Discussion Questions
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Explain, in your own words, Dr. Black’s visual of a book in the middle of two Bibles. What is she illustrating with this visual?
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I think of the Lord’s teaching in Matthew 7: 24-27 about the two houses, one built upon the sand and one upon a rock. Just like a house needs a solid rock foundation to weather the storms, our curriculum and materials need the solid foundation on the Holy Bible to weather the storms in our world. A house also needs a good roof to protect it from storms. Our curriculum and materials must be surrounded by God’s Word to protect it from the worldly philosophies of our day.
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When we approach our curriculum and content, we need to be pursuing the question, “How can I speak about the Bible as I teach today?” What sets Christian educators apart is the goal to infuse our teaching with the Bible.
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That means that whatever I do as in preparing for my lessons, God’s word should be the foundation and the finishing.
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This visual is a visual reminder that we need to surround ourselves with God’s word. Everything we do should stay inside of what God asks of us. If we do this, not only will we be successful but our students will be as well.
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She is teaching that the Bible is the foundation of our knowledge and teaching.
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What are some techniques you have used, or currently use, to encourage a growth mindset in yourself?
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I reflect often on lessons, interactions with my students/peers, and various job related tasks I have to complete. If something went well, I keep that in mind for next time. If something needs improvement, I reflect on what went wrong, why it went wrong, and collaborate with other colleagues, research, or think of my own ways to improve in that area. I also pray for guidance and read various articles from different Christian education blogs.
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I am constantly reading and reflecting on my current state of knowledge and skills and I’m persistent about exploring what experts are saying.
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It can be easy to get into a pattern of negative self-talk about just about anything. If a situation has always gone one way, I try carefully to remember that it can still go a different way. I also find it important to set a pattern of gratefulness for all things.
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Individual and corporate Bible study, taking courses, and listening to secular radio talk shows to be aware of changing world views.
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As I remind the students I am working with each day, we all have new things we can learn. We need to seek out those opportunities and learn from each one! I share with them my journey through school while learning how to teach and help them become more knowledgeable and mature. I seek out books that will help me know more about the different disabilities I may come in contact with. When I hear of a condition that I am unfamiliar with, I seek information so I can learn more about what that student’s challenges may be so I can help them in the best way for them. Learning is a process that will never end, kind of like laundry, as soon as you think you have learned all there is on a topic, you find that more information has been released, different perspectives and takes, new research has been done. There is always more to learn, there forever will be until our Lord returns and opens our minds.
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What do you hope to gain from this course?
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I am hoping to gain new insights to help my staff better integrate. I also require this course for my staff and I want to know what it covers.
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By the end of this course, I hope to have a better understanding of how to seamlessly integrate God’s Word into my daily lessons. I want my lessons to begin and end with the Word of God so I can better point my students to Christ and how to live and learn with a biblical worldview. My students will not see the importance of a biblical worldview if I do not first set them an example. I also pray that the Lord shows me areas where I can have more of a growth mindset and learn how to pass that mindset on to my students, even in math course.
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I have a few goals for this course. First, I hope to learn how to be intentional about incorporating Biblical concepts into my teaching. As an ESL teacher, my primary focus is on helping my students gain academic English skills. However, I want to challenge them with God’s Word and help them understand ‘what is and what the Lord requires’ of them. Another goal for me is to try to find some way to incorporate God’s word into a public school setting. I would love to teach in a Christain school, but it is not easy to find an ESL position in a Christian school in my area. My third goal is to see areas where I have a closed mindset, and to be willing to grow in those areas.
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My goal is to have an open mindset on the work it will take to integrate God’s word in all my teaching, especially in math.
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I hope to develop a system for Biblical integration instead of just my current trial and error efforts.