Our Teachers are Great

The teachers at Community Christian School are professionals, who dedicate themselves to provide the best learning opportunities for their students. A definition of a professional is someone who is a member of a profession or any person who earns their living from a specified activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skills necessary to perform the role of that profession. But, it is more than just that definition. A professional is expected to grow in their knowledge and skill and keep up with the developments within their field. Our teachers are committed to professional and it is something that I appreciate a lot.

This week I witnessed this professional growth. On Monday evening, four teachers had gathered in the Resource Room and they were standing in front of the whiteboard. A discussion was taking place. They were talking about the proper formation of letters when printing. The topics ranged from what is the proper way to form letters, is it important to teach and how much emphasis should be on insisting that students follow the proper technique. There was a sharing of opinions and thoughts. At the end, there were some consensuses. A professional learning event just ended, but it is not the end of the story.

The next day I wandered over to the JK/SK classroom just to say hello to the children. As soon as I entered the room I noticed two students sitting at the table with Mrs. Vanderstoep. The students were writing. When the students explained their work, one of the students demonstrated how to make the “a” in his name. This student was using the technique that was talked about by the teachers the previous evening. Also, there was further evidence of materials used in the classroom that day that help to reinforce proper letter formation. It is at moments like this that my heart leaps for joy. The evidence of a short professional conversation was found in the real life work of a student. Professional learning turned into student actions. Learning is a beautiful thing.

Take some time this week to thank the Lord for our professional teachers and their desire to learn, grow and teach.