In this second half of our interview with Ruth Watson, a secondary math teacher, Ruth continues to unpack her quest to answer the question, "What if the most important reason to study maths is to worship God – what would this look like?" 

Ruth shares where she is on in the journey of unit development, how she is linking God, humanity and creation to mathematical ideas, and how we can help students join in real work for real need in math classes.   Ruth shares the importance of unit planning to help her resist falling into dualism, as well as sharing very practical advice on how to frame conversations during parent-teacher interviews.

Ruth concludes by leaving math teachers a very practical 'next step' as they continue on their journey of teaching math in a way that helps us to worship God.

This episode is for you if you have ever wondered:

• Should I include my Transformational Goals in real assessment pieces?
• How can I guard myself against dualism in my teaching?
• How can I teach mathematics in a God honouring way?

Ruth is a secondary math teacher at Marrara Christian College, curriculum advisor for NT Christian Schools.  She is married with three nearly adult children and loves going for long walks on the Darwin beaches at sunrise and sunset.

In this episode, Ruth Watson, a secondary math teacher, shares her quest to answer the question, "What if the most important reason to study maths is to worship God – what would this look like?" 

Ruth has recently written a booklet, Worshipful practices: What if the most basic reason to learn maths is to worship God? What would this look like? to share how maths, far from being a neutral subject of drills facts and rules, actually enables us to worship our creator God.  Ruth shares how routines in a math's classroom may be tweaked and reframed to assist in the worship of God. 

She also shares how she uses math's curriculum to directly feed into formational (life-long) learning outcomes that enable her students to worship God, serve in their communities and steward his world with their whole being (head, heart and hands).

Ruth is a secondary math teacher for Marrara Christian College, curriculum advisor for NT Christian Schools.  She is married with three nearly adult children and loves going for long walks on the Darwin beaches at sunrise and sunset.

This episode is for you if you have ever wondered:

• How can I teach math in a way that brings glory to God?
• How can I develop worshipful pedagogical practice, rhythms and routines in my math class?
• How can I be cover the content of the mandated curriculum and still be faithful to the transformational goals I have for my students?

In this episode, Alistair Coffey, a passionate upper primary teacher, shares how his pedagogical strategy, Shapes of Learning https://shapesoflearning.com reflect his journey moving from enforcing uncritical structures of control and power to enabling responsive discipleship and effective learning.  His profound self-reflection ability invites us all to question why we are so attached to our classroom practices and structures.  This conversation moves seamlessly between philosophical reflections and everyday classroom practice. Alistair's ability to link classroom practices (often as mundane and ubiquitous as desks facing the front of the room) with the roots and fruits of these practices is both challenging and inspiring. 

Alistair has been a teacher for 12 years in both the UK and Australia. He is a husband, father and passionate Christian educator and ongoing student, continually learning and growing in the outworking of his calling.

In this episode, Anna White, a trained teacher and passionate homeschooler, shares some advice about educating from home.  This podcast will be most useful for teachers in the earlier years of schooling.  Knowing what it is like educating at home, Anna provides practical tips for us as teachers so we can best serve our students and parents during these times.   Anna reminds us of the freedom we have to embed learning in everyday living as well as reminding us of the importance of relationships.  We are so blessed to listen to Anna share the freedom we have in teaching and the reminder about keeping the main thing the main thing.

In this episode, David Gleeson, the inspirationally genuine principal at Melton Christian College, discusses the importance of intentionally honouring and caring for the community.  He shares how new staff members are inducted into the school community to pass on the importance of authentic Christian education.  In sharing his desire to build community in a collegial way with accountability, David gives us three tactical questions he uses to enable him to evoke genuine, real answers and allow him to listen deeply.  He also identifies three levels of accountability and calls us to collegial accountability, recognising we are all equally important irrespective of our role.

I was so blessed to listen to David’s self-reflection, wisdom and passion for his learning community.

This episode is for you if you have ever wondered:

• How can I assist in the building of a real community in my school?
• How can I develop accountability structures which support collegiality rather than power and critique?
• Is leading by example enough?

Mentioned in this podcast

• Melton Christian College

Please comment and share how David Gleeson has encouraged you at:

1. Our Facebook page
2. Our Twitter Page
3. CEN Connect (once you join, click on ‘Forums’ and click on ‘General’ and look for The Curious Christian Teacher Podcast).

In this episode, Kristie Barber provides inspiring examples of classroom practice which bring down to earth the important but sometimes theoretical concepts o justice and community.   She suggests if we say that student’s voices matter, we must provide the practice that demonstrates that this is actually true in our daily rhythms.  While focused particularly in the final years of high-school, she challenges and inspires us to reconsider our role of teachers in light of being part of a true learning community. 

• Do our classroom practices show evidence teacher, student, or community-focused learning?
• Do we see our role as teachers, as leaders, mentors, fellow travellers, fellow students?
• How may the justice concepts of Equality, Access, Fairness inform the way we deal with education in a Covid19 world?

Kristie is the Head of Curriculum at Melton Christian College and also teachers as an English and Legal Studies teacher.

Things mentioned in this podcast

• Melton Christian College
• ITEC19 Reimagining Practice
• David Smith

Please comment and share how Kristie has encouraged you:

• Our Facebook page
• Our Twitter page
• CEN Connect: once you join, click on ‘Forums’ and click on ‘General’ and look for The Curious Christian Teacher Podcast.

In this episode, Dr Rod Thompson evokes a deep yearning to be immersed in the Scripture.  He suggests that the Bible doesn't exercise its authority by giving us answers to questions, so much as by inviting us to live in a certain kind of way and go out with God in our community and work out how to be faithful and wise.  He invites us to explore the problematic, unknown sections and to help our students fall in love with and engage with this text. He suggests terms such as Christ-centred education and Biblical worldview may be problematic and explores other terms which may be more helpful.

• How can we describe our education in faithfully appropriate ways?
• Why is it critical and urgent that immersing in the text of Scripture becomes part of our daily rhythms?
• How can we help our students to love, and be shaped by, the Scripture?

 Rod has worked in both government and Christian schools as a High School History, English, and Biblical Studies teacher.  He is currently the Biblical Foundations Coordinator for Christian Education National and part of the ministry team at Springwood Presbyterian Churches.

Things mentioned in this podcast

• Christian Education National
• Springwood Presbyterian Churches
• Abraham Kuyper "Not one square inch…"
• Francis Schaeffer "True Truth"
• Doug Blomberg "play"
• Nicholas Wolterstorff
• Alive @ Springwood podcast

 Please comment and share how Rod has encouraged you:

• Our Facebook page
• Our Twitter page
• CEN Connect: once you join, click on ‘Forums’ and click on ‘General’ and look for The Curious Christian Teacher Podcast.

In this episode, Darryl DeBoer suggests that we are not merely preparing our students for the future.  He unpacks the three core practices of Teaching for Transformation.  Firstly, he shares why it is crucial to articulate a Deep Hope for our teaching – this alone will change the way you think and ‘do’ planning.  He then introduces the practice of Storyline to locate our education inside God’s big story.   Thirdly, Darryl discusses Biblical Throughlines (the inspiration for Threads which have been referred to in previous episodes).  Darryl finishes with the challenge that our classes must provide real,  authentic work for real people to meet a real need (TfT).

We were so blessed and encouraged to be part of this conversation and can’t wait to share it with you.

Darryl is a Senior Fellow for the Center of the Advancement of Christian Education (CACE) at Dordt University and the K-12 Director of Learning at Surrey Christian Schools.

Things mentioned in this podcast

• Center for the Advancement of Christian Education
• Surrey Christian Schools
• Teaching for Transformation Overview 
• Darryl's Twitter Page 

If you want to comment and share how Darryl has encouraged you, please do so at:

• Our Facebook page
• Our Twitter page
• CEN Connect: once you join, click on ‘Forums’ and click on ‘General’ and look for The Curious Christian Teacher Podcast.