Eagle Eye Blog

Enjoy the “Struggle”
By Krista Greer, High School Math Teacher
Blog Post for October 2024

A major problem among many math teachers and students is the belief that one must be talented or exceptionally smart to successfully understand mathematics. However, if you review the biographies of great mathematicians, the common denominator is not talent but the ability to persist. They knew that success was not about exceptional talent but about the ability to persevere, to embrace the struggle, to see learning as a process of seeking help, listening to others solve problems, and trying again and again. Journal of Educational Psychology, 108(3), 314-328

Many students have convinced themselves that they "can't do math," and when they struggle, they give up too easily. When faced with a difficult math problem, there are many resources available to help students. However, simply copying an answer is not learning; taking the time to understand the answer is the real "struggle" and the key to learning how to persevere.
Students who maintain a positive attitude when faced with challenges see them not as problems but as puzzles or opportunities. Students who know how to "struggle" and persevere will not only excel in math but also develop into better learners and more resilient adults. Encourage your students to persevere!
 

Eagle Eye Blog

Thankfulness
By Renee Costello, Elementary PE Teacher
Blog Post for September 2024
 

Thankfulness.  There is a wooden sign that hangs on the wall in my kitchen.  Every day when I come home, I come face to face with the two words carved in it.  The etched words are BE THANKFUL.  God talks about this a lot in Scripture.  To be thankful means to be pleased and relieved.  It means to be filled with a heart of gratitude and gratefulness.  It's important to understand Who we are thankful to and to recognize that gratitude goes to God and God alone.  

Colossians 2:7 instructs us to be rooted and built up in Christ, for His teaching is what strengthens our faith and His Truth is what brings about a thankfulness that the Apostle Paul calls "overflowing."  In the same letter to the Colossian Church, Paul links peace with thankfulness: Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15

True peace comes from knowing Christ.  And it leads to a heart of thankfulness.  That's why the Apostle Paul can tell the believers in Colosse to be thankful, because knowing Christ enables us to experience His peace and relief, which in turn overflows into gratitude. The Bible characterizes Christians by their peace and their ability to have thankful hearts in all circumstances. This would be an impossibility outside of the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.  But Praise God that He gives us of Himself and promises His presence with us always.  Because of this, we can carry out the work He has called us to do, and carry it out with  peace and gratefulness.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.  Hebrews 12:28