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Husbands & Fathers, Joy-filled Limitations, and Small Beginnings: Quotes from My Current Reading Material {February Edition}
“What you are searching for…is a woman who is submissive to God Himself, to His holy Scriptures, and then to the way that God made the world, and then last, as a consequence of all the preceding, to you.” –Doug Wilson, “The Value of Gender Stereotypes“ (I also sent Doug Wilson a letter in response to a different article in the same series. Here’s his response to my letter.) “I don’t want to rehash years-long arguments, but it’s worth noting that stoicism, competitiveness, and even aggression can be virtues. They are not inherent vices. Each can be toxic in the wrong context. Each can be dispensible in the right time…
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A Typical Day in Music Class & A Christmas Song (A Long Overdue New Music Monday, Plus Video)
In addition to being my first full year teaching science, this is also my first full year teaching music. I teach music at every level, from the first grade students all the way up to the high school juniors. I enjoy teaching both music and science, but I feel the most passionate about teaching music. Music is beautiful. Music is fun. And music tells us stories. Our Music Class Routine In music class, we follow the same basic routine each class period. First, we listen to a piece of music and then we discuss what we heard. I like to ask the students three questions about each piece: 1. What…
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Taking Different Paths Through the Woods and Following God’s Will
“Mom, follow me,” Samuel said, as he ducked below a tangle of branches too low for me to crawl underneath. Gray autumn clouds covered the sky like a sheet and the steady drip of branches filled the woods like music. The air around me felt damp, heavy with moisture, and I could feel the frizz from my hair sticking to my neck. I was starting to get sweaty. “Samuel, I don’t think I can follow you under there,” I replied. I elected to walk through a small grove of fir trees with mangy branches that stuck out like wheel spokes. I gently moved them to the side and hoped a…
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My Thoughts on Egalitarianism in Education
As part of our teacher meetings at school this year, we’re reading through select chapters of “Repairing the Ruins,” edited by Doug Wilson. To prepare for our meeting last week, we read Chapter 6 of the book, titled ‘Egalitarianism: The Great Enemy.’ We didn’t end up with a lot of time for discussion, so I didn’t share any of my thoughts on the chapter during the meeting, but I did spend a lot of time after the meeting digesting some of the ideas from the chapter. This essay is what I would have shared during the meeting if we had had more time for discussion. *** I grew up during…
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How to Do a Nature Study with a Grammar School Class
The lead teacher at the Classical Christian school I teach at asked me if I could talk with some of the grammar school teachers about how to do a nature study with their students. As a way to sort out my thoughts, I decided to write this article. Here’s how I would do a nature study with a grammar school class. In the Classroom Nature study begins in the classroom, reading books about the natural world to your students and giving them ample time to ask questions. You can choose 6-8 books to cycle through during the year. The books you choose must correspond to something you can actually go…