vendredi 1 mars 2019

Progressive Christian Education Principles For Teachers

By Donna Hall


Teachers handling religious studies find themselves in a tricky situation. This is because the subjects are sensitive and touch on daily living from a religious perspective. You also have to consider the fact that the lessons go beyond class work. This is why Christian education principles for teachers were developed. Here is a look at some of the values that should guide a teacher in the process.

The basics of Christianity must be understood. Christian religious teachings are anchored on the bible. It becomes impossible for a teacher to handle the lessons unless he or she has understood it first. You have to read a lot of books on Christianity and also study the bible in depth. This helps you to deliver the lessons with a great deal of accuracy. You will produce knowledgeable students who perform well beyond the class.

The curriculum remains your ultimate guide. The curriculum is meant to provide a standard when teaching. It will also guide students when preparing for examinations. However, teachers have personal biases that could intervene. Take note of the ideas you are mandated to teach. By going outside these ideas, you will be missing a huge point. Even though you might not agree with some of the ideas, you have a responsibility to instruct the students according to the set curriculum.

Avoid bias based on person believes and prevailing religious environment. It is impossible to divorce religious studies from the current social political environment. This leaves many instructors in a dilemma. In fact, you should prepare for some tough questions by your students on prevailing religious environment. Personal bias should not cause you to mislead or fail to direct students accordingly.

Questions will always arise in your class. It is impossible to predict the type or nature of questions to be asked. As a result, you must be alert and prepared to tackle them. In fact, some of these questions will go beyond the curriculum set. The only way to answer them is by studying extensively. Avoid biases because they will result in misled students. Direct the students so that they may be open minded.

Find the main context in all discussions. Each story or parable in the bible has a theological, social or cultural backing. This cannot be understood without reading extensively, including texts that are not purely religious. Without this knowledge, you run the risk of misleading your pupils. Simplify the lessons to make it easier to apply them in the world today. This will help you produce a progressive class.

Aim at teaching students to apply the ideas beyond class. Though your role is strictly to teach, the lessons you deliver will be applied in life, whether you want it or not. You must therefore contextualize your lessons and make them applicable to the world today. Religious education is not like physics or biology whose application can be restrictive. Your lessons will also be competing with instructions offered on other platforms regarding religion.

The best religious education teacher produces learners with an open mind. Memorizing must be discouraged and attention paid to understanding of the lessons from these teachings. Make the students to think about the things they are learning in order to simplify application. Active and interactive learning will help you produce excellent citizens.




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