Discussion Questions
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Explain, in your own words, Dr. Black’s visual of a book in the middle of two Bibles. What is she illustrating with this visual?
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We begin with God’s Word, and we end with God’s Word. He is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega. His truth should hold everything else together.
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The book in the middle of the Bibles is our materials and curriculum. The materials and curriculum are the textbooks, standards, handbooks, scope and sequence, goal and outcomes, and assessments. All of these are important, but they mean nothing if they aren’t surrounded by scripture.
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The thought is that all why do must be surrounded by God’s word.
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Dr. Black is illustrating that everything we do and teach should begin and end with God’s Word. What and how we teach should have a foundation in the Bible and also result in our students ultimately being pointed back to God, His Word, and a biblical worldview. If we do not being and end with the Bible, then how are we providing our students with anything different from a secular education?
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The visual of the Bible above and below the stacks of books help show that we should begin with and finish with God’s Word. She talked about cultural influences on what we believe and teach. I have lived overseas for 20 years. Each time I return to the US, I can see big cultural shifts, and sometimes the church if following those trends without giving it a thought. I think this visual is asking us to not jut tag on a Bible verse, but to really think of our lesson from a biblical perspective. In order to do this, we need to be in the Word and reflecting on it, interpreting it and applying it.
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What are some techniques you have used, or currently use, to encourage a growth mindset in yourself?
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If I have a big task or problem ahead of me, I’ll break it down into smaller, more manageable pieces. Prayer and Scripture play a major role in helping keep me from becoming overwhelmed or overcast. Seeking someone else’s help and advice has often helped a great deal as well as surrounding myself with encouraging people rather than those who enjoy tearing others down.
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A few years ago I came across the idea of Growth Mindset from a school website. I was fascinated by the idea, so I bought and read Carol Dweck’s book. It really blew my mind. I started teaching in a time when we thought of IQ as a fixed thing, similar to a person’s height. My whole approach to who I am and what I am capable of changed. I thought back to friend that I had who were not the smartest, but worked so diligently and advanced in their learning and personal achievement. I was so challenged that I enrolled in a Teachers’ Certification Program. I remind myself that although something may be difficult, I can keep at it and eventually I will learn. This has helped me to be proactive in incorporating technology in my class. I have decided to take time to learn how to use tech tools to enrich my teaching, whereas before, I was hesitant.
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The technique I use to have an open mindset is always listening or watch to see how another does something. I have learned to be quick to listen and slow to talk to learn a new way of doing something.
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I seem to always have something on my mind that I would like to learn about and I am often discouraged because it is such a daunting task. So, I narrow down on something and get it done. For example, this summer I wanted to understand Piaget’s research more. However, that would take years so I am focus on a few publications and taking a deep dive into the specific experiments that were conducted. If I could understand 8 to 10 specific experiments and their results, I feel that will be enough progress.
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I think in my own life I am often heard saying, “It never hurts to try.” Having a willing attitude to begin or learn something new is sometimes all the motivation needed to move to a position of growth. I think growth mindset also comes from the practice of reflection. When we take time to think about how we did something, how others were affected, and how we might need to adjust or change we not only grow, but I believe we honor the Lord by having a teachable spirit.
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What do you hope to gain from this course?
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By the end of this course, I hope to have a better understanding of how to seamlessly integrate God’s Word into my daily lessons. I want my lessons to begin and end with the Word of God so I can better point my students to Christ and how to live and learn with a biblical worldview. My students will not see the importance of a biblical worldview if I do not first set them an example. I also pray that the Lord shows me areas where I can have more of a growth mindset and learn how to pass that mindset on to my students, even in math class.
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I have a few goals for this course. First, I hope to learn how to be intentional about incorporating Biblical concepts into my teaching. As an ESL teacher, my primary focus is on helping my students gain academic English skills. However, I want to challenge them with God’s Word and help them understand ‘what is and what the Lord requires’ of them. Another goal for me is to try to find some way to incorporate God’s word into a public school setting. I would love to teach in a Christain school, but it is not easy to find an ESL position in a Christian school in my area. My third goal is to see areas where I have a closed mindset, and to be willing to grow in those areas.
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My goal is to have an open mindset on the work it will take to integrate God’s word in all my teaching, especially in math.
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I hope to develop a system for Biblical integration instead of just my current trial and error efforts.
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I hope to gain a better understanding of biblical integration upon completion of this course but also hope to find ways to practically implement the Bible into areas I have found it to be slightly more difficult such as math. Learning how to weave the Bible intentionally through the curriculum, rather than just seizing the moments that have presented themselves would also be of help to me.