Happy Interdependence Day!

Americans celebrate our independence every 4th of July; however, independence for Americans is more than just freedom as a country ... it's a worldview (and it's killing us as a country).

In 1776, when colonists declared their independence from Britain, they also declared their dependence upon each other. From statesmen making decision for the good of others above themselves to militiamen sacrificing their own life to ensure the freedom of their neighbors ... America has had a culture of inter-dependence.

in·ter·de·pen·dence noun

1. the dependence of two or more people or things on each other.

The Declaration of Independence was also a declaration of interdependence. We need each other to flourish, and our forefathers understood that interdependence. 

This sense of interdependence grew as our country expanded westward. Settlers formed wagon trains as they headed to the frontier and relied on their neighbors on the prairie for survival (just watch any Little House on the Prairie episode). 

Over time, we forgot about this interdependence. Our reliance on each other to survive turned into self-reliance, independence, and arrogance. Now, we don't even talk to our neighbors let alone help them. Today, our American worldview can be defined as independence. So, what happened? Why don't we rely on each other anymore?

We can blame technology that allows us to "google" anything ourselves, authors like Whitman ("Song of Myself") and Emerson ("Self-Reliance") who promoted a "rugged individualism," events like the Gold Rush that inspired an "every man for himself" greed, or the "rags to riches" success story of Andrew Carnegie or Steve Jobs. Regardless of what caused this shift, Americans see weakness in dependence and strength in independence, and we teach that to our children from an early age. 

But is independence so bad? Certainly, we can see strengths to American independence. The American Dream is built upon independence and "pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps" ... whatever that means.

The problem with our hyper-focus on independence is when our selfish striving gets in the way of loving our neighbor. How often do we pass by a neighbor in need because it will sidetrack our plans for the day? Who has time to visit a sick co-worker? It is even difficult to find time for our friends. 

Spend any time in a country that is more relational than ours, and you quickly realize how rich this country truly is ... yes, most of these countries are usually referred to by America as "poor" 3rd world countries. However, they take time for each other, they are relationally rich, they are interdependent upon each other.

Thankfully, holidays are times when we as a country re-connect with family, friends, and neighbors ... let us always remember our need for each other ... our Interdependence!

         

Enjoy your Interdependence Day!

Whatever You Do, Work!

Whatever You Do, Work
Commencement Address at Providence Christian College on May 6, 2017
Click Here for the Audio File

Congratulations Seniors! You will soon be a college graduate. Once you walk across this stage and receive your diploma, you will have something that can never be taken away from you ... you will always be a college graduate. And, that piece of paper is a testament to your work (and God's work in and through you) over the past few years.

It is your work that I want to spend some time reflecting on this morning.

While your future jobs will all look different, you do all have a common calling from God ... and that is to work. I don't know what you thought was the next step, but I'm telling you it will involve work. You are called and created to work. Your specific job will change, but your calling to work will never change. From this point until death, you are called to work.

Now, your future jobs will hopefully include a paycheck, but being a student illustrates the fact that your specific work does not have to include being paid ... in fact, sometimes it will include great personal and even financial sacrifice (like tuition or time), but, in it, you are still fulfilling your calling to "work as for the Lord." Your calling to work may be tied to your role as an employee, but you are also called to work relationally in your role as a spouse, parent, neighbor, church member. In fact, whatever your role ... whatever you do ... you are called to work heartily as for the Lord.

Colossians 3:23 states, "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men." My title this morning is the first four words of this verse: "Whatever you do, work." Being in education, I realize that a person remembers approximately four words from his/her graduation speech, so I put as much from the verse in the title as I could. I do hope that you remember the title, remember where it comes from, and remember that whatever you do takes work, especially if you are going to do it well as for the Lord.

I know that most of you have one plan for next week ... to sleep.  After exams, final papers, and capstones, that is an important break that you have earned. But after probably 53 1/2 hours, you will wake up, and your parents will be there to say ... "Get to Work!"

So, let's talk about work. Work is good ... not just "getting paid" good but "pre-Fall, God-ordained" good. God created us to work ... as we look back to Genesis 2 (before the Fall), "God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it" (vs. 15). Man was placed in a garden to tend it -- to work it and take care of it. Let me encourage you to "tend the garden" where God places you.

You each have a garden to tend. For most, it will include employment; for others, it may also include caring for an ill grandparent; for others, it may be to help with a ministry at your church. Your garden is the task that God places in front of you ... for you to do to the best of your ability and for His glory.

Clearly, because you are graduating, you have tended the garden of your school work faithfully. Providence has been your garden, where God has placed you. You are here, ready to graduate, evidence that you have faithfully worked to "tend this garden." Continue in your faithfulness to God in your future ... wherever God places you.

Unfortunately, you are entering a 2017 world that doesn't follow a proper theology of work. We know, since the Fall, work has been a "painful toil," a curse. As Christians, I believe that we have just settled for the "cursed" view of work, rather than striving to redeem this aspect of our culture. What a challenge for your generation to reclaim work as a good gift from God ... work, in itself; work that we faithfully do "as for the Lord." Reclaim that theology of work.

This is especially challenging because your examples have been less than God-glorifying. You have heard complaining and whining about the frustrations at work and how people hate their jobs ... rather than praise to God for work.

The current generation "works to live." Rather than finding joy and satisfaction in work, they (we) find joy in using their work income to collect items and experiences of pleasure and comfort. Sadly, Christians in this generation are no better. Christians have even "christianized" this warped perspective on work by changing the "work to live" slogan into "work to give." Instead of believing that work, in itself, is done for the glory of God and service to humanity, many Christians today believe that the only God-glorifying part of work is the ability to give some of your paycheck to the church or to missions. While, of course, giving to the church is good and pleasing to the Lord ... so is work itself, faithfully done.

For the most part, our current culture does not view work as being a good gift from God, but work has been misunderstood for some time.

Let me go back 500 years ... leading up to the Protestant Reformation, the church's view of work was negatively impacted by a Greek mind/body dichotomy, where the intellectual jobs were elevated over the physical, "menial" jobs, e.g., a philosopher was more highly respected than a farmer. The church translated this into the sacred/secular dichotomy. People who worked for the church ... like priests, monks, nuns were said to have a holy calling (or vocation); all other professions were just seen as a means of survival while on this earth.

Martin Luther challenged this thinking in the church. He applied the term "vocation" or calling to all occupations and roles in life. Whatever we do can be done well for the glory of God. This aligns with Paul's words in Colossians 3:23: "whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord."

John Calvin (in the Institutes of Christian Religion) outlines a biblical view of work using the image of a sentry, or a guard. "Each of us is given a sentry post ... God asks us but one thing: to be faithful stewards of our callings and faithful stewards of our sentry posts ... All tasks, provided you obey your calling in it ... will shine and be reckoned precious in God's sight."

A sentry just needs to show up and stay alert to be faithful in his/her job. Will a job as insignificant as this, as Calvin says, truly "shine and be reckoned precious in God's sight"? Surely, I need to do more to please God, right? Actually, a sentry sounds a lot like tending a garden ... and it sounds a lot like a biblical view of work.

Tim Keller laments our current mindset in churches today that ignores the full kingdom story of Creation-Fall-Redemption-Restoration. A Reformed world-and-life view of creation-fall-redemption-restoration celebrates the cultural mandate in "creation" and encourages the fulfillment of that mandate in the "tending the garden" work of restoration. Unfortunately, many Christians today have a "not of this world" worldview that truncates the biblical story into "Fall-Redemption-then wait for Heaven." By eliminating creation and restoration in the kingdom narrative and just "waiting for heaven," we lose a proper biblical perspective on work, and we discredit God's power to use us in the restoration of His kingdom. We have forgotten that we are stewards of the King, working in his kingdom ... tending his garden. Essentially, we have allowed the Great Commission to trump the Cultural Mandate, rather than having them work in concert and fulfillment of each other.

Reclaim a creation-fall-redemption-restoration view of work ... to glorify God and to advance His kingdom in your work.

Your Providence education has prepared you well to fulfill your vocational calling to work. Each of your gardens will be different, but here are three important categories of work that I know you have been prepared to do through your Providence education.

1. Intellectual work -- It takes work to think in our culture. We have to evaluate everything today ... published articles, news reports, social media posts, even pastors and preaching. Our society is intellectually lazy ... not wanting to use our brains. The phenomenon of fake news is an especially troubling trend; anyone can write an article riddled with untruths and "alternative facts," then publish it on social media, and it can change cultural beliefs. But worse is that our society believes what they read without doing the intellectual work of fact checking. Today, more than any other time, we need graduates, like you, who are able to work intellectually ... to post, comment, and to refute with wisdom and humility ... to "test the spirits of the age" (I John 4:1) and to encourage people to think again. I know that you have been taught to think deeply and critically ... "deeper learning for greater wisdom." Make a difference by being a faithful sentry on the information and social media highway.
2. Relational Work -- Relationships take work, and they take time spent with each other. Our virtual lives cause us to be relationally lazy. The addictive nature of social media and gaming can cause us to spend hours connected to our devices but unconnected to real relationships. A small, residential community, like Providence, teaches you to tend the garden of relationships ... to work on and care for relationships. This also is work ... tend your relationships.
3. Gritty Work -- Our culture significantly lacks grit or perseverance. Most people quit in the face of difficulty rather than having the grit to see a project through to completion. Millennials especially struggle with despair. Simon Sinek cites talking to a millennial who was discouraged and ready to quit a job because he just wasn't making a difference ... after 3 weeks of work at a new job. (Sinek, "On Millennials in the Workplace"). The utter despair and "quitting mentality" at the first bump in the road has led to a new psychological term: a Quarter-Life Crisis. Now, most of your parents are in a Mid-Life Crisis as we speak ... but, now, 20-somethings are also in crisis. The Quarter-Life Crisis is a condition similar to a Mid-Life Crisis in which anxiety and stress so impacts life that they consider quitting and doing something different ... or doing nothing at all. We need people who find their strength in God ... strength to work through difficult situations. We need individuals who stick with a job or a responsibility because they know God has placed them there to tend that garden ... even through difficult times. We need those who thrive under pressure, not because of their own ability, but because they are so grounded in the sovereignty of God that they faithfully persevere through trials. Over your years at Providence, there have been challenges and difficulties ... and I bet there have been some outside voices and inner voices that have told you to quit. You, making it to this ceremony, is a testimony of your tenacity and grit. But, I believe it is more so your faith that God, in His sovereignty, placed you here (in the garden) for a reason. We need more of that in our culture today. Hard times will come, and you will have a choice to work "as for the Lord" through these hard times or quit. Our world needs "gritty" workers who believe wholeheartedly in God's sovereignty. We need them to lead the next generation ... and you have been prepared well by Providence and God to persevere through difficult times.

What an encouragement to your family and to the Providence family that you are graduates prepared for intellectual, relational, and gritty work. If you have these elements, you will stand out and shine in the workplace ... and in the world.

Unfortunately, it is not too difficult to stand out and shine in the workplace today. Only 29% of workers are engaged (or satisfied) in their work. A biblical view of work will help you shine in this area. You will be engaged in your work because you are a faithful steward of the king ... tending His garden wherever you are placed. Another simple way to shine is to just show up. Actually, most places of employment would be happy with someone who is dependable and just shows up to work ... like Calvin's faithful sentry. We are called to fulfill the cultural mandate ... that initial call for Adam and Eve is as true for us as it was for them.

Richard Pratt put it this way ... "The great king has summoned each of us into his throne room. 'Take this portion of my kingdom,' he says, I am making you my steward over your office, your workbench, your kitchen. Put your heart into mastering this part of my world. Get it in order, unearth its treasures; do all you can with it. Then, everyone will see what a glorious king I am.' That's why we get up every morning and go to work .... Our work is an honor, a privileged commission from our great King" (Pratt, Designed for Dignity, 1993).

What a wonderful perspective on work ... "our work is an honor, a privileged commission from our great king." But, surely our calling of work is more than just be satisfied and show up.

The next part of Colossians 3:23 states to "work heartily" or "work at it with all your heart." I translate this part to say ... "be awesome." Whatever you do, be awesome at it ... use your gifts and abilities to your utmost for God's glory. The cultural mandate demands that we dominate, rule, and be awesome.

A quote attributed to Martin Luther sums up this sentiment well:
"A Christian cobbler [shoemaker] is not someone who puts crosses on his shoes, it is a person who just makes good shoes." Make good shoes, graduates ... be awesome in your work. If you take seriously Colossians 3:23 ... "work heartily, as for the Lord," you will be awesome in whatever you do.

But, what if your job is insignificant? "I just fill orders in a warehouse." "I am just a security guard at a shopping mall." "I am just a hostess at a restaurant." Don't be discouraged. God has placed you in that garden for a season and for a reason. Many of your jobs will seem insignificant and not very important "kingdom work" ... that is okay. Be a faithful sentry and a faithful gardener where you are placed.

This is a body of Christ concept ... and if you are a toenail instead of a bicep, you are still a vital and precious part of the body. When the body is all working in their roles "as for the Lord," God will be glorified and the body will be blessed.

Work has been used as a noun, synonymous, for the most part, with a job. But, Colossians 3:23 uses "work" as a verb: "whatever you do, work heartily." The subject is "whatever you do" and that includes much more than a job. The "tend the garden" message still applies to gardens that are not jobs ... the whatever else you do. Work at it, care for it ... tend it. For example, almost all of your gardens will include relationships. Friends, neighbors, co-workers, spouses, children ... tend those relationships and your gardens will flourish.

And don't forget to tend your faith garden because your faith should influence whatever you do. Continue to hear the word faithfully preached week after week, connect with the body of Christ for worship and fellowship, remain in the word through personal devotions, and tend your relationship with God through prayer and meditation. Tend your faith and your gardens will flourish.

Graduates, I don't know the plans God has for you, but He does ... rest in that knowledge. He has a garden picked out to place you. Whether you shape the minds of the next generation by caring for children in the home, or paint a building to beautify a neighborhood, or repair a septic system to ensure sanitation for a community, or repair a car so that a family member can get to work on time, or write a book so that people can enjoy their leisure time ... do those things faithfully "as for the Lord" ... you are loving God and loving others through your work.

Whatever you do, work at it ... and work at whatever you do.
Tend gardens, make good shoes, and be a faithful sentry.

This will glorify God in your work.

Congratulations again on your amazing accomplishment ... now, Get to Work!

Making Learning Hard: Dissonance, Grit, Hope

Is brain pain always bad? Should teachers always try to make learning easy for students? Students with a furrowed brow and rubbing their temples can indicate brain pain that is caused by frustration, but it also can mean a ton of learning is happening between the ears.

Cognitive dissonance is a powerful, and sometimes underutilized, tool for learning. Most of us can remember a "challenge question" in math that made our brains hurt or a history teacher that played the "devil's advocate" so well that the entire class was near riot stage. Both of these techniques utilize cognitive dissonance and cause our brains to grow.

Our brains want to be in equilibrium, and when something just doesn't seem right, our brains begin working. When was the last time that you (or your students) could literally feel your brain spinning? Probably not recent enough. I know that the brain is not a muscle, but if we consider brain growth similar to muscle growth, we need to "work out" our brains to cause them to grow. When I coach a sport, my players often complain that their muscles hurt ... my response is that pain in your muscles means they are growing and getting stronger (no, that response doesn't comfort my players). Brains need to hurt, too. Ben Franklin quipped in Poor Richard's Almanac that "What hurts, instructs."


Interestingly, educators have emphasized learning styles and multiple intelligences in order to teach to the learning styles of our students, making learning easier. However, it is also a great way to push a student's brain to work hard.

A student who learns best working on their own (intrapersonal) needs to occasionally work in a group (interpersonal); a student who learns best through seeing something (visual) needs to occasionally have to listen closely (auditory). By pushing students outside of their learning style, we are growing their brains ... and preparing students to live successfully in the future.

By "making learning hard" we are also developing life skills in students ... grit and hope are two of those skills for success.

Grit
Grit or perseverance is one of the characteristics that grows when learning is hard. What an important life skill! In fact, current research lists "grit" as one of the personal characteristics needed for success in life, and one of the things that is lacking in students today. By challenging students with hard lessons and encouraging them to persevere, grit grows.

Here are a few resources on grit.

• Duckworth, A (TedTalk) -- Grit and the Power of Passion and Perseverance https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance
• Tough, P (Book) -- How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character

Hope
Now, when I write about making learning hard, it cannot be without hope. I am not talking about making learning frustrating, confusing, or isolated. I truly am talking about giving students good brain work with challenging questions, problem-solving (PBL), and discussions ... and letting their brains spin for awhile to figure it out. However, hard must be accompanied by support ... a learning environment with collaboration, a "guide on the side" teacher circulating, and scaffolding so that they have the tools needed to succeed. A master teacher can do "hard" well, by working closely with students to help them struggle successfully.

Grit and hope have been paired as characteristics for student and life success. If students have a difficult problem but feel hopeless, that is not productive. In fact, the brain will shut down and students will give up. Students will persevere if they feel hope that a supportive teacher can provide.

Here is a short summary on how grit and hope impact student success.

• Kern, N (Blog) -- http://blog.publiccharters.org/2013/10/grit-hope-predict-student-success/

Make learning hard next week for your students! :)

Teaching Beyond the Bell

Our focus in education is often "between the bells" ... starting class on time, keeping students on task and learning focused throughout the class period, and ending with an assessment on learning. A "bell to bell" perspective is vital because the teaching and learning time is precious, and there is never enough time in a class period to cover everything.

However, a "bell to bell" perspective sometimes develops into a "saved by the bell" perspective, i.e., teachers and students alike breathe a sigh of relief when they hear the bell to end class and both spend little time thinking about the class beyond the bell. However, what a teacher does "beyond the bell" is also a vital part of teaching and learning ... and will improve the learning experience within the class time.

Here are a few things that teachers should be doing "beyond the bell."

Reflecting

Reflection time is such an important part of teaching, but one that rarely happens. Every teacher should spend time (5-10 minutes per class) in reflection after each class; this can happen immediately after the class, during his/her planning time, or at the end of the day. A few topics of reflection are below:

1. Student Engagement -- Were the students engaged in the learning activities the entire time? When did their engagement wane? What percentage of class time were students actively engaged? Were students motivated to learn ... why or why not? How can I motivate my students better at the beginning and throughout the lesson?
2. Students Learning -- Considering the student learning objectives of the lesson, did students learn? How do I know that students learned (formative assessment)? Did I provide an exemplar? Did I provide enough time for students to practice? Do I need to re-teach any part of the lesson? How am I challenging those students who clearly understand so that they do not become bored? How am I supporting those students who clearly do not understand so that they do not become frustrated?  (assumption being that some formative assessment has occurred -- a topic for another blog post)
3. Teacher Performance -- How could I have helped students be more engaged and learn more? Do I need to alter my methods in the future? If I was going to teach this lesson again, would I do anything differently? Did I bring my best to the classroom today ... attitude, preparation, energy? Did I model everything that I ask of my students? Did I speak to each student today? What new, innovative pedagogy have I tried in my classroom this week to help keep me fresh, current, and relevant?
4. Outside Preparation or Resources -- Is there anything that I could've done (by using homework more effectively) to prepare students better for this lesson? Are there outside resources that I could've made available to enrich or support the learning experience?

Assigning

Every classroom learning experience should end well; however, sometimes a class ends with a teacher frantically handing out papers and yelling the assignment to students as they are stuffing their backpacks. Typically, the end of class includes an assignment; homework is a "beyond the bell" student activity that, if done well, can greatly enhance learning.

Homework should be limited and effective. Every assignment should accomplish, at least, one of the following things:

1. Prepare for Learning -- Clearly, homework should prepare students to learn more effectively during the next class time. Often, there is a video clip or article that will provide background support or preparatory information that will help students learn more effectively.
2. Increase Curiosity / Pique Interest -- One of the most powerful characteristics found in successful students is curiosity; foster curiosity in your students through homework. Children are naturally curious, but the traditional educational process often dampens that curiosity. Chose homework assignments that encourage exploration and piques the interest of the student so that they come to school eager to learn.
3. Encourage Reflection / Share Learning -- Reflection is not only an important exercise for teachers, students can greatly benefit from reflecting on the day. This can be an aspect of formative assessment that becomes the student's "entry ticket" into class the next day. An easy way to do this is to have students share what they learned with an adult in their life; this has the additional benefit of promoting parent involvement and parent / student communication. This may be an "easy" homework assignment, but it is an effective tool to solidify the learning from the day.

Preparing

The most time consuming "beyond the bell" activity for a teacher is lesson preparation. Assuming that unit and lesson plans are completed, what should be a teacher's focus from the end of one class period to the next? Here are a few areas to emphasize ...

1. The Hook -- Much has been written about starting well. Focus on the first few minutes of class ... how are you going to engage and motivate students? Is there a quote students can reflect upon? A video clip to watch? A photograph that introduces the lesson effectively?
2. Re-Teaching / Review -- From your reflection on the day, is there anything that needs to be retaught? Should you review a concept or term from a past lesson that may help enhance student learning today?
3. Student Learning Objectives -- Quite simply, spend time focusing on student learning. Take a moment to ask yourself two questions. What is the main thing that you want students to learn? How are you going to know that they learned it?
4. Differentiation -- There are many ways to approach differentiation, but every day a teacher should consider how to teach the same lesson multiple ways. You can use a framework like Multiple Intelligences (which one have you not utilized this unit?), you can focus on achievement levels of your students (how am I going to challenge and support all students?), or you can consider delivery methods (should I lecture or use discovery learning? group work or individual work?). Regardless of the method, differentiation should be a daily consideration in preparing.
5. Assessment -- I can't over-emphasize the importance of formative assessment. Unfortunately, it is not used often enough; fortunately, there are a ton of resources for teachers who want/need to add more formative assessment tools. Essentially, how do you know if/what students learned? Formative assessment can be formal (quiz) or informal (students with a "thumbs-up" symbol when they understand); it could be written (one question exit ticket) or verbal (a question asked to every student); it can be done individually or collaboratively; it can be high-tech or low-tech. Whatever the tool that fits for the teacher/lesson/classroom, it should be done every day.

Escaping

Finally, teachers need to escape "beyond the bell." There is never enough time in the day, and teaching can become all-consuming and exhausting; therefore, it is vital for teachers to escape from school in someway every day. Working until you go to bed is not healthy and you will burn out. Each teacher needs to personally find something that will allow him/her to get away, release stress, and be refreshed for another day.

• Spending quality time with a spouse
• Working out at a gym
• Walking your dog
• Cooking a meal
• Reading a book
• Reflecting on scripture / pray

Do whatever helps you escape, but do something every day so that you are refreshed and energized to start the next day.

Reflecting, Assigning, Preparing, Escaping -- Thinking about how you spend your "beyond the bell" time can help your "between the bell" time be more effective. 

As always, this blog is preaching to myself first, but I hope that these thoughts are helpful as we lead and learn together.

Christmas Resolutions

As we are wrapping up 2016, most people are considering their New Year's resolutions. This is part of the fabric of Americana ... Ben Franklin in his Autobiography set out to become perfect through a New Year's resolution self-improvement plan. He writes, "It was about this time I conceived the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection." His plan included working on 13 different virtues that he felt were weaknesses in his character. If he mastered one virtue each week for 13 weeks, then he surmised that he would become "morally perfect" in 13 weeks. While not as systematic, how many of us enter the new year with this mentality? If I just work on my weaknesses ... exercise more, eat healthier, be nicer, give more ... then I will become perfect (or at least a step closer to perfection).

While I am not against self-improvement, as a Christian the irony of New Year's resolutions for me comes with the timing. One week after Christians celebrate the gift of Jesus Christ at Christmas, we are embracing the deistic/humanistic perspective of trying to become perfect.

The main difference between Christianity and other world religions is the fact that Christians rely on faith over works; the Bible clearly states that salvation comes through belief in God's gift rather than our actions. That is the good news of the Gospel: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16); also, in John 6:40 "Everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life." We do not, as deists like Benjamin Franklin asserted, need to become perfect to earn our salvation.

So, should Christians have New Year's resolutions? Of course we should, but with a different understanding than Ben Franklin's attempt to achieve "moral perfection." We strive to follow Jesus, who did live a perfect life, out of an overflowing gratitude for the gift of salvation (Colossians 2:6-7). Christmas resolutions should challenge us to live more like Christ rather than self improvement.

In considering this topic, I went back to the source ... what commands did Jesus give us to live more like Him? The gospel writers recorded some direct commands from Jesus for us to consider as Christmas resolutions.

Jesus was asked what are the most important commands, and His answer begins with loving God.

"The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this ....

Love the Lord your God with all your heart 

and with all your soul 

and with all your mind 

and with all your strength." 

(Mark 12:29-30)

Loving God is the most important command as Jesus stated, but the vague "love God with your everything" has always perplexed me ... what does that exactly mean? How do I love God with my everything? How can I put that into a Christmas resolution?

Christ explained that loving God, in part at least, has much to do with obedience; Jesus states concisely, "If you love me, keep my commands" (John 14:15). So, this affirms that we need to take seriously Jesus's commands and resolve to follow them if we are to fulfill the "most important" command.

So if loving God means to obey his commands, let's explore in more details what Jesus commands. Here are 10 other commands of Christ to consider as Christmas resolutions.

1. Repent and believe (Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:15; John 6:29; John 6:40) -- One of Christ's first commands and the beginning point for Christians.
2. Love your neighbor (Mark 12:31) -- Jesus follows up his answer of the "most important" command (loving God) with the second most important being, loving your neighbor as yourself. In John, he expands this to "love each other as I have loved you" (John 15:12).
3. Let your light shine (Matthew 5:16) -- implying that "light" = good deeds shown to others.
4. Go and be reconciled to your brother (Matthew 5:24).
5. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:43; Luke 6:27-28)
6. Pray ... in private with the Lord's prayer as a model (Matthew 6:6: Luke 11:2) so that you won't fall into temptation (Luke 22:46).
7. Be a servant -- Jesus models servant-hood by washing his disciples feet and then commands them to wash each others feet (John 13:14).
8. Care for those who are hurting (even strangers) -- Jesus in a rare moment issues a direct command immediately after a parable; after the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus says "Go and do likewise" (Luke 10:25-37).
9. Care for other Christians -- Jesus commands Peter to "take care of my sheep" (John 21:16).
10. Go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15-16) -- the Great Commission to spread the gospel, make disciples, and baptize.

One of Jesus' first commands was to "follow me," and it is directed as much to us as it was to his first disciples. As you consider New Year's Resolutions, remember that Christmas should impact your resolutions and your life.

Look over the commands of Christ listed above ... love, reconciliation, giving, caring, serving, praying. Choose one of those as a resolution in 2017 ... and make it truly a Christmas resolution.

Strengths in School

Traditional schools are structured around a deficit-based educational model. Teachers identify weaknesses in students and work on those weaknesses. Focusing on weaknesses can be utilized to ensure a solid foundation for future academic and life success, however, as students get older, a shift needs to occur from a deficit-based model to a strengths-focused educational model.

A strengths perspective in education would see teachers identifying strengths in students and work with those students to enhance their strengths. Strengths in education can simply be a focus on the subjects in which a student naturally excels, and it can also include personal characteristics.

The shift from a deficit-model to a strengths-focus is needed if we want excellence in education. If we focus all of our attention in getting students to meet minimum standards in all areas, we will end up with graduates who are relatively well-rounded but who do not excel in anything ... and worse, we will be training them to "work on their weaknesses" and shoot for mediocrity, rather than enhancing their strengths to shoot for excellence.

Here is a great video by Marcus Buckingham about strengths in education and life ... 

The Truth About You

Before application, let me mention what a Strengths perspective in education is NOT.

1. A strengths perspective is NOT a fixed mindset.

Sometimes "strengths" are used to encourage a fixed mindset ... when a teacher or parent tells a student that he/she is really good at a subject, it is translated as "I don't have to work at that subject." It is important to maintain a growth mindset with a strengths perspective. I like using the term "gifts" when talking about the qualities or areas in which students naturally excel; however, to make gifts into strengths, it takes effort and focus on those specific gifts.

Gifts + Effort/Focus => Strengths

This formula dovetails with Ericsson's (1990) research that 10,000 hours are needed to become an expert at something. Whether you accept Ericsson's specific findings or not, the concept is the same ... in order to develop gifts into strengths, one needs to put effort and focus into those gifts.

2. Strengths is NOT independence

When you talk about strengths, some may assume that "strengths" is synonymous with independence. In the American society, a "strong" person is celebrated because he/she doesn't need to rely on others ... a rugged individualism; however, this is a fallacy in learning and life. In order to be successful, we need to be dependent upon others ... or rather interdependent. In a successful team, each person needs to excel in their area of strength and depend on others to excel in their respective area of strength. The metaphor of an orchestra is an apt one of interdependence; an orchestra performs a beautiful symphony only when each member of the orchestra plays his/her instrument with excellence. 

Application

1. Identify Strengths in Students

Student strengths (again, I like the term "gifts") need to be identified so that they can be fully developed. Here are a few of the many different tools that can be used to accomplish this first step:

• StrengthsQuest (www.strengthsquest.com) -- No "strengths" conversation can happen without mentioning Gallop's great work. The StrengthsFinder inventory is a fee-based service ($10 online / $20 book), but it provides a plethora of research and resources to use in education.
• Values in Action (viacharacter.org) -- This is a free inventory on character strengths and also provides great research and resources to use in education.
• Character Awards -- Schools do not need to use an online tool to identify gifts; many schools recognize honorable characteristics in students through awards. This is a great way to identify and celebrate character strengths so that students can focus on those areas throughout the year. Unfortunately, many of these award ceremonies happen at the end of the year, so students and teachers cannot focus on those throughout the year ... identify these early in the year and set goals to enhance and practice them.
• Discipline Specific Awards -- Similarly, each teacher/department could recognize students who excel in specific subjects. Celebrate these academic strengths and provide opportunities for these students to grow in their gifted areas so that they can develop into strengths. Allowing these students to take a MOOC (or other college/online course) in their identified area may inspire them to excellence.

2. Differentiate Learning and Assessment

The premise of differentiation comes from a strengths perspective. The question to students is no longer, "Are you smart?" but rather "How are you smart?" Educators differentiate to allow students to learn (and show how they have learned) in their area of strength. Differentiation is an important pillar in a strengths perspective in education. Whether you use Gardner's Multiple Intelligences or another model, continue to differentiate in pedagogy and assessment.

3. Promote Strengths

Educators, so often, focus on what students can't do or what students have done wrong. Imagine a school where the primary focus (not sole focus) is on what students are doing right. How can you celebrate what students are doing well?

• Highlight Excellence (aka use exemplars) -- when I taught high school English, I used to grade essays by highlighting excellent sentences/phrases ... I would literally use a highlighter, but before returning graded essays, I would also read excellent parts from a variety of student papers (exemplars). Focusing first on what was right helped set a positive tone before I taught a mini-lesson on ways to improve writing.
• Peer Assistance -- students with strengths in certain areas should be encouraged to help others in the classroom who struggle. This simple activity sends a powerful message of interdependence.
• Groups -- create groups from a strengths perspective. Once student strengths are identified place those with different strengths into groups to complement each other ... again a powerful message on interdependence.
• Recognition -- We recognize certain areas quite well (specifically athletics), but rarely celebrate school-wide academic or character strengths. Some organizations, like NHS and Jostens Renaissance Education, can help to promote these important areas, but you can also develop a recognition system that works for your school.  

We, as educators, are well-practiced in a deficit model of education ... identify weaknesses, set goals/activities to work on those weaknesses, and then provide opportunities for students to practice. Ironically, these same steps can be used effectively from a strengths perspective:

1. Identify academic and character strengths in students 
2. Set goals to develop those strengths
3. Provide opportunities for students to practice (it really feels like play) their strengths.

Using Kindness to Improve School Climate

In 2000, the movie Pay It Forward was released. In essence, this movie describes a middle school social studies teacher (Kevin Spacey) who challenges his students to make a difference in the world. One student embraces this assignment, and develops a system to change the world through kindness. He does three kind things for others and asks them to "pay it forward" so that the acts of kindness exponentially grow. While the movie is "ancient" (made before many of your students were born), the concept is timeless. Consider using this movie and concept to encourage kindness ... it will change your school climate.


Every school's climate can improve. and some schools' climate must improve. Recent research should inspire all educators to focus on school climate for student success.

In the November 2016 edition of the Review of Educational Research, a study by Berkowitz, Moore, Astor, and Benbenishty found that school climate has a significant impact on student success.

• Resource: A Research Synthesis of the Associations Between Socioeconomic Background, Inequality, School Climate and Academic Achievement
• NPR's Summary: How a Happy School Can Help Students Succeed

Trying to improve a school climate is a daunting task, and many attempts to do so have failed. However, utilizing kindness may be the golden ticket to improve a school's culture.

Most of the time a school's climate just evolves (or devolves) over time without intention. While a school's ethos is shaped by what the administration and staff decide to emphasize (i.e. commit resources toward), rarely does this happen intentionally. Some schools emphasize academics, some emphasize the fine arts or athletics, and others emphasize more of the "soft skills," like interpersonal communication, relationships, strengths, and spirituality; these areas of emphasis help to shape the school's climate. Regardless of the type of culture at your school, it can be improved through emphasizing kindness.

Kindness Improves Everyone (giver, receiver, observer)

Research demonstrates that acts of kindness boost three important chemicals in our bodies: Serotonin, Endorphin, and Oxytocin. Serotonin is a chemical that regulates our moods, and low Serotonin causes depression (anti-depressant drugs boost Serotonin); it is the first happiness chemical. The second, Endorphin, is the chemical most commonly associated with the high that we feel after we exercise, and it is the cause of the "helper's high" that we feel when we do something nice for someone else. The third happiness chemical is Oxytocin, also called the "hug hormone" because it causes the positive feeling when we hug, kiss, cuddle someone that we love. Wow ... that's a pretty potent chemical cocktail. The amazing thing is that these are all released through acts of kindness.

• Resource: The Science of Kindness (video)

We all know how good it feels to be on the receiving end of a gift, and we also know how good it feels to be the giver (after all, "it is better to give than to receive"). So it makes sense that these happiness chemicals increase for the giver and the receiver; what is so surprising is that the research indicates that these same chemicals increase for the observer also. When we see an act of kindness, it also makes us feel happy.

I had always thought that an anonymous act of kindness is somehow better than one done in front of a bunch of people. However, if observers can be positively impacted, then acts of kindness should be public, shared with others as a gift of happiness. This is especially true if we want to impact a school's climate; others need to see these acts of kindness, and we need to celebrate/promote these actions. If we do that, everyone benefits.

Kindness is Contagious

Promoting acts of kindness will help everyone feel good, but it will also begin to impact a school's climate because kindness is contagious. If someone does something nice for me, I want to do something nice for others.

• Check out this "kindness is contagious" video from Life Vest.

When one person does something nice, it can lead to others doing nice things. This "pay it forward" kindness can grow exponentially and truly impact a school's climate.

• Resource: "The Science of Giving: Why One Act of Kindness is Usually Followed by Another"

Getting Started

1. Start Small ... with Lollipop Moments

We often think that to make a big change we must do a big thing; this is not the case with changing a school climate. Start by doing small acts of kindness. It is amazing how handing out lollipops (or Otter Pops) changes someone's demeanor and can even change their life.

• Check out this Ted Talk from Drew Dudley on Lollipop Moments.

What small thing can you do to make someone smile tomorrow? Remember, it will positively impact you, the receiver, and others observing you.

2. Be Intentional ... not Random

The popular phrase is "random acts of kindness," but let me encourage you to be intentional rather than random, especially if you are going to change your school climate. Changing the school's climate in the right direction requires an intentional plan and a consistent implementation. Changing something as big as a school's culture takes time and a focused effort.

3. Start with Students ... not the Principal

Changing a school's climate should start with the students ... truly a grass roots movement. When a principal (like me) suggests acts of kindness, it sounds a lot like community service, which sounds a lot like detention ... so start with students. This is a great opportunity for student council or National Honors Society or a club; teachers can encourage and principals can support, promote, and celebrate, but it should come from students.

4. Promote It

We know that when others observe acts of kindness, it improves their happiness and inspires them to "pay it forward." Share what your school is doing on social media, through your school newsletters, and by shouting it from the rooftops. Also, participate in the Great Kindness Challenge on January 23-27, 2017 (greatkindnesschallenge.org).

Examples of School Kindness

SWAG (service with a grin) -- a few years ago a group of students came to me with a proposal for ways that students could serve during their study halls; they called it SWAG -- Service With A Grin. They created a Google document, shared with every staff member so that they could enter any tasks that they needed to be completed ... it included emptying trashcans, setting up a science lab, sweeping the gym floor, and updating bulletin boards. Students were able to view the document and could complete tasks if they had available time during their study halls.

Cleaning Lunch Tables -- Every school has a cafeteria with an employee tasked with cleaning tables. Our middle school students take on that job to "be a blessing" to those working in our food service. Each week a cleaning team, with spray bottles and rags in hand, wipe down the tables to get the cafeteria ready for the next group of students.

Welcome Committee -- So many students struggle to get going in the morning and are less than thrilled to be arriving at school. Why not have a welcoming committee to greet them, hold the door, and say "good morning" with a smile ... maybe even hand them a lollipop.



These are just a few ideas of ways to spread kindness at school. What does your school do?  How do you promote kindness at school?

"It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love."                                                                                      -J.R.R. Tolkien

Small acts of kindness and love is something we need more in our schools and in our country.

More Kindness Resources can be found at

• Life Vest -- www.lifevestinside.com
• How Full is Your Bucket -- strengths.gallup.com/114079/Full-Bucket.aspx

This was originally a presentation at the LEAD conference in Denver 11/12/2016 (www.leadconferences.org).