Sparking young minds and nurturing students’ spiritual formation to understand who they are in Christ – that’s the beautiful reality for Christian teachers. Teachers in Christian schools have the privilege of guiding students on a journey of learning and life skills, woven with the threads of biblical truth. It’s a role filled with unique opportunities. Our team is always thrilled when the educators we work with share how our training for Christ-centered instruction and the PAQ Method is impacting their lives in remarkable ways. Let’s explore some “aha! moments” from educators and dive into what unveiling biblical truths in the classroom really looks like.
From Lesson Plans to “Aha! Moments”
One educator reflects, “I have grown deeper in my understanding of worldview as I’m planning for Christ-centered instruction.” This highlights the impact that goes beyond the teaching responsibilities. As teachers begin to learn how to provide Christ-centered instruction, they embark on a journey of discovering and strengthening their own understanding of a biblical worldview. In turn, they deepen their relationship with Jesus.
During our training sessions teachers become keenly aware that no curriculum content is neutral. Using common worldview questions to analyze their own content, teachers begin to develop quicker recognition of worldview ideas. Teachers are prompted to examine content for underlying worldview assumptions. They ask themselves if the content promotes any ideas about:
- Where does everything come from?
- What is the nature of a human?
- How do we determine right or wrong?
- What is the nature of God?
The process of searching for those underlying assumptions ultimately builds their own understanding of a biblical worldview. The more teachers engage in the intentional search for worldview assumptions in their subject area content, the more fluid they become in recognizing the underlying presuppositions.
Beyond Textbooks: A Worldview Lens
The PAQ Method encourages educators to view every subject through a biblical lens, revealing profound connections between the subject matter and our creator, God. This resonates with another educator’s observation: “There really are biblical truths in everything I teach.” Imagine the ripple effect this has on students! As students learn math, science, history, or literature, they begin to see the world through a biblical perspective. Students recognize God’s hand in every aspect of creation and human experience.
Teachers report that after planning and teaching just a few Christ-centered units, they begin seeing their content in a different way. Before training offered by Transformed PD, most teachers just consider the required curriculum objectives. After training, they begin to more readily see biblical principles revealed from those curriculum objectives.
As Christian educators, teachers cannot pour into their students what they do not have themselves. The process of planning a Christ-centered unit requires that teachers study Scripture to identify passages explaining the biblical truths seen in the curriculum. The spiritual growth that takes place in them as they study scripture to validate the worldview ideas of curriculum, ultimately enables them to equip students to do the same. Thus, as teachers grow spiritually, they can create learning opportunities for students to grow spiritually.
Empowering Students to See for Themselves
Perhaps the most rewarding outcome is when students independently identify biblical principles. One teacher excitedly shares, “My students are starting to see biblical principles more on their own.” This signifies a shift from teacher-driven instruction to empowered learning and critical thinking. Students become active participants, making connections and drawing their own conclusions, fostering a deeper understanding and personal ownership of their faith.
Christian education should be more than memorizing Scripture, participating in worship, and community service. Those hallmarks of Christian education are extremely important. Equally important to Christian education is teaching kids how to discern the beliefs and intentions embedded in the messages they encounter. Subject area content, social media, and conversations with others are laden with messages that many times communicate worldview beliefs. Students need to learn how to make sense of the meaning of the messages they confront and determine the truth of those ideas. Learning how to think, rather than what to think, is part of quality Christian education.
The PAQ Method in Action
So, what exactly is the PAQ Method? It stands for Purpose, Assumptions, and Questions. It guides educators to:
- Establish the biblical purpose or foundational worldview principles of a curricular unit. Teachers are equipped to guide students to consider a couple of things when planning Christ-centered units. Teachers explore the biblical purpose for learning any subject, consider the origin of subjects and concepts, or identify foundational truths that students can use to filter additional information.
- Engage students to connect and compare worldview assumptions exposed in the content with biblical worldview assumptions. Teachers learn how to plan learning experiences where kids discover worldview assumptions contained in the learning material and then decide if those assumptions match what the Bible says or are different.
- Ask questions about ethical choices or life applications based on scenarios encountered in the content. Subjects such as literature, social studies, fine arts, science, and math all have situations that involve determining good versus bad, or right versus wrong. Part of the training in Christ-centered instruction helps teachers create learning opportunities for students to wrestle with the various ethical issues as they confront the biblical perspective of each.
By implementing this framework, educators create powerful “teachable moments” that extend far beyond a memory verse or object lesson. They nurture a generation of learners who can think critically, engage the world with a Christ-centered perspective, and confidently articulate their faith. That’s the power of renewing minds so that they are not captured by ideas that do not align with a biblical perspective.
Are you ready to further empower your educators to unveil biblical truths in the classroom? Our professional development training walks alongside your educators every step of the way helping them to find their own “aha! moments.” Contact us today to learn more about Transformed PD, the PAQ Method, and how we can partner with you!
