To get an idea of how you can more effectively meet student learning needs to help your students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches, complete the following self-assessment for 1 class you teach: ___________________ (name of class). Next, use your self-assessment data to develop action plans.
 
Rate each statement below. Use the following scale: 4 Strongly Agree • 3 Agree • 2 Disagree • 1 Strongly Disagree

___ I know what my students’ learning needs are regarding connecting what they study and what the Bible teaches.
___ I meet my students’ learning needs regarding connecting what they study and what the Bible teaches.
___ I know what my own learning needs are regarding connecting what I teach and what the Bible teaches.
___ I meet my own learning needs regarding connecting what I teach and what the Bible teaches.
___ I am committed to meeting my students’ learning needs in order to help students better connect what they study and what the Bible teaches.
 
Now, ask yourself 4 questions about the data:

1. How many 4s, 3s, 2s, and 1s do I have?
2. What excites/concerns me about the data?
3. What can I do to more effectively meet my students’ learning needs regarding connecting what they study and what the Bible teaches?
4. What will I do?

 
Bottom line: Help your students better connect what they study and what the Bible teaches. Meet their learning needs. Today.


*Here are additional resources that can help you target Biblical perspective:
Tutorials
Videos
Self-assessments

You want your students to increase their understanding and application of a Biblical perspective. You know that 1 way to do this is by meeting your students’ learning needs.

Question: How can you get started?

Answer: By taking the following self-assessment. Rate each item, using the following scale:

4: Strongly agree • 3: Agree • 2: Disagree • 1: Strongly disagree

___ I know what learning needs are. (Read)
___ I use an effective process for addressing my students’ learning needs. (Watch, Read, Discuss)

___ My students understand the importance of Biblical perspective. (Read, Discuss)
___ My students understand that a Biblical perspective can be applied to course content. (Read, Discuss)
___ My students know what applying a Biblical perspective looks like. (Read, Discuss)
___ My students can explain how I teach from a Biblical perspective. (Read, Discuss)
___ My students understand the vocabulary words necessary for understanding and applying a Biblical perspective. (Read, Discuss)

___ My students experience engaging instructional strategies. (Read, Discuss 1, Discuss 2)
___ My students have opportunities to think through answers for themselves. (Read, Discuss)
___ My students have time in class to reflect. (Read, Discuss)
___ My assessments require my students to connect a Biblical perspective with their lives. (Read)
___ My students get regular practice in applying a Biblical perspective to what they study. (Read, Discuss)

___ To help my students increase their understanding and application of a Biblical perspective, I meet their learning needs.
___ I want to learn more about meeting my students’ learning needs.
___ I am committed to helping my students increase their understanding and application of a Biblical perspective.

Now, ask yourself 4 questions about the data:

1. How many 4s, 3s, 2s, and 1s do I have?
2. What excites/frutrates me about the data?
3. Which items do I want to learn more about?
4. What will I do?

Additional resources:

1. Tutorial: Meet your students’ learning needs
2. Use the IDEAL process to help your students internalize a Biblical perspective
3. Action plan bank for meeting student learning needs
4. To meet your students' learning needs, explore 12 questions

You want your students to connect what they study and what the Bible teaches. One way you can help your students is by meeting their learning needs.

Question: What are your students’ learning needs?

Suggestion: To determine what your students’ learning needs are...

• Read the list of 10 learning needs (below), considering which needs your students have. (The needs have been phrased in student language.)
• Do something to meet 1 of the needs you identified.

(1) 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—I don’t think I understand a Biblical perspective, and no teacher has talked to me about this. Do teachers really think this is important? 

(2) This doesn’t come up at my church or at home. My family and my church talk about being a Christian. We talk about living for Jesus, doing devotions, and telling others about Jesus. I don’t get what my faith has to do with the Greeks or Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. The teacher did mention this in the beginning of the year, but that was a long time ago, and I kind of forgot how it all connects. I think other students might get this, so I don’t want to ask. 

(3) I don't know what it looks like. I know what telling others about Jesus looks like—we read missionary biographies at school and I go on mission trips with my church. What does doing a good job on using a Biblical perspective look like in an essay? And what does this look like in the computer world? I want to work for Apple. 

(4) My teachers say they teach from a Biblical perspective, but I don’t understand how that works. I believe them, but I don’t get it. They have us work in groups and learn parts of speech, but they don’t explain how this is part of Christian education. We seem to mostly do the same things my friends do at schools that aren’t Christian. What’s the difference? 

(5) I don't understand the vocabulary—Biblical perspective, integrate faith and learning, image bearer, temple of the Holy Spirit, worldview. Teachers talk, but I don’t always understand the words. Could I get vocabulary list with definitions on it? 

(6) Learning what the Bible teaches is boring. Well, Bible class isn’t boring, but the way teachers teach about the Bible in other classes is boring. Mostly lecture–this doesn’t really help me understand a Biblical perspective of what I’m studying. I like discussing things. So do my friends. 

(7) I need to think through answers for myself. I listen to teachers talk. They give good answers. But to really understand the answers, I need to think them through for myself. Maybe the teachers could ask more questions. Questions that have more than one right answer. One of my teachers asks us “Where do you belong?” all the time. 

(8) I need time to think about what I’m learning. We don’t really do this in class, and I’ve got sports after school and homework at night. When am I supposed to find time to reflect? Could we do some journaling during class? 

(9) To really get this, I need to connect the Bible with my life, not just with what I study in class. If my teachers would give me chances to connect the Bible with my life–my music, my relationships, my problems—I think I could get it. One of my homeschooler friends got to analyze a CD from a Biblical perspective. That sounds pretty cool. 

(10) I need more chances to practice. It’s hard for me to get good at using a Biblical perspective when I don’t get enough practice. Using a Biblical perspective takes skill. I get repeated skill practice in math, and I’m good at it. Can I get more skill practice? 

To get an idea of how you can more effectively help students increase their understanding and application of a Biblical perspective, complete the following self-assessment on meeting student learning needs. Next, use your self-assessment data to develop action plans. Read More...