Reflection on Classroom Participation
Mrs. Grace Egger (Kindergarten Teacher)
At our last team meeting, the Lower-School staff discussed the topic of participation in the classroom and how we as teachers best evaluate and assess a student’s participation. I chose to introduce this topic by discussing what a good participant looks like and why participation is an essential component to consider during the grading process, as well as the importance of participation as it pertains to vocation and the culture of the classroom.
The portrait of a good participant is a student who pays attention, listens well, answers questions and asks questions, contributes to discussion, reviews and retains content, sits quietly and raises her hand, and produces ideas based off of the knowledge she has gained.
What Makes a Hymn Good
By Rev’d Christopher Esget, Senior Pastor, Immanuel Lutheran Church
Recently I made an off-the-cuff remark about a particular hymn: "I know I'm not supposed to like [this hymn], but I do." That led a parishioner to ask me what I meant by that. What makes a hymn bad, or good?
There is a subjective answer; some texts or tunes just resonate with us, or annoy us. At that level there is no bad or good, it's just a taste or style preference.
At another level, though, there are objective qualities to a hymn that we can analyze. Detailing all of those would require a long essay, or even book. But here are some of the things I look for:
Faithful to Scripture
If a text is ambiguous – or worse, teaches something false, that's a problem. On the other hand, if the text helps us understand a truth of Scripture better, that's one good reason to sing it.
An example that comes to mind is the Advent hymn Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending. The second line in the original reads, "Once for favored sinners slain." This suggests that the death of Jesus was only for some people (the favored sinners), and not for all. That's false doctrine. So we can't sing it - unless we alter the text. The version in Lutheran Service Book changes it to "Once for every sinner slain." That accords with the Biblical truth that Jesus died for all sinners, not just some.
On Learning, Growth & Grades
ILS students have reached the midway point of the 3rd Quarter of their academic year, which means that mid-quarter reports will be shared with parents this week. While grades are simply one type of teacher feedback for student to understand their progress and growth in any given subject, students may sometimes wrestle with how best to apply this feedback in their on-going learning process.
Mr. Shawn Barnett, ILS Upper School Latin and History teacher, shares a brief insight into this struggle in which students engage as they attempt to put the right value on grades in the learning process. He encourages parents to use graded work (or mid-quarter grades) as an opportunity to further encourage and engage students in an ongoing dialogue to deepen their understanding their own learning, mastery and growth. As students grow and mature, parents and teachers work together to help them appreciate a variety of feedback and apply it appropriately to their own growth and learning.
Two Articles from ILS Faculty Included in Classical Lutheran Education Journal
Last summer, six ILS faculty members were invited to present at the eighteenth annual Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education (CCLE) Summer Conference. Ms. Katherine Kramer, Assistant Headmaster, and Miss Kristin Malcolm, 5th grade teacher, were then invited to submit their presentations as articles for the CCLE’s Classical Lutheran Education Journal.
Please enjoy these two excellent articles from Ms. Kramer and Miss Malcolm, and to read the entire journal issue, view exclusive videos, and listen to conference recordings, join the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education to receive Member access.
Walk-in-Wednesday: 8th Grade Math with Miss Danielle Davis
This fall, we launched a new series on the ILS Blog offering visitors a sneak peek of our classrooms from each of our teachers. Just as we do with our in-person tours each week, this feature is designed to provide families more of a feel for a classical Christian education at Immanuel and what that looks like in action in our classrooms.
This week, Miss Danielle Davis, our Upper School Math Teacher, continues our “Walk-in-Wednesday” series in the new year with a peek into her 8th grade math class and some of the joyful learning and delightful problem solving underway should you stop by for a visit.
We hope that you are encouraged by these snap-shots to visit us in person to see us in action, and we warmly invite you to visit us for a Walk-in-Wednesday tour or our final Admissions Open House of the year (Thursday, January 10th). Stepping through our red doors, you will be welcomed by the joyful sounds of learning, from poems and jingles in the lower grades, to great discussions and debates in our older grades. Singing and music ring out from the music room, and the wonderful sights and sounds of students and teachers engaged in learning can be witnessed throughout our campus.
Walk-in-Wednesday: 3rd Grade with Mrs. Anastasia Krumwiede
It’s time for our last “Walk-in-Wednesday” feature of the calendar year before we take off the next two weeks for our Christmas break!
Each Wednesday when we are in school, we have been sharing a sneak peek from one of our teachers, highlighting what a visitor might observe when walking into our classrooms. This week our “Walk-in-Wednesday” series is from our 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Anastasia Krumwiede. She shares a bit of insight into the special community formed by our 2nd and 3rd grade students as they share some time together each day.
Join us each week when we are in school for a Walk-in-Wednesday tour to see our students and teachers in action and experience a classical, Christian education at Immanuel. Stepping through our red doors, you will be welcomed by the joyful sounds of learning, from poems and jingles in the lower grades, to great discussions of literature or theology in our older grades. Throughout our building, the wonderful sights and sounds of students and teachers engaged in active learning can be witnessed in person, but if you haven’t yet had a chance to visit us, or you would simply like to get more of a feel for the learning in our different grades, we are now offering a weekly glimpse into our classes here on the ILS Blog.
We hope that everyone has a wonderful Christmas and New Year, and we look forward to welcoming you back to our blog series (or for an in-person visit!) again in January!
Walk-in-Wednesday: 5th Grade with Miss Kristin Malcolm
Every Wednesday, please visit our ILS Blog for a brief sneak peek from one of our outstanding teachers, highlighting what a visitor might observe when walking into our classrooms on any given morning. This week our “Walk-in-Wednesday” series features a visit to 5th grade, and a delightful look of what might be happening in literature class with Miss Kristin Malcolm, should you pop in for a visit.
Interested in seeing more? Join us each week when we are in school for a Walk-in-Wednesday tour to observe our students and teachers in action and experience a classical, Christian education at Immanuel. Stepping through our red doors, we will welcome you with the joyful sounds of learning, from poems and jingles in the lower grades, to great science experiments or discussions of literature or theology in our older grades. Throughout our building, the wonderful sights and sounds of students and teachers engaged in active learning can be witnessed in person, but if you haven’t yet had a chance to visit us, or you would simply like to get more of a feel for the learning in our different grades, we are now offering a weekly glimpse into our classes here on the ILS Blog.
Please visit the blog each week as we share additional “Walk-in-Wednesday” features, or enjoy looking back to see peeks into other grades and classes!
Walk-in-Wednesday: Latin II with Mr. Shawn Barnett
Interested in experiencing a classical, Christian education at Immanuel? We warmly invite you to attend an Admissions Open House or join us for a Walk-in-Wednesday tour to see us in action. You may also visit us each week here on the ILS Blog as we offer a virtual sneak peek into our classrooms from each of our teachers. Every Wednesday, we’re sharing a glimpse of what a visitor might observe when they walk into our classrooms at any given moment.
This week, Mr. Shawn Barnett, our Upper School Latin teacher, continues our “Walk-in-Wednesday” series with a peek into his Latin II class and the delightful scenes you might observe if you were to stop in to visit one of his classes this week!
We hope that you are encouraged by these snap-shots to join us in person to see us in action. Stepping through our red doors, you will be welcomed by the joyful sounds of learning, from poems and jingles in the lower grades, to great discussions and debates in our older grades. Singing and music ring out from the music room, and the wonderful sights and sounds of students and teachers engaged in learning can be witnessed throughout our campus.
Walk-in-Wednesday: 2nd Grade with Mrs. Rebekah Stegman
We hope everyone enjoyed a restful and wonderful Thanksgiving! At ILS we are extremely thankful for our outstanding teachers and the joy and enthusiasm they bring into each of their classrooms. Our teachers truly love what they do, and their love for teaching and learning is experienced daily by our students. We hope to capture just a bit of this each week in our “Walk-in-Wednesday” blog feature so that you can get a sense for the delightful learning happening at ILS.
This week, we are visiting 2nd grade, as Mrs. Rebekah Stegman presents a peek into the delights of her 2nd grade classroom during a history lesson.
Every week our ILS blog features an update from one of our teachers highlighting what a visitor might observe when they walk into our classrooms. Whether you are unable to join us for a Walk-in-Wednesday tour to see our students and teachers in action, or you would just like to get a better feel for what the experience of a classical Christian education is like at Immanuel, we hope this feature creates a picture of just some of what you might observe if they were to peek into Jr. Kindergarten, or 3rd grade, or Upper School Latin, or any one of our classrooms at ILS.
Please enjoy, and check back each week as we share additional “Walk-in-Wednesday” features!