By Bob Holmes
Dr. James Whitaker had an important question to share with his colleagues in the education profession. Not a question about them. But a question about their students. Especially those students who are a challenge in the classroom.
Whitaker was speaking to nearly l00 primary and secondary school educators, mostly from Christian schools in the Carolinas, who gathered for the annual Distinctive Teaching and Learning Conference hosted by the Columbia International University College of Education with the theme, “Discipling the Next Generation.”
Who is the Student Becoming?
Whitaker, the program director of the CIU Sport Management major, asked the educators to think about a student who may give them some trouble in the classroom and ask a question that has shaped him as a teacher, a coach and a father:
“Who is this person becoming? Not what grade will they earn, not will they make the team, not will they pass the test? Who is this person becoming?”
Looking at examples of how Jesus interacted with various people from the Apostle Peter to blind Bartimaeus to Zacheus the tax collector, Whitaker then had the educators break into groups to discuss another question:
“How did Jesus help ordinary people become extraordinary followers of God?”
That exercise resonated with conference attendee Chelsea Skinner, an art and library teacher at Conway Christian School in Conway, South Carolina.
“I just hope I can be an impact on their life, to shape their life,” Skinner said of her students. “I believe that I’ll be able to do that, (as I) keep praying over them.”
Pray for Students by Name
Prayer was the topic by another keynote speaker, CIU alumnus Dr. Ben Porter, who serves as CIU Vice President of Education and is head of school at Ben Lippen, CIU’s Pre-K to 12th grade college preparatory Christian school.
He said one of the best things educators can do for their students is to pray for them by name and about their challenges and struggles.
“Know them well enough to know how to pray for them,” Porter said. “When I pray for people … I’ve found myself to grow in patience and understanding of them.”
Wired for Learning
The event included several breakout sessions, some led by CIU Education professors. One of the most popular was titled, “How God Wires Our Brains for Learning” led by Dr. Dell Brabham. She emphasized that with the advent of social media, traditional sit still and listen approaches to classroom learning don’t work.
“The attention span is just not there,” said Brabham, adding, “Human interaction is so critical. You have to be very creative. You have to be proactive. You have to be flexible. We’re not just teaching a lesson. We’re teaching children.”
Educators Like to Interact Too
CIU Education Professor Dr. Debbie Moore organized the event, knowing that as a new school year approaches, educators need an interactive boost.
“They enjoy getting together and talking to one another,” Moore said. “Our sessions engage the participants, so not only do they come and hear a lecture, but they gain skills, talk and interact.”
(Above: Dr. Dell Brabham shares “How God Wires Our Brains for Learning.” Photo by Jonathan McGaha)
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