Nurturing and Reflective Teachers:

A Christian Approach for the 21st Century

2.0 – Introductory Activities:

The following activities are designed to assist your engagement in some general teacher education issues:

Activity 2.1 – Some Stimulus Questions:

1. What means do societies have with which to influence their futures?

2. Who are the main players / stakeholders in the communities and educational enterprises in which you are involved?

3. In your experience, what are the main ideologies that drive educational change in your locale?

4. How are schooling and education complementary and/or interrelated?

5. What strategies are available to your community for the resolution of conflicts over schooling?

6. What are some pivotal, thoroughly Biblical perspectives about education?

7. What educational notions or practices seem to be more ‘culturally Christian’ than Biblical?

8. What do schools, colleges and universities expect of Christian teachers?

9. What do students in schools, colleges and universities expect of Christian teachers?

10. What strategies are open for the Christian teacher to develop authentic, effective and affective learning outcomes for students?

11. From your experience-base, what does it mean to teach Christianly?

12. How might the concepts and practices associated with nurture relate to teaching Christianly?

13. What are some of the key qualities and competencies that will be required of teachers, especially those who are Christians, in the 21st Century?

Activity 2.2 – Learning from 20th C. Teachers:

Complete the following table:

Admirable characteristics of 20th C. teachers. Reasons for the select of these characteristics. Qualities of 20th C. teachers that need to be improved for 21st C. Education. Reasons why these improvements are considered necessary.
1.   (a)  
2.   (b)  
3.   (c)  
4.   (d)  
5.   (e)  
6.   (f)  
7.   (g)  

 

Activity 2.3 – A 21stC. Teacher’s Checklist:

Use the following list to describe and justify your selection of characteristics that will be required of Christian teachers in the 21st Century:

No.

Possible Characteristics

Description and Justification

1

Knowledgeable and qualified

  

2

Learner and learning focused

  

3

Authentic and transparent Christians

  

4

Facilitators of Learning

  

5

Resourceful, fun, flexible,

fair, …

  

6

Philippians 4: 3-9 Principles

 

7

Community minded and inter-related

  

8

Servant leaders

  

9

People Builders – Ephesians 4: 12-13

  

10

    

11

    

12

    

 

Activity 2.4 – Teacher education processes:

What are your thoughts on the following processes that have been used in the 20th Century to prepare teachers for their role in society?

Strategies for the preparation of teachers.

Your personal comments outlining the strengths and weaknesses of each strategy.

1. Apprenticeship programs in schools after the completion of Year 10, or at most Year 12, of schooling with no real need for formal university–based teacher education.

  

2. Completion of 1 or 2 years of preservice studies in a specialised teacher education institution such as a teachers’ college.

  

3. Completion of a non-teacher education undergraduate degree such as a three year Bachelor of Arts or Science.

  

4. Completion of a 4 year undergraduate education degree at a Higher Education Institution such as a university.

  

5. Graduation with an undergraduate degree followed by 1 or 2 years of specialised teacher education studies.

  

6. Completion of a broad-based undergraduate degree followed by a two year Master of Teaching program at a Higher Education Institution such as a university.

  

7. Other