As a result of Christian education, we want our students to love Jesus and live for Him. So, we help our students develop a Christ-centered worldview by:

1. Modeling Christ-like behavior.
2. Providing devotions, chapel, and Bible class.
3. Giving opportunities for service.
4. Helping students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches.

In terms of worldview formation, each of the 4 things listed above are vital. We know this. None of us want to work at or send our children to a Christian school where:

1. Teachers model behavior that isn’t Christ-like
2. Devotions, chapel, and Bible class aren’t provided.
3. There are no opportunities to serve.
4. Students are encouraged to separate what they study and what the Bible teaches.

Analysis: In terms of worldview development, Christian schools do a better job of modeling, providing devotions and Bible class, and giving service opportunities than Christian schools do with helping students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches.
 
Opportunity: Christian schools can take fuller advantage of a key opportunity—to help students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches.
 
Recommendation: That Christian schools develop 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 3 at least Bible passages.
• Curriculum: The specified Bible content is documented in the curriculum.

Question: Regarding a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum, what are the opportunities/problems?
 
Target Biblical perspective. Today.

*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.

Everyone has a perspective. On everything. On things like grasshoppers, gasoline prices, glaciers melting, and God. Everyone has a way of looking at things. At things like chocolate, character qualities, carbon emissions, and Christ.
 
Every Christian school student has a perspective. And our role as Christian educators is to help each of our students develop a Biblical perspective. Ways we can do this include:

1. Authentically living out a Biblical perspective.
2. Making explicit how we connect what the Bible teaches and what we teach.
3. Focusing our students on Biblical teaching and on worshipping Christ.
4. Having our students connect what the Bible teaches and what they study in class. (This blog, Target Biblical Perspective, addresses this.)
5. Having our students apply Biblical teaching through service.

Help your students develop a Biblical perspective. Today.

You want to help your students connect what they study, life, and Biblical teaching. And you know that modeling is an effective way to help your students learn to make connections. Good.
 
Question: What 3 behaviors will you model?
 
My answer?

1. Model making connections. Show your students how you connect what you teach, life, and Biblical teaching.
2. Model empathy. Model the importance of seeing from different perspectives. This helps students understand the importance of perspective. If they don’t value perspective, they are less likely to value Biblical perspective.
3. Model asking questions. Asking questions demonstrates a desire to reflect. When students ask questions, they are more likely to reflect and, consequently, more likely to connect what they study, life, and Biblical teaching.

What 3 behaviors will you model? Today?