Webinar: Teaching International Students with Greg Baker

Kelly Tuten, Curriculum and Instruction Coordinator for Virginia Academy will be presenting to us today how to build a classroom community that lasts. Kelly has 11 years of classroom experience and is now applying her Master's in Curriculum and Instruction to her Instructional Leadership role there at Virginia Academy.

And her dream is to coach others in adapting and aligning Christian curriculum frameworks within the relevant pedagogy in the current educational landscape.

What commonalities exist for those students who not only navigate young adulthood well, but thrive? Learn the intellectual challenges most prevalent on college campuses, how the Christian worldview shines in response, and which practices help the most.

Kent Ezell, founder of Faith Journey, joins the Teacher’s Lounge to discuss the value of portfolios to faith-based education, provide an overview of the Faith Journey approach, and to discuss the recent partnership formed with Curriculum Trak.

Justin Ariel Bailey works at the intersection of Christian theology, culture, and ministry. Having served as a pastor in a number of diverse settings, his work as a professor explores the ways that culture shapes the practice of Christian faith, as well as the ways that that Christian faith enables culture care. His written work has appeared in Christianity Today, The Banner, Fare Forward, and the Reformed Journal, and he is the author of two books: Reimagining Apologetics and Interpreting Your World. He is the host of the In All Things podcast.

Books:

Reimaging Apologetics:The Beauty of Faith In a Secular Age by Justin Bailey

Discipline That Connects With Your Child’s Heart by Jim and Lynne Jackson

Interpreting Your World: Five Lenses for Engaging Theology by Justin Bailey

Lifting the Veil: Imagination and the Kingdom of God by Malcolm Guite

Perhaps: Reclaiming the Space Between Doubt and Dogmatism by Joshua McNall

Culture Care: Reconnecting With Beauty for Our Common Life by Makoto Fujimura

Art and Faith: A Theology of Making by Makoto

Imagine: A Vision for Christians in the Arts by Steve Turner

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

Piranesi by Susanna Clark

The Life We’re Looking For: Reclaiming Relationship in a Technological World by Andy Crouch

We will address these FEW ideas that are the essence of teaching. When we attend to feedback, engagement, and wellbeing for each student, we are doing justice. In the session we will address techniques and mindsets for addressing each student - not some or even all. We will also ensure that this work is sustainable for educators as we also need to attend to FEW for ourselves.

Lara Aston, founder and leader of the Book Hook Schoolhouse in Houston, Tx, joins the podcast today to share what I think you will find to be an inspiring story and a aspirational approach to education. Lara’s background is in special education and preschool education. She is also a book lover, homeschool mom, and I think she also finds time to quilt from time to time. We are honored to have her visit the Teacher’s Lounge.

We are joined by C.J. Harris, president of Positive Action for Christ and Roy Faletti, VP of Customer Care for Positive Action. They join The Teacher’s Lounge for two purposes, to talk about Positive Action, a Bible curriculum publisher for churches and schools since 1969 and now shipping their products to over 60 countries around the world, but also because between them, they have several decades of experience in Bible curriculum at Positive Action and other prominent Bible publishers. So, we wanted to ask them to provide a more global look at the role of Bible curriculum in the Christian school more generally as well.

Lynn is well known to the Curriculum Trak community, currently serving as our primary trainer. She originally began using Curriculum Trak over 7 years ago when she adopted it for her own school, Saint Augustine Catholic High School in Tucson, Arizona. Due to a move with her husband's job, she stepped away from the school and was looking for a flexible way to stay engaged with faith based education and ask if there's anything she could do to help us here at Curriculum Trak. And she's been providing remote training for Curriculum Trak schools just about ever since then.

She joins us to talk about another topic near and dear to her heart, meeting the needs of the diverse learners in our classroom and to share a training event that she'll be providing for Curriculum Trak users in March.

Dustin Jizmejian is Director of Conferences and Events at Summit Ministries.  He has an undergraduate degree from Biola University and a Master's degree from Denver Seminary and Regent College in Vancouver Canada.   While his work is operations, he spends much time teaching and mentoring the students who attend Summits two-week confrere and gap program.  Dustin lives in Colorado Springs, with his wife of 15 years Ruthann, and their 5 kids, 2 puppies, 1 cat, and lots of chaos.