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Share one or two ways you embed biblical principles in your lessons. If you don’t already do so, describe how a teacher you know does it.
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Since I teach literature, it is pretty easy to identify in the characters and the themes morals or the lack of morals. Both give the students the opportunity to use scripture as proof to claims that are being made by themselves, the characters, and/or the authors. This school year we are starting to use a new program called Curriculum Trak. This program builds into it a spot for Biblical Integration. This will definitely help me build in time and activities for the big questions.
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The Word is living and active and can often guide thoughts and connect to conversations when we spend time in it. As a Christian school teacher, the ability to integrate the Word of God with everything taught provides solid counsel and understanding. As students read any text, we look for the ideas presented, whether obvious or embedded, and consider how those ideas align with the ideas God presents in the Bible. Students are able to consider how attitudes and beliefs contribute to choices made by writers, historical figures, and scientists of all kinds. When our ideas are based in the principles of Jesus’ teachings, we are able to consider how people were treated and consider how they should be treated differently.
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1). Identifying scripture that relates to the topic at hand and always pointing students to Jesus. If there was a particular unit we were covering that week, I might choose a certain scripture for the week on that topic, and ask students to write it down daily, and hopefully memorize it by Friday. I always hope to be able to identify anything in a lesson that might be questionable.
2). In addition to the bible, I have also utilized a book titled “Mama Bear Apologetics”. This helps not just “mamas”, but teachers alike in addressing life’s big questions. I think it’s important to be able to address weighty topics from a biblical worldview and in a way that teaches discernment.** As mentioned by Dr. Black, I think it goes without me saying that having a bible-based curriculum is paramount. This is one thing I’ve been able to do personally with my own children through homeschooling, and the school I am seeking to work at does as well.
With proper resources at hand, it becomes more natural to embed biblical principles into the classroom.
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Thankfully our textbooks do a great job integrating biblical principles that are easily expounded upon. We always pause and take note and discuss during those moments. Science is the easiest place to do this by always coming back to the creator of the world. All that we learn about in science from ecosystems to sound and light was created by God and we can be good stewards of His creation. In math we discuss often how God is a God of order. Math helps us learn about money and time and we discuss how we can use both of those wisely and for God’s glory. In reading we often discuss the characteristics and behaviors of our protagonist and antagonist. We talk about ways the characters honored the Lord and the things they could have done differently that would be more honoring to God. Even in a novel that is not necessarily Christian there are many biblical principles to pull from the text. One novel we read had a family who prayed to Mary and set up a shrine to her. It was a great teaching opportunity to discuss why we don’t do that. I find integrating biblical principles happens naturally everyday as we discuss our studies and our lives. Sometimes something as small as flock of turkeys crossing our school yard is a moment to pause and talk about our good God. He loves us so but he cares about those turkeys as well. He gave us a moment of pleasure to enjoy seeing them up close.
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When we focus on units in Math, I like to use examples from the Bible where God calls out deceptive practices. For example, Micah 6:10-14:
“Is there yet a man in the wicked house,
Along with treasures of wickedness
And a short measure that is cursed?
“Can I justify wicked scales
And a bag of deceptive weights?
“For the rich men of the city are full of violence,
Her residents speak lies,
And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.Then, we talk about where this happens today and how we use our understanding of math and units to understand the deception and avoid being tricked.