Capturing Minds by Capturing Hearts—Part Two: Encouragement for Christian Educators

By Kay J. Mahne

When you finish a school year of teaching, do you ever say to yourself, I could have done more? At the same time, you feel exhausted.

Whether you are training to be a teacher or you already are one, Capturing Minds by Capturing HeartsPart Two will offer encouragement. Its practical workbook style helps you think about and apply the information immediately. The information in this book has been time-tested by the author, who is a forty-year teaching veteran.

This book will pique your curiosity and challenge your outlook on teaching.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jun 16, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490839622

Kay J. Mahne

The author, a professor of mathematics and mathematics education at Georgia Gwinnett College, resides outside Atlanta with her husband. In August 1974 the author received an undergraduate degree in mathematics from Georgia State University, and in December 1980 the author was awarded a masters of arts in the teaching of mathematics degree from Georgia State University. Professor Mahne taught high school mathematics for thirty-seven years, and three years ago she started teaching college. During her career as a high school teacher, she earned many awards, which include Teacher of the Year 1993–1994 (Phoenix High School-Gwinnett County Public Schools), Star Teacher 1996–1997 (Providence Christian Academy), and Star Teacher 2005–2006 (Providence Christian Academy). She has been nominated as Teacher of the Year six times. The most recent nomination was this last academic year at the college where she currently works. She was nominated for the Outstanding Teaching Faculty Award. Professor Mahne is currently certified (grades 6–12) in mathematics and is AP certified. She is a member of the Georgia Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and has spoken at the conference for Future Educators of Georgia. This is the second of many books she hopes to write in order to pass on the knowledge she has gained about teaching in general.

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Copyright © 2014 Kay J. Mahne.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-3961-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-3962-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014910024

WestBow Press rev. date: 6/13/2014

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1 Teaching Is Psychology

Chapter 2 Teaching Requires Good Communication

Chapter 3 Teaching Requires Expertise

Chapter 4 Teaching Is A Huge Responsibility

Chapter 5 Teaching Is Friendship

Chapter 6 Teaching Is Knowledge

Chapter 7 Teaching Requires Grading

Chapter 8 Teaching Requires Cooperation

Chapter 9 Teaching Is So Daily

Chapter 10 Teaching Requires Management Skills

Chapter 11 Teaching Requires Perseverance

Chapter 12 Teaching Requires Reading Books

Chapter 13 Teaching Is Important

Chapter 14 Teaching Requires A Knowledge Of Multiculturalism

Chapter 15 Teaching Requires A Knowledge Of Technology

Chapter 16 Teaching Requires Great Wisdom And Mercy

Chapter 17 Teaching Requires Humor

Chapter 18 Teaching Requires Planning

Chapter 19 Teaching Requires Differentiation

Chapter 20 Teaching Is A Special Calling

Chapter 21 Teaching Requires Enthusiasm

Chapter 22 Teaching Requires Understanding Brain Development

Chapter 23 Teaching Requires Individualization

Chapter 24 Teaching Is Concentrating On What Is Really Important

Chapter 25 Teaching Is An Act Of Love

Chapter 26 Teaching Requires Selflessness

Chapter 27 Teaching Is Overwhelming

Chapter 28 Teaching Requires Failure

Chapter 29 Teaching Requires Thinking

Chapter 30 Teaching Requires A Knowledge Of Learning Disabilities

Chapter 31 Teaching Is Empowering

Chapter 32 Teaching Requires Discipline

Chapter 33 Teaching Requires Time

Chapter 34 Teaching Requires A Knowledge Of Special Education

Chapter 35 Teaching Requires Consistency

Chapter 36 Teaching Is Stressful

Chapter 37 Teaching Is Interactive

Chapter 38 Teaching Requires Simplicity

Chapter 39 Teaching Is Pedagogy

Chapter 40 Teaching Is Rewarding

Epilogue

This second book is also dedicated affectionately to my loving husband, Douglas. We have been married almost thirty years. He has been telling me to write this book for a long time and he is truly my greatest cheerleader. Without his support and help, his sacrifice of time and energy, and his loving guidance, this book would not have happened. I will forever be grateful for a perfect match made in heaven for me!

Kay J. Mahne

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Writing Capturing Minds by Capturing Hearts Part II was a very enjoyable experience. I wish to express my appreciation to my parents first because without their help, I would have never become a teacher. I also want to thank my daughters, Michelle and Natalie, for letting me practice all my teaching techniques on them before I used them in the classroom. Actually, both of them were also students of mine.

Special thanks also goes to my brother who helped me with the construction of the manuscript and to my sister who has always been supportive of me and my work.

Thanks also to God for giving me the gift of teaching. He led me to teach in many different places, public and private- Christian. He has given me many opportunities to impact the world of education and the lives of my students. I hope to hear the words someday Well done, good and faithful servant-Matthew 25:21.

INTRODUCTION

Whatsoever things are: true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, of any virtue, anything praiseworthy…meditate on these.

– Philippians 4:8 (The Bible)

In writing this book, I hope that I am simply whetting your appetite to make you think. I try not to assume that you have already read or know the things that I am presenting in this book. But I hope, instead, that by reading this book, you will create your own philosophy of learning and teaching. I also hope that you will be drawn closer to God and you will see how much you need His help every day.

I know I don’t have all the answers. I can only share with you what I have learned and experienced during 40 years of being in the classroom.

This book is written in workbook format so that it can be used as an individual study guide or a group activity study guide. At the end of each chapter is a list of questions to ponder. These were written to help you think and discuss with others if possible the concepts that were presented in the chapter.

Teaching has been my life’s work. I knew as a small child that I wanted to be a teacher. Not until many years later did I realize that I had a God-given talent for being able to explain complicated math problems and procedures very clearly and could get just about anybody to understand how to do math. I have taught thousands of students and tutored everyone in my neighborhood. All of this is a miracle. For you see, I was a high school dropout. I am quite sure that my teachers wrote me off as never amounting to anything. By the age of nineteen, I was divorced with a small child left to rear alone. I have to give my parents a lot of credit, for they never gave up on me and God never gave up on me. I lived with my parents while I went to college and they helped to take care of my young daughter. They gave me a gift which gave me success for the rest of my life- my education. But my education alone has not made me an effective teacher. It is the grace of God.

Because of the circumstances that I went through as a young person, it gave me a compassion and understanding for young people. One of the biggest things that I try not to do is judge what a student is capable of or not capable of doing or learning. My job is simply to help the student get from where they are to where they need to be. On my list of past students has been a NASA engineer, a designer of corvettes, cadets to West Point (Army), the Naval Academy and Air