Comments on: My Working Philosphy of Education http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/08/14/my-working-philosphy-of-education/ for friends of University Bible Fellowship Wed, 21 Oct 2015 04:34:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3.1 By: GerardoR http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/08/14/my-working-philosphy-of-education/#comment-2686 Wed, 21 Sep 2011 20:07:25 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=3688#comment-2686 Great response. I think i lack that fines you describe. In the classroom, I have often challenged students to support their assumptions instead of encouraging them outside of class. I have difficulty turining off the apologetic side of me even in class. I guess I (rightly or wrongly) constantly feel attacked so I get very defensive and try to nail certain points right there on the spot. I think encouraging students to do their homework is a much better approach. Thank you. 

]]> By: Brian Karcher http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/08/14/my-working-philosphy-of-education/#comment-2685 Wed, 21 Sep 2011 16:40:40 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=3688#comment-2685 Christian,

This is an awesome comment: “I will always push for people to do their “homework” (research) when asking questions and I will not accept lazy opinions or assumptions.” I hope your thought process toward education posted here will inspire many to reject lazy opinions!

]]> By: Ben Toh http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/08/14/my-working-philosphy-of-education/#comment-2684 Wed, 21 Sep 2011 03:57:13 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=3688#comment-2684 Though I generally avoid long write-ups, yours was a nice, long, interesting, easy read. Seems like you’re on your way to being a great teacher, Christian. God bless.

]]> By: christian misurac http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/08/14/my-working-philosphy-of-education/#comment-2683 Wed, 21 Sep 2011 03:01:40 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=3688#comment-2683 My reply to this post is at the bottom. Sorry, I didn’t hit the right button. Thanks for your thoughts!

]]> By: christian misurac http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/08/14/my-working-philosphy-of-education/#comment-2682 Wed, 21 Sep 2011 01:32:29 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=3688#comment-2682 Hello Gerardo, 
I don’t think we have met in person, but nice to meet you via ubfriends!
I am certainly no expert educator (considering I am still in school to be a teacher!) but I will try to answer your questions/thoughts based on my experience thus far (being around HS kids and as a Bible teacher). I see your point that some people use “questioning” as an excuse to do or not do whatever they want. I would never advocate that. If people make uneducated statements/assumptions about anything I try to ask more questions to reveal that their stance is groundless (due to lack of research) and therefore invalid to anyone beyond him or herself (or maybe to a group of friends). I think this is the case for most young people making bold statements. I encounter this often while fishing. People make ridiculous claims about Christianity as an excuse to not come to Bible study and it usually only takes a couple of questions to uncover the fact that he or she has not acquired that information personally, rather assumed it as true through word of mouth or common opinion. Even what you mentioned falls into this category:”Christians are stupid for not believing evolution.” There are plenty of intelligent Christian explanations for how the world came to be which include science (to a point). I would challenge that person to do more homework instead of basing their assumption on certain “kinds” of Christians. I found the literal 6-day explanation of creation hard to swallow (what I was taught growing up), but when i realized that Genesis 1 wasn’t necessarily literal it opened a lot more options for me (I don’t have a solid opinion on Genesis 1 interpretations. All I know is God is creator, but when I was seeking truth I found the option to not have to believe in 6 literal days incredibly liberating). So he or she might be basing the opinion of Christians on “uneducated” Christians (who are Christians nonetheless) that don’t typically have a very good answer for big questions like evolution, but it doesn’t mean intelligent answers don’t exist. He or she can still say no to Bible study or be open to Christians not being stupid, but he or she at least has to admit that it is not an educated statement. For people who are doing their research and genuinely looking for answers I hope that I could be a resource for them to bounce ideas off of (so I can share what I think instead of imposing) and I will pray a lot for Jesus to catch them! People like that seem to be the ones who usually find truth and they make much better disciples than the former. And if not, I at least respect them more (as authentic seekers) than people who make flippant claims. 

I will always push for people to do their “homework” (research) when asking questions and I will not accept lazy opinions or assumptions. That is not the kind of education Paulo Freire or Jesus advocated for. Along with what Darren was saying, the Pharisees had no intent to seek truth, they didn’t do their homework and Jesus rejected them as students. I may not be able to kick kids out of my class who are not genuinely open to seeking and finding, but I don’t plan on letting them slide by. I will poke them until they have to start actually using their brain. Like Darren said, in a HS setting, I can’t tell them what to think, but I can try to teach them how and hopefully model genuine truth seeking. 

I firmly believe in “Seek and ye shall find.” It is my life testimony. But I do believe the seeker has to do the genuine seeking (I can’t impose truth on people). Many people presented Biblical truth to me throughout my life, but it wasn’t until I was seeking and finding truth on my own (through the Holy Spirit) that I actually began to take ownership of it in a meaningful way. I am glad they were there along the way, but I am also glad they didn’t try to force me to accept the truth without understanding it. I think that is what Jesus modeled and what I hope to do. 

And as for truth, I am kind of obsessed with it. It dominates a lot of my thoughts (ideas, how it manifests and how to reveal it). John 8:31-32 is one of my life key verses. I always want to lead people toward truth. But I realize that I am limited in doing so (because I don’t always get it and truth can only be revealed not found). The Holy Spirit can complete the connection between a person and Truth (whether it is a Bible student or a classroom student). I want to be a truth seeker for the rest of my life which is why I am attracted to the field of education. I pray to keep truth at the forefront of my goals as an educator. Thank-you for reminding me of this important truth.

So I hope some of that made sense. It was a good exercise for me to think about what is most important as an educator. Please pray for me to grow as Jesus disciple as a teacher. I want to learn from him most of all. I would actually like to study Exodus with M. Barry because she said she learned a lot about education from God the great Educator through how he dealt with the Israelites in Exodus. M. Barry, if you read this, I have been meaning to ask you about that:). I will send you an email.  

OK, back to writing lesson plans!
Gerardo, I will pray for you as an educator as well!

God bless!
-Christian 

]]> By: Lee Griffin http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/08/14/my-working-philosphy-of-education/#comment-2681 Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:47:17 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=3688#comment-2681 Christian,
I have had the chance to read your position paper a few times now, and am so thankful to God for what He has done in your life! Additionally, I am thankful for the fruit that has been born in you as a result of so many people investing in your life for His sake! My admonition to you is to pursue truth (John 8:32) and the Truth Giver with everything you have so that you will continue to bear fruit worthy of your calling as a teacher! Education is important, to be sure, but as you well know, it is not the most important thing! Continue to seek and to share so that may more may be reached for the gospel! And thank you for sharing this with me!

]]> By: GerardoR http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/08/14/my-working-philosphy-of-education/#comment-2680 Fri, 02 Sep 2011 01:56:40 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=3688#comment-2680 As I was considering this post, I came across Pope Benedict’s prayer intention for the month of september which I thought I would share here.
” That all teachers may know how to communicate love of the truth and instill authentic moral and spiritual values.”

neat huh? 

]]> By: GerardoR http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/08/14/my-working-philosphy-of-education/#comment-2679 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 19:21:36 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=3688#comment-2679 Yes, I have found that I was taught to question in college as well but they never led anywhere. And it just made me prideful. 

 Teaching them how to think is definitely an interesting approach. I try to do this with my own students. But I always have that one student who makes a comment like, “religious people are delusional and stupid.” I have to hold myself back during these times and probe the student for more information, challenge his premises and yet.. I feel.. I also have to support some of his ideas so as to not make the student feel stupid. Not saying this is the right approach but it highlights my initial question about how do you challenge a students ideas when they differ from your own. 

As Christian educators, we deal in matters of truth when we teach that 2+2=4 and when we consider Jesus as our Lord and savior. So to me, I find it hard not to challenge a student when he says, “Jesus never rose from the dead” because he is not dealing in opinion but in truth. And if the classroom is suppose to be an environment of  learning, then I am tempted to really challenge that student but worry that I will hear from the dean that I shouldnt be “imposing my opinions on others.” 

]]> By: Darren Gruett http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/08/14/my-working-philosphy-of-education/#comment-2678 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:02:48 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=3688#comment-2678 I just wanted to throw in my unsolicited thoughts here. One of my early majors in college was philosophy which, of course, taught me to question everything. It even taught me to raise questions just for the sake of questions. But eventually that kind of thinking leads nowhere. I did not want to endlessly ask questions; I wanted answers. So, I started asking questions, not just for the sake of questioning things, but because I was searching for truth.
 
In the Bible, when the disciples asked questions it was because they were looking for an answer. On the other hand, the scribes and Pharisees asked questions because they doubted who Jesus was and were looking for reasons to accuse Him. The same is true today with skeptics who constantly raise questions about the existence of God or the credibility of the Bible. It is not because they are looking for a reason to believe, but because they are looking for a reason to continue in their disbelief.
 
In regards to evolution, I remember this issue coming up while taking an astronomy class by an instructor who was a Christian and a member of the church I was attending at the time. Rather than trying to discredit evolution or bolster the idea of Creation, instead, he said that regardless of which idea we accepted it would have to be by faith, since no one was there when it happened. That is really what education is about, not so much telling people what to think as it about teaching them how to think.
 
On a completely different note, I was home-schooled from 5th grade to 8th grade. And, as one of four children, it was a big sacrifice on the part of my parents; but it really helped me a lot, especially because it allowed me to study subjects, like science, from a Christian perspective.

]]> By: GerardoR http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/08/14/my-working-philosphy-of-education/#comment-2677 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:20:41 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=3688#comment-2677 Nicely written article. Gave me a lot to reflect on as an educator myself. As a parent who is contemplating homeschooling, I did have a few questions I would like to ask.
 You mention that your goal is not to revolve around tests rather crate an active learning environment that challenges common knowledge. At the high school level, this should be very easy to do as students are constantly trying to challenge established norms. But I am always concerned by students who take on this type of education as they become what I call, “challengers for challenging sake.” They question everything and usually will accept nothing. In fact, it was my experience that high school students will often accept prevailing cultural norms because they think they are challenges traditional cultural norms. Like accepting open relationships in opposition of waiting till marriage.
So I guess I am curious how you would foster an enviroment that challenges common knowledge without providing students with an answer.
 Say for instance, the topic of objective truth comes up. A student may say.. yeah.. I want to challenge such an idea. After all, there is no such thing as objective truth. How do you challenge your student on this without crossing certain barriers that would make you look as if your instilling “your values on a child.”
 In terms of learning through crises, I would recommend you check out some of the psychological research on desirable difficulties by Prof. Robert Bjork. I think you will find it coalesces well with the learning through crises statement.   See http://cogscilibrarian.blogspot.com/2007/05/desirable-difficulties.html
 I like your statement about not spoon feeding students and allowing them to come to their own conclusions.  However, again, I wonder what must Christian educators do if student come to a conclusion that runs counter to what they believe is true. For example, Christians are stupid because they don’t believe in evolution. So many problems in that statement but undoubtly students will make it given prevalent views. 

]]> By: Ben Toh http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/08/14/my-working-philosphy-of-education/#comment-2676 Sat, 20 Aug 2011 07:23:08 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=3688#comment-2676 Skimming the 1st chap on: http://www.amazon.com/Why-Dont-Students-Like-School/dp/0470279303#reader_0470279303, Willingham says that people/students generally don’t like to think (Rom 8:6). He seems to suggest that unless we get/stimulate/motivate people/students to think, to be curious, to truly want to know something, they won’t learn.

It seems in keeping with the way God and Jesus approached sinners: Not to tell them or talk down to them like banking from a knowledgeable teacher to a docile (stupid) student, but to probe them to search their own hearts. Thus, Jesus’ parables always probes the hearts of his listener to search their own hearts and hopefully they will then desire the kingdom of heaven.

]]> By: christian misurac http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/08/14/my-working-philosphy-of-education/#comment-2675 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:06:58 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=3688#comment-2675 Hi Dr. Ben,
I totally agree about Cain. I realize there is a real risk of students not having that breaking moment (both Bible students and school students) where they come through the crisis to have a deeper understanding about themselves, God and life. God never forced that on people. He presented the raw materials, but it is up to us to work through it. He really let people go if they rejected his counsel. That is hard for me to do. I pray to be a wise and respectful shepherd who is available to others but knows where to draw the line and let go.
 

]]> By: christian misurac http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/08/14/my-working-philosphy-of-education/#comment-2674 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 13:58:42 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=3688#comment-2674 Thanks Jim! I will check that out. 

]]> By: James Kim http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/08/14/my-working-philosphy-of-education/#comment-2673 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 11:30:46 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=3688#comment-2673 “I believe that every person has prospective to be great. I want to get to know each student until I see their unique potential and can specifically fuel their talent and confidence. I want to help them see their lives, their communities and their generation with vision, and to identify how they fit into it. I want to regard them as great members of society in spite of their reputation or how they are treated elsewhere because in fact, that is who they truly are.” Hi, Christian, thanks for your article. May God give you heart of Jesus as you encounter many different kinds of students. As disciple means a learner, a teacher can be a lifelong learner from students. Effective Bible teacher and school teacher can share many common principles.

]]> By: Ben Toh http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/08/14/my-working-philosphy-of-education/#comment-2672 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 03:26:01 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=3688#comment-2672 Thanks, Christian! Your presentation reminded me of what Tuf Francis shared regarding teaching: not banking but problem-posing, not docile listeners but critical co-investigators, and learning through crisis (but not forced).

When I studied Cain recently, I learned that God was such an excellent teacher. Duh! God didn’t say, “How dare you get angry at me! Do you know who I am?” God also didn’t tell him, “You better do this… and don’t do that.” Instead, God just posed questions to him: “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?” (Gen 4:6). Like Jesus, God didn’t force obedience and conformity and compliance out of Cain, but only appealed to him to search his own heart.

Thank God that our Jesus is a Wonderful Counsellor (Isa 9:6)!

]]> By: Jim Rabchuk http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/08/14/my-working-philosphy-of-education/#comment-2671 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:10:47 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=3688#comment-2671 Christian, have you read a book by Daniel Willingham, called “Why don’t students like school”? The teacher education person I work with here at WIU swears by it (I mean, loves it!).

Here’s a link: 
Not sure why I can’t link here. Google it.

]]> By: Darren Gruett http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/08/14/my-working-philosphy-of-education/#comment-2670 Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:58:44 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=3688#comment-2670 Thanks for your thoughts on this, Christian. As a Bible teacher, a lot of it is applicable to me; although I much rather prefer to call myself a student of the Bible.

]]> By: Joshua Brinkerhoff http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/08/14/my-working-philosphy-of-education/#comment-2669 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 13:36:41 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=3688#comment-2669 Hi Christian,
Thanks for sharing your working teaching philosophy. I’m thinking about my own teaching philosophy now too as I come close to finishing my doctoral studies and am preparing to apply for professorships. It’s really cool to see how Jesus taught then use it to find the philosophies we can learn as educators. God bless all your teaching, especially Bible teaching!

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