Showcasing Growth
Today’s devotional
A folder of finished work can become a collection of things completed, or it can help a learner recognize a journey. The difference often lies in the questions asked while selecting it. What does this piece reveal? How does it connect with an earlier attempt? Why does the learner consider it meaningful?
Colossians describes a life rooted and built up in Christ, growing in faith and overflowing with thanksgiving. Psalm 77 remembers God’s deeds during a troubled season. Both passages connect present life with attentive remembrance. Looking back can reveal gifts and developments that the pressure of the next task has obscured.
A portfolio can make room for this attention in education. Invite students to select evidence that shows learning, not only work that appears flawless. An early draft beside a revision may tell a richer story than the polished result alone. A learner’s explanation helps others understand what the evidence means.
Keep ownership and privacy in view. Students should know the purpose, the audience, and what they are being asked to share. Personal disclosures are not required to make reflection meaningful. A collection of work can remain honest and thoughtful while respecting the parts of a life that do not belong on display.
Choose one artifact with a learner today and ask what it helps them remember. Name the teaching, practice, relationships, or opportunities that supported the growth. Gratitude can widen the story beyond individual achievement. The learner can recognize genuine progress while remaining rooted in a dignity that was present before the work was completed.
Adapted from Original devotion 56: Showcasing Growth in Nurturing Hearts & Minds by Dr. R. C. Titus.
Read the Scripture
Open each passage and read slowly. Notice what these words reveal about God and the life before you.
Colossians 2:6-7 · WEBU
6As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him,
7rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it in thanksgiving.
Psalm 77:11-12 · WEBU
11I will remember the LORD’s deeds; for I will remember your wonders of old.
12I will also meditate on all your work, and consider your doings.
Pause and respond
For reflection
What evidence would help a learner tell an honest story of growth rather than simply display a polished result?
A practice for today
Invite a student to choose two related pieces of work from different points in time. Ask them to explain the change, the support involved, and why the evidence matters to them.
A prayer
God of faithful presence, help us remember growth with gratitude. Guide me as I help students choose and interpret meaningful evidence. Keep their voices and privacy respected, and let the story of learning honor both genuine effort and the care through which progress became possible. Amen.
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