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

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)

To get an idea of how your teachers can more effectively help students what they study and what the Bible teaches, complete the following assessment (download). Next, use your assessment data to develop action plans. For each statement below, circle the appropriate rating. Use the following scale:

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

Worldview: To help students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches, my teachers…
___ Articulate Biblical answers to the big questions of life.
___ Explain the creation-fall-redemption-fulfillment/restoration framework.
___ Articulate a Christ-centered philosophy of education.
___ Articulate the implications of a Christ-centered philosophy of education.
___ Articulate that the target is students understanding and then applying a Biblical perspective to the course content and skills, and ultimately to their lives.
___ Articulate what student understanding and application of a Biblical perspective is/is not.
 
Department level: To help students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches, my teachers…
___ Develop, document, and explain a Biblical perspective of their academic discipline(s).
___ Develop, document, and explain content and skill standards/benchmarks.
___ Articulate a Biblical perspective of the content and skills they teach.
___ Develop, document, and explain enduring Biblical perspective understandings.
 
Unit level: To help students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches, my teachers…
___ Design and ask effective essential questions.
___ Document and teach students Biblical content.
___ Document and teach students skills.
___ Design and give a variety of quality formative and summative authentic assessments.
___ Use rubrics to clarify expectations, assess student learning, and provide feedback.
___ Give students specific, timely feedback.
___ Use assessment data to modify instruction.
 
Lesson level: To help students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches, my teachers…
___ Use effective lesson plan models.
___ Use effective instructional strategies.
___ Identify and meet student learning needs.
 
Collaboration: To help students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches, my teachers…
___ Participate in professional learning communities that set student learning goals.
___ Participate in professional learning communities that provide support, encouragement, and accountability for achieving student learning goals through mentoring, coaching, and group interaction.
___ Contribute to a bank of quality instructional materials.
___ Lead Biblical perspective workshops for other teachers.


Now, ask yourself 5 questions about the data:

1. How many 4s, 3s, 2s, and 1s do I have?
2. What’s encouraging/discouraging about the data?
3. In terms of helping teachers help students make connections, how would I prioritize the 5 areas?
4. What can I do to address the area I ranked #1?
5. What will I do?

Target Biblical perspective. Help your teachers help your students connect what they study and with the Bible teaches. Today.


* This self-assessment is based on a set of Biblical perspective teacher training standards.

Want to help your students to better connect the course content and Biblical principles they study to God’s story of creation-fall-redemption-restoration? Good. Reflecting on a set of DRAW questions can help you determine what action steps to take. What does “DRAW” stand for?

• Define the facts.
• Respond to the facts in terms of feelings/experiences.
• Analyze the facts, feelings, and experiences.
• What’s next?: Consider next steps.

As a result of reflecting on the following set of DRAW questions, you will identify 1 or more SMART action steps you will take to help your students better connect the course content and Biblical principles they study to God’s story of creation-fall-redemption-restoration:
 
Define the facts:

1. What class do you want to think about?
2. What do your students study in that class?
3. What connections do your students make between the course content and Biblical principles they study?
4. What’s creation-fall-redemption-restoration?
5. How are you students connecting the course content and Biblical principles they study and creation-fall-redemption-restoration?

Respond to the facts in terms of feelings/experiences:
What excites/concerns you about helping your students better connect the course content and Biblical principles they study to creation-fall-redemption-restoration?
 
Analyze the facts, feelings, and experiences:

1. How do you address creation-fall-redemption-restoration in the class you’re thinking about?
2. What units address creation? fall? redemption? restoration?
3. What questions do you ask about creation? fall? redemption? restoration? (What does a set of creation-fall-redemption-restoration questions look like?)
4. What Biblical principles do you teach about creation? fall? redemption? restoration?
5. What assessments do you give about creation? fall? redemption? restoration?
6. What helps your students connect the course content and Biblical principles they study to creation-fall-redemption-restoration?
7. What are your students’ learning needs regarding creation-fall-redemption-restoration?
8. What helps/hinders you in teaching your students about creation-fall-redemption-restoration?

What’s next?: Consider next steps:
To help your students better connect the course content and Biblical principles they study to creation-fall-redemption-restoration:

1. What do you need to keep doing? start doing? stop doing?
2. What support, encouragement, and accountability do you need?
3. What 1 or more SMART action steps will you take?

As a result of getting a Christ-centered education, we want our students to love God with their minds. So, we want our students to develop a Christ-centered worldview. One way to do to this is by having our students experience a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum:

• Guaranteed: All teachers at a given Christian school teach specified Bible content in each subject they teach.
• Viable: All teachers have sufficient instructional time to teach the specified Bible content.
• Biblical perspective: The specified Bible content is formatted as Biblical principles. Each Biblical principle is supported by at least 3 Bible passages.
• Curriculum: The specified Bible content is documented in the curriculum.

To move forward on developing a Biblical perspective curriculum, you’ve reflected on 5 key questions:

1. Regarding developing a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum, what are the opportunities/problems?
2. What’s your stakeholders’ perspective of a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum?
3. Where are you/your school in terms of having a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum?
4. Regarding developing a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum, what’s your/your school’s level of motivation?
5. To develop a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum, what do you/your school need to keep doing? start doing? stop doing?
6. Next question: How would you/your school develop a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum?

 
Here are responses from Christian educators like you:
 
Teacher: Here are some thoughts on how I would develop a guaranteed, viable, Biblical perspective curriculum.
 
Step 1: Make sure all the teachers know how to accurately Biblically integrate. This may include teacher inservices to help teachers develop Biblical thinking regarding the subject areas. Sometimes Christian teachers do not have very developed Biblical perspectives on their subject areas. Workshops may include worldview training (perhaps a book study on James Sire's The Universe Next Door) as well as training on how to develop integrated unit and lesson plans. This should also include developing a list of key Biblical principles that should be covered somewhere within the school year, or going through a previously developed list of key Biblical principles.
 
Step 2: Have teachers develop curriculum guides with Biblical integration points that include identified Biblical principles for each unit.
 
Step 3: Have teachers make sure the assessments also assess for Biblical principle understanding.
 
Step 4: Develop a scope and sequence of Biblical integration principles to make sure that key principles are not left out or over instructed. Make adjustments in the curriculum guides where needed.
 
This is no short process, and I would imagine it would need to be structured into some kind of long-term planning. I think a key component in this is allowing sufficient time during working hours to develop this. That could include after school meetings, scheduled teacher work days, etc. The administration will really have to be on board and be passionate about this getting done. I imagine that once teachers get going, they will really enjoy teaching from a Biblical perspective. Developing a guaranteed, viable, Biblical perspective curriculum will really help teachers and students to see things the way God does. The ultimate goal being that people will live as man was designed to live, giving glory to God.
 

Curriculum coordinator: Here is what I see as a series of action steps that need to take place for us to establish a viable and replicable Biblical perspective curriculum:

1. Adopt the creation-fall-redemption-restoration motif as the framework for the Biblical perspective standards and benchmarks.
2. Develop departmental standards for implementing the creation-fall-redemption-restoration framework.
3. Use the department standards to develop Biblical perspective grade-level benchmarks.
4. Develop and implement assessments to determine student performance on Biblical perspective standards and benchmarks.
5. Analyze assessment data and use the findings to set goals for improving student performance on Biblical perspective standards.
6. By department (or other grouping that would make sense given the data), determine instructional strategies that would improve student learning on the Biblical perspective standards. Implement instructional strategies as a department.
7. Measure results over time, and make needed adjustments on a routine basis throughout the school year (at least the end of each semester).
8. Review curriculum on a 5-year plan for making major revisions to the curriculum and/or assessments used to measure the Biblical perspective standards.

Teacher: Our school has a culminating assessment for seniors where they research a global issue, articulate a Christian response to it, and engage in a project that addresses that issue. This is a great expression of what we hope our school's education has equipped kids to know, be, and do. 
 
To take this assessment to the next level, we need to make sure our curriculum in grades 9-11 systematically prepares students for this senior assessment. 
 
In terms of a Biblical perspective curriculum, we would need to develop and teach a scope and sequence of Biblical principles in all subjects in grades 9-11. To do this, teachers would need to:

• List issues addressed by senior assessments in the last couple of years and identify the Biblical principles that address those issues. (Students should not have to be originating these principles; they should have been taught them in a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum.) 
• Look at this list of Biblical principles, seeing which principles naturally fit in their courses or subject areas, and incorporate them into their courses.
• Teach these principles, give assessments, and use assessment results to further develop a scope and sequence.

In short, we would focus on our senior assessment in order to develop our "starter" Biblical perspective curriculum. Then, we would expand it.


Close the Gap Now: Developing a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum is an aggressive, yet achievable, goal. Just as there are different ways to do curriculum, there are different ways to develop a Biblical perspective curriculum. In other words, there’s no 1 right way to do it.
 
Here are 10 possible action steps:

1. Cast the vision for students developing a Christ-centered worldview through experiencing a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum.
2. Set a schoolwide SMART goal regarding students connecting Biblical principles to what they study. For example: By June 2013, 90% of students will score at or above standard on connecting Biblical principles to what they study, scores being taken from classroom assessments.
3. Listen to stakeholders about what they think about developing a Biblical perspective curriculum. Then, address their concerns.
4. Make using the curriculum to help students develop a Christ-centered worldview an operational priority.
5. Define what having a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum means for your school. For example, if your school uses standards and benchmarks, it means that all subjects would have Biblical perspective standards and benchmarks and that teachers would assess the Biblical perspective standards and benchmarks.
6. Do a needs analysis, for example, determine where your school is in terms of having a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum. Determine what you need to keep doing, start doing, and stop doing. Determine the training your teachers need. (Reviewing Biblical perspective teacher training standards might be useful.) On a scale of 1-10 (10 being really motivated), rate your school’s level of motivation. If it is below an 8, take steps to raise it to an 8.
7. Collaboratively develop a schoolwide action plan regarding a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum.
8. Have teachers start small. For example, have teachers adding 1 Biblical principle to a unit map, designing an assessment for how well students can connect what they study and that Biblical principle, and teaching a lesson to prepare students for that assessment.
9. Over time, have teachers add Biblical principles to more units and subjects/classes. Then, use a framework (like creation-fall-redemption-restoration) to analyze all Biblical principles. This will help you find gaps, make revisions, and eventually develop a scope and sequence.
10. Ensure that all Biblical perspective standards and benchmarks are taught and assessed.

 
Again, there’s no 1 right way to do this. The point is to develop a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum and get students experiencing it—the point is not to write a plan for developing such a curriculum.


*This blog entry addresses Biblical perspective teacher training standard #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.

Targeting Biblical perspective is vital. To get an idea of where your academic department is in terms of targeting Biblical perspective, reflect on 8 questions:

1. What’s God’s purpose? 
2. What’s wrong?
3. What difference does Jesus make? 
4. What will you do?
5. What does your department target?
6. Specifically, what does your department want students to connect?
7. To help students make connections, what essential questions does the your department ask?
8. To help students make connections, what assessments does your department give?

Below, Kim Essenburg, English 10 teacher at Christian Academy in Japan, reflects on her academic department by responding to 8 these questions:

(1) What’s God’s purpose?
Kim: God made language so we could communicate with Him and with others. Language helps us love God, love our neighbor, and take care of God’s creation.
 
(2) What’s wrong?
Kim: Because of sin, we use language to exalt ourselves, harm others, and grab power. Because of sin, we miscommunicate.
 
(3) What difference does Jesus make?
Kim: Jesus, the Word, used words to proclaim God’s truth. He died and rose to free us from the power of sin. Because He redeemed us, we can use language as God intended.
 
(4) What will you do?
Kim: The English Dept. will equip students to honor Jesus and impact the world for Him. To do this, we will help students enjoy God’s gift of language and use language to learn about God and His creation, effectively communicate truth, and bring shalom.

(5) What does your department target?
Kim: We target students writing insightful essays, giving compelling presentations, grappling with challenging literature, engaging in lively discussion, listening respectfully to each other, and making creative projects. These are important things, but they are not our ultimate target. Our ultimate target is having our students connect these things with what the Bible teaches about creation-fall-redemption-restoration.

(6) Specifically, what does your department want students to connect?
Kim: We want students to connect the content and skills they study with what the Bible teaches. Here’s a sample of Biblical principles we teach at each level:

• Elementary: God created you (Gen. 1.27, Ps. 139.13). God loves you (John 3.16). God gives you talents (Rom. 12.6). God has made each people, country, and culture special and important (Gen. 11.1, 11.8a; John 3.16; Rev. 14.6).
• Middle: God cares how we spend our time (Ps. 118.24, 90.10a, 90.12; 2 Pet. 3.8; 1 Pet. 3.8-9).
• High: God is good (2 Chron. 7.3, Job 2.10, Ps. 34.8). Humans (made in the image of God) are responsible to take care of creation (Col. 1.16 – 20, Ps. 8.3-8, Heb. 2.5-9). God calls us to join Him in His work of restoration (Mic. 6.8, Isa. 1.17, Jer. 22.16, Hos. 6.6, Matt. 23.23). Human search for belonging is ultimately fulfilled in God (Ps. 90.1; Phil. 3.20; Heb. 11.8-10, 13-16).

(7) To help students make connections, what essential questions does your department ask?
Kim: We find students understand the connections better when asked open-ended questions. Here are some questions we ask them:

• Elementary: Why does God want you to learn how to read and write? How does reading help you understand God’s world? What should you read? What connections can you make to this story? to the Bible? to your life? Who are you? Who does God want you to be? How does God treat us? How can you encourage someone with your words?
• Middle: How do authors help you see truth? What makes a story “good?” How do good writers communicate effectively? Why do people have conflicts? How do/can/should you resolve conflicts? What does literature teach you about the need to “take a stand” despite opposition? How can you bridge cultural differences?
• High: How shall we then live? How does literature affect/reflect culture? Why read literature? Who are you? Who is your neighbor? What’s wrong with the world? How do you seek peace? How do you seek justice? How do you respond to man’s inhumanity to man? What is true? How do others help you see?

(8) To help students make connections, what assessments does your department give?
Kim: The primary assessments we give are writing, projects, presentations, and quizzes/tests. We give these assessments to see what connections students have made and to provide students with opportunities to make new connections. Here are some assessments we give:

• Elementary (essay): How can you connect the lesson from The Three Samurai Cats (“Draw strength from stillness”) to a story that you know from the Bible?
• Middle (presentation): Using a book that you’ve already read for independent reading this year, prepare a 2-to-3-minute presentation in which you give an exciting introduction to the plot, a brief explanation of the conflict and theme, a Biblical perspective of the conflict and theme (including how the book shows “taking a stand”), and a satisfying conclusion.
• High (essay): Using examples from various literature and from the Bible, explain the nature of evil, its relationship to suffering, and what you can do to respond Christianly to both. Incorporate 5 – 7 sources.

* Want to read additional reflections?

• Unit: Assessment helps students more deeply connect what they study, their lives, and a Biblical perspective
• Course: Use 9 questions to reflect on Biblical perspective in your course

Targeting Biblical perspective is vital. To get an idea of where you are in terms of targeting Biblical perspective, reflect on 9 questions:

1. What kind of people do you want your students to be?
2. What do you want your students to understand about God and His creation? 
3. What’s your vision? 
4. What do you target?
5. Specifically, what do you want your students to connect?
6. What kinds of connections do you want to see your kids making?
7. To help your students make connections, what essential questions do you ask?
8. To help your students make connections, what student learning needs do you meet?
9. To help your students make connections, what unit assessments do you give?

Below, Kim Essenburg, English 10 teacher at Christian Academy in Japan, reflects on her course by responding to 9 these questions:

(1) What kind of people do you want your students to be? 
Kim: I want them to love Jesus. I want them to be joyful, inquisitive, thoughtful people who always connect what they learn with their lives.

(2) What do you want your students to understand about God and His creation? 
Kim: Through their study of English, I want my students to understand that God created a good world so that we could enjoy it and participate in developing its potential. I want my students to understand that in this fallen world, God calls us to join Him in working to restore peace and justice. Language helps us all understand God’s truth and communicate it to others.

(3) What’s your vision? 
Kim: To see students delighting in the creative beauty of language, checking the things that strike them as true with the Bible, reading fiction to vicariously understand the neighbor they are to love, and using language effectively to understand themselves and serve others.

(4) What do you target?
Kim: I want my students to understand that God created the world good, that sin has affected all of creation, that we as Christians have been redeemed by Christ, and that we should participate in restoring God’s creation. So, I target my students connecting what they study and what the Bible teaches.

(5) Specifically, what do you want your students to connect?
Kim: In English 10, my students hone their thinking, writing, reading, and presentation skills as they grapple with world literature, for example, The Analects by Confucius, Cry, the Beloved Country by Paton, “To My Brother Miguel” by Vallejo, Night by Wiesel, and A Midsummer’s Night Dream by Shakespeare. I want them to connect this content with the 11 Biblical principles they learn, for example:

1. Because people are made in the image of God (Gen. 1.27, 9.6; Jas. 3.9), we are creative (Gen. 2.19, 4.21-22; Exod. 35.30-36.1), communicative (Gen. 2.20-24, Exod. 4.10-12, Jer. 1.4-9) truth-seekers. —introductory unit
2. Because the Bible tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves, we must seek the good of anyone it is within our power to help (Lev. 19.18, Matt. 22.39, Mark 12.31, Luke 10.27, Rom. 13.9, Gal. 5.14, Jas. 2.8). —Night unit
3. Human search for belonging is ultimately fulfilled in God (Psa. 90.1; Phil. 3.20; Heb. 11.8-10, 13-16). —short story unit
4. God calls us to join Him in His work of restoration (Mic. 6.8, Isa. 1.17, Jer. 22.16, Hos. 6.6 and note, Matt. 23.23). —Cry, the Beloved Country unit

(6) What kinds of connections do you want to see your kids making?
Kim: Authentic connections—not object lessons. Real connections—not allegories. Here’s an example of what I mean, taken from an essay on Camus’s “The Guest”:

“In contrast to what Camus and Daru experienced, there is inherent meaning and moral guidelines in life given by God—a conclusion based on a Biblical principle. Truth, which is God’s teaching, is apparent everywhere…(New International Version, Romans 1.20). In fact, the truth of the only God is accessible…(Acts 17.20). We must learn what God’s truth is and apply it to our lives because as Daru understood, human wisdom is faulty…. Humans must establish God’s truth as their anchor and base their decisions on his truth, which may not yield the obviously ‘good’ consequences in this life, but are right because they are part of God’s perfect will.”

(7) To help your students make connections, what essential questions do you ask?
Kim: My students say that thinking about open-ended questions really helps them make connections. So in English 10, I ask my students 4 questions: Who am I? Who is my neighbor? What’s wrong with the world? What is the significance of words?

(8) To help your students make connections, what student learning needs do you meet?
Kim: My 51 students come from 13 different countries, and from a variety of Christian and non-Christian backgrounds. Some have little or no Bible background; some are accustomed to connecting the Bible only with church, youth group, and personal holiness. To help my students make connections with what they’re learning and to prepare them for the assessments, I help them value connecting what they study and what the Bible teaches, see that it’s possible to make connections, and know what quality connections look like.

(9) To help your students make connections, what unit assessments do you give?
Kim: I give assessments to see how well my students are connecting what they study and what the Bible teaches—and I give assessments to give my students practice making connections. I give a total of 9 Biblical perspective assessments. I assess content/Bible connections in 5 of 8 essays, 2 of 4 presentations, and 2 of 9 unit tests with 1 or more Biblical perspective questions. Here’s a sample unit test question (worth 12/100 points):

Describe the existentialism of the author we read who wrote both essays and short stories on the topic. Be sure to include the definition, the juxtaposition that makes humanity’s situation absurd, the 2 things the author says give meaning, and illustrate those 2 things from the story. What of truth (from a Biblical perspective) has the author seen, and what has he missed?

* Want to read additional reflections?

• Unit: Assessment helps students more deeply connect what they study, their lives, and a Biblical perspective
• Subject: Use 8 questions to reflect on a subject area

You know that assessment helps students learn. So, you decide to use a variety of assessments to help your students deepen their understanding and application of a Biblical perspective.
 
Question: What 3 types of assessment will you use?
 
Here are 5 options:

1. Discussion
2. Project
3. Presentation
4. Test/quiz
5. Writing

Question: What other types of assessment can you use?
 
Target Biblical perspective. Use assessment. Today.

Kim Essenburg, English 10 teacher at Christian Academy in Japan, responds:
 
What energizes me when I'm wondering whether teaching is worth the effort? Finding out that students are learning significant things in my class. So, I arrange to get a big dose of encouragement every time I give a test.
 
The last question on every test is "What is something significant you learned this unit that you have not yet had an opportunity to show on this test?" It's worth 1-3 points, whatever I need to round out the score. I actually look forward with great anticipation to grading tests just to be able to read answers to this question! 
 
And, asking this question is a pedagogically sound practice. By asking this question, I help my students understand that there are important things to learn in class that won't necessarily be on the test. By asking this question, I challenge them to make their own connections, applications, explorations even beyond what we talk about in class.
 
I celebrate this learning with students and with colleagues when I pass back the tests. How? By collecting some of the most insightful, articulate, original answers and sharing them--reading them aloud in class, and distributing them to colleagues by email or hard copy. Here's some of the learning I'm celebrating from my last test on the novel Cry, the Beloved Country:

1. “I learned that there are so many things in the world that can easily break shalom (=love, truth, loyalty, grace, justice, righteousness)… it is very important to make and be willing to make shalom happen, instead of being ignorant about it.”
2. “Learning a new language or speaking a language you’re not that good at shows that you’d rather risk humiliation than avoid communicating and making unity.”
3. “There is no peace when there is fear. Fear can only be conquered by love, the one thing that has absolute power. Therefore, love brings peace.”
4. “Msimangu and James Jarvis both said that they were not saintly, God just used them.”
5. “...we need to help people because we really, actually WANT to help them, not because we pity them, think we should help them…. Because there is love, there is help among the people. Because there is help, there is change, so that the world (community) will be one."
6. “Shalom is an ideal, and our group concluded that since humans have an ideal, there is a God. If there was no God, we wouldn’t know or have an ideal.”
7. “I learned from Msimangu that love is the only thing that has ultimate power. I learned from Kumalo and Father Vincent that being positive and trusting God while there’s suffering is really important.”
8. “I learned that God gives hope to those who have none. Because of the hope, some broken things can become new.”

Help your students develop a Christ-centered worldview during class by teaching Biblical perspective lessons and giving Biblical perspective assessments.

You’ve designed and taught your Biblical perspective lesson, a lesson that prepared your students to demonstrate their understanding/application of a Biblical perspective. You've also given your students the Biblical perspective assessment. Good!
 
Now, leverage your work by reflecting on it. Use the following 8 questions to talk with a partner:

1. What was the assessment? (What type of assessment did you use? What was the prompt?)
2. How’d your students do on demonstrating their understanding/application of a Biblical perspective?
3. How’d you prepare your students to demonstrate Biblical perspective on your assessment?
4. What satisfies/concerns you about how you prepared your students?
5. What excites/challenges you about the assessment results on Biblical perspective?
6. To maintain and/or increase student learning about Biblical perspective, what 2-3 things do you want to keep doing/start doing?
7. Other insights?
8. What 2-3 SMART actions steps will you take to modify instruction (lesson plans, assessment prompt, unit map)?

Worldview affects educational practice. How does your Christian worldview affect your educational practice? When responding to this question, teachers at Christian Academy in Japan indicated that their Christian worldview affects:

• The essential questions they ask.
• The content and skills they teach.
• The assessments they give.
• The instructional strategies they use.
• The way they manage their classrooms.
  

Real question: The real question isn’t “How does your Christian worldview affect your educational practice?" The real question is “How will you help your students develop a Christian worldview?"

Take action. Today.

---

Here’s are the responses of CAJ teachers:

1. The Bible is at the center of the curriculum. All subjects…are taught on the basis of the truth of the Word of God
2. Knowing that God has given us the ability to reason, I must be intentional in emphasizing questions that give students more opportunities to think critically. The questions I've used in the past few weeks have stretched the 8th graders in ways that were sometimes uncomfortable. For example, when I asked them to write the last chapter rough draft of their autobiographies, entitled “Who am I now?”, many struggled with writing what they believed when they know that they act one way but say they believe the opposite.
3. I have students ponder higher-level questions such as “Is there such a thing as a just war?” or “Should Christians support research on genetic engineering?” or “What is my calling in life?"
4. Questions – these should ask things that matter to God; should be core to a better understanding of the nature of God and humanity. Content/skills – should teach process over content (which is the great luxury of English classes) in that we need to know how to apply and understand worldview rather than just what it is.
5. In my curriculum I need to look for the larger principles or topics and not just the details of the unit. What are the life skills and issues I want students to learn and think about? Examples: How do I solve problems with friends? How do I get along with people? How do I serve others? How do I serve God?
6. I teach them to recognize numbers in God’s creation, giving them more appreciation. We look at social issues with the perspective of numbers, giving them another viewpoint to draw upon.
7. What I test, I value. I have to be careful about what I test. Does it really help students to articulate a Biblical worldview? Does it help them answer the core questions? For instructional strategies, I focus heavily on collaboration. I used to have my proof text for collaboration up in my room: Proverbs 27:17. I guess I’ve internalized that and seen the value over and over again of students working together…. As for classroom management, my worldview of people being made in the image of God comes out in this area. Students working together in a class will respect each other, listen to each other, and value each other as God’s creations.
8. Because I believe that my students are made in the breathtaking image of the invisible, triune God, each of them an active meaning maker with significant contributions to give and receive in the classroom community, I have them do many group activities, I challenge them with tough questions and/or choice, and I model, encourage, and require them to connect subject matter, faith, and life. Because I also believe that image is heartbreakingly defaced and distorted by the Fall, I realize the carrot method won’t always work. I try to make expectations clear and enforce them firmly—expectations regarding behavior, due dates, prompts for unit assessments, and school policies like dress code and late work.
9. My Christian worldview affects how I respond to students and how I teach them to respond to others. I put a lot of emphasis on teaching about treating each other fairly and that each person is talented in their own way.  I spend time teaching about right ways to speak to others, what it means to be uplifting, and what respect looks like. Part of this focus comes from personal hard experiences growing up with peers. My biggest reason for this emphasis is how often it is talked about or shown in stories in the Bible, especially in Jesus’ life. Loving your neighbor as yourself is the second greatest commandment, and Jesus showed so often that He cared about those others overlooked. He placed a huge emphasis on relationships, and that has been something I have always wanted to focus on – valuing relationships and keeping them healthy.
10. I value students learning to be responsible for themselves. This affects the way I teach the students to care for the classroom including materials, clean up procedures, desk organization. I value a variety of ways for students to show their understanding and so I do not give a lot of tests. I like to give students opportunities to apply their learning and so projects and process oriented ways to assess are used. I value and appreciate that all learners learn differently and so I use a variety of instructional strategies. I use a variety of groupings (whole group, small group, and individual conferences) and an approach that scaffolds the learning where needed.
11. As a Christian, I believe that every child has been created in the image of God, the Creator. This means that every child is creative in some way. In the art curriculum, I want to provide a wide variety of projects and assignments that give each child a chance to express themselves creatively. I want my questions to trigger thought and discussion that would help students learn more about God and His character and their relationship to Him. (What can we learn about God and his character from studying art? What is Christian Art? What does studying the principles of art tell us about God?)
12. I try to take every available opportunity to get my students to see a question from a perspective they have never experienced before. I do this because I believe that people are naturally (fallenly) bent in on themselves, preferring to see only themselves and the world as it appears and applies to them. By broadening their horizons, then, I can encourage them to take their attention away from themselves and be truly e-ducated (Latin: led out). I don’t do this because I believe that all perspectives are equally valid (they aren’t), but because resistance to seeing other perspectives is a symptom of selfishness.

We want our students to honor Christ and impact the world from Him. Consequently, we want to nurture faith in Christ. One way we do this in Christian schools is by helping our students connect what they study with what the Bible teaches.

To help students make connections, what are the vital teacher behaviors? Below are 4 options. What 2 options do you think are vital?

1. Ask students good questions.
   
2. Teach lessons that result in students connecting what they study with what the Bible teaches.
   
3. Having students complete assessments requiring them to connect what they study with what the Bible teaches.
   
4. Using assessment data to modify instruction.

To cultivate reflection and increase the likelihood that her students will connect course content and a Biblical perspective, Kim Esssenburg (English 10 teacher at Christian Academy in Japan) puts the following question on each of her unit tests: “What is something significant you learned this unit that you did not have an opportunity to demonstrate on this test?”

On Feb. 7, Kim’s 10th graders a test over a 3-week unit on the development of western thought in the 20th Century, during which they discussed:

• Tolstoy’s Christian worldview in “How Much Land Does a Man Need?”
  
• Kafka’s nihilistic worldview in “The Bucket Rider.”
  
• Camus’s existentialistic worldview in “The Myth of Sisyphus” (essay) “The Guest.”

Here are sample student responses to Kim’s test question:

• …serving others wholeheartedly really pleases God….
  
• I learned especially in “How Much Land Does a Man Need?” that we should be happy with what we already have. I got to easily relate to the character; if I go shopping and see “buy one get one free,” I quickly go and see what they have, though I don’t even need it.
  
• Nihilism = no meaning in life….Christianity = life has a great meaning through God.
  
• Learned how to do basic Biblical perspective: principle -> support -> application.
  
• I learned that there are many people in the world…that are extremely isolated and feel forgotten. I want to be able to talk to those people and tell them that in fact they are not isolated and that God is with them….

Reflection can help you target Biblical perspective. After teaching a Biblical perspective unit, use these 5 questions to reflect:

1. What student learning results excited about?
2. What were your students studying?
3. What was the assessment prompt?
4. How did you prepare your students for it?
5. What did you learn from teaching your unit?
   

Question: What does using these questions look like?
 
Answer: Here are Kim Essenburg’s responses. Kim teaches English 10 at Christian Academy in Japan.

(1) What student learning results are you excited about?

Kim: I’m excited that 1 of my English 10 students wrote, “I have no right to choose whether I should help or not; the day I chose to follow my consistent and loving God, I threw away the option of apathy.”

(2) What were your students studying?

Kim: Elie Wiesel’s Night, a Holocaust memoir. During their study, they focused on 2 essential questions: “What’s wrong with the world?” and “Who is my neighbor?”

At the end of the 3-week unit, my students wrote essays. I’m excited that their writing is improving, and I’m excited that they applied a Biblical perspective to a theme of Night, the mistreatment of others.

(3) What was the essay prompt?

Kim: My students wrote 750-word essays on the following: How significant a part of what’s wrong with the world is the tendency to disregard the human dignity of others, and how should a Christian respond? Illustrate your answer from literature, history, current events, and your own experience. Be sure to address the relevance of the Biblical concepts of the image of God and the second greatest commandment.

(4) How did you prepare your students for it?

Kim: Before they started reading Night, my students considered 2 essential questions (“What’s wrong with the world?” and “Who is my neighbor?”) and discussed “Justice in an Unjust World,” a 5-page article by Gary Haugen, president of International Justice Mission.

Then as they read Night, they discussed racism, discrimination, human dignity, and the basis of human dignity, being created in God’s image. They also increased their awareness of recent events by watching clips from Hotel Rwanda and jig-sawing 4 articles:

1. “Being Muslim in a Mad, Sad, World”—an August 3, 2005, editorial in The Yomiuri Shimbun (which was reposting the article from The Washington Post).
   
2. “Keep Crying Out”—a 1-page description of Darfur from the December 9, 2006, edition of The Economist.
   
3. “A Responsibility to Protect”—a 2-page article from the December 2006 edition of Sojourners that considers the question, “‘Is military intervention the only way?’”
   
4. “Alien Nation”—an article by Isaac Canales from the fall 2007 edition of Leadership that discusses illegal aliens in California.

After reading Night, they discussed Wiesel’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech, which asserts that apathy helps the oppressor. They also worked in groups of 4 to study Leviticus 19:18 (which talks about loving our neighbor) and the 7 Bible passages mentioned in the NIV study note. For each of the 8 passages, they identified the speaker, occasion, audience, and purpose.

(5) What did you learn from teaching your Night unit?

Kim: Well, I have a deeper appreciation for the power of preparing students for an assessment before, during, and after the study of a piece of literature. And I realize that providing students with additional articles is helpful—last year they discussed 2 articles and this year they discussed 5. The additional articles helped my students get a better understanding of sin and its implications for how people treat each other.

Teaching can be discouraging at times, and reading essays in which students apply a Biblical perspective is encouraging! I was encouraged, for example, when I read, “Our voices can be heard. We just need to speak up loud enough for the world to hear; there are many ways to do this…[not] telling racist jokes is how I plan to do my part.”

Writing this essay helped my students more deeply connect what they study, their lives, and a Biblical perspective.


* Want to read additional reflections?

• Course: Use 9 questions to reflect on Biblical perspective in your course
• Subject: Use 8 questions to reflect on a subject area

Question: Is it important for your students to apply a Biblical perspective to course content?

If you answered “yes,” keep reading.

You think it’s important for your students to apply a Biblical perspective to course content. Three questions:

1. What course content could your students apply a Biblical perspective to?
   
2. During which units could your students apply a Biblical perspective to course content?
   
3. On what types of assessments could your students apply a Biblical perspective to course content?

Bottom line:

1. What course content will your students apply a Biblical perspective to?
   
2. During which units will your students apply a Biblical perspective to course content?
   
3. On what types of assessments will your students apply a Biblical perspective to course content?

Target Biblical perspective. Today.

Kim and Michael Essenburg, missionaries with Christian Reformed World Missions, serve at Christian Academy in Japan. This morning they talked about progress Kim's students are making on applying a Biblical perspective, and then Kim determined her next step.

Michael: What progress are you making on your goal?

Kim: In their Cry, the Beloved Country essays, my students did a better job of applying a Biblical perspective. They were better able to show their grasp of what the Bible teaches, not just what a verse says. They more effectively discussed Biblical perspective, instead of just citing verses.

Michael: That sounds good!

Kim: I was pleased. They did a good job of following the writing guidelines I’ve emphasized.

Michael: So you’re emphasizing effective writing guidelines to help your students apply a Biblical perspective when writing?

Kim: Yes.

Michael: What are your guidelines?

Kim: l’m using 5 guidelines:

1. Give supporting details about Biblical perspective, like quotations of Bible verses.
   
2. Introduce quotations.
   
3. State the topic sentence first, then the support, like quotations.
   
4. Include Biblical perspective in 1 or more topic sentences.
   
5. Integrate Biblical perspective into the thesis statement.

Michael: Which guidelines did the students follow?

Kim: Guidelines 1-3—stating the topic sentence first, introducing quotations, and giving supporting details.

Michael: Interesting. Your guidelines start with support and not with the thesis. What’s your thinking behind this?

Kim: I want to meet students where they are, so I use a developmental approach when giving writing instruction. I emphasize citing Bible verses, move to emphasizing stating the topic sentence first, and finally teach about including Biblical perspective in thesis statements.

Don’t get me wrong. I consistently expect students to include Biblical perspective in their thesis statements, but I teach this last. Ultimately, what I want is for students to defend a thesis statement that includes Biblical perspective by using topic sentences and supporting details that include Biblical perspective.

Michael: So you want something like this?: Thesis← →Topic Sentences← →Supporting Details

Kim: Yes.

Michael: So what’s your next step?

Kim: I want to keep focusing on helping my students apply a Biblical perspective. In their last essays, my students did a pretty good job on supporting details, introducing quotations, stating their topic sentences first. Some students included Biblical perspective in their topic sentences, and I’d like more of them to do this.

Michael: What do you mean “more”?

Kim: Well, my guess is that about of half of the essays included at least one topic sentence that included Biblical perspective. I’d like to get that up to 100%. My students are working on an essay about Night. Right now, I’m reading the rough drafts. When the final drafts come in, I’d like all of the essays to have at least 1 topic sentence that includes Biblical perspective.

Michael: How doable is that?

Kim: I’m pretty confident all my students can include 1 Biblical perspective topic sentence. When I turn back the rough drafts, I’ll need to teach a writing lesson about this. And I can have students check for Biblical perspective topic sentences when doing peer reviews on the revised drafts. That’s doable. That’ll work. That’ll help me close the gap.

Tom Postema and Michael Essenburg, missionaries with Christian Reformed World Missions, serve at the Christian Academy in Japan. During their 9:30 meeting today, they talked about helping students understand and apply a Biblical perspective. Then Michael started asking Tom questions. (“As he usually does,” says Tom.)

Michael: God provides for us, so I think you have what you need to help your students understand and apply a Biblical perspective. I’m going to ask you some yes-no questions to verify this, OK?

Tom: OK.

Michael: Does God, your school board, principal, and colleagues support your students understanding and applying a Biblical perspective?

Tom: Yes.

Michael: As a Christian math teacher, can you think one thing that you want your 10th graders to see from a Biblical perspective?

Tom: Yes.

Michael: Can you ask questions?

Tom: Yes.

Michael: Can you identify content?

Tom: Yes.

Michael: Can you identify skills?

Tom: Yes.

Michael: Can you make assessments?

Tom: Yes.

Michael: Can you identify and meet student learning needs?

Tom: Yes.

Michael: You answered “yes” to all the questions. I think there were 7, right? What do you think?

Tom: Those weren’t hard questions. I could easily answer “yes” to all of them. That’s all there’s to it?

Michael: Yes. But let me ask these questions another way, just to double-check that you have all you need.

Tom: Sure.

Michael: How does God, your school board, principal, and colleagues support your students understanding and applying a Biblical perspective?

Tom: God wants people to view the world as God’s world. The school board has policy that supports this. My principal wants students to apply a Biblical perspective. My colleagues and I talk about this.

Michael: As a Christian math teacher, what’s one thing that you want your 10th graders to see from a Biblical perspective?

Tom: The universe. That God made it to work well.

Michael: Can you think of a question about that?

Tom: Yes. How well does the universe work?

Michael: Can you think of course content and Bible content that you can teach your students to help them answer your question?

Tom: Dimensions, vanishing point, perspective in art, and Bible verses about God making the universe and the universe working well.

Michael: Can you think of i or more skills that students need to answer your question and apply a Biblical perspective?

Tom: Drawing, writing, and discussion.

Michael: Can you make an assessment that requires students to respond to your question?

Tom: Yes. I could have kids make a perspective drawing and have them connect the information on perspective in art to what the Bible teaches.

Michael: Can you identify and meet one of your students’ learning needs regarding understanding and applying Biblical perspective?

Tom: My students need practice in intentionally connecting course content and Bible content through writing.

Michael: You responded positively to all 7 questions. What do you think now?

Tom: Well, the questions covered support, unit plans, and lessons plans. That’s what I need. That’s what I already have. I guess helping kids with Biblical perspective is not as hard as I thought it’d be.

You want your students to impact the world for Christ. To carry out this vital task, you know your students will need to apply a Biblical perspective to all of life—including the course content they are studying in your class right now.

How can you help your students increasingly apply a Biblical perspective to course content? Here are 4 things you can do:

1. Target this. You can shift your target from students learning course content to students applying a Biblical perspective to the course content they have learned.
   
2. Ask your students Biblical perspective questions like “What’s wrong with the world?”
   
3. Design assessments that require students to demonstrate their learning regarding the Biblical perspective questions you asked.
   
4. Meet your students’ learning needs regarding applying a Biblical perspective on classroom assessments. For example, your students may not know what applying a Biblical perspective to course content looks like. Meet this learning need by showing them student work samples.

Target Biblical perspective. Today.

Want to increase student understanding and/or application of a Biblical perspective? Use data from 1 Biblical perspective assessment to modify a unit plan (questions, content/skills, assessment, instructional strategies).

Step 1: Use the questions below to reflect on your assessment data:

1. What 3 or more student learning results (quotations, exhibits) are you excited about?
   
2. What percentage of students scored at or above standard on understanding and/or applying a Biblical perspective?
   
3. What Biblical perspective question(s) did you ask?
   
4. What subject-specific content/skills did you teach to help students answer the Biblical perspective question(s)?
   
5. What Biblical perspective content did you teach to help students answer the Biblical perspective question(s)?
   
6. To demonstrate their learning, what type of assessment did students complete? What was the actual assessment prompt?
   
7. What 2-3 key instructional strategies did you use to help students learn the content/skills (and so prepare them for the assessment)?
   
8. What 2-3 SMART action steps will you take to increase student understanding and/or application of a Biblical perspective?

Step 2: Take action. Today.

To get an idea of how you can more effectively help students increase their understanding and application of a Biblical perspective, identify current learning results by completing the following self-assessment. Next, use your self-assessment data to develop action plans.

Rate each statement below. Use the following scale:
5: Consistently • 4: Usually • 3: OK • 2: Sort of • 1: Rarely

Self-Assessment for Teachers

1. My students can identify 2 or more Biblical principles or values, and explain how each principle or value is related to the subject I teach.
   
2. My students can identify 2 or more Bible verses and explain how each verse is related to the subject I teach.
   
3. My students can give a 1-minute explanation of a Biblical perspective of the subject I teach.
   
4. My students can give a 1-minute Biblical perspective explanation of one issue or concept they studied in class.
   
5. My students understand that the goal is for them to apply a Biblical perspective to the course content they have mastered (not to master course content).
   
6. My students can apply a Biblical perspective to what they study in class.
   
7. My students are committed to loving God with their minds.

Self-Assessment for Principals

1. For each subject they study, students can identify 2 or more Biblical principles or values, and explain how each principle or value is related to that subject.
   
2. For each subject they study, students can identify 2 or more Bible verses and explain how each verse is related to that subject.
   
3. For each subject they study, students can give a 1-minute explanation of a Biblical perspective of that subject.
   
4. For each subject they study, students can give a 1-minute Biblical perspective explanation of one issue or concept they studied in that subject.
   
5. Students understand that the goal is for them to apply a Biblical perspective to the course content they have mastered (not to master course content).
   
6. Students can apply a Biblical perspective to what they study.
   
7. Students are committed to loving God with their minds.

Quick Answer: Measuring student application of a Biblical perspective helps…

• Students to know how they are doing, how to improve, and what Christian education is about.
  
• Parents to feel affirmed in their decision to send their children to a Christian school.
  
• Staff to focus on the mission, feel encouraged as they see students applying a Biblical perspective, and enhance unity.
  
• Alumni, donors, and community members to be assured that the school is focusing on the mission.
  
• The school board to focus on the mission and strengthen the vision.

Question: How would measuring student application of Biblical perspective help your school?

Real Question: What will you do today to measure your students’ application of a Biblical perspective?

Suggested Starting Point: Each semester, determine the % of…

1. Courses in which students complete 1 or more Biblical perspective assessments. (The goal is 100%.)
   
2. Biblical perspective assessments that meet the following criteria: require the students to connect course content, a Biblical perspective, and their lives; assess student learning (not student faith); worthy of being taught to; and require upper-level thinking. (The goal is 100%.)
   
3. Students who score at or above standard on applying a Biblical perspective. (The goal is 90%.)

Use your data to determine next steps to reach the target percentages.

Your goal: For your students to understand a biblical perspective of your subject and to apply it to the course content they have learned.

Your SMART goal: By June of this school year, for 90% of your students to be at or above standard (C or above) on applying a biblical perspective to course content, scores being taken from rubric-scored classroom assessments (like presentations, projects, and writing).

Your current reality?

• You have shifted your goal from your students learning course content to your students applying a biblical perspective to course content they have learned.
  
• You have adopted an initial SMART goal.
  
• You do not yet have classroom assessment data to determine if your goal is attainable.

What can you do? Take the following 10-item survey to make an initial assessment of how well your students understand and use a biblical perspective of course content. Before taking the survey, select 1 subject you teach and respond to the survey based on the students in that subject.

1. ___% of my students, when asked, can readily identify 3 or more biblical principles and explain how each principle is related to the subject I teach.
   
2. ___% of my students, when asked, can readily identify 3 or more biblical values and explain how each value is related to the subject I teach.
   
3. ___% of my students, when asked, can readily identify 3 or more Bible verses and explain how each verse is related to the subject I teach.
   
4. ____% of my students can readily give a 1-3 minute explanation of a biblical perspective of the subject I teach.
   
5. ___% of my students, when asked, can readily identify 3 or more issues and give a 30-60 second biblical perspective explanation of each.
   
6. ___% of my students when asked for an opinion regarding an issue will respond, “The Bible teaches…” (instead of “I think…”).
   
7. ___% of my students, when processing an issue with a fellow student, readily ask the following 4 questions: What do you mean by…? How do you know? How does the Bible help? How can I respond?
   
8. ___% of my students, when asked, can readily give reasonable answers to each of the following 3 questions: How can ___ help me learn about God and creation? How can I use ___ (subject/topic) wrongly? How does ___ (subject/topic) help me serve others?
   
9. ___% of my students, when asked, can readily identify 3 or more biblical perspective questions related to the subject I teach.
   
10. Based on my responses to items 1-9, ___% of my students are performing at or above standard (C or above) on understanding and applying a biblical perspective to the subject I teach.

Based on your response to survey item 10, review your SMART goal, revising it as necessary. Now, identify and take action steps to close the gap between the targeted percentage in your SMART goal and your current percentage. Start by exploring your options for action steps.

Your options? Here are 10—add some of your own to the list:

1. Teach your students 3 or more biblical principles related to your subject and have your students apply them to course content.
   
2. Teach your students 3 or more biblical values related to your subject and have your students apply them to course content.
   
3. Teach your students 3 or more Bible verses related to your subject and have your students apply them to course content.
   
4. Teach your students a biblical perspective of your subject area and ask your students to demonstrate their understanding through role play and on a short answer test essay.
   
5. Teach your students 3 or more issues related to your subject and a biblical perspective of each.
   
6. Teach your students, when addressing a key issue, to respond by saying “The Bible teaches….”
   
7. Teach your students, when processing an issue with fellow students, to ask the following 4 questions: What do you mean by…? How do you know? How does the Bible help? How can I respond?
   
8. Teach your students, within the context of your subject, answers to the following 3 questions: How can ___ help me learn about God and creation? How can I use ___ (subject/topic) wrongly? How does ___ (subject/topic) help me serve others?
   
9. Teach your students 3 or more biblical perspective questions, and routinely ask your students these questions.
   
10. Give a biblical perspective assessment 1 or more times each quarter, using the data to track progress towards your SMART goal.

Your “will do’s”? Select 1-2 action steps you are committed to taking to close the gap between the targeted percentage in your SMART goal and your current percentage. Got your 1-2 action steps selected? Good.

On a scale of 1-10 (10 being high), what is your commitment level for each action step?

• If you said 8 or lower, what would it take to move your commitment level to a 9 or 10?
  
• If you are unable to move your commitment level to a 9 or 10, consider revising your action step.

Take action. Now. To achieve your SMART goal. Help your students increase their understanding and use of a biblical perspective of the subject you teach. Do something. Today.