Meetings are an important tool you can use to achieve your mission. I’ve participated in good meetings. If you want to participate in good meetings more often, answer this question: What makes a good meeting good? Good meetings are on TARGET in terms of:

• Team purpose
• Assessment
• Results
• Guidelines
• Effective facilitation
• Types of meetings.

To get an idea of how you can make your meetings even more effective, complete the following assessment (download). Use the following scale:

4: Strongly Agree • 3: Agree • 2: Disagree • 1: Strongly Disagree
 
Team purpose
___ Our team’s purpose is documented.
___ Our team’s purpose targets mission achievement.
___ Our team’s purpose is understood by each team member.
___ Our team’s purpose statement is user-friendly.
___ Our team’s purpose is used as the filter for what gets on the agenda.
 
Assessment
___ We assess completion of assigned tasks.
___ We assess meeting effectiveness in terms of team purpose.
___ We assess meeting effectiveness in terms of achievement of targeted results.
___ We assess meeting effectiveness in terms of abiding by meeting guidelines.
___ We use assessment at each meeting.
___ Each team member is involved in assessment.
 
Results
___ We identify results for a given meeting before the meeting.
___ We use the SMART goal format to list our targeted meetings results on our agenda.
___ Our targeted meeting results target mission achievement.
___ We achieve our targeted results at each meeting.
 
Guidelines
___ We developed our meeting guidelines collaboratively.
___ Our guidelines define our desired team dynamics.
___ Our guidelines support the achievement of our team purpose and our mission.
___ Each team member abides by the guidelines.
 
Effective facilitation
___ The facilitation focuses our team on achieving the team purpose
___ The facilitation focuses our team on achieving the targeted results.

Types of meetings
___ Our team members understand that there are different types of meetings.
___ We use a schedule of different types of meetings to address tactics, strategy, and vision.


Now, ask yourself 4 questions about the data:

1. How many 4s, 3s, 2s, and 1s do I have?
2. What satisfies/frustrates me about the data?
3. To improve your meetings, which 1-2 of the 6 TARGET areas could you address?
4. What will I do?

Pursue excellence. Improve your meetings Today.

To get an idea of how you can more effectively use assessment 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 assessments require my students to connect what they study and what the Bible teaches.
___ My assessments require my students to connect what they study, what the Bible teaches, and their lives.
___ My Biblical perspective assessments are exemplary assessments.
___ I use my Biblical perspective assessment data to help my students better connect what they study and what the Bible teaches.
___ I am committed to using assessment to help my students 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 my data?
3. What can I do to more effectively use assessment to help my students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches?
4. What will I do?

Use assessment to help your students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches. Today.
 
*Here are additional resources that can help you use assessment to target Biblical perspective:
Tutorials
Videos
Self-assessments
Testimonials

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

To get an idea of how you can more effectively use questions to help your students make connections, 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 Biblical perspective questions are effective.
___ I ask my Biblical perspective questions.
___ My Biblical perspective questions are posted in my classroom.
___ I talk with my fellow teachers about using questions to help students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches.
___ I am committed to using questions to help my students 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 use questions to help my students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches?
4. What will I do?

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

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

By focusing, working smart, and pursuing excellence. To get an idea of how you can manage yourself more effectively, take the following assessment (download). Write the number in the blank that comes closest to representing how true a given statement is for you right now. Use the following scale:

4: Consistently • 3: Usually • 2: Sort of • 1: Rarely

Focus
___ I focus on joining God in what he is already doing.
___ I focus on doing right things, before I focus on doing things right.
___ I focus on my God-given mission.
___ I have defined my mission in terms of SMART goals.
___ I understand how my mission, goals, and daily activities are connected.

Work smart
___ I ask God for help.
___ I think big. For example, I ask myself questions like “What 3 dreams do I want to realize?”
___ I think clearly.
___ I think outside the box.
___ I document my goals.
___ I determine the actions steps I will take to achieve my goals.
___ I take SMART action.
___ I schedule my action steps.
___ I schedule my big goals first.
___ I plan backwards.
___ I track my progress on my goals.
___ I reflect on my goals.
___ I find better ways to achieve my goals.

Pursue excellence
___ I pursue my goals.
___ Before I start working on my goals, I get the resources I need.
___ I get the support, encouragement, and accountability I need to achieve my goals.
___ I pay attention to my goals (because I know that what I pay attention to gets done).
___ I target my strengths.
___ I eliminate my frustrations.


Now, ask yourself 5 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 helps me increase my self-management?
4. What hinders me from increasing my self-management?
5. What will I do?

Work smart. Increase your self-management. Today.

You want to serve God more effectively. So do I. God has done great things for me, and out of gratitude, I want serve even more effectively.
 
One thing that helps me increase my effectiveness is focusing. Focusing on God, on what He’s calling me to do, on what’s going on, and on action steps I need to take so I can serve effectively.
 
Questions help me focus. Questions like:

1. What’s your organization’s God-given mission?
2. What’s it take to achieve your organization’s God-given mission?
3. How can you measure mission achievement?
4. How can you identify key performance indicators?
5. How can you use key performance indicators to achieve your mission?

To get started, how about discussing the above questions at a team meeting?
 
Get focused. Reflect on some questions. Today.

To help your students increase their understanding and use of a Biblical perspective of course content, answer 3 of the following questions:

1. What 3 behaviors will you model?
   
2. What 3 questions will you train students to ask?
   
3. What 3 questions will you ask students?
   
4. What 3 Bible verses will you help students memorize, understand, and apply?
   
5. What 3 Biblical principles will you help students understand and apply?
   
6. What 3 skills will you help students improve?
   
7. What 3 types of assessment will you use?
   
8. What 3 engaging instructional strategies will you use?
   
9. What 3 student learning needs will you meet?
   
10. What 3 ways will you decorate your room?
    
11. What 3 things will you put on your course handouts?
    
12. What 3 classroom guidelines will you use?
    
13. What 3 ways will you involve parents?
    
14. What 3 things do you want from your principal or colleagues?
    
15. What 3 things will you do to stay focused?

Now that you have answered 3 questions, use your answers. Use one of your answers today. Right now.

Remember, success is using your answers to help your students, not having the answers in your head.

You want improve your organization’s improvement system. You want to target things like stakeholder involvement, staff focus, and staff accountability. And you want to start by analyzing what’s currently going on.

Question: What can you do?

Answer: You can take the following self-assessment (customized for a school). Rate each item, using the following scale:

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

Stakeholder involvement
___ Students support the improvement plans.
___ Parents support the improvement plans.
___ Staff support the improvement plans.
___ Leaders support the improvement plans.

___ Students are involved in implementing the improvement plans.
___ Parents are involved in implementing the improvement plans.
___ Staff are involved in implementing the improvement plans.
___ Leaders are involved in implementing the improvement plans.
___ Stakeholders support and are involved in implementing the improvement plans.


Staff focus
___ Staff talk about organizational improvement.
___ Staff make proposals regarding organizational improvement.
___ Staff work on organizational improvement.
___ Staff hold each other accountable for organizational improvement.
___ Staff are disappointed when improvement goals are not reached.
___ Staff focus on organizational improvement.


Mission-driven improvement
___ Our improvement plans are documented.
___ Our improvement plans target mission achievement.
___ Our improvement plans drive organizational improvement.
___ Our organization’s improvement is driven by documented plans that target mission achievement.


Improvement plans guide work
___ Staff understand the improvement plans.
___ Staff know which improvement plans they are to implement.
___ Staff can explain their role in a given improvement plan.
___ Staff implement the improvement plans.
___ Improvement plans guide staff work.


Staff accountability
___ Leaders hold staff accountable to implement the improvement plans.
___ Staff hold each other accountable to implement the improvement plans.
___ Staff hold themselves accountable to implement the improvement plans.
___ Staff are held accountable to implement the improvement plans.


Now, ask yourself 5 questions about the data:

1. How many 4s, 3s, 2s, and 1s do I have?
2. What satisfies/concerns me about the data?
3. In terms of enhancing organizational improvement, how would I prioritize the 5 areas?
4. What might happen if I addressed the top priority area?
5. What will I do?

Pursue excellence. Enhance your organization’s improvement system. Today.

You want to close the gap. You know that enhancing your organization’s improvement system can help. So, you want to learn more.

Question: How can you learn more enhancing organizational improvement?

Answer: By exploring the following list of 6 questions.

1. How well does your staff understand what’s involved in organizational improvement?
2. How involved are your stakeholders in organizational improvement?
3. How focused is your staff on organizational improvement?
4. What drives your organization’s improvement?
5. To what extent do improvement plans guide staff work?
6. To what extent are staff held accountable for improvement plans?

*To learn more, take this self-assessment.

How focused are you on your God-given mission? To find out, take the following self-assessment (download). Rate each item in terms of how it describes you and your situation. Use the following scale:

4: Definitely • 3: Usually • 2: Sometimes • 1: Rarely

___ I’m comfortable reciting the mission verbatim in casual conversation.
___ Each day I talk with others about the mission.
___ I tell stories about the mission being implemented.
___ I provide opportunities for others to tell stories about the mission being implemented.

___ I know what it takes to achieve the mission.
___ I can readily explain how each of my daily activities contributes to achieving the mission.
___ I help others understand how they contribute to achieving the mission.

___ I know the current level of mission achievement.
___ I measure the achievement of my mission.
___ I use a scorecard to to measure the achievement of my mission?
___ I use meetings to celebrate progress on achieving the mission.

___ I focus on closing the gap between current and targeted levels of mission achievement.
___ I get the training I need to carry out the mission.
___ I provide others with the training they need to carry out the mission.
___ When making proposals, I explain how the proposal targets mission achievement.
___ When others make proposals, I ask, “How will this help us achieve the mission?”

___ To increase my focus on my mission, I know what I need to keep doing, start doing, stop doing.
___ I’m focused on achieving the mission.


Now, ask yourself 5 questions about the data:

1. How many 4s, 3s, 2s, and 1s do I have?
2. What’s satisfying/unsatisfying about the data?
3. What helps me increase my focus on my God-given mission?
4. What hinders me?
5. What will I do?
   

Increase your focus on your God-given mission. Today.


Resources:

• Video
• Tutorial: To learn more about achieving your mission, explore these 4 questions
• Know where you are and where you want to go
• Want to achieve your goals?

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.

You want to your organization to achieve its God-given mission. You know that enhancing your organization’s professional development can help. So, you want to learn more.

Question: How can you learn more about enhancing your organization’s professional development?

Answer: By exploring the following list of 6 questions:

1. What do you want to focus your organization’s professional development on?
2. What are the components of a professional development plan?
3. What do you believe about professional development?
4. How can you enhance your organization's professional development program?
5. How can you increase the impact of professional development?
6. What are your organization's professional development needs?

Pursue excellence. Enhance your organization’s professional development. 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 targeting Biblical perspective. Here are 65 questions, divided into categories:


Target Biblical perspective:

1. What happens in Christ-centered education?
2. How can you help your students love Jesus and live for Him?
3. What’s your mission?
4. In Christian education, what’s success?
5. What does “application of a Biblical perspective to course content” mean and not mean?
6. What role do connections play in Christian education?
7. What Biblical teaching connects to what students are studying?
8. What 3 Biblical principles will you help your students understand?
9. What Biblical principles do you want your students to understand and apply?
10. What hinders you/your school from helping students increase application of a Biblical perspective?
11. How can you increasingly target Biblical perspective?

Use creation-fall-redemption-restoration to target Biblical perspective:

1. Creation: What’s God’s purpose?
2. Fall: What’s wrong?
3. Redemption: What difference does Jesus make?
4. Restoration: What will you do?

Use questions to target Biblical perspective:

1. Why use questions? (Read, Discuss)
2. Why does God ask questions? (Read, Discuss)
3. How valuable are questions? (Read, Discuss)
4. What does using questions look like? (Read)
5. What questions should your students respond to? (Read, Discuss)
6. What questions should your students ask? (Read, Discuss)
7. What makes a good question good? (Read, Discuss)
8. What question do you want to ask your students? (Read, Discuss)
9. What do you want your students to learn (when you ask a question)? (Read, Discuss)
10. How can you get your students to sincerely respond to questions? (Read, Discuss)
11. How can you use your questions effectively? (Read, Discuss)

Use assessment to target Biblical perspective:

1. How does assessment impact student learning?
2. What type of assessment can you use?
3. What makes a good assessment good?
4. How good is your assessment?
5. How can you make your assessment even better?
6. How proficiently do you want your students to use a Biblical perspective?
7. How much practice do your students need?
8. What makes a good rubric good?
9. How can you use a rubric?
10. How can you use assessment data?
11. What's your vision for using assessment?
12. How committed are you to having your students apply a Biblical perspective to what they learn?

Meet student learning needs to target Biblical perspective:

1. What are sample learning needs? (Read)
2. How can you meet your students’ learning needs? (Watch, Read, Discuss)
3. How can you help your students see the importance of Biblical perspective? (Read)
4. How can you help your students understand that a Biblical perspective can be applied to course content? (Read)
5. How can you show your students what applying a Biblical perspective looks like? (Read)
6. How can you help your students understand how you teach from a Biblical perspective? (Read)
7. What vocabulary words do your students need to learn? (Read, Discuss)
8. What engaging instructional strategies will help your students? (Read, Discuss 1, Discuss 2)
   
9. How can you give your students opportunities to think through answers for themselves? (Read)
10. How can you provide time during class for reflection? (Read, Discuss)
11. How can you design assessments so that your students connect a Biblical perspective with their lives? (Read, Discuss)
12. How can you give your students more practice? (Read)

What 3 things will you do to target Biblical perspective?

1. What 3 behaviors will you model?
2. What 3 questions will you train students to ask?
3. What 3 questions will you ask students?
4. What 3 Bible verses will you help students memorize, understand, and apply?
5. What 3 Biblical principles will you help students understand and apply?
6. What 3 skills will you help students improve?
7. What 3 types of assessment will you use?
8. What 3 engaging instructional strategies will you use?
9. What 3 student learning needs will you meet?
10. What 3 ways will you decorate your room?
11. What 3 things will you put on your course handouts?
12. What 3 classroom guidelines will you use?
13. What 3 ways will you involve parents?
14. What 3 things do you want from your principal or colleagues?
15. What 3 things will you do to stay focused?
    

Remember: The real question isn't "How can you learn to nurture your students’ faith even more?" The real question is, "What will you do to nurture your students’ faith even more?"


Now it’s time for action. To take action, answer 5 questions:

1. How do you currently nurture your students’ faith?
2. What excites/concerns you about nurturing your student’s faith?
3. How does targeting Biblical perspective help you nurture your students’ faith?
4. To nurture your students’ faith even more, which 3-5 questions do you really want to reflect on?
   5 What will you do?

Take action. Nurture your students’ faith by targeting Biblical perspective. Today.

*Additional resources:

• Videos
• Self-assessments: Target Biblical perspective • Use questions • Use assessment • Meet student learning needs
• Tutorials
• Downloadable resources (articles, tools)

You want your students to develop a Christ-centered worldview. So, you want your students to increase their understanding and application of a Biblical perspective. To help them, you know you’ll need to meet their learning needs.

Question: How can you learn more about meeting your students’ learning needs?

Answer: By exploring the following list of 12 questions. The list comes with readings and discussion guides:

1. What are sample learning needs? (Read)
2. How can you meet your students’ learning needs? (Watch, Read, Discuss)
3. How can you help your students see the importance of Biblical perspective? (Read, Discuss)
4. How can you help your students understand that a Biblical perspective can be applied to course content? (Read, Discuss)
5. How can you show your students what applying a Biblical perspective looks like? (Read, Discuss)
6. How can you help your students understand how you teach from a Biblical perspective? (Read, Discuss)
7. What vocabulary words do your students need to learn? (Read, Discuss)
8. What engaging instructional strategies will help your students? (Read, Discuss 1, Discuss 2)
   
9. How can you give your students opportunities to think through answers for themselves? (Read, Discuss)
10. How can you provide time during class for reflection? (Read, Discuss)
11. How can you design assessments so that your students connect a Biblical perspective with their lives? (Read, Discuss)
12. How can you give your students more practice? (Read, Discuss)

Remember: The real question isn't "How can you learn more about meeting your students’ learning needs?" The real question is, "How will you help your students increase their understanding and application of a Biblical perspective?"


Additional resources:

1. Self-assessment: To better meet your students' learning needs, take this self-assessment
2. Tutorial: Meet your students’ learning needs
3. Use the IDEAL process to help your students internalize a Biblical perspective
4. Action plan bank for meeting student learning needs

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:

1. What happens in Christ-centered education?
2. How can you help your students love Jesus and live for Him?
3. What’s your mission?
4. In Christian education, what’s success?
5. What does “application of a Biblical perspective to course content” mean and not mean?
6. What role do connections play in Christian education?
7. What Biblical teaching connects to what students are studying?
8. What 3 Biblical principles will you help your students understand?
9. What Biblical principles do you want your students to understand and apply?
10. What hinders you/your school from helping students increase application of a Biblical perspective?
11. How can you increasingly target Biblical perspective?
12. What 3 things can you do to help your students?

Resources:

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

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. Rate each item, using the following scale:

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

___ I understand what happens in Christ-centered education.
___ My students love Jesus and live for Him.

___ I understand the mission of Christian education.
___ I understand what constitutes success in Christian education
___ I can clearly explain to a colleague what “application of a Biblical perspective to course content” means and doesn’t mean?

___ I can clearly explain to a colleague what role connections play in Christian education.
___ I have documented what Biblical teaching connects to what my students are studying.
___ I have documented the Biblical principles I want my students to understand and apply.

___ I am taking action to eliminate what hinders me from helping my students increase application of a Biblical perspective.
___ I am taking action to increasingly target 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. Which items would it be helpful to learn more about?
4. What will I do?

Resources:

1. Videos
2. To learn more about targeting Biblical perspective, explore these 12 questions
3. Testimonials
4. Tutorials

You want to learn more about achieving your God-given mission. You want deepen your understanding of:

1. Your mission
2. What it takes to achieve your mission
3. How you’re doing on achieving your mission
4. How you can close the gap between the words of your mission and the reality of your situation

Question: How can you learn more about achieving your mission?

Answer: By exploring the following 4 questions:

(1) What’s your God-given mission?

1. What is a mission statement?
2. What makes a good mission statement good?
3. How important is your God-given mission?
4. How can you unleash the power of your mission statement?
5. How focused are you on your God-given mission?
6. How can you be a good steward of your God-given mission?

(2) What’s your definition of mission achievement?

1. If you don’t define the achievement of your God-given mission, how effectively can you work?
2. What does it take to achieve your mission?
3. To achieve your God-given mission, what has to be accomplished? To what degree?
4. How does defining the mission help?
5. What do you need to do to effectively define mission achievement?
6. How can you define what it takes to carry out your school's mission?

(3) To what extent are you achieving your mission?

1. What do you need to know?
2. If you don’t measure the achievement of your mission, how effectively can you lead?
3. How does measuring the mission help?
4. How can measurement help you increase your focus on your mission?
5. How can a scorecard help you increase your focus on your mission?

(4) What will you do to close the gap?

1. Are you a player or a spectator?
2. How focused are you on closing the gap?
3. What can you do to close the gap?
4. How can getting coaching help you close the gap?
5. How can you maintain and increase commitment, participation, and accountability?

Remember: The real question isn't "How can you learn more about achieving your mission?" The real question is "What will you do to achieve your mission?"

Resources:

1. Video: To achieve your God-given mission, make sure of 4 things
2. Self-assessment: How focused are you on your God-given mission?
3. Tutorial: Empower others to strategically pursue God’s calling
4. Define mission achievement in terms of measurable student learning
5. Know where you are and where you want to go
6. Measure mission achievement
7. Measure and report achievement of schoolwide objectives
8. Want to achieve your goals?

You want improve in planning. You know this is going to feel like climbing a steep set of steps, so you decide to take it 1 step at a time.
 
Question: How can you climb the next step?
 
To find out:

• Read about the 5 developmental steps (below).
• Then, use some reflection questions to identify what you will do to climb the next step.

 
Here are the 5 steps:
 
Step 1: You work.
You’re a missionary, you’re out of language school, and you’ve just started doing full-time ministry. You’re sitting in a room, getting introduced to other missionaries. Each person introduces him/herself by name and job title. Your turn comes, and you say, “Roger, evangelist.”
 
A few weeks later, you’re out walking in your neighborhood. You’re feeling a little fuzzy about your ministry. And you find yourself thinking, “What’s my plan?” A few days later, you take time to pray and to write out your plan. It describes the activities you want to do, for example, teaching English Bible classes, making and distributing tracts, and talking with those in your neighborhood. You look at your plan and feel better.
 
 
Step 2: You work, and you have a documented plan.
You look at your plan every once in awhile. But you notice that having a plan hasn’t helped you as much you thought it would. You think maybe that’s because your plan isn’t as good as it should be. You wonder, “How good is my plan?”
 
You take a look at your plan, pray, and decide to revise it. Instead of just listing your activities, you decide to:

• List your overarching ministry purpose, the 4-6 goals you need to accomplish in order to achieve your overarching ministry purpose, and the key activities you need to do for each of your goals.
• Make everything SMART: Specific • Measurable • Attainable • Relevant • Timebound.
• Keep your plan to 1 page.

 
Step 3: You work, and you have good documented plan.
You continue to look at your plan every once in awhile. And you notice that upgrading your plan hasn’t helped you as much you thought it would. You find yourself asking, “How can I really use my plan?”
 
A couple of days later, you read an article about paying attention to your goals. The article suggests that you review your goals on a daily, weekly, quarterly, and annual basis. You pray about it and decide to do this. And you decide to measure your progress on your goals and to reflect each month by talking with a fellow missionary about ministry progress. You know that reviewing your goals, measuring your progress, and reflecting will take time, but you think it’ll be worth it.
 
 
Step 4: You intentionally use your plan to guide your work.
As a result of reviewing your goals, measuring your progress, and reflecting, you find that you’re using your plan a lot more to guide your work. And you find that you’re more clear about what you want to accomplish. So, you improve your plan by putting in better activities, revising your goals, and by tightening the alignment between your overarching ministry purpose, goals, and activities. You share your “improved” plan with colleagues, invite feedback, and use feedback to further improve your plan.

In addition, you increasingly recognize that you have limited time, energy, and abilities. You find yourself wondering, “How can I manage myself better? How can I get more focused, work smarter, and pursue excellence?”
 
You pray, watch a video, read an article, take a self-assessment, and explore getting a coach. As a result, you decide to get a coach. Your coach empowers you to:

• Identify what helps you focus.
• Target your strengths and reduce your frustrations.
• Determine the amount of time you will invest in each goal.
• Identify 3 articles you will read about best practices in evangelism.

 
Step 5: You think success is being a person who is focused, works smart, and pursues excellence.
As a result of working with your coach and using your plan to guide your work, you find that you’re more focused, working smarter, and intentionally pursuing excellence.
 
And you’ve shifted your thinking about success. Instead of thinking that success is having a plan or even achieving a plan, you now think success is being a person who is focused, works smart, and pursues excellence—as evidenced by the achievement of your plan.
 
You’re wondering, “How can I empower others to strategically pursue God’s calling?” You pray, and you watch a video and take a self-assessment on leading by asking questions. And you decide to apply your learning to empower others to reflect, get clear, focus, prioritize, and pay attention to their goals.
 
 
Now, ask yourself the following 5 questions:

1. Which “step” best describes me? (Be brutally honest. When doubt, choose the earlier stage.)
2. How do I feel about being on this “step”?
3. In terms of climbing the next step, what helps/hinders me?
4. To climb the next step, what do I need to keep doing? start doing? stop doing?
5. What will I do to climb the next step?

Improve your planning. Start climbing the next step. Today.

You want to continue pursuing a growing relationship with God. You know this involves things like: 

• Understanding the Bible, God’s Word, and allowing it to guide your life 
• Loving God and others
• Bearing the fruit of the Spirit
• Practicing spiritual disciplines
• Participating in Christ’s Body, the Church
• Making Christian disciples of all nations
• Caring for God’s creation

Question: How can you pursue a growing relationship with God?

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

1. What can you do to understand and apply the Bible even more?
2. To love God and others even more, what do you need to KeepStartStop doing?
3. How can you bear the fruit of the Spirit even more?
4. How can you practice the spiritual disciplines even more?
5. How can you participate in Christ's Body, the Church, even more?
6. To make even more disciples, what do you need to keep doing? start doing? stop doing?
7. How can you care for God's creation even more?

Pursue a growing relationship with God. Today.


*To talk a self-assessment on your relationship with God, click here.

You want to train your teachers to help their students apply a Biblical perspective to course content. Your task is to provide teachers with challenging, coherent, relevant training. Not an easy task. Why? Because you don’t have curriculum. More specifically, you don’t have a set of curriculum/training standards for teachers.

The result? Well, it's the same as when you teach students using a curriculum that is not standards-based (or one that does not have department objectives)—the content is not sufficiently challenging, coherent, and relevant. Consequently, students don't learn as much as they could.

Question: Where can you get a set of teacher training standards for helping students apply a Biblical perspective to what they study?

Answer: Right here! These standards were developed by Christian educators living in Germany, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, the US, and South Africa.

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Download: Biblical Perspective Teacher Training Standards

1. In response to Christ’s love and as the foundation for ministry, teachers have a growing relationship with Him.
2. Out of a desire to love God and be transformed by the renewing of their minds, teachers articulate a Christ-centered worldview.
3. To love God and impact the world for Him, teachers apply a Christ-centered worldview to education.
4. To help students love God and impact the world for Him, teachers develop a curriculum that targets students understanding and then applying a Biblical perspective to course content and skills, and ultimately to their lives.
5. To help students love God and impact the world for Him, teachers design and implement unit plans that result in students understanding and then applying a Biblical perspective to course content and skills, and ultimately to their lives.
6. To help students love God and impact the world for Him, teachers design and implement lesson plans that result in students understanding and then applying a Biblical perspective to course content and skills, and ultimately to their lives.
7. To increase student application of a Biblical perspective to course content/skills and to life, teachers collaborate with other teachers.

You’re a Christian serving in a school. In response to Christ’s love and as the foundation for your ministry at school, you want to have a growing relationship with God.

Question: How’s your relationship with God?

To find out, take the following self-assessment. Rate each item, using the following scale:

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

___ I understand the Bible, God’s Word, and allow it to guide my life (2 Tim. 3:16).
___ I love for God and others (Matt. 22.37-39).
___ I bear the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5.22-23).

___ I practice spiritual disciplines (for example, meditation, prayer, fasting, Bible study, service, confession, and worship).
___ I participate in Christ’s Body, the Church (1 Cor. 12.7, 12.12-13; Heb. 10.25).
___ I make disciples (Matt. 28.18-20).
___ I care for God’s creation (Gen. 1.28).

___ My relationship with God is growing.


Now, ask yourself 4 questions about the data:

1. How many 4s, 3s, 2s, and 1s do I have?
2. How do I feel about the data?
3. What helps me have a growing relationship with God? What hinders me?
4. Which item will I start with?

Take action. Make sure you relationship with God is growing. Today.


* To further explore how you can continue pursue a growing relationship with God, click here.

You want your school to achieve its mission. You know you need to define what it takes to achieve your school’s mission. You’ve hear that developing student objectives (schoolwide learning outcomes) might help. So, you want to learn more. Good.

Question: How can you learn more about developing student objectives?

Answer: By exploring the following 7 questions:

1. How can you define what it takes to carry out your school's mission?
2. Are student objectives right for you and your school?
3. What's developing student objectives look like?
4. What questions should you consider before developing student objectives?
5. What makes good student objectives good?
6. What are some reasons for developing student objectives?
7. How are mission, student objectives, and curriculum connected?

Focus on your mission. Use student objectives to define the achievement of your mission. Today.

You want your students to apply a Biblical perspective to what they study. You’ve heard that assessment can help. So, you want to learn more. Good.

Question: How can you learn more about using assessment?

Answer: By exploring the following list of 12 questions.

1. How does assessment impact student learning?
2. What type of assessment can you use?
3. What makes a good assessment good?
4. How good is your assessment?
5. How can you make your assessment even better?
6. How proficiently do you want your students to use a Biblical perspective?
7. How much practice do your students need?
8. What makes a good rubric good?
9. How can you use a rubric?
10. How can you use assessment data?
11. What's your vision for using assessment?
12. How committed are you to having your students apply a Biblical perspective to what they learn?

Remember: The real question isn't "How can you learn more about using assessment?" The real question is "How will you use assessment help your students apply a Biblical perspective to what they study?”


Additional resources:

1. Videos: Teach and assess Biblical perspective, Biblical perspective assessment helps, Assessment helps students value and get proficient at Biblical perspective,
2. Teacher testimonials regarding using assessment
3. Self-assessment: To get started with using assessment, take this self-assessment
4. Tutorial: Use assessment to help students understand and apply a Biblical perspective
5. Use assessment

You want your students to connect what they study, the Bible, and their lives. You’ve heard that asking questions is an effective way to help students make connections. So, you want to learn more. Good.

Question: How can you learn more about using questions?

Answer: By exploring the following list of 11 questions. The list comes with readings and discussion guides:

1. Why use questions? (Read, Discuss)
2. Why does God ask questions? (Read, Discuss)
3. How valuable are questions? (Read, Discuss)
4. What does using questions look like? (Read)
5. What questions should your students respond to? (Read, Discuss)
6. What questions should your students ask? (Read, Discuss)
7. What makes a good question good? (Read, Discuss)
8. What question do you want to ask your students? (Read, Discuss)
9. What do you want your students to learn (when you ask a question)? (Read, Discuss)
10. How can you get your students to sincerely respond to questions? (Read, Discuss)
11. How can you use your questions effectively? (Read, Discuss)

Remember: The real question isn't "How can you learn more about using questions?" The real question is "How will you use questions help your students connect what they study, the Bible, and their lives?"


Additional resources:

1. Video: Why ask questions?
2. Self-assessment: To get started with using questions, take a self-assessment
3. Tutorial: Use questions to help students understand and apply a Biblical perspective
4. 99 questions
5. Ask questions—help your students increase their understanding and application of a Biblical perspective 
6. Teacher and student testimonials regarding how using questions helps
7. Ask your students questions about creation-fall-redemption-restoration