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Why is it imperative that Christian educators have a Christian philosophy of education?
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I can be bombarded with different philosophies that imbed themselves in my mind. If I am not continually filling myself with God’s Word (wisdom) then I will begin to conform to those other philosophies. Those philosophies will end up coming out in my teaching; therefore, it is important to keep transforming my mind to the wisdom of God not the wisdom of the world.
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Even if I do not realize that I have a philosophy of education, I am destined to “act out” my philosophy in front of my students. Can I hide what I truly believe? Therefore, it is in my best interest to explicitly state what I believe and how I intend to ‘act out’ my Christian philosophy of education. I just completed my second year of teaching at a Christian school and I am in awe of the encouragement I receive to implement Biblical lessons in my high school math classes. Once I am on the same page with my Christian philosophy of education, I hope to be less in awe and more in front of what my lessons need to look like.
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I would say the most important reason for Christian teachers to have a Christian philosophy of education is because as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, all Christians are called to be his witnesses. As educators, we have an important responsibility and privilege to our students, their parents and society to educate. I have started reading By Design and have been challenged to think of education as much more than facts or getting through a curriculum. I am seeing it more as a holistic formative process. If I am not teaching based on a Christian Philosophy, I am basing my teaching on another philosophy with some secular construct of what is valuable, what is needed, what is right. Of course we can teach and students can learn math facts without moral implications. But what they do with those math facts is of paramount importance. In By Design the author quoted Haim Ginott, a Holocaust survivor. Haim wrote,
“Dear Teachers, I am a survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no person should witness: Gas chambers built by learned engineers, children poisoned by educated physicians, infants killed by trained nurses, women and babies shot and burned by high school and college graduates. So I am suspicious of education. My request is: Help your students to become more human” (MacCullough, 40).
Although I believe he is speaking from a faith based humanistic philosophy, this quote struck a chord with me. I want my students to be more human in the sense that they know and embrace that they are humans, created by God, to be in relationship with him.Therefore, as a teacher, my philosophy of teaching must be informed, and even based, on my who I am as a child of God.
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As Dr. Black states, “Christian education only exists if it’s based on a Christian philosophy of education.”
We know that wisdom comes from God. It’s imperative to recognize that and our relationship with the Lord as we are responsible (along with parents) for sharing His truth with the following generations. We need to be able to share our lessons and also relay how God’s word applies within those lessons. This is the only profession that literally “trains up a child in the way he should go”.
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It has become noticeable in my experience teaching in Christian schools, that scripture and Godly virtues continue to be placed in the back of the classroom. Academic learning and secular state learning has become the priority in most Christian schools. As a Christian first and educator second, I believe developing a strong Christian philosophy will directly effect the students ability to know God and academics will fall in line after that realization.
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I agree with you 100%.
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