Category: Encouragement

At the start of the year, teachers have incredibly full plates — we’re talking marathoner-at-the-buffet-after-the-race full plates. We’re planning lessons, organizing rooms, learning names, figuring out new procedures, and more. But as academic disciple-makers, we must keep our goal — implementing biblically-integrated classes — in mind. 

“But,” you might think,”I can’t really do it well because I am so overwhelmed!” Don’t worry; “If you want to do something well, the best way to start is by doing it poorly.” 

That’s right. It’s okay not to be perfect and polished when you are getting started. That’s just part of the process. How did your first day of driver’s ed look? How did your first piano lesson sound? How was your first golf-swing? I bet there was room for improvement. And that is the point that I am trying to make.

Learning occurs in stages. In order to get to to step 2, you must take step one.

G.K. Chesterton, the noted author, said something similar — “If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly.” He was making the case that, while there are experts out there, many things gain value because you are the one doing them. For example, it is possible that there is a hug-expert out there in the world. This person might have just the right arm-length, smell, technique, etc. This person may be able to execute the most technically excellent hug: a perfect 10. But does a crying child want a perfect hug from the expert or an amateur hug from mom? I think we all know the answer.

This is true for you and your class as well. Your students don’t need the PhD-level, scripted integration that is technically sound and perfectly organized from someone else as much as they need your integration. 

I am not excusing poor teaching or preparation here. No, we should strive to be excellent. But don’t forget that excellence is achieved one step at a time. If you want to do something well, start by doing it poorly. You will grow. And your students will grow with you. So get started right now. You might miss the bulls-eye at times, but at least you aimed for the target.

This is the second post in a short series about some of the mistakes that we can make concerning biblical integration. The goal is not to point the finger at those who struggle in these areas, but to address some real struggles so that we can serve God and our students more effectively. False dichotomies are at the root of these issues—we think that we must be this or that. However, as you will see, that is not always the case. (Note: this list starts at #3 because it is a continuation what was started in the previous post.)

Wrong Way # 3: Biblical Integration requires the teacher to be a Bible-expert.

The false choice here is between knowing something and knowing many things. A teacher does not need to be an expert in order to be an excellent teacher. Parents don’t have to be world-class cyclists to help their kids learn to ride bikes. Math teachers do not need to understand the deepest, most intense new ideas and theories in the field to help students thrive in geometry class. Likewise, you do not need to be a Bible expert in order to be effective in helping your students to know and follow God more. Conclusion: Yes, we should all keep learning, but we do not need to know everything in order to successfully teach something.

Wrong Way # 4: The point of biblical integration is Bible knowledge.

Knowledge is important in education, but it is far from the only important thing. Art and music classes are excellent examples of courses that often prioritize application and understanding over information. A student may learn a certain musical technique in ten seconds, but spend the next ten weeks perfecting it. In the same way, biblical integrators in all subjects can feel free to focus on how their material illuminates, expresses, or applies worldview issues. In your class, teach the knowledge that the students need for your subject area. This will mean that a specific set of biblical truths and ideas will be discussed. However, the scope of the biblical knowledge you teach  should not outdistance the academic content that is being integrated. Science class must remain science class, and music class must remain music class. The biblical knowledge/principles/foundations should support the class-material so that students can understand God’s world better through God’s Word. Conclusion: The point is not Bible knowledge, but biblical understanding that leads to biblical thinking and living.

Wrong Way # 5: The teacher needs to do all the integrating.

We can fall into the trap of an unnecessary dichotomy here when we think that, in integration, the instructor must always tell the students how to integrate. As you know, the point of a class is not for a teacher to teach, but for students to learn. We don’t celebrate the moments where we taught well unless we recognize that the students are learning well. Therefore, as you approach biblical integration, your goal is to help the students become integrators themselves. You won’t be there to do it for them over the long-term. They need to see how things fit together in God’s world—and you can show them that at times—but that is not the end goal. The ultimate goal is that they would learn to see and understand the world, their own lives, and everything else in light of who God is and what He has said. Therefore, it is appropriate to ask questions that make them become integrators. You can  require them to explore the Scriptures and seek truth. Conclusion You don’t need to approach biblical integration ready to teach all the good answers. Instead, you can come armed with good questions and wrestle alongside your students.  

Recently, I sent out a short, anonymous survey to the some educators. My goal was to collect information on how real teachers and administrators are perceiving their growth and struggles—What’s working? What continues to be a burden or weight? I will use that valuable insight to shape some of the articles and resources that I point teachers toward in the future. (Please know that you can reach out to me with any thoughts or questions! I am excited to serve you as you serve the kingdom of God.) This post is part one of a short series that interacts with a few of the successes and struggles that came through in the results.

I was encouraged to see some responses that said something like, “Working on biblical integration is changing the way I (the teacher) think.”

This is great news! In a few years, few students remember the specific lessons from our classes, but many will remember what we are like. They are impacted by our character and our way of thinking more than anything else. Therefore, if you are a biblically-integrating thinker, they will learn to be biblical integrators too.

Academic disciple-makers, like all people, have limited time. They may wonder, “How do I find the time in class to integrate without limiting other important content?”

Time is a valuable resource; we don’t want to waste a moment of our precious in-class time. Therefore, we need to integrate wisely. However, I would encourage all educators to recognize that quality, tight integration should enhance your students’ understanding; it should never detract from it. “A tightly integrated course, unit, or lesson is one where course objectives (not just content) and integration objectives overlap significantly.” I often say that it would be hard to teach MacBeth without mention of Shakespeare. Talking about the author helps students grasp his work. Likewise, it helps students understand the natural world, humanity, art, science, and more when they grasp more about the Author. So I would contend that integration should help teachers manage time better in class because it is a tool for deep understanding.

However, since time is especially limited in the classroom, I would encourage you to thoughtfully plan how your integration will work within your assignments, assessments, and reviews. If you planned for the students to write a paper, ask them to integrate in the paper. This will take no additional time. And, since we want them to be thinking biblically, this is logical. If you are playing a review game, include review questions about the biblical ideas that you have discussed. This helps students see that the biblical worldview that informs and directs your subject is as important as anything else that they could learn.  If you are going to have a discussion, include some biblical prompts or ideas. Ultimately, if there are learning activities that you think cannot be used to help students think biblically, you may want to consider replacing those activities with others that will help the students more.

Part two of this series will interact with survey responses like, “I love hearing and interacting with what the students think and feel about God,” and “How can I make integration feel more natural?”