You overhear: “This doesn’t seem important. My teachers don’t grade me on this. When I wasn’t doing well in science, my teacher talked to me. But since my teachers don’t grade me on this, I don’t know how I’m doing. And since they don’t grade me on this, teachers can’t know how I’m doing. Maybe that’s why they never talk to me about how well I can use a biblical perspective. Do teachers really think this is important?”

You think: “Yes, we think understanding and using a biblical perspective of course content is important. This is a Christian school. We are Christian teachers. How can she think we don’t think a biblical perspective of course content is important? Just because we don’t assess it, grade it, or talk with students about low performance? Why does she think that? Well, maybe she doesn’t think it’s important because we don’t really treat biblical perspective like we do other things we consider important.”

Your goal? You want your students to increase their understanding and use of a biblical perspective of course content. (You know that the more your students feel this is important, the more likely they are to learn. Which means that if your students don’t feel that understanding and using a biblical perspective of course content is important, they are less likely to learn.)

Your reality? Find out what the real reality is before proceeding. The student you overheard might have been having a bad day, be in the minority, or be right on target. Find out by asking your students and by reflecting on your teaching practice.

(1) Ask your students what they think. Share what you heard and invite their responses. Or give a survey in which you ask them to identify (1) how important they think understanding and using a biblical perspective of course content is and (2) how you demonstrate its importance during instructional time.

(2) Reflect your teaching practice by developing 3 fractions: In your last unit or during the last week of instruction in 1 class:

1. # of lessons in which you taught a biblical perspective of course content / total # of lessons
   
2. # of class minutes students learned about biblical perspective of course content / total # of class minutes
   
3. # of biblical perspective assessments / total # of assessments (including homework, in-class assignments, quizzes, and tests)

(3) Use the following 3 questions to reflect on each of your 3 fractions:

1. What conclusions might your students reach?
   
2. How reasonable is it for your students to ask, “Do teachers really think this is important?”
   
3. What would it take for you to increase the number of lessons, minutes, and assessments?

Your options? If you find the real reality matches the student’s comment you overheard, explore ways you can help your students increase the importance they place on understanding and using a biblical perspective of course content. How? By asking questions.

(1) Ask yourself, “How do I communicate something is important? What are 3 ways I can communicate that understanding and using a biblical perspective of course content is important?” Write your answers down on a piece of paper.

(2) Ask your students (as appropriate), “What are 3 things could I do to help you value biblical perspective?”

(3) Ask me, “How would you communicate that this is important?” Here are 6 options:

• Change the target: It’s applying a biblical perspective to course content students have mastered, not mastering course content. Demonstrate this change by talking about it in class and by posting a bulletin board.
  
• Increase the number of biblical perspective lessons. And make these lessons your showcase lessons.
  
• Increase the number of instructional minutes. Ask yourself, “How many instructional minutes do my students need to master applying a biblical perspective to course content they have learned?” Use your answer.
  
• Increase the number of biblical perspective assessments you give each year. For example, give a minimum of 8 major unit assessments in which students have to apply a biblical perspective to course content. And make your biblical perspective assessments your showcase assessments.
  
• Grade the biblical perspective assessments. As teachers, we grade important things; we don’t grade unimportant things. Which message do you want to send about biblical perspective?
  
• Talk to students who do not perform well on the assessment. Talk to parents of students who do not perform well on the assessment

Your “will do’s”? You have a goal. You have reflected on your reality and options. Now is the time to act. What are you going to do? Having a goal and reflecting on your reality and options does not result in your students seeing this as important. Taking action does. Walking your talk does.

(1) Identify 1 action you will take. Identify 1 action from my list or 1 you’ve developed. Keep it simple. You can always identify another action when you are done. And make sure your action plan is SMART:

• Specific
  
• Measurable
  
• Attainable
  
• Relevant
  
• Time-bound

(2) Next, ask yourself, “On a scale of 1-10 (10 being high), how committed am I to this?”

• If you answered 9 or 10, proceed with your plan.
  
• If you answered 8 or less, what would it take for you to say 9 or 10? Find a way to move your commitment level to at least a 9. If you find this too hard to do, change your plan.

Remember, success is your students increasing their understanding and use of a biblical perspective. Success is not you understanding why your students don’t see this as important. Success is not you working to help your students see this as important or even your students seeing it as important.

But, if your students see understanding and using a biblical perspective of course content as important, they are more likely to actually increase their understanding and use of a biblical perspective of course content.

Help your students. Today.