Statement of Faith

Teaching in a public school has be a challenge to incorporate my own personal faith, it’s

something I am working on everyday on how to integrate it into the classroom and not cross the

law boundaries. One way I can show my own faith without talking about it is showing my

students my morals and values. Being a disciple and following Gods footstep by supporting my

students and encouraging them. Teaching in a public school is really challenging when trying to

show my faith without being able to specifically talk about it or use the language I want to use. I

am learning to show my morals and values to my students in hopes that they will carry them out

into the world. I am learning on how to teach about God without specifically talking about it but

being able to question them and maybe they will keep questioning and discover their own

worldview and what they believe in.

For my unit, I am teaching about compound words. Language is such a big part of our

everyday lives. Language can bring a community together but it can also divide a community

from others. Teaching language is important, that is how we communicate with our peers, work,

and even the simplest things like going to a grocery store and asking for something. When

language is not understood it can build a barrier and really harm communities instead of bringing

them together.

Being in a public school where a lot of the children speak Spanish and English and their

parents speak some English but primarily Spanish. Language can be a barrier, because it can be

hard to fully understand and community between the families. Language can be hard, to learn, to

speak, to write and I want my students to feel comfortable. I want to my students to learn and

feel comfortable about making mistake if something isn’t spelled right, or they don’t know how
to say something. I wan them to feel comfortable while speaking, it’s important to try and try,

but to never give up.

In Stronks and Stronks there is a question that asks “What is the difference between

teaching values and teaching religion?” The books talks about how schools may teach about

various religious and nonreligious more perspectives on complex issues facing society, but that

teachers can not present these perspectives in a way that sponsors or denigrate ones view over

another. But when teaching about “basic moral values” they can be recognized by all Americans,

such as honesty, integrity, justice and compassion may be taught through discussion and by

examples in a classroom (Stronks and Stronks, 1999, pg. 96). The guidelines are more stern

about religious values but when teaching about morals they are more open about it. In my

classroom teaching morals can give insight to students about my own personal faith and can give

light to my faith that the students can see. Teaching about morals, values, compassion is

something that Jesus did, and I can teach that to my students as well without having to overstep

boundaries on what the law states.

Although I cannot talk about my faith with my students, and I don’t know their beliefs I

can still bring a community together, through teaching, through my own actions and showing

them. Jesus brought people together through His word and although we might speak different

languages we can still create a community and live through our worldview with our actions and

language.

Stronks, J. K., & Stronks, G. G. (1999). Christian teachers in public schools: A guide for

teachers, administrators, and parents. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.