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Why is it imperative that Christian educators have a Christian philosophy of education?
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It is imperative that Christian educators have a Christian philosophy of education because education is much more than the teaching of content, it is preparing students for life. Having a Christian philosophy of education allows us as Christian educators to impart on our students Biblical truths and the love of Christ. To be a successful educator and to teach children as a whole child, a Christian worldview is crucial. It gives us educators a foundation to build the emotional and spiritual strengths of our students. As Christians in our current world, it is important that we are able to understand our identity in Christ and to see ourselves and the world as God intends. Without this foundation we are lost and struggling to understand the chaos around us. If we as teachers do not have a foundation of a Christian philosophy of education, we will struggle to pass this on to our students and raise them up in this ever-changing world.
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It’s imperative that Christian educators have a Christian philosophy of education because it is literally the foundation of why we chose to represent Christ through the ministry of education.
It separates worldview ideologies and integrates Christian Beliefs within the areas of education. In Matthew 5, we are taught that we are the “Light of the world”, not to be hidden but yet placed where our LIGHT shines before all people. Through all areas of teaching we shine by allowing His truths to be interwoven within every lesson; to allow His glory to be shown. In doing so, the next generation will hear of His goodness, His grace, His love, His mercy… and find that no other compares to Him. It provides them with the understanding that He is found in everything, as John 1:3 states, “through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made” and Colossians 1:16, “For in Him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible…all things have been created through Him and for Him”. -
It’s imperative that Christian educators have a Christian philosophy of education because it is literally the foundation of why we chose to represent Christ through the ministry of education.
It separates worldview ideologies and integrates Christian Beliefs within the areas of education. In Matthew 5, we are taught that we are the “Light of the world”, not to be hidden but yet placed where our LIGHT shines before all people. Through all areas of teaching we shine by allowing His truths to be interwoven within every lessons; to allow His glory to be shown. In doing so, the next generation will hear of His goodness, His grace, His love, His mercy… and find that no other compares to Him. -
I can be bombarded with different philosophies that imbed themselves in my mind. If I am not continually filling myself with God’s Word (wisdom) then I will begin to conform to those other philosophies. Those philosophies will end up coming out in my teaching; therefore, it is important to keep transforming my mind to the wisdom of God not the wisdom of the world.
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Even if I do not realize that I have a philosophy of education, I am destined to “act out” my philosophy in front of my students. Can I hide what I truly believe? Therefore, it is in my best interest to explicitly state what I believe and how I intend to ‘act out’ my Christian philosophy of education. I just completed my second year of teaching at a Christian school and I am in awe of the encouragement I receive to implement Biblical lessons in my high school math courses. Once I am on the same page with my Christian philosophy of education, I hope to be less in awe and more in front of what my lessons need to look like.