PowerTeaching Kindergarten Student Engagement. WOW!

Introduction to Power Teaching


Power Teaching is a grass roots, education reform movement begun in 1999 by three Yucaipa, California educators: Chris Biffle, philosophy professor at Crafton Hills College, Jay Vanderfin, 3rd grade teacher at Mentone Elementary and Chris Rekstad, 4th grade teacher at Valley Elementary.

In the last nine years we've given seminars to educators representing over 150,000 students. Though we are centered in Southern California, we've been contacted by teachers from across the United States, Europe, and Africa. Typically, our free seminars, offered three times a year at Crafton Hills College, attract over 400 instructors. Power Teaching presents some of the largest, free teaching conferences in the United States.

Power Teaching rests upon the principle that teachers at every level share the same difficulties: students lack discipline, background knowledge and fundamental problem solving skills. From kindergarten to college, teachers face students who have difficulty with reading and writing. Nonetheless, our students respond to challenges, enjoy well-designed learning games, and can make, in the proper setting, astonishing educational progress.




Our goal is to create peaceful classrooms full of orderly fun. Thousands of teachers believe we're on the right track.

At the root of Power Teaching is a large amount of highly structured, educational tomfoolery. Students learn the most when they are having fun. Power Teaching classrooms are full of task-focused laughter. Humor and games are used to increase the number of times students repeat core information and practice basic skills. Our classes are highly disciplined and tightly organized because students have more fun following our rules, than ignoring them.