You just finished your peer coaching session. During your peer coaching session, your peer coach helped you to focus and work smart by asking questions, questions that provoked you to think. You really appreciate that your coach asks you questions, instead of giving advice—because getting asked questions really gets you thinking and helps you take responsibility to achieve your goals.

You think that using peer coaching with your students might help. And you’re thinking, “How could peer coaching help my students apply a Biblical perspective?”

To find out, explore the following list of 5 questions:

1. How can peer coaching help your students use relevant Biblical principles?
2. How can peer coaching help your students use relevant Bible verses?
3. How can peer coaching help your students include Biblical perspective in their thesis statements?
4. How can peer coaching help your students apply a Biblical perspective throughout their essays?
5. How can peer coaching help your students apply a Biblical perspective to issues?

Remember: The real question isn't "How could peer coaching help your students apply a Biblical perspective?" The real question is "How will you use peer coaching to help your students apply a Biblical perspective?"

Help your students apply a Biblical perspective. Use peer coaching. Today.


*To learn more about coaching, click here.

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)

You want to train your teachers to help their students apply a Biblical perspective to course content. Your task is to provide teachers with challenging, coherent, relevant training. Not an easy task. Why? Because you don’t have curriculum. More specifically, you don’t have a set of curriculum/training standards for teachers.

The result? Well, it's the same as when you teach students using a curriculum that is not standards-based (or one that does not have department objectives)—the content is not sufficiently challenging, coherent, and relevant. Consequently, students don't learn as much as they could.

Question: Where can you get a set of teacher training standards for helping students apply a Biblical perspective to what they study?

Answer: Right here! These standards were developed by Christian educators living in Germany, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, the US, and South Africa.

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Download: Biblical Perspective Teacher Training Standards

1. In response to Christ’s love and as the foundation for ministry, teachers have a growing relationship with Him.
2. Out of a desire to love God and be transformed by the renewing of their minds, teachers articulate a Christ-centered worldview.
3. To love God and impact the world for Him, teachers apply a Christ-centered worldview to education.
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.
5. To help students love God and impact the world for Him, teachers design and implement unit plans that result in students understanding and then applying a Biblical perspective to course content and skills, and ultimately to their lives.
6. To help students love God and impact the world for Him, teachers design and implement lesson plans that result in students understanding and then applying a Biblical perspective to course content and skills, and ultimately to their lives.
7. To increase student application of a Biblical perspective to course content/skills and to life, teachers collaborate with other teachers.

You want your students to connect what they study, the Bible, and their lives. You’ve heard that asking questions is an effective way to help students make connections. So, you want to learn more. Good.

Question: How can you learn more about using questions?

Answer: By exploring the following list of 11 questions. The list comes with readings and discussion guides:

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)

Remember: The real question isn't "How can you learn more about using questions?" The real question is "How will you use questions help your students connect what they study, the Bible, and their lives?"


Additional resources:

1. Video: Why ask questions?
2. Self-assessment: To get started with using questions, take a self-assessment
3. Tutorial: Use questions to help students understand and apply a Biblical perspective
4. 99 questions
5. Ask questions—help your students increase their understanding and application of a Biblical perspective 
6. Teacher and student testimonials regarding how using questions helps
7. Ask your students questions about creation-fall-redemption-restoration

You want your students to connect what they study, the Bible, and their lives. You’ve heard that asking questions is an effective way to help students make connections. And you want to use questions to help your students.

Question: How can you get started?

Answer: By taking the following self-assessment. Rate each item, using the following scale:

4: Strongly agree • 3: Agree • 2: Disagree • 1: Strongly disagree

___ I want my students to connect what they study, the Bible, and their lives. (Watch)
___ My students connect what they study, the Bible, and their lives. (Read)
___ I understand how using questions can help my students connect what they study, the Bible, and their lives. (Read)

___ I understand why God asks questions. (Read, Discuss)
___ My students would say that I value asking them questions. (Read, Discuss)
___ I can give a colleague a clear description of what using questions looks like. (Read)

___ I know what questions I want my students to respond to. (Read, Discuss)
___ When faced with an issue, my students know what questions to ask. (Read, Discuss)
___ I can identify and explain 6 characteristics of a good question. (Read, Discuss)
___ I ask good questions. (Read, Discuss)
___ I ask my students questions about creation-fall-redemption-restoration. (Read, Watch)
___ I have documented the questions I want to ask my students. (Read, Discuss)

___ I know what I want my students to learn when I ask a question. (Read, Discuss)
___ My students sincerely respond to the questions I ask. (Read, Discuss)
___ I use questions effectively. (Read, Discuss)

___ I ask questions to help my students connect what they study, the Bible, and their lives.
___ I want to learn more about using questions to help my students make connections.
___ I am committed to helping my students connect what they study, the Bible, and their lives.


Now, ask yourself 4 questions about the data:

1. How many 4s, 3s, 2s, and 1s do I have?
2. What satisfies/concerns me about the data?
3. Which items would it be helpful to learn more about?
4. What will I do?

Additional resources:

1. Video: Why ask questions?
2. Tutorial: Use questions to help students understand and apply a Biblical perspective
3. 99 questions
4. Ask questions—help your students increase their understanding and application of a Biblical perspective 
5. Teacher and student testimonials regarding how using questions helps
6. To learn more about using questions, explore these 11 questions

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.

You want to help your students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches. But you’re having difficulty developing an effective lesson plan.
 
Question: Is there a lesson model that can help?

Answer: Yes! You can use Harold Klassen’s 1-2-3-2-1 lesson model, which includes these components:

• 1 story
• 2 connections
• 3 questions
• 2 objectives
• 1 assessment

These components must be present in the lesson and may be used in any order.

Let’s explore the components of 1-2-3-2-1 lesson further:
*1 story you will tell about your lesson content. Stories (biographies, anecdotes, fables, parables, proverbs, personal experiences, case studies...) help students understand lesson content and make connections to the Bible
 
*2 connections between your “lesson story” and God’s creation-fall-redemption-restoration/fulfillment story.

1. Making connections helps you and your students develop a Christ-centered worldview.
2. These connections should flow from God’s story, from an understanding that our world belongs to God, from a Biblical perspective of the subject area. These connections should take the form of Biblical principles (each of which is supported by 3 Bible passages). Here are samples.
3. Here’s a process and a set of questions you can use to identify your 2 connections.

*3 questions you will ask about your “lesson story” to help students make connections to God’s story. As you work to identify your 3 questions, you may find it helpful to consider the following questions:

1. Why does God ask questions? (discussion questions)
2. Why use questions? (discussion questions, video)
3. What makes a good question good? (discussion questions)
4. What question do you want to ask your students? (discussion questions) Might you want to use creation-fall-redemption-restoration questions, questions used by teachers at Christian Academy in Japan, WHWW questions, or 5 Ws and an H? (Who? What? Why? Where? When? How?)
5. How can you help your students sincerely respond to questions? (discussion questions)
6. How can you use your questions effectively? (discussion questions)

*2 objectives for this lesson.

*1 assessment you will use to find out if your lesson objectives were met. For example, you could have your students tell, show, make, write, do…

1. What type of assessment can you use?
2. Kim Essenburg, English 10 teacher at Christian Academy in Japan, uses a variety of assessments.

 
To develop your 1-2-3-2-1 lesson, answer these questions:

• What’s your lesson about?
• What’s 1 story you could tell about your lesson content?
• What are 2 connections between your “lesson story” and God’s creation-fall-redemption-restoration/fulfillment story?
• What 3 questions could you ask about your “lesson story” to help students make connections to God’s story?
• What are 2 objectives of this lesson?
• What’s 1 assessment you could use to find out if these lesson objectives were met?

 
Or you could answer these questions:
What’s your lesson about?
 
If Jesus taught this lesson…?

• What’s 1 story Jesus could tell about the lesson content?
• What 2 connections might Jesus make between the “lesson story” and God’s creation-fall-redemption-restoration/fulfillment story?
• What 3 questions could Jesus ask about the “lesson story” to help students make connections to God’s story?
• What might 2 of Jesus’ objectives for this lesson be?
• What’s 1 assessment Jesus could use to find out if these lesson objectives were met?

Now, teach your 1-2-3-2-1 lesson! Target Biblical perspective. Today.

The challenge: At Christian schools, we want our students to develop a Christ-centered worldview, to see all of life through the lens of Scripture. This is a big challenge! One way we address this challenge is by having our students connect what they study with Biblical teaching.

Where can you get some help with this challenge?

Right here! In this 10-step tutorial, you'll learn how to help your students make connections. You'll learn to design a Biblical perspective lesson plan and a Biblical perspective assessment. And after you teach your lesson and give your assessment, you'll reflect on your lesson plan and assessment results.

Take these 10 steps:

1. Ask God for help.
2. Experience a Biblical perspective lesson.
3. Get clear on what connecting course content/skills and Biblical teaching is—and is not.
4. Reflect on how making connections helps your students develop a Christ-centered worldview.
5. Identify the Biblical teaching you want your students to connect with what they study. Here are sample Biblical principles you can teach your students.
6. Develop an essential question that GRACES your students' worldview understanding. Here's a list of 99 Biblical perspective questions.
7. Design a Biblical perspective assessment that SCOREs.
8. Design a Biblical perspective lesson that involves your students in connecting what they study, Biblical teaching, and life—and that prepares them for the Biblical perspective assessment. Here are some sample lessons. Here are 2 versions of a lesson plan tempate (lesson template pdf, lesson template Word).
9. Teach your Biblical perspective lesson and give your students the Biblical perspective assessment.
10. Reflect on your lesson plan and assessment results in order to modify instruction.

Teach and assess Biblical perspective. Today.

You want your students to honor Christ and impact the world from Him. Consequently, you want to nurture faith in Christ. One way you do this is by helping your students understand and apply a Biblical perspective to what they study. You've heard that asking questions is a good way to do this.

You wonder, "Does asking questions help students understand and apply a Biblical perspective?"

• Heidi Schaeffer, who teachers Science 5, says, "Questions helped my students see how creation points to God."
  
• And in the following video, Michael Essenburg says that asking questions is a doable, effective way to help students understand and apply a Biblical perspective.

Here's a 4-part tutorial you can use to learn more about asking questions:

(1) Explore the role questions:

• Why does God ask questions?
  
• How valuable are questions?
  
• Anda Foxwell, who teachers Social Studies 6, says, "Questions helped my students apply a Biblical perspective."

(2) Explore using questions in your classroom:

• What does using questions look like?
  
• What questions should your students respond to? (Here's a list of 99 Biblical perspective questions you can ask your students.)
  
• What questions should your students ask?
  
• What makes a good question good?
  
• What do you want your students to learn when you ask a question?
  
• Kim Essenburg, who teachers English 10, says, "Using questions works!"

(3) Explore ways to get your students to use questions to increase their understanding and application of a Biblical persepective:

• How can you help your students sincerely respond to Biblical perspective questions?
  
• How can you use your questions effectively?

Want to read another testimonial? Here's one from a school: At CAJ, we use questions to equip students to impact the world for Christ.

(4) Real Question: The real question isn't "Does asking questions help students understand and apply a Biblical perspective work?" The real question is, "How will you use questions help your students understand and apply a Biblical perspective?" Ask your students a good question. Today.