospel and to his students is unmistakeable in our conversation, and that is the legacy that we hope can shape future Bible teachers for years to come.

The best teachers are storytellers. Students need stories; it's how they best connect with the things they're learning. It's part of the reason why Jesus often chose to teach through stories. As a result, teachers need to see themselves as storytellers, and work to get better at seeing their task specifically through the lens of telling stories.

Regardless of the grades we teach and Even if the words themselves don't show up in our regular practice, Christian teachers must be aware of the worldviews competing not only for our students' attention, but for our own as well. This not only helps us better connect with and shepherd our students, but it also helps us to properly diagnose inconsistencies in our own practice so we can be more aligned with foundational Christian commitments.

Good teachers are Storytellers; it's part of what helps to the students - not just to their minds, but to who they are as persons. So, if we work with kids in any capacity (from birth through teenage years), it's important for us to read stories, so our own capacities to become lovers and tellers of stories are improved. Yes, it's good to read stories written on adult levels, but it's also good for us to read children's and young adult stories, because not only do they help us connect with the things they are reading, but sometimes the simplicity of these stories helps us to connect with the simplest and greatest of truths.

Christian Schools' World Language departments are often the most overlooked when it comes to developing a framework for teaching Christianly. But, our philosophy of Christian education must be as well developed and implemented there as with any other part of the School. In fact, the World Languages Department has advantages that other departments don't.

#biblicalworldview #christianeducation #christianworldview #christianschool #christianteacher #noahbrink