Building A Moor Christ Centered School

1. Building A Moor Christ Centered School

2. Where Do You Start? You Start With YOU! • You are to show that YOU are a living letter from Christ … written not in ink, but with the Spirit of God. -2 Cor. 3:2 • Christ is sitting for His portrait in each disciple … In everyone Christ’s love, His holiness, His meekness, His mercy and His truth are to be made known to the world. –Desire of Ages, p. 827

3. Barna Research Group Ltd. November 15, 1999 • Probability of people accepting Christ as Savior. • Ages 5-13 32% rate of probability • Ages 14-18 4% rate of probability • Ages 19-death 6% rate of probability • Bottom Line: If a person does not accept Christ by age 14, the likelihood of ever doing so diminishes drastically.

4. V.G. – School Effectiveness Factors • Percentage of Students Experiencing • Good, Competent Teachers – • Grades 6-8=82%, Grades 9-12=81% • Caring, Supportive Teachers – • Grades 6-8=63%, Grades 9-12=57%

5. The First Step In Developing A Christ-Centered School: Some Simple Questions??? • Is this school a safe and caring environment? (Caring = Compassion) • Does this school encourage the development of strong, supportive, and long-term relationships between students and their teachers and other caring adults?

6. The First Step: Some Simple Questions??? • Do we demonstrate high academic and behavioral expectations for ALL students? • When students, parents, or church members walk into this school for the first time (or the fifty-first time), do they feel welcome?

7. Characteristics of a Caring School. • A caring school puts a priority on fostering meaningful student-to-student and student-to-adult relationships, and on recognizing and celebrating each individuals abilities. The appearance of the school building reflects this respect for the people who learn and work there. The school is part of the church, and extends its ethic of caring into the church, the homes and the surrounding neighborhood. • A caring school reflects the love of our Father.

8. #1:Keep Christ at the Center of the School Program. (Nuts & Bolts) • Make Christ the focus of your life. • Invite Him to be the center of your school daily –perhaps hourly. (brainstorm). • Focus on modeling Christ IN & THROUGH you. Be a walking book about God’s love to be read by all. With Christ as your model … play follow the leader every day. • Bring in adults who can share their “Christian journey” & Worship habits with your students. • Celebrate the joy found in Jesus. Share victories

9. Keep Christ at the Center of the School Program. (Nuts & Bolts) • Encourage prayer & action for individuals in need. • Praise God in personal and public interactions. • Form “What would Jesus do?” clubs in each classroom. • Provide a couple of profound agape feasts yearly.

10. Keep Christ at the Center of the School Program. (Nuts & Bolts) • Encourage your staff to pray one-on-one with all students. • Be intentional with spiritual programming. A “what ever” approach to song service sends the message, “this isn’t really important” to students. Make the spiritual program a priority with your time & your money.

11. Keep Christ at the Center of the School Program. (Nuts & Bolts) • Make Bible class practical & personal. • Plan the yearly program well in advance to ensure that Christ doesn’t get squeezed out by other programs. • Expect miracles – celebrate them. • Expect disasters – use them as teaching/learning experiences. • Provide opportunities for students to lead out in spiritual endeavors.

12. #2:Building and Strengthening Relationships • The literature on child resiliency and intervention is clear: “Every child needs at least one adult who is irrationally crazy about him or her.” (Bodine & Crawford 1998)

13. Building and Strengthening Relationships (nuts & bolts) • Make it a priority to ensure that every student is well known by, and in regular contact with, at least one caring adult in the church. Example: adopt grandparents. • Connect older students with younger students in “big brother/sister” relationships.

14. Building and Strengthening Relationships (nuts & bolts) • Intentionally do things to build rapport with students. Example: cookie day/night, birthday celebrations etc. • Understand that the purpose of discipline is REDEMPTION. Use discipline to point students to their loving Father in heaven. Your actions will speak louder than your words.

15. Building and Strengthening Relationships (nuts & bolts) • Include students on advisory committees. (Not necessarily policy making ones) • Be involved – get out of the office and be part of the flavor of the school.(Be a welcome committee of one). • Let kids tell you how they feel and LISTEN. Act on what you can and tell them when you cannot.

16. Building and Strengthening Relationships (nuts & bolts) • Play with the students. Good advice for teachers, pastors and board members. • Teach cooperation & team work and then expect both. • Celebrate successes – beat the drum and bring out the band.

17. #3: Bible Labs: God’s Plan for Serving • A curriculum that explores issues of caring is enriched by opportunities for helping others. Community service can be particularly beneficial for students at risk. It gives them a chance to feel useful and build self-esteem. (Curwin 1993)

18. % of Retention Comparedto Method of Teaching • LISTENING (Lecture) 5% • Reading 10% • Audio & Visual 20% • Demonstration 30% • Discussion Group 50% • Practice (experience) 75% • Teach Others 95%

19. Bible Labs: God’s Plan for Serving (nuts & bolts) • According to the V.G study, the two most influential factors in students connecting to Christ and remaining faithful are: 1) Parent/child dialogue about faith and …. • Involvement in “helping” projects. (home, church, and school).

20. Bible Labs: God’s Plan for Serving (nuts & bolts) • Include witnessing/service activities in the schedule, and not just an add on. • Study the life of Christ with your students and help them see that service is not something you do, it’s who you are in Christ. • Lead them to experience the joy of serving others for Christ (and not for self). • Remember, servant leadership is taught best through two models – Jesus & You.

21. God’s Plan for Serving Quotable Quote: • “Teaching is very much like the game of tennis. Those who fail to master the basics of serving well, usually lose.” –Unknown • Students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. –Gerhard Gschwandtner

22. #4: School Traditions • School traditions can instill a sense of connectedness and school pride in your students.

23. School Traditions (nuts & bolts) • Explore with students, parents & church members the traditions already in place (there history), as well as those they would like to see initiated. Set up a plan to assure that the continuance of traditions is not based on staffing. • Here are some ideas for starters:

24. School Traditions (nuts & bolts) • Teacher dedication ceremony the first Sabbath of the school term. • Home vespers conducted by board members or teachers or pastors • Faculty/Board vs. students annual softball game. • International supper (fundraiser)

25. School Traditions (nuts & bolts) • “Give me a hug.” Students are on a rotation to greet elderly members on Sabbath morning and give them a hug. • Church/School clean up day. A way for the students to say, “Thank you,” to the church.

26. #5: Promoting Parent Interaction. • When parents send their children to your school they are sending their two most valued possessions: -their children, and, -their money. Good interaction with them is a key to success.

27. Promoting Parent Interaction (Nuts & Bolts) • “Hand select” a group of positive parents to serve on a Parent Advisory Committee. • Develop a Parent Appeals Process using the Mathew 18 model & hand it out at registration time each year. • Purchase a stack of small Thank You cards & give them to parents after you have observed exemplary student conduct.

28. Promoting Parent Interaction (Nuts & Bolts) • Never talk to a parent about the children of other parents. (If I hear you talking about someone else’s children behind their back, I can assume you will do the same with my children behind my back.) • Five Tips for Strengthening Parent Relationships: • 1) Welcome them: Do you make them feel welcome even when you don’t want to see them? • 2) Use their name: Everyone likes to hear their name. • 3) Meet their needs: Find some way to treat them as Christ would treat them. • 4) Thank them: It’s a way to make them feel affirmed. • 5) Invite them back: or bid them “have a nice day.” • Note: These also work with pastors, superintendents, church members and even students.

29. #6: Miscellaneous Ideas(Nuts & Bolts) • Keep the facility CLEAN. This is the responsibility of everyone. • Keep the facility in GOOD REPAIR. • Keep the lines of communication OPEN. • Keep a POSITIVE PERSPECTIVE. “Count Your Blessings, Name Them One By One. (And it will surprise you …….)” Another way to say it - • Your Attitude Determines The School’s Altitude! • Supervise! Supervise! Supervise!

30. Miscellaneous Ideas (Nuts & Bolts) • Non-Verbal Communication: • When we communicate, the message is 93% non-verbal. • 7 % - Words • 38 % - Tone of Voice • 55 % Body Language

31. Miscellaneous Ideas(Nuts & Bolts) • Fred Pryor’s Suggestion for dealing with difficult people: • S – Smile, or Square Off (facing the person) • O – Open Body Posture • F – Forward Lean • T – Territory (respect their space) • E – Eye Contact • N – Name Used Often, also Nod While Listening

32. Miscellaneous Ideas (Nuts & Bolts) • Think PROACTIVE rather than REACTIVE: • If I am going down the hall, and you say “good morning” to me with a smile, and then I smile and say “good morning” to you – Who was proactive? • Teachers are leaders .. & .. leaders initiate rather than simply waiting to react. When it comes to building relationships – plan ahead & take the lead.

33. Miscellaneous Ideas (Nuts & Bolts) • Don’t allow others to determine your feelings. • Other people don’t make me angry. I make myself angry by how I choose to interpret their behavior. • In the heart of Christ, where reigned perfect harmony with God, there was perfect peace. He was never elated by applause nor dejected by censure or disappointment. Amidst the greatest opposition and most cruel treatment, He was still of good courage. DA, p.

34. Miscellaneous Ideas (Nuts & Bolts) • Continually feed the Adventist “grape vine” with positive information. It will discover enough negative information on its own. • AFFIRM, AFFIRM, AFFIRM (but don’t flatter) students, parents, board members, pastors, teachers …Everyone. If you want to cultivate positive …. BE POSITIVE.

35. Summary Statement • A positive school climate is the result of purposeful and informed leaders taking action. • By recognizing and meeting students’ fundamental need to feel safe, accepted, and valued, we will provide a climate built for success. • Love each and every student unconditionally!

36. SUMMARY • The number one way children develop a relationship with Christ is watching their parents model their relationship with Christ and talking with them about it. • There is no way to produce spiritual life in children. The best we can do is to provide an atmosphere where spiritual life can occur and grow.

37. SUMMARY • The number one way for children to learn how to be selfless (rather than selfish) is through working jointly with their parents on acts of kindness for others.

38. Evidence exists that a school is the shadow of its administrator. School improvement begins with the administrator. Here is the bottom line to building a better school CLIMATE C - Christ’s L - Love I - Influences M - My A - Attitude T - Toward E – Everyone & Everything The Role of the Principal: It is the Love of Christ that controls me. -2 Cor. 5:14

39. Where Do We Start?? • Start with a joint meeting of the School Board, Church Board, Home & School, Faculty and Pastors to address the 4 simple questions presented earlier. • Develop a list of suggestions and for each suggestion and ACTION PLAN. • Action Plans include: -What will we do? Who will do it? –Who will be in charge of it? –A time line for completion & –Cost. • NOTE: Our problem is not with “what & how”. Our problem is with “who & when.”

40. The End!

41. The Relationship Between … The Pastor to the School & The School to the Pastor(Church)

42. Goal: Develop Two Lists of Practical Suggestions for Pastors & Teachers in 30 Minutes • How are we going to do that? Here’s How. • Brainstorm: How the Pastor can support the school. 10 Minutes • Brainstorm: How the school can support the Pastor/Church. 10 Minutes • Developing the master lists. Group #1: share their list. Other group/groups add to it. Group #2: share their list. Other group/groups add to it. List will be compiled and distributed before the day is over. 10 Minutes. NOTE: Listen for the bell!!

43. Miscellaneous Ideas (Nuts & Bolts) • Appreciate and support the current staff. And if they choose to leave the school that has lavished them with such love and support… • Seek to hire , enthusiastic, positive, Christ like teachers who reflect your schools philosophy.