Eplore Biblical Education Virtually 

Descriptions of the workshops for Exchange Conference 2022 are available here. Workshops for 2023 will be announced in March.

Download the 2022 virtual schedule.

Keynote

• My Path to Grace Relations: A Biblical Worldview of Race Relations

  New

  Presenter: Dr. A. Charles Ware

  Dr. Ware will share how his own experience of being rejected by believers, due to beliefs that interracial marriage was biblically wrong, led him to deepen his walk with Christ and a firm commitment to biblical reconciliation.

• Color Me Love

  New

  Presenter: Dr. A. Charles Ware

  This session will challenge Christian educators to make biblical love the primary outcome of Christian education.

• The Grace Relations DREAM (Dream, Reality, Expectations, Applications, Measurable)

  New

  Presenter: Dr. A. Charles Ware

  The Grace Relations DREAM is a process that Christian schools can apply to identify God's dream/vision for their schools, assess where they are, and create a plan with metrics for implementing God's dream.

• Help! My Students Are Really Confused!

  New

  Presenter: Dr. Bryan Smith

  Students these days are distracted, unmotivated, and easily led. The education they need is not interesting to them, and the influences they definitely don’t need are taking them down the wrong path. What can we do to help them? Biblical worldview shaping. We need to engage students in learning experiences that challenge what they assume about life. We need to model for our students a biblical way of responding to wrong thinking and living. We need to show students how to develop the skill of Christian discernment.

• How Do We Keep from Losing Our Kids?

  New

  Presenter: Dr. Bryan Smith

  You’ve seen the polls, and you’ve heard the stories. Many of our young people leave the Christian faith not long after they graduate from Christian schools. These departures often seem like sudden, rash decisions. But they rarely are. Behind them is usually a long process of wrong thinking. Confronting that process and disrupting it are some of the most important things we can do as Christian educators. In this session we will consider how we can be more effective at passing on our faith to the next generation.

General

• A Biblical Worldview of Leadership

  Presenter: Dr. Renton Rathburn

  Christian education needs strong leadership. But what does that mean? A Christian school can create a healthy interdependency between administration and faculty. This is possible when administration leads by transforming their faculty into leaders. This kind of leadership is not only demonstrated in Scripture, but it is also a central part of imitating Christ. This workshop traces foundational principles of biblical leadership, illustrates strategies for engaging and inspiring millennials, and demonstrates the importance of changing from game-theory leadership into "foxhole leadership."

• A Biblical Worldview of Math? Does It Add Up?

  New

  Presenter: Dr. Renton Rathburn

  Typically, attempting to integrate Bible into a math course results in unconvincing biblical connections and a distraction from advancing mathematical knowledge. Often Bible integration in math changes the subject from math to religion and makes connections that seem random or unrelated, which hinders the course’s intended learning process. This problem is often rooted in wrong assumptions about mathematics itself. This workshop defines mathematics from a biblical worldview and develops strategies that 1) allow discussions of biblical worldview to emerge naturally from the mathematical concepts, 2) deepen the students’ understanding of math, and 3) give the students a proper perspective of mathematical limits.

• Conducting Conferences That Count

  Presenter: Dr. Jenny Copeland

  Parent-teacher conferences often create anxiety for all parties involved—the teacher, the parent, and the student too! Even the stereotypical idea of a parent-teacher conference is one of awkward interactions, bad news, and wish lists on both sides. You can lead the change and make even that small segment of time together a valuable bridge for the entire year. Come gather practical ideas for efficient scheduling, warm environments, panic-free preparation, positive team-building discussions, and effective action item wrap-ups. Make this year’s conferences different!

• Getting Organized: Strategies for Catching the Details

  New

  Presenter: Dr. Esther Baker

  Whether you are administering a school or an extracurricular activity, details can easily be missed, creating hard feelings or worse. We will discuss both organizational strategies and simple (and inexpensive!) tools for managing your life.

• Give Backstage Prep a Break

  New

  Presenter: Dr. Jenny Copeland

  Incorporating technology into your classroom should take your instruction to the next level—not hijack your preparation time! Discover some amazing tools that will help you manage your classroom and motivate your students without tons of work behind the scenes.

• iCheat: Staying One Step Ahead of the Devices

  New

  Presenter: Dr. Jenny Copeland

  Technology is no longer a novelty in education; it is a vital and powerful force in education. But while we focus our attention on finding the newest tool or incorporating the most fabulous app, are we remaining vigilant of the potential misuses of technology? Everyday technology tools have made cheating incredibly easy, but unfortunately, the strategies students are using to cheat are often beyond what educators would have even considered! This session will present specific cheating methods as well as specific safeguarding and accountability strategies. Come get ideas for how to protect your classroom and your students!

• LGBTQ+ Ideology: What Your Students Are Facing and How to Respond

  New

  Presenter: Dr. Renton Rathburn

  Students in our classrooms today are inundated with LGBTQ+ indoctrination via social media, entertainment, and personal friendships. Now there are movements, even within the church, that have accepted varying degrees of LGBTQ+ affirmation. What can Christian teachers do in response to students confused about what the Bible says about gender and sexuality? In this session, we will explore how biblical worldview strategies can shape students to think biblically about these concepts.

• Survival Tips for New and Not So New Teachers

  New

  Presenter: Cindy Dickinson

  So, you’re a new teacher or in a new school or you’re teaching new subjects. How will you ever get through this first year or two? This workshop will give you pointers and tips for making it through those tough first few months. Come learn about lesson planning, classroom management, dealing with coworkers, finding a mentor, and where to go for help when you need it.

• The Visual Classroom

  New

  Presenter: Rachel Santopietro

  You buy posters, create bulletin boards, purchase knick-knacks, and spend a lot of time and money making your classroom a welcoming place for students to learn. But does it welcome or overwhelm? Does it help them learn, or does it distract? Make the aesthetics of your classroom work for you by learning about educational research on the visual aspect of learning.

• TTO 2.0: What’s in Here Now?

  New

  Presenter: Cindy Dickinson

  Teacher Tools Online (TTO) is a great resource provided by BJU Press to make teachers’ lives easier. TTO has received significant updates and improvements. The main feature changes for this update are saved searches and filters, multi-select filter, and category updates. The improved search feature will be a great help to quickly find desired resources. There is even a new Help Center to allow you to get help right when you need it. Join me to get a closer look at all Teacher Tools Online has to offer to make your life easier.

• Understanding Trauma in the Classroom: Compassion and Care for Students Who Are Hurting

  New

  Presenter: Christina Miller

  Childhood trauma occurs more than we would maybe care to think about. In fact, by the age of 16, over two-thirds of children will have experienced at least one traumatic event in their lifetime. As educators, it is important for us to recognize the signs of traumatic stress and its short- and long-term impact on children, especially as it relates to their learning. In this workshop, we will discuss the spectrum of trauma, adverse childhood experiences and their impact on overall physical, mental, emotional, and social health of children, and common trauma triggers. This workshop will also address how the effective educator can respond to such students with compassion, care, and concern for their students’ spiritual, academic, and mental well-being.

• Using ExamView in the Classroom and Remotely

  Presenter: Milton Ashley

  One of the popular resources on Teacher Tools Online from BJU Press is the ExamView Assessment Suite. This session covers the basics of getting started with ExamView and highlights some of the robust features of this digital assessment tool.

• When Parents and Teachers Meet: A View from Both Sides of the Desk

  New

  Presenter: Becky Teruel

  Have you ever heard, or said, “I would love teaching if it weren’t for the parents?” Parents should be viewed as a positive part of our teaching—helping our students to become more successful. I have taught many years in the classroom and believe that parents can be partners. As a parent of four children, I learned to see and value both sides of communication. Come learn ways to include parents in your students’ learning to make your year the best it can be!

• Why Curriculum Mapping Is Critical to School Culture

  New

  Presenter: Michael Arnold

  Curriculum mapping is often a major school initiative driven by accreditation and other external expectations, but it is best seen as a key cultural component for any faith-based school. It can help teachers and administrators prioritize school mission, vertically align instruction from one grade to the next, identify key areas for professional development, and enhance collaboration opportunities. Collecting and streamlining instructional decisions allows teachers to gain the freedom and flexibility, which can help their relationships with students, parents, and the broader community flourish. This workshop will outline the basic questions curriculum mapping explores as the practice becomes part of school culture.

Administrative

• The School Leader’s Teaching Role

  New

  Presenter: Dr. Brian Carruthers

  Every good school leader must also be a great teacher, effectively working to implement research-based changes in the school’s instructional program. This workshop will explore the opportunities the lead teacher will have to transform the organization by coaching teachers to be more effective in the classroom.

Preschool

• Pathways for Preschool: Parts and Pieces

  (K3)

  Presenter: Becky Custer

  Pathways for Preschool provides a center-based, hands-on approach to learning. The many parts and pieces to this program help teachers as they promote discovery learning and age-appropriate developmental skills in their classroom. Learn creative instructional tips and lesson planning strategies while we experience this exciting preschool program.

• Right from the Start: Philosophy of Early Childhood Education

  New to Virtual

  Presenter: Becky Custer

  The beginning years of a child's education are critical because we are laying a vital foundation. How we do this will shape each child’s approach to future learning. In this session, learn what we can do to stimulate and encourage a love of learning in these formative years and teach preschool right, from the start.

• Seeing the Big Picture with Footsteps for Four

  Presenter: Becky Custer

  Early learners are just starting to focus in on the world around them. Footsteps for Fours provides a solid academic foundation for future learning and also creates opportunities to grow physically, emotionally and spiritually. Discover all the parts and pieces that work together in Footsteps to ensure that your students have an exciting start to their world of learning!

Elementary

• Cliques, Clowns, Toughies, and Tattletales

  (K3–Grade 5) New to Virtual

  Presenter: Katie Klipp

  Doesn't it seem like just when you think you've mastered dealing with a certain type of difficult student, a new breed arrives to challenge your strategies? Sometimes it seems teachers have to spend more time in character training than in actual academic instruction! If that is the case, teachers need to step back and determine how to manage these types of students effectively. What do you say to a class clown, a perpetual tattler, a disinterested kid, or a competitive bragger? Come gain a new understanding of difficult students and then gather new and creative ways to include them, reach them, and teach them.

• Going Beyond the Basic Colors: Reading for K5–1

  New to Virtual

  Presenter: Katie Klipp

  In this session, participants will learn how to navigate the BJU Press K5 and Grade 1 reading materials, gain helpful tips that enhance students’ ability in and understanding of reading orally and silently, and gather creative ideas for making the reading section of each day enticingly more colorful for students.

• Making the Most of Your Math Manipulatives

  (K5–Grade 5) New to Virtual

  Presenter: Cindy Dickinson

  Do you have questions about using manipulatives in your math classroom? Perhaps you feel like manipulatives are a burden, a bother, or a waste of classroom time. Research shows that using manipulatives in your math classroom can positively affect student understanding. Learn creative ways to use your math manipulatives, leading your students to a deeper understanding of math. And learn a variety of ways to organize your math manipulatives to make the most of your classroom time.

• People, Places, and Dates, Oh My!

  Presenter: Cindy Dickinson

  People, places, and dates in history are important, but elementary social studies can be so much more. We need to equip students to understand, biblically evaluate, engage in, and make decisions about their world. How do we help our students accomplish this? How do we help them understand their place in this world? Learn how you can help your students to develop their biblical worldview, critical-thinking skills, and social studies skills that enable them to become lifelong learners who value freedom, equality, and individual responsibility.

• Phonics: The Whys and Hows

  New to Virtual

  Presenter: Becky Teruel

  Does phonics seem tedious to teach? Does it matter how students are taught to read? Since phonics is the proven method of teaching reading, understanding how it is used in the classroom is imperative. Join me as we explore the whys and hows of teaching phonics. We will look at the role of the Word Family approach in phonics instruction.

• Reading Groups vs. Whole-Class Instruction: Does It Really Matter?

  New to Virtual

  Presenter: Becky Teruel

  Shouldn’t it be up to the teacher whether grouping or whole-class instruction is used to teach reading? Isn’t the outcome the same for students no matter which way reading is taught? Up-to-date reading group research shows that how reading is taught does matter for students. In this session, learn why reading groups are important and how to implement them. Participate in an interactive reading lesson and discuss ideas for how to occupy students during reading group time to help the classroom flow smoothly.

• Reading: The Final Grade

  Presenter: Becky Teruel

  Isn’t giving a reading grade too subjective? Is it possible for a reading rubric to be consistent in all the elementary classes in your school? Come learn an effective method of grading for all elementary reading levels. Participants will learn which components of reading to grade and will practice grading and recording parts of a reading lesson.

• Science Strategies for Success

  New

  Presenter: Cindy Dickinson

  What makes a successful science teacher? Successful science teachers have goals, think about assessment, and use resources not only to deepen their students’ scientific literacy but also to develop a biblical worldview. Join me to discover ways to engage students while helping them to answer essential questions such as where did our world come from? why are we here? and why is science important? Learn about teaching strategies and resources you can use to help make your science classroom a success.

• Systems for All Your Stuff! Organizing Your Classroom and Beyond

  (Grades 1–6) New to Virtual

  Presenter: Pam Elbell

  A well-organized classroom sends a clear and positive message to your students. Is your classroom sending the wrong message? Come and learn practical ways to effectively organize your classroom, schedule, and supplies to be able to better serve your students.

• Use All of the Crayons in Your Box: Phonics for K5-1

  New to Virtual

  Presenter: Katie Klipp

  In this session, participants will learn how to navigate the BJU Press K5 and Grade 1 phonics materials, gain helpful tips that enhance students’ ability in and understanding of word families and word manipulation, and gather creative ideas for making the phonics section of each day enticingly more colorful for students.

Middle School

• Managing the "Middles"

  Presenter: Pam Litzenberger

  Wondering how to keep a room full of sixth graders engaged? Or a group of eighth graders actually paying attention in class? In this workshop I will present practical ways to keep your class moving and your students engaged in what you are teaching. We will discuss how to take attendance painlessly, make transitions, grade homework easily without having to repeat answers numerous times, grade that endless pile of tests more quickly, and record grades. Come loaded with questions and tips to share with the group!

• The Professional English Juggler

  (Grades 6–12) New to Virtual

  Presenter: Christy Hand

  You can manage the daunting task of teaching students all the facets of ELA—grammar, literature, writing, vocabulary, spelling, and more! Learn not only how to survive but also how to enjoy this task. Find new ideas to develop your teaching and English skills. Accomplish it all in a professional manner through planning, organizing, adapting, and personalizing the ELA material.

High School

• Doing Biblical Integration in the ELA Classroom

  New

  Presenter: JR Remelgado

  Teaching English consists of much more than merely instructing students in metaphors and participles. It is an opportunity for students to evaluate a variety of worldviews in light of biblical principles and learn how to communicate a biblical worldview to others. In this session, we will explore ways to skillfully integrate biblical worldview shaping into both literature and writing lessons, engage students in rich worldview discussions, and show students how to transfer their worldview-shaping skills outside the English classroom.

• Essential Strategies for Success of the Struggling Learner

  (Grades 5–12) New to Virtual

  Presenter: Julia Soram

  Have you been at a loss of what to do to help a student who is having a hard time in your class? Come learn essential strategies to help struggling learners reach their full potential. The first half of this workshop will focus on strategies to use in the classroom to help struggling learners. The second half will focus on strategies to share with families of the struggling learner to better assist outside of the classroom.

• Getting the Most from Your Teacher Editions

  New

  Presenter: Pam Litzenberger

  Need help putting together your lessons using your BJU Press materials? This workshop will give step-by-step practical methods to plan your lesson and your year using the many resources available with both your BJU Press teacher edition and online materials. Bring your teacher edition and computer to this workshop to fully benefit!

• History through Eyes of Faith

  Presenter: Dr. Bryan Smith

  Christians agree that the Bible is essential to understanding history. But what is this supposed to look like in the classroom? Many teachers focus on godly character traits seen in the lives of certain individuals. But this approach often leaves the core objectives of history unaffected by biblical teaching. This workshop proposes that the key to effective biblical integration is Christian worldview shaping. Students learn Christianly when they see the past through the lens of a Christian worldview. Discover classroom practices that will help you achieve core history objectives in a distinctively Christian way.

• Memorable Science

  (Grades 6–12)

  Presenter: Rachel Santopietro

  This workshop will present practical methods for teaching science and will explore the philosophy behind BJU Press secondary science materials. Participants will gain a new vision of how to instruct and inspire students when this curriculum is used.

• Overcoming Math Anxiety

  New to Virtual

  Presenter: Pam Litzenberger

  As many as 25%–50% of pre-college students have math anxiety. In this workshop, we will discuss this fear, where it may have originated, and most importantly, how we, as their math teachers, can help our students overcome their anxiety. We will also talk about math myths and how they affect our students.