The purpose of this book is to discover logical ways of thinking to create healthy and caring learning relationships as well as personal relationships to promote achievement and to encourage the faith of our children in the Bible. It is designed as a "how to" guide for those who teach children from ages 6 through 17 in any setting: home, church, or school. These ways of thinking can be helpful in overcoming "teacher burnout" as it relates to learning relationships between teacher and pupils. Portions have been successfully piloted as supplemental class materials for an educational psychology class of freshmen and sophomores. Major themes are: the nature of the learning relationship based upon mutual respect and trust, values as choices of principles, the freedom to be able, functional literacy and academic achievement using critical thinking skills. There are two sections of educational philosophy. One is in the opening three chapters with the introduction, premise and check for understanding exercise. The other is at the conclusion of the book in the "Added Suggestions" with references to national teaching standards. The remainder of the book is comprised of 14 complete lessons with each one identifying a particular principle to be valued. These lessons have a format. There is a story, a fundamental principle, and a check for understanding exercise (no relation to direct instruction) which uses critical thinking levels from Bloom's Taxonomy and is placed in a template. These are complete and ready made lessons suitable for immediate use. The difficulty levels can be easily adjusted by choosing to emphasize listening and speaking or reading and writing by the pupils. The principles chosen are the values of: truth, (caring for ) others, the learning relationship, rest as reward (as opposed to escape), approval, creativity, justice, compassion, redemption, faith and faithfulness, respect for life, choices, honesty, and wisdom.
About the Author: Dale Knepper is an on-line instructor with Fresno Pacific University's continuing education department. (http: //ce.fresno.edu/cpd/dale-knepper) He is a retired high school teacher of AP economics, US history, government, AP psychology, and more for fourteen years. Dale was a teacher of grades 5, 6, and 7 for six years. During this time he was selected as a "master teacher" for the Teacher Corps. He was recognized by the US Department of Education as a "highly qualified" teacher in its "No Child Left Behind" program. Dale was an elected member of the Fresno (Cal.) County Board of Education 1988-1996 and twice served as its president. He represented educational publishing companies: Glencoe, Merrill, Science Research Associates, and Allyn and Bacon. Dale holds the M. A. for international relations, Cal. State Univ. Fresno and the B. A. history, Asbury College.