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- Written by: Shaun Brooker
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Like it or not, understand it or not, ignore it or not, worldview has a huge impact on our classrooms. It is more influential than curriculum than the ability of the teacher, than the tools that are used within the school and more influential than the environment of the school. It is more influential than all the above as it is our worldview that determines our approach and adoption of each of the above factors.
In education, we have two big questions which need to be at the forefront of our thinking.
1. What do my students need to learn? Now?
2. What is the best way to get each of them there?
The answers to each of these questions have several influences. The answer to the second question is primarily influenced by the teachers understanding of their individual students. The better the teacher knows each student’s learning preference, attention span, passion, cognitive ability, interests and curriculum strengths the better the teacher will be able to engage each student in the learning process. The teacher knowing what engages their student is key to answering the second question.
Read more: Does a Biblical Worldview REALLY Make a Difference?
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Christian Schools are great at doing Joseph and the Technicolored Dreamcoat. They are well-rehearsed at starting the day with prayer. Many Christian School students can recite more memory verses than students from ‘other’ schools. Christian Schools are very good at getting their staff together early in the morning to pray, sing and have devotions together. But as we know, Christian Education is so much more than this.
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A friend from Church asked me recently, 'Why would I send my daughter to a Christian School when it is so much cheaper and closer to send her to the state school down the road - they are both schools after all?"
I told my friend of a man called Harry. Harry saved up for years to buy a brand new Chevrolet Impala Premier. At over $40,000 and with all the added post-purchase extras that Harry lavished upon it, this car was Harry's pride and joy. Every weekend Harry would meet with other Chevrolet owners and talk about their cars and encourage each other. They were so happy and grateful for their cars that they even sang songs about them and whenever they got the opportunity, they tried to tell Ford owners what they were missing out on, inviting them to their meetings and trying to convert them.
Harry was very protective of his new Impala and at first, he would sacrifice nothing to be sure his Chevy only got the best of everything. However, with insurances and the rising cost of gas, it was quite expensive to own a new Chevrolet. But as every new car owner knows it is very important to keep the car properly serviced. This meant the car would be in fine form for a long time and with regular servicing, the car was bound to be a classic Chevy one day.
Read more: The Parable of the Chevrolet Owner and the Ford Service Center
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The remarkable correlation between articulation and growth in Christian Schools.
It might seem too simple to be true. So obvious that it is ludicrous, and many people probably won’t want to read to the end as they will determine that this is an issue for other Christian School leaders and not their own - and if your school is flourishing both in quantity and quality then you probably have this sorted so only read on if you what the nice feeling of someone patting you on the back.
And…before I get started, please understand this is a post that will hopefully help some people articulate a better picture of the amazing things that are happening in their school. Sometimes it is not what we do that is the issue, it is how we ‘sell’ it that is. Please read this post with that in the back of your mind.
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- Written by: Shaun Brooker
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Just an observation. An observation from 15+ years in Christian Education, leadership in many Christian Schools, chairmanship of an education trust for several Christian schools and both initial teacher training and postgraduate study through Christian Tertiary Colleges. My observation is that there are five 'types' of families who send their children to Christian schools.
Identifying the current make up of your school’s community within these five types is not an ego thing nor is it a ‘some are better than others’ sort of thing. It is important to know the make up of your school community in order to best meet the needs of your current community. Secondly, if your school does NOT attract any of these types of families it will be because of the perception your school holds in the wider community. Acknowledging that the perception may or may not be based on reality. Knowing which types do not attend will enable you to try and target the perceptions and move the school forward.
The five types are:
- Christian and committed no matter what
- Christian looking for the Christian School to 'sort-out' or nurture one child from the family
- Non-Christian looking for values
- Christian and looking for quality education
- Non-Christian looking for high-quality education