A Deep Hope represents why a teacher followed the call to teach in a Christian school. Sandra Vroon, our First/Second Grade teacher, transformed her Deep Hope into something tangible and relatable for her young students.
Sandra articulated her classroom’s Deep Hope around three essential actions: her first graders would KNOW God’s story, GROW in their love and understanding of that story, and GO tell others about His story. This framework aligns with the Teaching for Transformation approach, which emphasizes not just academic learning but also spiritual growth and character development.
To introduce this Deep Hope, Sandra connected it to a familiar concept—prayer. By framing her Deep Hope as her prayer for her students, she grounded the abstract idea in a concrete practice that the children could easily grasp. This approach encouraged students to think deeply about their relationship with God and their role in sharing His story with others.
Sandra and her students further explored this concept by creating a classroom book that unpacked the meaning behind each part of the Deep Hope. They engaged in discussions, shared personal stories, and reflected on how knowing, growing, and going could manifest in their daily lives. This collaborative project not only reinforced their understanding of the Deep Hope but also fostered a sense of community and shared purpose within the classroom.
In keeping with the Teaching for Transformation ethos, Sandra also invited the students’ parents to participate in this journey. She encouraged them to share their own Deep Hopes for their children, which were then placed on the children’s clipboards. This allowed students to regularly see and reflect on their parents' hopes, reinforcing the idea that their learning and spiritual development extend beyond the classroom and into their homes.
The final element of this transformative experience involved the students writing down their personal Deep Hopes. These reflections were compiled into another classroom book, allowing each child to express their unique understanding of how they could KNOW, GROW, and GO in God’s story.
Through this hands-on, community-centered approach rooted in Teaching for Transformation, Sandra’s first graders not only grasped the concept of Deep Hope but also demonstrated their ability to embody it. They began to actively KNOW God's story, GROW in their love and knowledge of it, and GO out into the world as young ambassadors of His message—transforming the abstract into a meaningful and personal journey.
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