Faith and the Public School Teacher at the Idaho Education Super Conference

"I thank my God always. . .that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge. . ." I Corinthians 1:4-5

Today at the Education Super Conference in Boise, I had the pleasure of enriching others and being enriched by them in my session, Faith and the Public School Teacher. There were about 25 attendees, and they eagerly shared their thoughts on what it means to be a teacher of faith working in the public school environment.

Some perspectives from our discussion:

• One attendee said it was her faith that caused her to enter the teaching profession in the first place. So many of us feel a strong sense of calling to be where we are, doing what we do.
• When questions of religion and faith come up in class, teachers must answer ethically and honestly. One attendee stated that when explaining viewpoints on the origins of life in his science class, he makes sure that students understand that the areas of controversy are small. On so many areas of science, consensus is easy.
• A kindergarten teacher in today's session pointed out that the age of students matters when a teacher is determining whether to make her faith public. High school students may be able to understand that their teacher, while employed by a government entity, holds religious views not endorsed by the government. Kindergarten students, though, often can't make that kind of distinction.
• One high school teacher suggested that teachers of faith "always offer students an out." Teachers cannot give the impression that a student's views are not valid or that the teacher's own religious views are right or more valid than other views.
• It pays to be peaceable. One attendee told of a student who asked to be given an alternate assignment for religious reasons. The teacher handled the matter peaceably, satisfying the student's concerns rather than escalating them.

Some classroom-ready strategies we used:

• Agreement statements
• Teacher reads statements
• Students move to one of three places in the room: agree, somewhat agree/somewhat disagree, or disagree
• Teacher facilitates discussion throughout, noting especially when a few loners stand alone; why?
• Close reading
• All students receive a copy of the text
• Teacher offers text-annotation strategies, such as writing a question mark beside text portions the student would like to know more about
• Students silently read and annotate the text
• Teacher facilitates discussion; often, text-based questions are used to keep the discussion focused on the words of the text throughout
• Group and share
• Students form groups of three to five
• All students read the text
• Groups discuss the text
• A member of the group shares with the whole class
• Student readers
• When presenting a slideshow, the teacher invites students to read slides
• This strategy reduces the monotony of having just one speaker, and it helps keep students engaged

Not only were this session and the conference as a whole a huge blessing to me, but on the drive home I had the chance to mull over some of the questions I still have about the enormous topic of Faith and the Public School Teacher. The Lord has opened the way for me to begin work on my master's degree. Will working on my degree help me answer some of my questions? I can't wait to find out how.

Would your school staff like to learn more about what it means to be a teacher of faith in the public school setting? I would love to present Faith and the Public School Teacher for professional development at your school. Contact Amy Ballard by email at amy@ amyballard .com (just remove the spaces). You can also connect with me on Facebook.

Learning Across All Dimensions--Meet With Christian Teacher, Public School's Amy Ballard at Idaho's Education Super Conference

Amy Ballard

It's almost conference time for Idaho teachers planning to attend the Education Super Conference in Boise Oct. 6 and 7. I'm thrilled to be presenting two sessions:

Writing and Publishing Narratives Using Digital Technology
Description:  In this session, teachers will learn to apply choose­-your-­own­-story structure to narrative fiction or nonfiction writing. Using Google Drive, teachers will learn to link story pages to form narratives with alternate endings.

Faith and the Public School Teacher
Description:  Can your faith coexist with your professional life? New legislation and news headlines may shake things up, but by identifying your stance on faith in the classroom, you will face the turbulence of our changing world with more confidence. In this session, teachers will learn what the law allows and expects of teachers who hold to a religious faith; take a look at teachers whose actions have come under scrutiny; and share appropriate ways to live out faith in the public school environment.

I'm eager to see how God will work, since conferences are always a time for reflection and change. Who will God bring across my path? Which sessions will bless me in unexpected ways? How can I be a blessing to some other attendee?

Okay, maybe for most people an education conference is just an education conference. But the way I see it, a Christian can and should view life through a spiritual lens. At a conference of any kind, you're outside your usual circle of acquaintances and responsibilities. Simply by making small talk with strangers between sessions or at lunch, you can let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify God.

Hope to see you in Boise!

Learning Across All Dimensions Education Super Conference
6 Strategies For Avoiding Conference Fatigue
Choose Your Own Adventure and Narrative Writing
Resources for Christian Teachers in Public Schools

Next Teacher Conference on the Horizon: Idaho Super Conference

What's next for Idaho teachers on the conference scene? You might have heard of the 2016 Super Conference scheduled for the state in-service days, October 6-7. It's called "Learning Across All Dimensions," and it brings together an array of professional organizations that traditionally conduct their own conferences, like the Idaho Council of Teachers of English and the Idaho Science Teachers Association. Putting us all under one roof is genius! We'll be able to rub shoulders with colleagues in other disciplines and sit in sessions that really stretch us professionally.

I've submitted a couple of session proposals. Whether they're accepted or not, I plan to be at the conference. After all, with "Super" in the title, it's bound to be an adventure. If you teach in Idaho, I hope to see you there!