AnneliseVanDyken

Prof.Terpstra
EDUC302/303
19March2015
StatementofFaithBasedLearning
MyfaithwillhavealargeinfluenceonthecontentonwhichIwillteach.Itimpactsthe
planning,research,studying,andpresentingaspectsofthecontent,andIhopetopresentitina
waythatfitswiththePublicSchoolstandardsaswellasmyvocationasaChristian.Mytopicis
ontheroadtotheAmericanRevolution,whichfallsunderthehistoryandsocialstudiessubject
area.WithmyChristianworldview,IbelievethatGodhasprovidentiallyguidedtheworld
throughgoodtimesandbadtimes,andthatnothinghashappenedoutsideofhiscontrol.Ibelieve
thatweareabletolookbacktohistorytoseehowwehavecometobewherewearetoday.I
alsoseethatwecanalsouseittoseewhatthingsworkedforthegoodofcreationandwhat
thingsdidnotworkandcausedpainandsorrow.
MyworldviewhasaffectedthewayIamplanningmyunit.Iwanttolookatthebigger
pictureoftheeventsthathappenedwhichledtotherevolutionandshowhowthoseevents
shapedtheU.S.atthetime,butalsoaffectedthewayournationistoday.Iwanttolookatthe
moralaspectsoftheeventsthathappenedbytalkingaboutthemotivesandconsequencesofthe
actionsofboththeBritishgovernmentandthecolonists.Iwanttotalkaboutjustice,whatmay
causepeopletothinktheydeservejustice,andwhatmeanstheymightusetoseekthatjustice.
Thesetopicsarerelevanttothestudentscultures,currentevents,andmyChristianfaith.Its
importantforthestudentstothinkcriticallyabouttherevolutioninsteadoflookingatitwitha

neutralperspective.Therewerefamiliesthatwereverypersonallyimpactedandaffectedbythe
war,andIdontwantthestudentstoisolatethemselvesfromthethingsthathappened.Ifthere
werestudentswhowerepersonallyaffectedbywar,IwanttomakesurethatIamcarefulabout
thethingsIsay,sinceIwanttokeepthememotionallysafe.Iftheydesiretotalkaboutthose
experiences,Iwillembracewhattheyhavetosay,butmakesurethatitdoesntaffectother
studentswhomaybesensitivetothoseissues.Iwanttotalkabouthardtopicsinawaythatstill
respectsthestudentsinnocence.
Throughouthistory,therehavebeenmanyworldviewsandunderstandingsthathave
affectedthewaytherevolutionhasbeentaught.Historyisobviouslychangingandgrowingas
timeprogresses,sinceresearchersandhistorianscontinuetomakediscoveriesandinferences
aboutthingsthathappenedinthepast.Traditionalistshavealwaysthoughtthatsocialstudiesand
historyshouldbetaughtasfactsandfigurescomingfromthedominantculturesperspective
(Oakes,Lipton,Anderson,Stillman,2013).Ontheotherhand,peoplewithaprogressive
worldviewthoughtthatthereshouldbeamulticulturalperspective.Studentsshouldbetaught
abouthistoricaleventscriticallyandthinklikehistorians.Theyshouldbeabletofigureout
thingsforthemselvesandformtheirownopinionsonhistoricalevents.Theyshouldnotbe
limitedtotheattitudesofthedominantculture,butshouldthinkabouttheattitudesofallofthe
culturesinvolvedinanevent(Oakes,Lipton,Anderson,Stillman,2013).
Ithinkthatthereshouldbeamiddlegroundestablishedfromthesetwoworldviews.God
callsustobetransformersofabrokenworld,andIthinkthatinvolvesteachingchildrenthetruth
abouthistoricalevents:thetruththatcomesfromallpartiesinvolvedinanevent,notsimplythe
dominantparty.However,Ialsothinkthatitsimportanttopresentthefactsastheyare.Idont

wanttobebiasedwithmypresentation,butIwouldliketoencouragethestudentstointerpret
thefactsastheyseethem.IplanonshowingthestudentspicturesoftheBostonMassacre,the
BostonTeaParty,andothereventsthathavemultipleperspectivessothattheycandiscussthem
andunderstandwhatboththecolonists
and
theBritisharethinking.Idontwanttojustinclude
thefactsthatareeasytounderstand,butonesthatarehardandpresentchallengingquestions.
Forexample,whatweretheresultsoftheBostonTeaParty,andhowdidtheyaffectthe
relationshipbetweenthecoloniesandGreatBritainaswellastherelationshipsamongthe
colonists?
Criticalthinkingisanimportantaspectthatstudentsmusttakeactionin.Ithinkthatits
goodforstudentstoreflectontheiropinionsonaneventbasedontheirownworldviews,sinceit
helpsthemmakesenseofchallengingevents.IbelievethatGodisincontrol,andthat
challengingeventshappenbecauseofsin,orthewayhumanbeingscanneverbeperfect.Iwant
thestudentstounderstandthatthereissufferingandbrokennessintheworld,butthatthereis
restorationinvolved.Forexample,Iwantthemtothinkaboutthewaythatthecolonistsreacted
tothetaxactsandbrainstormwhytheymayhavereactedwithprotestsoroutrage.Ifthestudents
havehadpersonalexperienceswiththisorcanthinkofexamplesfromthecurrentworldwelive
in,Iwouldusethoseopportunitiestohelpconnectthepasttothepresent.Iwanttoshowhow
therewereelementsofbrokenness,butalsohowtherewereredeemingelements,suchasthe
focusesoncommunityandstrivingforjustice.Graham(2003)talksaboutChristiansas
redemptiveandhealingagentsinabrokenworld,andIwanttotobeevidentinthewayIteach.
Focusingonthewholeinsteadofpartswillhelpmepresentthecontentinafaithbasedmanner.

AsmuchasIwouldlovetobeabletosharemyfaithwithmystudents,Iamrestrictedby
thepublicschoolregulations,andIwanttorespectthosethroughoutmyexperience.However,
thatdoesnotmeanthatIcantactinaChristlikeway,showingcareandconcernformy
students.Iwanttogivemystudentsavoice,andpartofthatinvolvesthembeingabletoshare
theirviewsoftheworld.Imsurethatmanyofthestudentshaveprobablyneverheardofa
worldviewbefore,butthatdoesnotmeanthattheydonothavebeliefsabouttheworld.Asa
Christianteacherinapublicschool,Schwartz(1996)recommendsthatIbeagoldenruletruth
seeker.Icanshowhowreligionisanimportantaspectoflifeandshouldntbesteeredclearof
intheclassroom.Iwanttoemphasizetheimportanceofjustice,andIcanaskthestudents
criticalquestionsregardingjusticeabouttheactionsinthecoloniesatthetimeoftherevolution.
Thisgivesthemtheopportunitytovoicetheiropinionsandideas,andtheycanstriveto
understandtruthsboththegoodandthebadaboutthelifetheyhavebeengiven.Thisisthe
kindofpedagogicalapproachIwanttotake:onethatiscenteredoncriticalthinkingandbig
questionsthatcauseastudentstoreflectonwhatheorshebelieves.

WorksCited:
Oakes,J.,Lipton,M.,Anderson,A.&Stillman,J.(2012).
Teachingtochangetheworld(4th
ed.)
.Boulder,CO:Paradigm.
Graham,Donovan.
TeachingRedemptively
.ColoradoSprings:PurposefulDesign,2003.Print.
Schwartz,J.E."ChristiansTeachinginPublicSchools:WhatareSomeOptions?"
Christian
Scholars'Review
26.3(1996):293305.Print.