Integration of Faith & Learning

November 3, 2015

In implementing this unit on el Calendario, I looked to Christian Educators Journal and

found some insight on how a public school teacher refers to Jeremiah 29:7 in order to detail the
role of educators. The author P. Westerhof believes educators ought to be residents who settle
in and work toward the well-being of wherever they find themselves because its Gods will. I
agree with Westerhof because we should do everything to glorify God. I hope to instill this idea
in the students I teach el Calendario to because I know there is usually confusion in discerning
Gods will youre your life. This relates to the unit at hand because it is my goal here to expand
the horizons of students. Showing them more of Gods creation and what they might have
passion for might help them walk away from this unit with a little bit more of vision.
Furthermore, this is in line with my beliefs and studies about Christian Community
Development that emphasize relocation, redistribution, and redistribution.
When author J. E. Schwartz addresses Christians teaching in public schools, I cannot help
but to admire his vision that students engaged in respectful, meaningful dialogue, about
fundamental questions is well-suited for Christian teachers in public schools. I believe this
iscertianly possible in the unit el Calendario as we discuss birthdays which can lead to a
meaningful dialogue that builds classroom relationships and shows Jesus love. Furthermore,
we could However, I would also envision teachers being able to share God through that
dialogue in a way that appropriately resonates with students the most important thing in his
life.There are some teachers I can identify living out their faith through their instruction as they
created meaningful, respectful dialogue and asked fundamental questions. However, I went to
a public high school, and I never would have guessed who teachers of faith were and who were
not from class lectures.
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 reads, 11 [W]e keep on praying for you, asking our God to
enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good
things your faith prompts you to do. 12 Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored
because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible
because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ. This passage in the New Testament is

what I want to live by to mold me into the teacher I hope to be someday. This text is a reminder
to strive to live a life worthy of Gods calling as an educator.
These verses remind me that I and others can pray for guidance and help to glorify God
in my calling. In this sense, I view people as a great support system through prayer and
encouragement. However, I also see people as a body (the students I will teach and my coworkers) that needs to be supported. D. Graham also says something that should be true of
teaching: purpose for education must be related to an adequate purpose for living. It only
makes sense that, in the end, we are preparing our students for a fruitful life which should be
key to any area of education. Similarly, D. Beerens dissects the term flourishing by sharing
two definitions. However, I resonate most with the Wolterstoff definition because he defines it
as shalom, living in harmony with God, neighbor, creation, and self. This outward focus has
great inward results and keeps God at the center of the flourishing that I would love to see in
schools. If I could merely use this lesson to show how God worked in the past during the times
of the ancient civilizations of South America, there is a good story about pain and suffering with
flourishing that followed. Furthermore, the cultural aspects of this unit allow me to speak on
behalf of Gods goodness. Chapter 1 of Teaching to Change the World by Oakes & Lipton
discusses the broad demographic of students in the U.S. who have countless needs and
struggles. Thus, 2 Thessalonians is a reminder that God is my faithful source of strength and
energy as I strive to glorify Him as His faithful servant in my community.
Seeking to fulfill this role as Gods faithful servant, I must ask myself: how do human
beings learn? This is where I think upon my unit. Chapter 5 of Teaching to Change the World by
Oakes & Lipton compares progressive and traditional teaching approaches. Traditionalists
emphasize memorization and usually teach via traditional lectures. On the other hand,
progressivists continually make the case for finding ways to get students actively engaged in
material and thinking critically. Specifically, I know students absorb material by different means,
human beings learn from experience. Therefore, I argue that the best form of learning is by
engaging in hands on activities- progressive approach.
To conclude, the purpose of learning is to gain knowledge and understanding. A chapter
on cognition in Anita Woolfolks book Educational Psychology says knowledge is an essential

idea within cognition. If knowledge is essential, learning should produce knowledge. Then, the
understanding we also gain from learning can be pertain to subject matter as explained in
Teaching to Change the World or it can be understanding about the world. My teaching, mainly
this unit, will give my students knowledge about subject matter in relation to the world we live
in. That is the purpose of learning which reflects Christian Community Development that I seek
to fulfill in my calling as we draw nearer to God and each other.