BJU Press Blog

Playful Learning

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I have three daughters at home. One is a newborn, but my other two (3 and 5) are into everything. Nothing is safe. My three-year-old in particular seems to have a knack for making messes. Every open container of water must be explored (she loves pouring water into other containers); every food item within reach must be touched (this is why we had salty pancakes this past weekend)—you get the picture.

At a homeschool conference I attended earlier this year, I went to a workshop about homeschooling preschoolers. One big take-away from that session was the fact that young children learn best through experiencing the world around them. When babies put things into their mouths, they are learning. When toddlers mold dough into shapes, mix paint colors, and touch things like peanut butter, they are learning.

 

I’m really glad that BJU Press understands this. In fact, the introduction of the Pathways for Preschool Teacher’s Edition talks about this very thing: “Children learn best when they are involved in activity—their play is their work. A setting that allows them to observe, explore, interact, play, and discover is vital to their development” (p. xii). BJU Press recommends using centers to create this setting and gives many ideas for centers throughout the curriculum.

As a homeschooler, you can arrange your home to encourage this type of learning. Designate spaces in your home where your child can role-play, create art projects, build with blocks, read books, and so on. Invest in toys that inspire creative play. Set aside time to do crafts, cook, and play with your child. Below are some resources for inspiration.

What are some fun learning activities that you have done with your small children?

The Beauty of Trust

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A young woman gracefully makes her way into the king’s court and stands quietly, waiting to be noticed—swan-like, queenly. Her beauty turns heads and, more importantly, leaves the king himself spellbound. The king invites her to approach. But she has been sent there by the hand of Jehovah to do more than take the king’s breath away. She must completely capture his sympathies. She ends up succeeding and thereby becoming one of the most celebrated heroines of all time—a soldier whose uniform is the finery of court. Her mission? Saving her nation and changing the course of Jewish history—a mission she could accomplish only by her willingness to trust.

And her name? Esther.

Trust in a God-fearing mentor

As queen, Esther was in a position far superior to that of her cousin and former guardian, Mordecai. Once she married the king, her days as an orphan under Mordecai’s authority were behind her. Her life was dictated by the expectations of the royal court. Yet she still consulted and trusted Mordecai and obeyed his call to action (Esther 4:10–16). Her loyalty to him remained steadfast in spite of her exalted circumstances, something that could only be attributed to a respect forged by years of tender nurturing and careful training from her youth. Though she had only recently emerged from her teens, she lost none of her high regard for Mordecai.

Trust under a stranger guardian

Esther’s preparation to meet the king was long and appears to have been fairly regimented. The desire to make a strong and favorable impression required great attention to detail. However, Esther’s undemanding spirit is noted in Scripture in contrast to the attitudes of other more forthright women who were vying for the king’s attention. Her trust extended to the one providing her day-to-day needs since “she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed” (Esther 2:15). Esther’s contentment no doubt contributed to her beautiful countenance, and she saw her Lord supply all her need through Hegai.

Trust in her King of Kings

Esther’s most powerful demonstration of trust appears when she lays her life on the line for her people—God’s people. Her words of concession (“if I perish, I perish”) to Mordecai ring through the corridors of time and establish her as one of history’s greatest heroines (Esther 4:16). She requests that her people commit to prayer and fasting as she prepares to approach the king. By faith, she submits herself unselfishly to God’s hard task and witnesses God’s astonishing deliverance—not only for her but also for her people.

The deeds of this conscientious queen were not merely forged by extreme circumstances. They came from a heart well-rehearsed in trusting Jehovah. Esther conquered her fears because she had first been conquered by her heavenly Father. Reliance on Him and not herself helped this young queen accomplish her mission.

How do you show your trust in God in your daily actions?

Never a Bad Gift

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My four-year-old came in the kitchen the other day, clutching a fistful of dandelions she had picked from our yard. “Mommy! Look at the pretty flowers I brought you!” she exclaimed. I did my very best to muster up enthusiasm. I thanked her, gave her a hug for being so sweet and thoughtful, and even found a small vase to display the treasures in. The arrangement was set proudly in the middle of our dining room table and became our centerpiece for the next few days.

Although I did my best to show enthusiasm and gratitude for the gift, I was inwardly groaning. Weeds decorating my table? Couldn’t she have at least picked some of the pretty daffodils or wild daisies that also grow in our yard? But my daughter didn’t know they were weeds. To her, they were beautiful, cheery yellow flowers that she wanted to share with her mom.

 

How many times have I looked at something the Lord has given me and failed to appreciate the beauty of the gift? How many times have I complained? Even when I’m careful not to complain outwardly, I often do so inwardly.

I’m one of those people who needs a clean kitchen floor in order to feel like my house is clean. When my husband and I were expecting our first child, we lived in a rented duplex. I hated the floors. The linoleum in the kitchen was scratched and damaged so that it never looked clean no matter how hard I scrubbed. Instead of thanking the Lord for His good provision for my family, I often inwardly grumbled about that kitchen floor.

The Isrealites did a similar thing. God had miraculously provided them with manna in the wilderness, but they complained about His gift. They were tired of it. It wasn’t as flavorful as the food they ate in Egypt. Their lack of gratitude resulted in God’s judgment.

The Bible assures us in James 1:17 that every gift that the Lord gives us is good and perfect. There’s nothing wrong with the gifts themselves—He only gives us the best things, the things that we need the most—but sometimes there’s a problem within our own hearts. We’re not satisfied with His provision. We covet other things—more stylish clothing, newer furniture, better coffee.

I’m going to take some time this week to think about the good things the Lord has blessed me with. Will you join me? Let’s thank Him for every gift He has given us.

What will you thank Him for today?

It’s About Relationships

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Natalie, a high school senior, recently shared some unsolicited thoughts with me about the kind of teacher she admires. Natalie has been educated in two different Christian schools, at home, in a homeschool co-op, and at a community college. She has pretty well “seen it all.” But in each setting, a certain kind of teacher stood out above the rest.

“I respect teachers who know their subject, teach well, and keep order in class,” she said. “But I really like teachers who are also willing to be your friend.” She quickly clarified. “Not that they get too buddy-buddy in a way that downplays their authority. But just that they show you they care about you as a person, not just as a student.”

 

Natalie summed up one of the most important things I’ve learned as a teacher. Teaching is not just about imparting information. Teaching is about relationships.

In a world where the word relationship is fraught with ambiguities, Natalie understands that the way a teacher relates to a student must be guided by wisdom and a sense of appropriateness. With that in mind, here are a few ways we can relate to our students as a friend who cares about them personally.

1) Pray for them. Keeping track of their prayer requests is one of the best ways to learn what’s important to them. Ask them for updates from time to time, and don’t just say you’ll pray, but really do it!

2) Take an interest in their families, hobbies, and pursuits outside of school. Converse with them about family members and pets. Ask them what they did over the weekend. Attend some of their recitals, plays, or sporting events if possible. Send them birthday cards.

3) Be willing to share. Students respond to transparency. As appropriate, mention your own prayer requests, relate a family story, or share something God taught you in His Word that morning.

Christ Himself is a wonderful model in this area. While on earth He chose and trained twelve men who, with one exception, would lead His church after His return to His Father. He took a deep personal interest in each of these men. He traveled with them, ate with them, prayed with them, worked with them, and conversed one-on-one with them when they had questions or needed guidance. He called them His friends (John 15:13-15). Shouldn’t we who name Him as Lord follow His example?

The Greatest Commandment in the Classroom

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The Temptation of Pragmatism

Have you ever felt completely helpless to regain control over your classroom using a biblically driven methodology? Concentrating on teaching children a biblical approach to a subject is easily sidelined when you are concentrating on keeping the students from erupting into a cacophony of chaos. Worse, you could end up teaching them an unbiblical approach to life if you deal with their sinful actions in pragmatic ways that are more consistent with secular psychology. Maybe your classroom is a model of discipline because you know plenty of practical methods to get students to behave. But, as you know, simply getting students to behave is not the end goal. The end goal is to disciple children to practice godliness because of their own inward desire to see God glorified (Titus 2:11–14).

Rewards Are Biblical

Let me be clear that I’m not opposed to rewarding students for a job well done. (When I was a teacher, I used a mystery box to reward my students.) Rewarding students can be done in a manner that is consistent with God’s practice of rewarding His children (1 Corinthians 3:14; 2 Timothy 4:8; James 1:12; 1 Peter 5:4). Pursuing the blessing of the reward is a legitimate motivation when that motivation is rooted in the ultimate desire to live in a pleasing manner because of your already-established relationship with God. Believers ought to be primarily motivated by the value of a loving personal relationship with God Himself (Philippians 3:8-11). The relationship is central. And so it should be in the classroom.

The Biblical Foundation for Classroom Control

Classroom discipline must be founded on a proper relationship with God and others. Structure your practical methods to reinforce motives that are in line with the Great Commandment: love God and love others (Matthew 22:34-40). All God’s laws are simply descriptions of what it means to love God and others. When you formulate classroom rules, make sure to ground them in love for God and love for others. Communicate to your students how all of your classroom rules are meant to reflect a love for God and others. Help the students realize that their willingness or unwillingness to follow policies clearly reveals who and what they truly love. Use these classroom rules as an opportunity to teach your students the whole point of the Great Commandment. It’s impossible to keep God’s law perfectly. It’s constant evidence that they’re not naturally good (Matthew 19:16-22). They need to turn to Christ for forgiveness and the ability to live a transformed life under His redemptive rule (Colossians 1:13-14).

Put It into Practice

Be sure that love for God and others is the foundation for all of your classroom discipline. Begin the first few weeks by focusing on these truths. Plan blocks of time throughout the year to reinforce the relational obligation students have to God, to other students, and to you based on the Great Commandment. Your first and routine response to disobedience should be to immediately point them back to the Great Commandment. If you’ve already done the groundwork, a simple reference to this obligation ought to be a sufficient reminder. However, you may need to set aside time at some point in the day to address the heart with further discipleship. Even when you use practical methods or rewards, always keep the biblical truth at the forefront by explicitly mentioning it. Don’t be discouraged when they don’t seem to get it or care. Keep reminding them anyway what their true motivation ought to be.

What have you found helpful for encouraging your students to follow the Great Commandment?