The Dock School Leader Podcast

We’re beginning a segment of episodes exploring specific topics in the domain of academics. In today’s episode, history teacher Michael Martin explores the foundations of why we include history in our curriculum. We rely on history, which for Michael includes divine revelation, to answer the following questions: 

• Who are we? 

• Where we are going? 

• What we are doing? 

• What we could become? 

Our history teachers wield great power, or at least they could. Michael makes the case that we must access this power for the sacred work of shaping the worldviews of our children. He leaves us with something of a commission for evaluating our history curriculum.  

• How do we know our history teaching is working? When our children choose to suffer with the people of God rather than enjoying the pleasures of sins for a season.  

• How do we measure success in history teaching? When our children see God as the center of history. 

Links 

• This presentation was initially published as "Why Teach History?" at https://thedockforlearning.org/lecture/why-teach-history/   

• Other presentations from CASBI 2019: https://thedockforlearning.org/series/christian-school-administration-institute-2019/   

• Find more resources that support teaching and learning at https://thedockforlearning.org/. 

If there is no such thing as a culture-less school, then the question becomes: what is my school’s culture? Is it what you want? And just as importantly, what are you doing to either build it or change it? In this episode, Anthony Hurst brings several decades of experience as a teacher and administrator to the question about how to cultivate the kind of culture that produces the fruit for which we hope. You will be challenged to be clear and specific, even painfully so, about what you need to do to realize your vision. 

Links 

• Evaluating Seven Elements of Your Home’s Influence, CASBI 2018, Gerald Miller https://thedockforlearning.org/lecture/evaluating-seven-elements-of-your-homes-influence/  

• This presentation was initially published as "Cultivating a Healthy School Culture" at https://thedockforlearning.org/lecture/cultivating-a-healthy-school-culture/  

• Other presentations from CASBI 2018: https://thedockforlearning.org/series/casbi/casbi-2018/  

• Find more resources that support teaching and learning at https://thedockforlearning.org/. 

In this episode, Gary Miller asks us to take a careful look at our target. We are all aiming at something. Our schools have a target in focus and so does each one of our students. At best, functional and ideal targets are misaligned. At worst, careful targeting is ignored in the press of responding to whatever is most urgent. 

Gary Miller brings deep experience in finance and education. In 2011 he authored the book Charting a Course in Your Youth where he tried to leverage this experience to equip young people to focus early on the right things, particularly in finances. Unified focus on the right target is vital for kingdom building. In this talk in 2013, Gary offers clarifying insight about the difference between the apparatus involved in hitting targets and the step of selecting a target in the first place. He also offers wisdom about identifying the key target and homing in on it.  

Links

• Charting a Course in Your Youth: https://cambooks.org/shop/cam-published-books/resources/kingdom-focused-finances/charting-a-course-in-your-youth/ 

Find more resources that support teaching and learning at https://thedockforlearning.org/.

Kyler and Jaran introduce The Dock School Leader Podcast, talks to inspire and equip Anabaptist school leaders.

Find more resources that support teaching and learning at https://thedockforlearning.org/.