Emily Jeninga

Educ. 302-303
Christian Perspective/Personal Platform

1
st
Passage: I found this first passage very interesting. The part that struck me the
most was the final quote, Not to be Daniel in the lions den with hungry beasts, not a
catcher in the rye, but a resident who settles in and works toward the well-being of the
place because this is Gods will. I think this quote speaks the truth that not many are
willing or wanting to hear. Being a Christian teacher in a public school can be hard, but I
think that with this perspective of settling in, and not bailing or escaping in the near future,
provide teachers with the mindset of ownership and passion for their job. It motivates
teachers to make a difference in the schools, with the knowledge that it takes time. I think
the most important in the last part because this is Gods will. That is the most important
part; teachers do this because it is Gods will that we be his hands and feet in the public
schools.
Westerhof, P. (2000). The welfare of the city. Christian Educators Journal, February, p. 7


2
nd
Passage: This passage brought to light the similarities between goals of
education in both Christian and Public schools. Graham points out how the goals of both
align with each other. The other point is that the goal or purpose of education should align
with the purpose or goal of life. This forced me to rethink my approach to both types of
education in that the purpose of educating my future students needs to align with the
purpose for the students lives.
Graham, D. (2009). Teaching redemptively: Bringing grace and truth into your classroom. Colorado
Springs: Purposeful Design, p. 49.

3
rd
Passage: I found Schwartzs article very encouraging. In the vision the students
at public schools still engage in discussions of fundamental issues. In my past I have had
the experience of avoiding these discussions due to freedom of speech and religion, so as to
now address these issues, but this quote as well as the past readings have helped me see
how public schools are different than private schools but not in the way that I had
originally thought.
Schwartz, J. E. (1997). Christians teaching in the public schools: What are some options? Christian
Scholar's Review, 26(3), p. 305.

4
th
Passage: The contrast between flourishing and shalom I also found interesting. I
wonder if many people view this as a key difference in teaching in public schools or Christian
schools. Shalom is a key aspect of Gods kingdom furthering here on earth, and I think that it is a
goal that every Christian strives for. Shalom is perfect peace and perfect relationships. I think
that this can be applied to classrooms in that as a teacher we should facilitate and run a
classroom that promotes shalom; it promotes harmony with God, self, others, and the creation
surrounding them. I think that this is a good standard for both public and Christian schools.
Beerens, D. (2013). Christian education: Authentic and sticky. Christian Educators Journal, 52(3).
Retrieved from http://www.cejonline.com/article/christian-education-authentic-and-sticky/

My personal calling to be a public or Christian schoolteacher is something that I am still
struggling with. I am still trying to decipher Gods calling in my life. Growing up I only
experienced Christian education, and I would say that my teachers incorporated the
Christian faith into all aspects of my learning. I would agree with the purpose of my
education aligned with the purpose for living, and an emphasis on preparation for living. I
was in a public school for my Education 202 class, and I was only there once a week for an
hour and half, but I cant say that I saw a lot of these ideas incorporated into the classroom.
I do know one lady who worked at the camp that I counsel at who purposefully left
Christian education to go into public education. In her I definitely can see Gods will
evident and she has the mindset of being in it for the long run. She is dedicated to public
education and working toward the well being of her school and her students. I would like
to see more striving for shalom and flourishing of all kinds in every classroom as well as all
students having the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions about fundamental
questions and issues.


In Christian Teachers in Public schools, a quote in Chapter 1 stuck out to me; it said, if
teachers cannot work toward helping children and adolescents to choose a worthwhile life
that is valuable to themselves and to others, there is often no one else left to do so (1999,
pp. 13). This quote has forced me to think a lot about the role of teachers and the impact
teaching can have on kids. The Bible verse James 3:1 says, Not many of you should
become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater
strictness. This places such a high standard for teachers, and it places a high level of
importance on teachers shoulders for teaching in a God honoring manner. I can vividly
remember my eighth grade teacher talking about James 3:1, and how it had shaped him as
a teacher. He talked about how he strived to live and teach up to those expectations, but I
also vividly remember him talking about how intimidated he was by this verse as well.
Important school practices that have shaped me growing up include attending Christian
education my entire life, having the ability to take advanced classes, and having teachers
that loved God that were able to encourage me in all aspects of my life to live out my faith.
Those were all positive impacts on my school experience, but I also did have some negative
experiences in my educational experiences. In high school I encountered very poor
teachers. Reflecting back on my experience, I realize that the teachers that I didnt like
were the teachers that I never connected with and the teachers that never challenged me.
My high school was very diverse in many aspects but for now the emphasis is on
academically diverse. I had a couple of teachers that to account for the diversity would
teach to the lowest academic level students, making the class for the higher academic
students a joke. I dont want to be the teacher that everyone thinks is a joke, or doesnt
have to work hard. I want my students to be challenged to be the best they can be, but
more than that, I want my students to enjoy what they are doing. I believe that all students
and all people are made in the image of God; this makes all students image-bearers. I want
to challenge myself to pray for my students by name on a consistent basis, whether I end up
in a public or a private school. I believe that my students were hand crafted by God and
placed on this earth with a purpose and a calling on their life. I believe that my role as a
teacher is to help these students find their place and purpose in this world. I need to help
these students develop their gifts and passions to help them fulfill Gods plan for them here
on earth. I believe that God creates all knowledge. I think anything that is beneficial in
understanding Gods world, our place in it, his people, and his plan for us is worth knowing.
I think that it is important to understand the world that God created for us to live in
because God commanded us to take care of his creation. The people in this world are made
in Gods image and it is important to get to know and understand them to better
relationships and build connections. I believe that humans come to know by experiencing
something or by connecting the new piece of knowledge to something they previously
know. I hope to create a welcoming and safe environment for my students to learn,
challenge and explore new things in school. Teachers and students both facilitate a positive
learning atmosphere by having mutual respect for each other, building trust between the
teacher and students as well as trust between the students, and lastly a positive attitude in
everybody. In the classroom I think this goal can become a reality by having students
provide input in how they want their classroom to function. I want to provide the students
with many options to represent themselves. I also want to create a no judgment zone. I
want to instill in students that they can express themselves without being judged by their
peers. Lastly, I want my students to be able to learn from their mistakes and not feel
ashamed, but rather use their mistakes to grow and learn even more.