One common characteristic plagues students today: apathy. The struggle of the parent, student, and teacher is to overcome apathy and motivate students toward genuine learning. What can you do?
Life’s Bumps and Thumps
Life often throws bumps in your road to achievement. Through elementary and middle school, your parents may have helped smooth the bumps into manageable pebbles. During your high school years, however, the bumps have grown and now they threaten to affect your future. Reality sets in when major obstacles put your goal of achieving a high school diploma in danger.
A few years ago, I was asked to write a short article for a local church magazine which was released from Picayune, Mississippi. Within weeks, God stirred my heart to write the entire story. After approximately six months, the book Heal Me or Kill Me: My Road to Freedom From OCD was complete. With personal journal entries coupled with raw confessions, this books tells the story of overcoming OCD with God.
January 20, 2017 - West Liberty, Ohio
April 10, 2017 - San Bernardino, California
May 4, 2017 - Irving, Texas
September 13, 2017 - Rochford, Washington
It seems like in recent years the number of shootings have gone up. Every few months students in another town face the terror and danger. Every few months another community asks the question: How did this happen?
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
Educating online homeschool students about the Holocaust presents a challenge for many parents. You want your children to see the beauty and wonder in the world, and teaching them about this dark time in history feels heavy. You may be worried about burdening your children with the knowledge of such a tragedy. Yet many parents also recognize the importance of educating their children about the Holocaust. We have to learn from our history. We have to know what humans are capable of, both good and bad. We have to teach our children a Godly moral standard.
Eighteen years ago, I had never heard of Asperger’s Syndrome, otherwise known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Little did I know that when I brought home my sweet little bundle of joy, that this condition would leave a life-long impression on my family. I had no idea just how different my son would be. I’m convinced that God isn’t finished using my experiences with my Aspie and the people he comes into contact with, to teach me to rely on Him.
You know that you don’t want to go, but you have to. The bell that just rang is signaling that your lunch period has begun, but there are plenty of problems. For starters, it’s only 10:30 in the morning and you simply aren't hungry. After all, you just finished breakfast three hours ago! As you trudge down the staircase, the smells from the school cafeteria rise to meet you. What are you going to choose to eat today to have a healthy eating pattern?
Everything is a whirlwind. I feel like I can never catch a breath. From living in Swaziland, Africa, for a summer, I know how it feels to live out of my comfort zone while on a missionary trip. Whether you are doing missions in your own town or if you and your family are international missionaries, some of you may also know the challenges of missionary trips. We face challenges and blessings every day from this lifestyle. How do we keep our daily walk with God fresh? How do we have “us” time? Below, I am going to dissect three challenges that many people face while on missionary trips.
We can all agree that teen pregnancy—no matter the circumstances—is not an ideal situation; it is the result of a broken world, and it presents a dilemma for all involved. There are suddenly many things to figure out, and your life is no longer your own. Let’s not forget that, however costly, ill-timed, and inconvenient, children are gifts from God and blessings to their communities. We pray that your community is ready to receive and love you and your child, especially in a time such as this.
While teen pregnancy will change your life, it does not have to derail it. The tools that you need to press into this new path in your life are readily available, easily accessible, and will allow you to proceed in a positive direction.
Discovering the root cause and finding hope.
While having a child expelled from school can initially feel like life has flown off the tracks, eventually you will be able to look back and see God’s guiding hand shaping the situation for you and your child’s joy, hope, and restoration. Just like when God brought Israel back from exile, His promises remain: “Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy” (Isaiah 61:7).
This article is Part 3 of a three-part series on processing and responding to a child being expelled from school.
Dealing With Your Student’s Emotions
Being expelled from school can initiate a rollercoaster of emotions for both you and your child. Make sure you keep your lap belts on and your head against the headrest. You’ll get through this, and your own sense of calm can be a comfort to your child in this time. Over time, both of you will be able to look back at the situation and say, “Remember that one time when you were expelled from school?” and see all the ways God used it to help you learn and grow.
This article is Part 2 of a three-part series on processing and responding to a child being expelled from school.
Part 1: How to deal with your own emotions about your child being expelled.
Part 2: How to help your child work through their emotions about being expelled.
Part 3: How to discover the source of the problem and get your child back on track in his or her education.
Part 1: Expelled from School—Riding the Roller Coaster
If your child has recently been expelled from school, this may be an uncertain time for your family. You have suddenly been forced to take a new direction in your child’s education. While the educational journey has taken a turn, you may also find yourself on a bit of an emotional roller coaster.
While you are riding the waves of emotion it can be comforting to find that you are not riding alone. Many parents have been—and are currently—in your place, researching what to do when their child is expelled from school. In fact, according to a 2006 study by the National Center for Education Statistics, over 100,000 public elementary and secondary school students are expelled each year. Remembering this can help you maintain perspective. And while you are realizing you are not alone, send up a prayer for those families, too.
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
Loss comes in many forms and for many reasons. Certainly we experience loss when a person we love dies, but loss can also occur when a friendship or romantic relationship ends, when we lose a part of our life that defined us, or when a drastic change in lifestyle (positive or negative) causes us to change our previous environment and habits.
In this fallen world, loss is a daily part of life. I say “fallen world”, because loss was not a part of God’s original plan for the world. In Genesis 1 and 2 we see a picture of the completeness and wholeness that God intended. Loss entered the world with sin and has become part of the human experience ever since then. However,God has not left us to deal with loss alone; we can find comfort in Bible verses dealing with death and loss.
The bullying trend is on the rise among America’s top social problems. Although stopbullying.gov reports that 28% of children have been bullied, I believe 100% of children have been bullied, will be bullied, or have witnessed bullying at school. If this is true, each one of us has a role in stopping this trend. Although there are many types of bullying, I will be focusing on the two types: self-esteem/self-worth bullying and ringleader bullying.
It was yet another sleepless night for me. Tossing, turning, mind-racing, heart-pounding nights were becoming the norm. My anxiety was most prevalent at night. This caused a season marked by stress and tiredness.
Though it no longer looks that troublesome, anxiety is an ongoing battle for me. And the more people I meet and speak with, the more I am convinced that I am not alone. From weathered adults with incredibly painful circumstances to children struggling with completing homework, anxiety is a form of suffering common to many, in varying degrees.
Have you ever felt lonely? I sure have. There are so many lonely people who could use some kind words on coping with loneliness.
For my daughter, it started in preschool and it got worse in Kindergarten. Kids are so nervous to go to school, because they are afraid of being alone. My daughter told me one day, “Although school goes great I am still very lonely. I have no friends.” It almost broke my heart.
Eating. It should be one of the most normal and natural things we do - just another part of our everyday life, right?
For many people today, it is more complicated than that. The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) states that in the United States alone, 20 million women suffer or will suffer from an eating disorder at some time in their life, with the majority of cases found in girls between the ages of 13 to 18. It is integral that Christian parents know how to talk to their daughters about eating disorders.
The heavy wooden door groaned as I pushed past with a silver cart laden with towels, hot water, and materials to build a splint. Closed blinds shed a dim light on a young boy lying restlessly on the hospital bed. His mother rose to meet me; her eyes too tired from caring for a sick child to return my smile as I entered the room. She had been by his side almost every moment for the last 72 hours so that her son would have a friendly face whenever he was awake during the day...
I fought a lot with my brother when I was growing up, and I am pretty sure he started to get his white hair during my teenage years. I was rebellious from my first day of life.
Ephesians 4:32 reminds us, “ And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” Now as a parent I have been searching for guidance on how I can raise children that get along with others.
A parent’s heart breaks a little bit when their child slumps home from being with their friends, throws their backpack on the floor and declares how “dumb” they are. From the parent’s perspective, the child is wonderful and it is strange that they would doubt that. From the child’s perspective, they are feeling like they can’t compare to their friends or siblings, and so they must be permanently flawed.
