As Christians we believe that everything has been created God. We study the Bible to develop a relationship with God and to develop an understanding of why God created the Universe. As Reformed Christians we also understand that this world has been tainted by sin and that it is not the perfect creation it once was. Nevertheless, it is still God’s creation to study, investigate and use for his glory. My belief and desire in teaching is to help my students grow to understand their maker and to better serve him.
As Christians we also understand that every person has been created equally, but with different abilities, gifts, and learning styles and this has great implications for my teaching. I believe, whole heartedly, that every child has been equally blessed and is able to learn when giving the proper setting. Only a small percentage of students learn through lecture, a larger percentage learn visually, and an even larger percentage learn when given opportunities to apply their understandings. I believe students learn most effectively when they are involved physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. When students work in groups or have to explain their thoughts learning takes on new meaning for them.
Believing this, I attempt to give students more than one exposure to each concept. I believe that students need repeated exposure and in a different ways. I also believe that in teaching it is important to allow students the opportunity to investigate on their own first. This inquiry based approach allows for students to think through concepts critically.
