Since not all readers of this blog have read my book 'Pedagogy and Education for Life', I thought it might be helpful to look at the foundational principles of the pedagogy I developed and encourage. There are three major purposes and each has a number of things we do as people of faith in God to reflect and encourage a right view of education. In this post I will briefly outline the actions that are required to demonstrated that we see this as foundational to our teaching and faith-based education.
The first is that God made us unique creatures! When we enter a classroom we need to keep in mind that:
1. We need to identify that which is valuable in each child
This is a fundamental part of being a great teacher. Of cours, this is not confined to Christian teachers. As a young boy living in a dysfunctional household with alcoholic parents I didn't always see this in my parents, but I did see it in some other people. As a consequence, in every school holidays my older sister and I I would escape to the security of maternal Christian grandparents. As well, I had one or two early teachers that could see I came from a troubled background on sought ways to encourage me and develop my character.
2. As teachers we build on the foundations of families
This second principle is important too! We need to know something of the parents of our students whether Christian or otherwise. This should help us to work out why at times our students act as they do. If we know nothing of their family background that will make it hard. Seek to find out more about them. If you know your students well, it will help. I can recall many occasions as a teacher when I observed things in my students that could be negative and sometimes disturbing. The child who is always late for school, poorly dressed, emotionally unstable, aggressive and so on, should not immediately be labelled as a problem you need to deal with. Yes you do, but before drawing conclusions about the child, find our more about them. First by observing them, and second, if necessary, by seeking out their parents.
3. We need to demonstrate and encourage service
Because God made all of us to be different, we need to look closely at what gifts our students have beyond their grades and observable behaviour in the classroom. Do they serve others, or expect to be served, even by you as the teacher! As a young child at school, one or two of my elementary teachers saw things in me that others didn't. Some saw me as simply a pest, while a couple saw more, and tried to direct my energy and at times disruptive behaviour in better and more productive directions. Do we know our students well enough to observe such things.
4. We need to develop a right view of work and effort
God made us all to "...contribute to the order and running of his world in our work. (Gen 2:15). If as teachers our central focus is the assumed difficulty of children today, our attitude towards them will be a negative one. Having taught many troubled children, I know how hard it is not to interpret every action of the troubled child as their fault. But as teachers we mustn't lose sight of the reality that their work is part of God's plan, whether that year 9 class is difficult or not. How can we as colleagues encourage each other to encourage and help one another?
I write much more about these basic elements of Christian pedagogy, but I would encourage readers to look afresh at their own situations in light of this first major. In my next post I will look at the second major purpose 'God's Creatures as Learners'.
