Print examples from the website at the appropriate level.
Lay out a selection of examples appropriate for the group of teachers. These can be printed from the website.
Put teachers in pairs and give them a little time to browse before asking each pair to select one example they like.
Ask each pair to read their example while thinking about the following:
- How would you describe what is happening in this example?
- In what ways is it different from how this lesson might usually be taught?
- How would you describe your reaction to your example?
Ask people to share their example and responses with another pair. Choose a few to share publicly.
All the examples you saw were instances of the Christian faith providing the framework for teaching and learning. Here are three examples of how faith can influence teaching and learning:
- It can determine the ethos—the attitudes and habits of life—within which school life takes place.
- It can influence the content of the curriculum; Christian material and Christian perspectives can be included in a range of subjects. For example, Christian poetry may be taught in English, or Christian perspectives on the environment may be included in geography and religion classes.
- Faith also can provide the framework that guides how we approach teaching and learning, thereby changing classroom practice and student engagement. It is this third possibility that is the subject of this course. This course does not provide detailed Christian beliefs to teach, or focus on how Christian faith can be the content of the curriculum. Rather, it looks at ways in which teaching and learning can be shaped by a Christian perspective and can support a school’s Christian atmosphere and Christian content.