2024-2025 Upper Elementary Teacher Cohort
Quite often, an upper elementary grade teacher can feel like he or she is on an island – being the lone teacher of a specific curriculum to a specific age group. While many aspects of a specific curricula may change from school to school, what doesn’t change is the benefit of teachers of these unique age groups being able to come together to ask and learn (from each other) what it looks like to teach nine to twelve year-olds from a uniquely Christian perspective. What are the big questions? What’s appropriate? What should we expect? Though this cohort will be targeted toward teachers of these specific grades, other elementary or middle-school teachers or administrators are welcome to participate.
In the same way that Jesus established a community (a Body made up of diverse members with different giftings) to be instruments of furthering His kingdom, our hope is to establish a community of upper elementary teachers who can grow and learn from each other and celebrate the unique opportunities of their grade. So they, too, can be instruments and agents of spiritual transformation by bringing their unique perspectives and abilities to further the mission of their schools.
What you can Expect
Cohorts will meet once a month online, but the cohorts will be designed to provide on-going conversation throughout the month via email. Cohort members will also have access to recorded sessions and will receive regular RenewEd emails, targeted toward the tasks and opportunities of today's upper elementary teachers.
Facilitation will be structured around objectives and goals, but will be informed by on-going expressed needs and thoughts. However, we'll always dedicate a significant portion of our time together to open questions and conversation, to share resources, and to generate ideas of how we can collectively further spiritual vibrancy within our school communities. As a part of their registration, all cohort members will receive a digital copy of Noah's book, Jesus Above School to provide some of the framework that will guide our monthly conversation. RenewEd has also recruited an experienced fifth grade teacher who has demonstrated a lengthy history of considering the implications of the Christian worldview and a uniquely gospel-driven perspective on the teaching upper elementary students. This teacher will be assisting in the facilitation of the upper elementary teacher cohort.