How can you help your students understand how you teach from a Biblical perspective?
01/02/07 13:31 Filed in: How
you teach Biblical perspective
You finish marking a recent assessment in
which you asked your students to apply a biblical
perspective. They did OK, but you want them
to do even better. So, you decided to use the 5-step
IDEAL process:
(2) Define the problem: You review your students’ work again. You think, “These are bright kids. They can do better. I know they can. What can I do to help them?”
You decide to use class time to talk with your students about how effectively they applied a biblical perspective on your last assessment and to ask them how you can help them.
Toward the end of conversation, Chikara says, “I know you teach from a biblical perspective, but I guess I don’t understand how that works. I mean, you have us work in groups and learn parts of speech, but so do my friends’ teachers at schools that aren’t Christian. So, I don’t get how those things are part of Christian education. I think I could do better on applying a biblical perspective if I could better understand how you teach from a biblical perspective.” Tanya adds, “Yeah, that would help me, too.
You think, “How can they not understand how I teach from a biblical perspective?” But then you decide to really focus on what your students are saying: They “know you teach from a biblical perspective,” and they could do better on applying a biblical perspective if they “could better understand how you teach from a biblical perspective.”
Then it hits you, and you think, “What an opportunity! If my students better understand how I teach from a biblical perspective, they feel they’ll be able to more effectively apply a biblical perspective to course content.”
(3) Explore ways to address the problem, pick one, and make a plan to address it: You reflect on what you’re currently doing and about your students not getting it. You realize that while you have been teaching from a biblical perspective, you haven’t routinely and explicitly explained how you teach from a biblical perspective.
You realize that you probably need to explain how you use a biblical perspective when you think about lesson content, when you develop assessments, and when you choose instructional strategies. You realize, that during the last unit on parts of speech, for example, you had opportunities to explain:
(4) Act: Your students are seated, the bell rings, and you say, “The other day we talked about how you applied a biblical perspective on a recent assignment. You shared that it would be helpful if I helped you better understand how I teach from a biblical perspective. So, that’s what I’m going to do during this unit. I’m going to explain how I’m using a biblical perspective. I’m doing this because I want you to more effectively apply a biblical perspective to what you study in my class. If it helps you, I’ll continue doing it. OK?”
(5) Look at the results: That’ll have to wait until you complete your unit. Meanwhile, you’re feeling good about explaining how you use a biblical perspective. You’re taking advantage of teaching opportunities God has provided for you.
Teachers, to what extent does this describe your thinking? Principals, to what extent does this describe your teachers’ thinking?
If the above describes your thinking or the thinking of your staff, what are 5 things you could do to increase understanding of a biblical perspective of education? Pick one and implement it. Today.
- Identify the problem and ask
God for help
- Define the problem
- Explore ways to address the
problem, pick one, and make a plan to address it
- Act
- Look at the results
(2) Define the problem: You review your students’ work again. You think, “These are bright kids. They can do better. I know they can. What can I do to help them?”
You decide to use class time to talk with your students about how effectively they applied a biblical perspective on your last assessment and to ask them how you can help them.
Toward the end of conversation, Chikara says, “I know you teach from a biblical perspective, but I guess I don’t understand how that works. I mean, you have us work in groups and learn parts of speech, but so do my friends’ teachers at schools that aren’t Christian. So, I don’t get how those things are part of Christian education. I think I could do better on applying a biblical perspective if I could better understand how you teach from a biblical perspective.” Tanya adds, “Yeah, that would help me, too.
You think, “How can they not understand how I teach from a biblical perspective?” But then you decide to really focus on what your students are saying: They “know you teach from a biblical perspective,” and they could do better on applying a biblical perspective if they “could better understand how you teach from a biblical perspective.”
Then it hits you, and you think, “What an opportunity! If my students better understand how I teach from a biblical perspective, they feel they’ll be able to more effectively apply a biblical perspective to course content.”
(3) Explore ways to address the problem, pick one, and make a plan to address it: You reflect on what you’re currently doing and about your students not getting it. You realize that while you have been teaching from a biblical perspective, you haven’t routinely and explicitly explained how you teach from a biblical perspective.
You realize that you probably need to explain how you use a biblical perspective when you think about lesson content, when you develop assessments, and when you choose instructional strategies. You realize, that during the last unit on parts of speech, for example, you had opportunities to explain:
- That language is a gift from God, so we should
use it effectively.
- That when you asked “What is the significance
of words?”, you could’ve made it more clear that
you were really inviting your students to think
about how they could use words to bring healing,
peace, and justice to a sinful world.
- That you were giving your students an
assessment on the parts of speech in an effort to
help them effectively use God’s gift of language.
- That working in groups gives each student the opportunity to love their neighbors by helping them learn.
(4) Act: Your students are seated, the bell rings, and you say, “The other day we talked about how you applied a biblical perspective on a recent assignment. You shared that it would be helpful if I helped you better understand how I teach from a biblical perspective. So, that’s what I’m going to do during this unit. I’m going to explain how I’m using a biblical perspective. I’m doing this because I want you to more effectively apply a biblical perspective to what you study in my class. If it helps you, I’ll continue doing it. OK?”
(5) Look at the results: That’ll have to wait until you complete your unit. Meanwhile, you’re feeling good about explaining how you use a biblical perspective. You’re taking advantage of teaching opportunities God has provided for you.
Teachers, to what extent does this describe your thinking? Principals, to what extent does this describe your teachers’ thinking?
My colleagues say they teach from a biblical perspective, but I don’t understand how that works. I believe them, but I don’t really get it. For example, they have their students work in groups and learn muscle names, but I don’t understand how this is part of Christian education. My non-Christian friends who teach also have their students work in groups and learn muscle names. What’s the difference?
If the above describes your thinking or the thinking of your staff, what are 5 things you could do to increase understanding of a biblical perspective of education? Pick one and implement it. Today.