Unique 'class cultures' make learning interesting, fun

“You're a bad person.” “Today I'm stoning you!” “Now, let's play some trashketball.” Each teacher creates their own fun and unique class culture through repeated phrases and activities. 

Out of context, you might think these sayings are harsh, but in reality, the students enjoy the distinctive and entertaining environment these teachers create through their favorite sayings and creative activities.

For example, when Mr. Brennan, Bible teacher, says, “You're a bad person!” he does so in a fun, but truthful way, to remind us that we are all sinners and in need of God’s grace. Without our need for forgiveness Christ’s death on the cross would have no purpose.

When Mrs. Clark, the yearbook adviser, holds up a stone and places it on a student’s desk, saying, “I am stoning you today, it is to recognize the student for something outstanding they have done. She is actually rewarding the student. Everyone laughs at the phrase “getting stoned,” but it actually refers to the yearbook class catechism, which reminds students that their purpose in creating a yearbook is to create a “memorial stone” of paper so that the L.E.A.D. family can remember all God  has done for them in the past year—just as God regularly called the Israelites to do.

Trashketball is a review game that our Spanish teacher, Mrs. Holcomb, uses to reinforce vocabulary, conjugations, and other class content. She organizes this fun game where students answer questions for the chance to shoot a ball of paper into a trash can. Students only get to shoot the trash when they answer the question correctly!

Mr. Struwe’s “high high five” is a highlight for students entering his class and around campus. Since he stands at 6'8" tall, his high five is “really high” at about 8 feet in the air.. Students work on their verticals every time they jump to reach his high five.

Some teachers use repeated phrases so often that they become known for them and students start saying them to each other when they are in their class. For example, when a student complains about work in Mr. Dillashaw’s history class, or during track practices,  his enthusiastic response is, “It builds character.” 

“Focus,” is one of  Mrs.Roberts’ favorite words in science class. It’s a quick reminder to an individual student, or the entire class, to stop being distracting or to stay on track. Students have picked up on it and remind each other regularly by telling each other to “focus.”

Mr. Vallianos has flung his fun and creative culture across the campus with his singing of car line numbers on the loud speakers each afternoon. Kindergartners to seniors enjoy how he sings out car line numbers to popular tunes and changes them to match the season or holiday. He literally helps us to all end the day on a “high note.” 

Upper School Administrator Mrs. Browning said, “We have some amazing teachers who embrace their love for life, spirit of joy and passion for their students in unique ways in the class. Every teacher’s personality comes through in the ‘culture’ of their class and enriches the lives of their students. We are blessed with godly teachers who invest in their students with their whole hearts and personalities."

Sophomore Yearbook student Johnathan Campbell writes from his own experiences in the Upper School.