The First Step to End Bullying at Schools

“Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.” I was sitting outside on the playground bench wiping the tears of a child when this proverb came to mind. It isn’t true, of course. Nancy was a second-grader going through an...

This Immigrant First-Grader Knows Her Neighbor

January is Poverty Awareness Month in the United States. When I walk into Paola’s first-grade classroom, I’m aware of her poverty. Nine out of 10 of the students at our school meet the federal poverty level guidelines. She is one of them. She lives in a...

Baseball Photo Shows Racism Can Be Overcome

I love the history of baseball. During recess, I teach my elementary school students about whiffle ball because it was one of my favorite games when I was a kid. During the school year, I teach them about the people, places and moments that make baseball history...

Does Your Child’s School Have a Ms. Sandra?

Every school day just after 2 p.m., Sandra pushes her cart into my classroom to clean the bathroom and empty the trash cans. She is the school custodian, and my students love her. When students hear her squeaky wheels in the hallway outside our door, they listen for...

Discovering God’s Love As We Minister to Others

Editor’s note: Trevor Barton lived in Mali in West Africa for three years as a teacher and friend. It was early morning. The African sun had yet to rise above the mountains, and the sky was the soft yellow of newly shucked corn. “Beep, beep,” sounded...