My Personal Educational Philosophy

This post includes bullet-pointed lists of the philosophical elements that make up my personal educational philosophy.

Significant Biblical Passages

• 2 Tim 3.15-17
• Gen 1.1, 3, 1.27-28, 3.6-7
• Heb 11.3, 11.6, 1.1-3
• Ps 19.1-4, 3.8, 37.39, 129.13-15
• Rom 1.20, 6.1-6, 8.22, 8.29, 12.2, 13.9, 5.12, 8.19-23
• Isa 1.18, 14.12-15
• Eze 28.13-17
• Matt 18.1, 18.21-35, 22.37-40, 16.24, 5.43-48, 25.31-46, 5.17, 5.21-28, 12.34
• Gal 2.20, 5.14
• John 1.1, 1.3, 3.3-5, 5, 15.10, 14.6
• Phil 2:5-8
• 2 Cor 5.17
• 1 Cor 15.31, 13, 2.14, 15.20-34, 12
• Luke 15, 2.52
• Exod 34.6-7
• 1 John 4.8
• Rev 16.7, 19.2
• James 1.27
• Eph 2.8-10
• Mark 2.23-3.6
• Prov 1.7
• Col 2.3, 1.16-18, 1.28
• 1 Pet 1.19-21
• 1 Thess 5.23

Metaphysics Theological Truths

• Reality is rooted in God’s existence
• God’s existence is central reality
• God’s existence is eternal
• God created the world and all that is in it for His purpose
• God also sustains the world
• Man was made in the image of God
• God’s creation was good
• Man sins by nature and by choice
• Man is now born a sinner as well as sins as an issue of choice
• God exists as three persons with one essence, triune
• God is relational and made us to be relational
• God sent His son Jesus as propitiation for our sin
• Man is destined for eternal life either in heaven or hell

Epistemology

• The bible is primary source of truth
• The truth is in Jesus
• God reveals truth through His inerrant word, general revelation, special revelation, fellow believers
• Truth is absolute and unchanging
• Truth cannot be seen apart from God’s revelation to an individual
• Role of the Holy Spirit to illumine the believer
• Man is capable of reason because he was made in the image of God
• Reason alone is not capable of providing salvific truth
• ALL truth is God’s truth. Perceived truth that does not align with God’s revelation will prove to be false
• God knows absolutely while we can only know relative to his revelation
• God requires that truth be applied to our lives

Axiology

• Grounded in doctrine of creation
• God’s creation was very good
• Man was created in the image of God and is of great value to God
• Beauty, value and worth are defined by God’s character
• A Christian’s values should not always align with the world’s values
• Ethics and morality based on the character of God
• Ten Commandments serve as foundation for moral code
• Must balance legalism and relativism
• Internal rather than external-man is defiled by his thoughts

Nature of the Learner

• Made in the image of God
• Learner has great worth and value because God values learner
• Learner exists in fallen state and subject to sin apart from God
• Learner is responsible and accountable for actions/thoughts
• Learner is capable of consciousness and self-consciousness
• Made for a relation with God and fellow man
• Mentally, physically and spiritually in God’s image
• Since the fall learner is no longer completely lovely, good, responsible, rational or righteous
• Capable through Christ of being all that God designed man to be
• Each learner is uniquely different

The Educational Aim

• Learner obtaining saving knowledge of Jesus Christ
• Learner growing into Christ-likeness (disciple) through being educated and encouraged into a changed life
• Learner educated and encouraged in his/her own personal responsibility of reclaiming creation for God’s glory

Preferred Methods

• Modeled from Christ’s examples
• Parables
• Lecture
• Mentoring
• Object lessons
• Visual aids
• Hands-on
• “as you go” meaning to use everyday opportunities to teach
• Presented same message from home, school, church, community
• Tailored to the learning style of the individual
• Sensitive to Holy Spirit’s leading
• Experiential and empirical but cautious not to allow natural to limit the supernatural

Role of the Teacher

• Must be maturing disciple of Christ
• Sensitive and obedient to the Holy Spirit
• Must be positive role model
• Respectful to own authority and the learners
• Primarily focused on the spiritual development of learner
• Focused on complete learner. Mind, body, and soul
• Spiritual gift of teaching and called by God to this role
• Well educated and well rounded
• Relations with learners are appropriately loving and relational
• Teacher is not isolated from the secular world, but is insulated from it
• Holds tightly to a biblical worldview
• Not limited to classroom, teaches at all times
• Respects parental authority
• Has authority over learner
• Not responsible for learner response, is responsible to present the data in most effective way
• Must communicate value and potential of each learner

Role of the Learner

• Has most to gain or loose in the education process
• Fully responsible for results of choices
• Responsible for personal disciplines necessary for education and spiritual growth
• MUST respond to Holy Spirit with obedience
• Respect God-given authority and peers
• Must seek to become maturing disciple of Christ and then seek to “teach” others to do the same

The Curriculum

• The Bible – inerrant
• All other sources of knowledge (curriculum) should be subject the revealed word of God
• Math
• Languages
• Sciences (un-biased)
• Social studies
• Physical education
• Art
• Nature (God’s creation)
• History
• Political science
• All areas studied with a biblical worldview