If you want to help your students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches, provide value-added content. How? By providing new Biblical teaching. And by providing new connections between what they study and what the Bible teaches.
 
Question: Why valued-added content? In other words, why “new” Biblical teaching? Why “new” connections?

• Because students attend Christian schools to learn new things.
• Because in my experience, students are more likely to get engaged when studying new Biblical teaching and are more likely to get turned off by going over the same Biblical teaching.
• Because students like learning about new connections, like making new connections, and dislike overusing the same connections.

Target Biblical perspective. Provide value-added content. Today.

You want to target Biblical perspective. You want to help your students apply a Biblical perspective to the course content they have mastered.
 
Question: To what extent do your unit plans and lesson plans target Biblical perspective?

1. Do your plans include essential questions that help students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches? Questions like the following: What’s God’s purpose for ___? What wrong? Who is your neighbor?
2. Do your plans include Biblical perspective enduring understandings?
3. Do your plans include assessments that require students to connect what they study and what the Bible teaches?
4. Do your plans include engaging instructional strategies that get your students connecting what they study and what the Bible teaches?

Target Biblical perspective. Make sure your unit plans and lesson plans demonstrate that you target Biblical perspective. Today.

You’re excited about teaching 7th grade social studies at Faithful Christian School. And you’re excited about helping your students learn about the world.
 
Question: What’s your target?

• Is your target for your students to master course content about the geography and history of Asia, North American, and South America?
• Or is your target for your students to apply a Biblical perspective to course content they have mastered?

I want to encourage you to target having your students apply a Biblical perspective to course content they have mastered. Why? Because targeting this provides rigorous, Christ-centered education. Because targeting this will help your students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches. Because targeting this will help your students develop a Christ-centered worldview.
 
Target Biblical perspective. Today.

You want your students to connect the part of God’s world they study and biblical principles. This is a significant challenge. Want some help? Watch this video to learn about helping your students connect God's world and Word:




Want to work with your colleagues to better help your students connect God’s world and Word? If so, then purchase Help Your Students Connect God’s World and Word (US$25), a discussion-based kit with 7 sessions. As a result of working through the 7 discussion-based sessions, you will…

1. Evaluate and improve how you help your students connect God’s world and Word.
2. Analyze and explain the importance of helping students connect God’s world and Word.
3. Identify and explain what connecting what God’s world and Word looks like.
4. Document biblical principles you want your students to connect to the part of God’s world they are studying.
5. Get your students even more engaged in connecting God’s world and Word by having your students learn new biblical principles and/or helping your students make new connections between biblical principles they already know and the part of God’s world they study.
6. Prepare for and teach a lesson designed to help your students connect God’s world and Word.
7. Increase your commitment to helping your students connect God’s world and Word.

Download a sample session.

Purchase Help Your Students Connect God’s World and Word (US$25). This kit is 1 of a 4-part series:

1. Help Your Students Connect God’s World and Word
2. Use Assessment
3. Use Questions
4. Meet Student Learning Needs

To get an idea of how you can more effectively target Biblical perspective 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
 
___ My target is for students to apply a Biblical perspective to course content they have mastered (not to master course content).
___ My unit plans and lesson plans demonstrate that my target is for students to apply a Biblical perspective to course content they have mastered (not to master course content).
___ I provide value-added content by teaching students new Biblical perspective content and/or helping them make new connections between what they are studying and Bible knowledge they already have.
___ I am committed to targeting Biblical perspective.
 

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 target Biblical perspective?
4. What will I do?

Target Biblical perspective. Today.
 

*Here are additional resources that can help you target Biblical perspective:

1. Tutorials
2. Videos
3. Self-assessments
4. Testimonials

You know good discussions help your students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches. And you know that classroom guidelines can help create an environment that encourages good discussions.
 
Question: What 3 classroom guidelines will you use for discussions? 
 
Here are sample discussion guidelines: 

1. Work to understand what others are saying (before your critique what they’re saying).
2. Ask open-ended questions.
3. Once you’ve participated in a discussion, encourage others to participate.

Question: What other guidelines can you use?
 
Target Biblical perspective. Use classroom guidelines. Today.

You know that asking questions helps your students reflect. You know that reflection helps your students apply a Biblical perspective. And you want your students to get better at applying a Biblical perspective.
 
Question: What 3 questions will you ask your students?
 
Here are sample questions: 

1. What is God’s purpose for ___?
2. What’s wrong?
3. How can you care for God’s creation?

Question: What other questions could you ask your students?
 
Target Biblical perspective. Ask questions. Today.

You want your students to apply a Biblical perspective during class and outside of class. You know that this is a challenge for your students. And you know that training your students to ask key questions can help them apply a Biblical perspective.
 
Question: What 3 questions will you train them to ask?
 
Here are sample questions: 

1. What do you mean by…?
2. How do you know?
3. How does the Bible help?

Question: What other questions could your train your students to ask? 
 
Target Biblical perspective. Train your students to ask questions. Today.

You’re ready. You’re ready to help your students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches. To do this, you know you’re going to have to stay focused.
 
Question: What 3 things will you do to stay focused?
 
Here are sample things you can do to stay focused:

• Talk for 30+ minutes with a colleague 1 or more times each month.
• Read a book on a Biblical perspective of your subject area.
• Set a goal for the number of units in which you will prepare students for and give students an assessment that requires them to connect what they study and what the Bible teaches.

Question: What other things can you do to stay focused?
 
Target Biblical perspective. Stay focused. Today.

Here's a framework you can you to help your students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches.

You want to teach from a Biblical perspective. You know that your principal or colleagues can help you do this.
 
Question: What 3 things do you want from your principal or colleagues?
 
Here are sample things you might want to from your principal or colleagues:

• Support
• Encouragement
• Accountability
• Resources
• Training

Question: What other things do you want from your principal or colleagues?
 
Target Biblical perspective. Get 3 things from your principal or colleagues. Today.

Take steps to help your students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches. Get started today.

You want your students to better apply a Biblical perspective. You think parents can help.
 
Question: What 3 ways will you involve parents?
 
Here are sample ways to involve parents:

• Invite parents to pray for their child.
• Invite parents to come to class to share how they apply a Biblical perspective.
• Encourage parents to ask their child questions like “What’s the Bible say about that?”

Question: What other ways can you involve parents?
 
Target Biblical perspective. Involve parents. Today.

You want your students to learn to better connect what they study and what the Bible teaches. You know that room decorations support learning. So, you decide change your room decorations.
 
Question: What 3 ways will you decorate your room?
 
Here are sample ways to decorate your room:

• A poster of a Bible verse (Micah 6.8).
• A banner with a key Biblical principle, for example, “Love your neighbor.”
• A list of key questions. Here are 4 key questions: Who is God? Who are you? What’s wrong with the world? What’s the solution?

Question: What other ways could you decorate your room?
 
Target Biblical perspective. Decorate your room. Today.

You want to more effectively help your students connect what they study and God's overarching story of creation-fall-redemption-restoration. So, you want to deepen your own understanding of the connections between what your students study and creation-fall-redemption-restoration.

Question: How can you do this?

Answer: By reflecting on what your students study and then identifying the connections between what your students study and creation-fall-redemption-restoration. Read More...

You want to more effectively help your students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches. So, you want to deepen your own understanding of the connections between what your students study and what the Bible teaches.

Question: How can you do this?

Answer: By identifying 3 things:

1. What your students study.
2. The Biblical principles that naturally connect to what your students study.
3. The connections between what students study and the Biblical principles you identified.

Read More...

You want to target Biblical perspective. So, you decide to include Biblical perspective on your course handouts.
 
Question: What 3 things will you put on your course handouts?
 
Here are sample things you could put on your handouts:

• A personal testimony that includes your passion about Biblical perspective.
• Bible verses that you want your students to learn. (I like Genesis 1.26-28, Micah 6.8, and Romans 12.2.)
• Biblical principles you want your students to learn. Here are 3 examples: All truth is God’s truth. Be content. Take care of God’s creation.

Question: What other things can you put on your course handouts?
 
Target Biblical perspective. Put 3 things on your course handouts. Today.

As a Christian school teacher, you want to nurture your students’ faith. So, you want to help your students:

• Understand a Biblical perspective of what they study.
• Apply a Biblical perspective to what they study.

Question: How can you learn to nurture your students’ faith even more?

Answer: By reflecting on questions. By reflecting on questions about understanding and applying Biblical perspective. Here are 65 questions. Read More...

You want your students to understand and apply a Biblical perspective—to connect what they study, the Bible, and their lives. To help your students do this, you know you need to target Biblical perspective even more. So, you want to learn how to do this.

Question: How can you learn more about targeting Biblical perspective?

Answer: By exploring the following list of 12 questions: Read More...

You want your students to understand and apply a Biblical perspective—to connect what they study, the Bible, and their lives. So, you want to target Biblical perspective.

Question: How can you get started?

Answer: By taking the following self-assessment. Read More...

You know that caring for God's creation is part of pursuing a growing relationship with God.

Question: How can you care for God's creation even more?

To find out, pray and then reflect on the following 7 questions:

1. What does the Bible say about caring for God's creation? (Gen. 1.28)
2. How do you care for God's creation?
3. What excites/frustrates you about caring for God's creation?
4. How does caring for God's creation help you have a growing relationship with Him?
5. What helps you care for God's creation? What hinders you?
6. How can you care for God's creation even more?
7. What will you do?

Pursue a growing relationship with God. Today.

You know that making disciples is part of pursuing a growing relationship with God.

Question: To make even more disciples, what do you need to keep doing? start doing? stop doing?

To find out, pray and then reflect on the following 6 questions:

1. What does the Bible say about making disciples? (Matt. 28.18-20)
2. How do you currently make disciples?
3. What do you like/dislike about making disciples?
4. How does making disciples help you have a growing relationship with God?
5. To make even more disciples, what do you need to keep doing? start doing? stop doing?
6. What will you do?

Pursue a growing relationship with God. Today.

You know that participating in Christ's Body, the Church, is part of pursuing a growing relationship with God.

Question: How can you participate in Christ's Body, the Church, even more?

To find out, reflect on the following 7 questions:

1. What does the Bible say about participating in the Christ's Body, the Church? (1 Cor. 12.7, 12.12-13; Heb. 10.25)
2. How do you currently participate in Christ's Body?
3. What satisfies/concerns you about participating in Christ's Body?
4. How does participating in Christ's Body, the Church, help you have a growing relationship with God?
5. What helps you participate in Christ's Body? What hinders you?
6. How can you participate in Christ's Body even more?
7. What will you do?

Pursue a growing relationship with God. Today.

You know that practicing the spiritual disciplines can help you pursue a growing relationship with God.

Question: How can you practice the spiritual disciplines even more?

To find out, pray and then reflect on the following 7 questions:

1. Which spiritual disciplines do you currently practice (for example, meditation, prayer, fasting, Bible study, service, confession, and worship)?
2. What's satisfying/unsatisfying about practicing the spiritual disciplines?
3. How does practicing the spiritual disciplines help you have a growing relationship with God?
4. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being high), to what extent do you practice the spiritual disciplines?
5. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being high), to what extent do you want to practice the spiritual disciplines?
6. How can you practice the spiritual disciplines even more?
7. What will you do?

Pursue a growing relationship with God. Today.

You know bearing the fruit of the Spirit is part of pursuing a growing relationship with God.

Question: How can you bear the fruit of the Spirit even more?

To find out, pray and then reflect on the following 6 questions:

1. What are the fruit of the Spirit? (Gal. 5.22-23)
2. What do you like/dislike about your current level of fruit bearing?
3. How does bearing the fruit of the Spirit help you have a growing relationship with God?
4. What helps you better bear the fruit of the Spirit? What hinders you?
5. How can you bear the fruit of the Spirit even more? (2 Pet. 1.5-7)
6. What will you do?

Pursue a growing relationship with God. Today.