Your juniors are writing about social issues. You want them to apply a Biblical perspective to their issues.
 
Question: How can you help your students apply a Biblical perspective to their issues?
 
Answer: By having your students coach each other by asking the following 4 questions:

1. What social issue are you writing about?
2. What excites/frustrates you about this issue?
3. What Biblical teaching applies to this issue?
4. What’s a Biblical response to this issue?

Help your students apply a Biblical perspective to issues. Use peer coaching. Today.

Your seniors are working on essays. You want them to apply a Biblical perspective throughout their essays. You don’t want them to put Biblical perspective only in their conclusions.
 
Question: How can you help your students apply a Biblical perspective throughout their essays?
 
Answer: By having your students coach each other by asking the following 7 questions:

1. What’s your thesis statement?
2. What’s the Biblical perspective component of your thesis statement?
3. What do you like/dislike about your Biblical perspective component?
4. How many paragraphs are in your essay? In how many paragraphs do you apply a Biblical perspective?
5. How many main points are in your essay? How many of the main points do you apply a Biblical perspective to?
6. On a scale of 1-5 (5 being high), how permeated is your essay by Biblical perspective?
7. What will you do?

Help your students apply a Biblical perspective throughout their essays. Use peer coaching. Today.

Your sophomores are writing essays. You want them to use effective thesis statements. You want them to effectively include Biblical perspective in their thesis statements.
 
Question: How can you help your students effectively include Biblical perspective in their thesis statements?
 
Answer: By having them reflect.
 
Question: How can you do this?
 
Answer: By having your students coach each other by asking the following 5 questions:

1. What’s your thesis statement?
2. Where did you include Biblical perspective in your thesis statement?
3. What do you like/dislike about the Biblical perspective component of your thesis statement?
4. On a scale of 1-5 (5 being high), how effective is the Biblical perspective component of your thesis statement?
5. What question do you want to ask ____ (teacher’s name) about this?

Help your students effectively include Biblical perspective in their thesis statements. Use peer coaching. Today.

You want your 7th graders to connect what they study and Biblical principles. And you want your 7th graders to support their Biblical principles with Bible verses.
 
Question: How can you help your 7th graders use relevant Bible verses?
 
Answer: By having your students coach each other by asking the following 5 questions:

1. What Biblical principle(s) did you use?
2. What Bible verses did you use to support your Biblical principle(s)?
3. What’s satisfying/unsatisfying about the verses you used?
4. On a scale of 1-5 (5 being high), how relevant are the Bible verses you used?
5. What question do you want to ask me about the Bible verses you used?

Help your students use relevant Bible verses. Use peer coaching. Today.

Your 8th graders have finished the rough draft of their essays. The prompt required them to connect course content and a relevant Biblical principle.
 
Question: How can you help your students use a relevant Biblical principle?
 
Answer: By having them reflect on their rough drafts. By having them reflect on the relevance of the Biblical principle they used.
 
Question: How can you do this?
 
Answer: By having your students coach each other by asking the following 5 questions:

1. What’s your thesis?
2. What Biblical principle did you use to support your thesis?
3. What’s satisfying/unsatisfying about the Biblical principle you used?
4. On a scale of 1-5 (5 being high), how relevant is the Biblical principle you used?
5. What question do you want to ask ____ (teacher’s name) about your Biblical principle?

Help your students use relevant Biblical principles. Use peer coaching. Today.

You just finished your peer coaching session. During your peer coaching session, your peer coach helped you to focus and work smart by asking questions, questions that provoked you to think. You really appreciate that your coach asks you questions, instead of giving advice—because getting asked questions really gets you thinking and helps you take responsibility to achieve your goals.

You think that using peer coaching with your students might help. And you’re thinking, “How could peer coaching help my students apply a Biblical perspective?”

To find out, explore the following list of 5 questions:

1. How can peer coaching help your students use relevant Biblical principles?
2. How can peer coaching help your students use relevant Bible verses?
3. How can peer coaching help your students include Biblical perspective in their thesis statements?
4. How can peer coaching help your students apply a Biblical perspective throughout their essays?
5. How can peer coaching help your students apply a Biblical perspective to issues?

Remember: The real question isn't "How could peer coaching help your students apply a Biblical perspective?" The real question is "How will you use peer coaching to help your students apply a Biblical perspective?"

Help your students apply a Biblical perspective. Use peer coaching. Today.


*To learn more about coaching, click here.

Here's a set of DRAW questions you can use for a discussion of “What questions should your students respond to?”
 
Define: Get the facts defined.

1. Who are your students?
2. Where are your students from? Where will they live in the future?
3. What questions do you ask your students?

Respond: Get the facts responded to in terms of feelings/experiences.

1. What excites/concerns you about your students considering difficult questions in your classroom?
2. What excites/concerns you about your students considering difficult questions after they leave school?

Analyze: Get the facts, feelings, and experiences analyzed.

1. What would your students say are the difficult questions they want to think through?
2. What would parents say are the questions they want their children to respond to?
3. What difficult questions do you think graduates wished they had been asked?
4. What would youth pastors say are the challenges teens are facing?
5. What would Christians in the workplace say are the crucial questions for Christians in the subject area you teach?
6. What would your fellow teachers say are difficult questions your students should respond to?

What’s next?: Get next steps considered.

1. What are 5-10 difficult questions you want your students to respond to?
2. How can you get your students to respond to your questions?
3. What will you do?

You want your 8th graders to make connections. You’ve assigned them an essay requiring them to connect what they study and what the Bible teaches. And you’re ready to collect their rough drafts. Good.
 
Question: How can you help your students make better connections?
 
Answer: By having them reflect on the connections they made in their rough drafts. How? By asking them to respond to these questions:

• What connections did you make?
• What’s satisfying/unsatisfying about your connections?
• What helps you make connections?
• What question do you want to ask me about your connections?

Ask your students to write responses to these questions. Then, ask them to staple their responses to their rough drafts. Tell them you’ll answer the question they asked you about their connections.
 
Help your students make connections. Ask them questions. Today.

You want your students develop a Christ-centered worldview. You want your students to better connect what they study and what the Bible teaches.
 
Question: What can you do?
 
Answer: You can reflect on questions like:

• How can you help your students make connections?
• How can you help your students use relevant Biblical principles?
• How can you help your students use relevant Bible verses?
• How can you help your students include Biblical perspective in their thesis statements?
• How can you help your students apply a Biblical perspective throughout their essays?
• How can you help your students apply a Biblical perspective to issues?

Help your students develop a Christ-centered worldview. Reflect on questions. Today.

Here's a set of DRAW questions you can use for a discussion of “What question do you want to ask your students?”
 
Define: Get the facts defined.

1. In one of your classes, what are your students studying?
2. What connections are your students making between what they study and what the Bible teaches?

Respond: Get the facts responded to in terms of feelings/experiences.

1. How do you feel about asking questions?
2. How do you feel about asking questions that help students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches?

Analyze: Get the facts, feelings, and experiences analyzed.

1. Which questions from the list do you like, feel comfortable with, and have some answers for?
2. Which questions from the list do you think your students will find engaging?

What’s next?: Get next steps considered.

1. What question will you ask your students?
2. When will you ask it?
3. How will you invite your students to respond to your question (journal writing, small group discussion, brainstorming….)?

Here's a set of DRAW questions you can use for a discussion of “How valuable are questions?”

Define: Get the facts defined.

1. What types of things do you tell your students?
2. What types of things do you ask your students about?

Respond: Get the facts responded to in terms of feelings/experiences.

1. How you do feel when you’re allowed/not allowed to ask questions?
2. How do you feel when your students ask/don’t ask questions?

Analyze: Get the facts, feelings, and experiences analyzed.

1. If due to a disability you were unable to ask or answer any questions, how would this affect your life and your teaching?
2. If due to a disability your students were unable ask or answer any questions, how would this affect their learning?
3. How do questions help students learn?

What’s next?: Get next steps considered.

1. What percentage of your teaching is statements/questions? What would you like it to be?
2. What good questions can you ask your students?
3. What good questions will you ask your students that will help them connect what they study and what the Bible teaches?

Here's a set of DRAW questions you can use for a discussion of “What do you want your students to learn when you ask a question?”

Define: Get the facts defined.
What question are you going to ask your students?

Respond: Get the facts responded to in terms of feelings/experiences.

1. Generally speaking, what excites/concerns you about asking questions?
2. What excites/concerns you about asking your question?

Analyze: Get the facts, feelings, and experiences analyzed.

1. To what extent do your students understand what the question means?
2. When you think of your question, what Bible content (verses, values, concepts, and principles) comes to mind?
3. How would you answer your question?
4. What Bible content do you want your students to learn when you ask your question?

What’s next?: Get next steps considered.

1. As appropriate, how will you help your students understand what the question means?
2. What Bible content will you help your students learn when you ask your question?
3. How will you help them learn it?

Here's a set of DRAW questions you can use for a discussion of “What makes a good question good?”

Define: Get the facts defined.
What questions do you ask your students?

Respond: Get the facts responded to in terms of feelings/experiences.

1. What questions that you ask your students are you excited/frustrated about?
2. What student responses to your questions are you excited/frustrated about?

Analyze: Get the facts, feelings, and experiences analyzed.

1. What kinds of questions do your students like/dislike responding to?
2. What kinds of questions help your students use upper-level thinking?
3. What kinds of questions help your students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches?
4. What are the criteria for a good question?

What’s next?: Get next steps considered.

1. What good questions can you ask your students?
2. What good question(s) will you ask your students?
3. What good question(s) will you ask your students to help them connect what they study and what the Bible teaches?

Here's a set of DRAW questions you can use for a discussion of “Why use questions?”
 
Define: Get the facts defined.

1. What questions did your teachers ask you?
2. When do you ask your students questions?
3. What questions do you ask your students?

Respond: Get the facts responded to in terms of feelings/experiences.

1. How did you feel when your teachers asked you questions?
2. What do you like/dislike about asking your students questions?
3. What do your students like/dislike about you asking questions?

Analyze: Get the facts, feelings, and experiences analyzed.

1. How do questions help students learn?
2. How do questions help students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches?
3. What can a question do better than a statement?

What’s next?: Get next steps considered.

1. What questions can you ask your students?
2. How will you use questions to help your students learn?
3. How will you use questions to help your students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches?

Here's a set of DRAW questions you can use for a discussion of “How can you use your questions effectively?”
 
Define: Get the facts defined.

1. What questions do you ask to help your students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches?
2. When do you ask these questions?

Respond: Get the facts responded to in terms of feelings/experiences.

1. What satisfies you about your use of Biblical perspective questions?
2. What concerns you about your use of Biblical perspective questions?

Analyze: Get the facts, feelings, and experiences analyzed.

1. What happens when Biblical perspective questions are used effectively?
2. What are some effective ways you are using your Biblical perspective questions?
3. What are some other effective ways you could use your Biblical perspective questions?

What’s next?: Get next steps considered.

1. What’s 1 additional way you will use your Biblical perspective questions effectively?
2. What will you do?

Here's a set of DRAW questions you can use for a discussion of “What questions should your students ask?”
 
Define: Get the facts defined.

1. When do yourstudents ask questions?
2. What kinds of questions do your students ask?

Respond: Get the facts responded to in terms of feelings/experiences.

1. For your students, what is easy/hard about asking questions?
2. What responses do your students get when asking questions?

Analyze: Get the facts, feelings, and experiences analyzed.

1. What challenges do your students face?
2. What challenges will your students face when they graduate?
3. How can questions help your students grapple with challenges?
4. How can questions help your students apply a Biblical perspective to challenges?
5. How helpful are the following questions?: What do you mean by…? How do you know? How does the Bible help? How can you respond?
6. What questions would help your students apply a Biblical perspective to challenges?
7. What helps/hinders your students from asking wise questions?

What’s next?: Get next steps considered.

1. How will you help your students ask wise questions?
2. How will you help your students ask questions that help them apply a Biblical perspective?

Here's a set of DRAW questions you can use for a discussion of “How can you get your students to sincerely respond to questions?”
 
Define: Get the facts defined.

1. What questions do you ask your students?
2. What questions do you ask your students in order to help them connect what they study and what the Bible teaches?

Respond: Get the facts responded to in terms of feelings/experiences.

1. What’s satisfying/unsatisfying about student responses to your questions?
2. What kinds of questions do your students tend to respond to?

Analyze: Get the facts, feelings, and experiences analyzed.

1. What does a sincere student response to a question look like?
2. What helps/hinders your students from sincerely responding to your questions? to questions designed to help them connect what they study and what the Bible teaches?

What’s next?: Get next steps considered.

1. To help your students sincerely respond to your questions, what do you need to keep doing? stop doing? start doing?
2. What will you do?

Here's a set of DRAW questions you can use for a discussion of “Why does God ask questions?”
 
Define: Get the facts defined.

1. What questions does God ask? Gen. 3.9, 3.11, 3.13, 4.6-7, 4.10, 18.9. Job 38.2, 38.4-11, 38.12-13, 38.16-20, 38.22-41, 39.1-5, 39.9-12, 39.19-20, 39.2-27, 40.2, 40.8-9, 41.1-7.
2. What questions does Jesus ask? Mark 2.8, 2.9, 2.19, 3.4, 3.23, 3.33, 4.13, 4.21, 4.30, 4.40, 5.9, 5.30, 5.39, 6.38, 7.18, 8.5, 8.12, 8.17-21, 8.23, 8.27, 8.29, 8.36, 8.37, 9.12 9.16, 9.19, 9.21, 9.33, 9.50, 10.3, 10.18, 10.36, 10.38, 10.51, 11.17, 11.30, 12.9, 12.10-11, 12.15, 12.16, 12.24, 12.26, 12.35, 12.37, 13.2, 14.6, 14.37, 14.41, 14.48, 15.34. Acts 9.4

Respond: Get the facts responded to in terms of feelings/experiences.

1. Which question that God asks in Genesis or Job interests you? Tell me about that.
2. Which question that Jesus asks in Mark or Acts makes you uncomfortable? Tell me about that.
3. What do you think about questions God or Jesus ask?

Analyze: Get the facts, feelings, and experiences analyzed.

1. Why does God ask questions?
2. Why does Jesus ask questions?
3. How do questions help you grow?

What’s next?: Get next steps considered.

1. What questions can you ask your students?
2. How can you use questions to help your students love God

You want your students to develop a Christ-centered worldview. So, you want your students to connect what they study and the Biblical motif of creation-fall-redemption-restoration. Good.
 
Question: How can you do this?
 
Answer: By asking questions. Here are 4 key questions (complete with related questions):
 
(1) Creation: What’s God’s purpose?

• What’s the Bible say?
• Why did God make this?
• What was ___ like when God created it?
• What’s true, good, or beautiful?
• What does ___ show you about God?
• How does ___ help you appreciate God?

(2) Fall: What’s wrong?

• What’s the Bible say?
• What’s the impact of sin on ___?
• What’s the impact of sin on my understanding of ___?
• What’s false, wrong, or ugly?

• How is ___ misused?
• How is God misunderstood because of ___?

(3) Redemption: What difference does Jesus make?

• What’s the Bible say?
• What’s the impact of Jesus’ life? death? resurrection?
• Why hope?

(4) Restoration: What will you do?

• What’s the Bible say?
• How can you join God in restoring ___?
• How can you use ___ to serve God and others?
• How can you show God’s truth using ___?
• How can you impact the world for Christ using ___?

What do student responses to these questions look like? Here are responses from a 9th grader when thinking about nature (plants):

1. What’s God’s purpose? God created nature [plants] to make earth beautiful and for humans and animals—especially for food. Nature shows God’s creativity and careful planning.
2. What’s wrong? Because of the fall…nature is misused.
3. What difference does Jesus make? The source of “broken nature” is human sin. Christ died for the sins of humans.
4. What will you do? [As redeemed people, we should] restore nature to its original purpose and beauty.

 
Tip: Before asking your students these questions, ask yourself these questions. Identify something you want to apply creation-fall-redemption-restoration to: _____________________________________________. Next, respond the following 4 questions:

1. What’s God’s purpose?
2. What’s wrong?
3. What difference does Jesus make?
4. What will you do?  

Reflect: What question(s) can you ask your students about creation-fall-redemption-restoration?

David Marshall, Science 8 teacher at Christian Academy in Japan, reflects on asking an essential question in a unit in which students his students used a Biblical perspective to assess the impact of technology on society.

What key question did you ask your students?
David: How does science impact society?

What were your students studying?
David: Students explored the basics of electricity with batteries and light bulbs, and they discussed how electricity impacts their lives and how their lives would be different without electricity—no electricity means no cell phone, computer, air conditioning, and refrigerators.

Then students analyzed the positive and negative ways technology has impacted our values and lifestyle. Students made good observations, including that technology has encouraged them to pursue comfort and leisure at the expense of relationships. Next, students studied Bible passages on contentment (I Timothy 6:6-10), possessions (Proverbs 23:4-5), selfishness (James 2:1-7, 15-16; 4:1-3; 5:1-6), and Moses giving up wealth (Hebrews 11:24-25).

What did your students learn?
David: I’m excited about the way kids were able to see something as simple as Play Station affects their lives and hearts, that technology has positive and negative impacts. One student said, “It’s important to be content, rather than wanting the latest technology.” Another student said as she demonstrated her blood sugar tester, “Without this device, I wouldn’t be alive…The Bible says we are not to murder, which means we are to protect life. This device protects lives.”