In episode 37, Tyler Capton invites us into the high school wing of Gateway Christian School in Red Deer, Alberta. Join the ESC “Prickle” as we learn:- That confessing can be good for the soul… and, sometimes, a good laugh,- How “cringe rap” is a special genre of music within school staff rooms- That teachers need to model a growth mindset for thei…

In episode 36, Bill Beeke invites us into the hallways of Timothy Christian School in Chilliwack, British Columbia. Join the ESC “Walk” as we learn:- That nobody avoids aging- How Adam Wasik’s bike repair story (see episode 34 of the ESC podcast) inspired Bill to create a mechanic’s shop at Timothy Christian school that serves the Chilliwack commun…

In our third “Big Boss” episode, Deani Van Pelt, President of the Edvance Christian Schools Association, joins the ESC “Bivouac” as we learn:- About the “intense, practical utility of a water lily”- Why “interleaving” may be the next buzzword in education- That there is a growing appetite for independent schooling across Canada and it’s a huge priv…

In episode 34, Adam Wasik invites us into the principal’s office of John Knox Christian School’s Secondary Campus in New Westminster, British Columbia. Join the ESC “Dynasty” as we learn:- The longest a free diver can hold their breath- How somebody that flooded a classroom was still able to receive an outstanding practicum award as a UBC teacher c…

In episode 33, Sara Douma invites us to Rocky Christian School, an alternative Christian school program in the Wild Rose School Division. Join the ESC “Madness” as we learn:- That whether or not you teach Phys Ed, you should have some go-to games to play with your students- That Rocky Mountain Mudd can refer to a filthy hike or some filthy coffee- …

We go international in episode 32, as Ruth Rodriguez invites us to AMG (Advancing the Ministries of the Gospel) in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Ruth is the executive director of AMG Guatemala and helps bring Christian education to some of the poorest and most dangerous communities in Guatemala. Join the ESC “shadow” as we learn:- who was “privileged”…

In episode 31, Eli Banta invites us to Great Lakes Christian High School, in Beamsville, Ontario. Join the ESC “Run” as we learn:- about “hookin’ humpies” and hitting “seagulls with suckers,”- that residents of Beamsville are either Sunbeams or Beamsvillians,- that half of the student population of Great Lakes Christian High School are internationa…

In episode 30, Darren hosts another Every Square Centimetre “campfire” conversation. Recognizing that there are a number of exhausted educators across our country, we invite Tricia Schinkel, school counsellor at Calvin Christian School in Hamilton, to help us process some of our questions: How do we stay well as we engage life in the present season…

We go international in episode 29, as Paul Matthews invites us to Calvin Christian School in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Paul believes AI tools, like chatGPT, can be a real beneficial tool to help keep Christian educators in Christian schools. Join the ESC “Mob” as we learn:- sometimes it's necessary to kill a bass to catch a muskie- which Canadia…

In episode 28, Stephanie Montojo invites us to Academia Stella Maris, an independent bi-lingual Catholic school in Limoges, ON. Stella Maris means Star of the Sea in Latin. Catholics see Mary as the Star of the Sea who points the way to her Son; just like sailors would use the stars for direction, so ASM looks to Mary for direction to Jesus. Join t…

In episode 27, ESC goes to Leduc, AB, to visit Colin Ward, who is committed to helping students when school gets hard. Join the ESC “Passel” as we learn: - School musical programs have long lasting memories- Sometimes bribing kids with candy for the sake of adult-student relationships can be a great thing- The CANAMEX corridor goes straight through…

In episode 26, our second “Big Boss” episode, Ed Noot, the retiring Executive Director of the Society of Christian Schools in British Columbia, offers us his reflection on the state of Christian education through the Wayfinder prompts “praise, lament, and hope.” Join the ESC “Band” as we learn:- A donation of bone marrow might result in a lifelong …

In episode 25, Darren hosts another Every Square Centimetre “campfire” conversation. Building on the conversation with Joonyong, the three of us discuss how competition seems to be such a lingering ethos for education and how Joonyong urges us to replace competition with systems of compassion in our schools. How do we intersect some of the natural …

In episode 24, ESC goes to St. Catharines to visit Lisa Vanderkuip who is committed to helping students when school gets hard. Join the ESC “Passel” as we learn: - Lisa’s sister befriended Sting and ended up with back-stage passes to Amnesty International!- through our new game, “AI or A+,” sometimes you can tell the difference between ChatGPT and …

In episode 23, ESC once again goes global to Paju, Korea! Joonyong provides a fantastic look into both Korean and Canadian Christian education, highlighting the need for educators to actively combat the way schooling can default to an ethos of competition. Join the ESC “Clutter” as we learn: - Korean males have mandatory military service due to Kor…

In episode 22, John van der Leek and PADS dog Summer welcome us to Abbotsford Christian School, where they work together to help all students give and receive love and acceptance. Join the ESC “Family” as we learn: - that when it comes to anniversary arguments, Darren says Jeremy’s wife is always right,- that the place you’d park your car at a dog …

In episode 21, Alex Farquhar welcomes us to Drayton Christian School in Drayton Valley, Alberta, where Alex wants all grade six students to know they are capable in their learning. Join the ESC “Clowder” as we learn: - Darren has an uncanny ability to identify the cost of esoteric items in the Hammacher Schlemmer catalogue,- international teaching …

In this episode we connect with some of our favorite Christian school podcast friends and have some fun drafting our ideal schools using peculiar pools to choose from. - In round 1 we draft our school's name and motto using 80’s bands and their songs.- In round 2 we draft our school's sports teams, colors and mascot using a current pro sports team.…

In episode 20, Darren hosts another Every Square Centimetre “campfire” conversation. Reflecting on the last couple of years, Darren wonders what skills graduates need to walk well in a world full of contradictory and combative voices. Once again, we included a fun “crossfire” segment, responding to listener messages/questions like:- Who is somebody…

In episode 19, Matt Rock welcomes us to his maker studio and high school Construction Technologies courses, where he and his students love engaging in “high impact projects.” Join the ESC “Herd” as we learn: - that cedar strip canoes can be a labour of love- that Darren knows every square centimetre of Canadian farm to table restaurants- that every…

In episode 18, Laura Rand welcomes us into her grade 1 classroom where students are excited to play their important part as “Rangers,” caring for the earth and doing important tasks in God’s world. Join the ESC “Raft” as we learn: - that Darren bought a lot of Smartie McFlurries for love in high school- that Pacific Christian School takes territory…

In episode 17, Darren hosts another Every Square Centimetre “campfire” conversation. Inspired by our participation in Converge and the Christian Deeper Learning Conference in San Diego, Darren asks why Christian Deeper Learning is important and wonders about the value of being part of a professional learning network. Once again, we included a fun “…

In episode 16, Sherry TenHove welcomes us into her kindergarten classroom where the students ask “How can we live God’s dream?” Join the ESC “Coterie” as we learn: - that Justin and Darren have farm memories that they can’t unsee or unsmell- the rare occurrence of harvesting in the snow is a small price to pay for living under the big beautiful pra…

In episode 15, ESC goes global with its first international square centimetre! Fiona Partridge from Adelaide, Australia, introduces us to a CSC sister organization–Christian Education National (CEN)–and shares a kingdom vision of all life and all things participating in worship. Join the ESC “Wisdom” as we learn: - Some pretty impressive Aussie idi…

In episode 14, Janice MacDonald at Surrey Christian School in Surrey, BC, invites us into her Vocation 12 classroom where students discover their vocational identity in God’s kingdom. Join the ESC “Run” as we learn: - Sometimes the pain of our own schooling experience becomes the catalyst for God’s redemptive work in our own lives. - The word “whol…

In episode 13, Loretta Anderson at Immanuel Christian School in Charlottetown, PEI, invites us into her grade 1 classroom where students are invited to create beautiful work in learning about their neighbours, the farm, and more. Join the ESC “Troop” as we learn: - biking can be good for relationships… whether that be completing an over 300km trek …

In episode 12, Darren hosts the second Every Square Centimetre “campfire” conversation. Inspired by our chat with Matt Klassen from Calvin Christian Collegiate (episode 10), Darren asks how we can double down on prioritizing experience in educational design, and the conversation quickly led to evaluating the impact of grading and post-secondary sch…

In episode 11, our first “Big Boss” episode, the Executive Director of the Prairie Centre for Christian Education, Gayle Monsma, leads us through the Canadian Prairies and schools us in some women’s leadership truths. Join the ESC “Glittering” as we learn: we need a geography teacher to teach us a few things about continents; how staff can have som…

In episode 10, Matt Klassen at Calvin Christian Collegiate in Winnipeg, Manitoba, takes us out of the classroom to find God in outdoor education. Join the ESC “Drove” as we learn: road rage Darren may be scarier than lawn removal Darren; Neil Young may be cool enough to be called a Pegger, while most people from the city at the centre of North Amer…

In episode 9 our virtual tour of Canada takes the ferry to the “Warm Land” of Duncan Christian School in Duncan, British Columbia with grade six teacher Sandy Veenstra. Join our ESC “gang” hosted by Sandy and her 40 year teaching journey into deeper truth and reconciliation with the Cowichan Tribes as we learn: how thankful Darren, Justin and I are…

In episode 8, Perpetual Boafo at King’s Christian Collegiate in Oakville, Ontario, invites us into her grade 10 Career’s classroom which embodies “diversity + inclusion = belonging.” Join the ESC “Corps” as we learn: some interesting tidbits about our names (spoiler alert: Darren could have been Darlene), even grade 8’s can start a day off sharing …

In episode 7, Darren hosts the first ever Every Square Centimetre “campfire” conversation. Inspired by our chat with Shannon Gillespie from Nanaimo Christian School (episode 3), Darren asks if grade levels are really just arbitrary groups based on birthdate, or are they something else. The campfire also proves to be an ideal atmosphere to engage in…

In episode 6, Liz Rachul at Edmonton Christian School--Northeast Campus in Edmonton, Alberta, invites us into her grade 4/5 classroom which uses Teaching for Transformation to invite kids to meet real needs for real people in their learning. Join the ESC “Surfeit” as we learn: some cats don’t have owners, they have staff; that cups and goblets are …

In episode 5, Jacquie De Raaf at Trinity Christian School in Burlington, Ontario, invites us into her grade 2 classroom with sound walls and timelines where students meet Jesus. Join the ESC “Cast” as we learn: chair take-down can be seriously risky business; that colour matters in a teacher’s wardrobe; what a Bruce Trail “end to ender” is; that 26…

In episode 4, Bonnie Burton at Richmond Christian School invites us into RCS’s unique story of the purpose for learning. Join the ESC “Convocation” as we learn: the connection between Odie and having a growth mindset; sometimes punishment requires a good ice cream sandwich; faking a fight is one way to see who your real friends are; when it comes t…

In episode 3, Shannon Gillespie at Nanaimo Christian School shares a passion for middle school-aged students specifically, and Nanaimo’s unique theme-based structure for their learning. Join the ESC “Gam” as we learn: that some of us really don’t know much about musicals; that in Nanaimo, bathtubs are for racing in the Salish Sea; the payoff when y…

In episode 2, Zaak Robichaud from Calgary Christian School shares a vision for mathematics that supports the whole student—academically but also social/emotionally—in the ESC “Route.” Join us as we discover: the superfruit you’ve probably never heard of; the real purpose behind land acknowledgement; how many mini donuts are consumed annually at the…

For our maiden episode, Harry Blyleven from Hamilton District Christian High talks tech and Project Based Learning in the Every Square Centimetre "Nursery.” Join us as we learn: where the "poo" emoji lands in the list of all time used emojis; that they don't serve "phlegm brûlée" in Ontario... or anywhere else for that matter; the sad context of th…