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Posted by on Jul 24, 2015 in Education | 0 comments

What Mary Poplin Taught Us About Being a Christian Teacher in Public Education (2 of 2)

What Mary Poplin Taught Us About Being a Christian Teacher in Public Education (2 of 2)

The Soul of Education Q&A – Dr. Mary Poplin from Denver Institute on Vimeo. [In a previous post, I summarized an interview I did with Dr. Mary Poplin, Professor of Education at Claremont Graduate University. In the previous post, Poplin challenged constructivism, shared her findings on highly effective teachers, and encouraged teachers to teach about religion in public schools in a way that is fair and truthful to each set of beliefs. In this post, she discusses how to redeem history, teach virtue, influence the moral climate of a school through prayer, and be both courageous and compassionate as a Christian teacher in public education.] 4. Don’t romanticize history – either Christian or secular. Encourage students to seek out sources. “We have to redeem history. History has been rewritten…I was astounded the other day. I was in LA and I saw an Asian woman with a t-shirt that exalted Ho Chi Minh. The people who I thought were villains—who really are if you read history—are now being exalted as...

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Posted by on Jul 23, 2015 in Education | 0 comments

What Mary Poplin Taught Us About Being a Christian Teacher in Public Education (1 of 2)

What Mary Poplin Taught Us About Being a Christian Teacher in Public Education (1 of 2)

The Soul of Education Q&A – Dr. Mary Poplin from Denver Institute on Vimeo. Being a public school teacher is tough – especially as a committed Christian. My mother was a 2nd and 3rd grade teacher for 35 years, my sister a middle school math teacher, and my wife has taught Spanish (and now young children) for nearly a decade. Over the years, the challenges for them have been many-sided: – What should I think about the teaching philosophies we hear from the administration?  – What curriculum will best serve my students? What about the district standards we have to teach to? – How can I serve every student well – especially those coming from difficult home situations or low-income backgrounds?  – Can I share what I believe about Christ in a public school – or is this strictly off limits?  – What does it mean to serve God and my students well as a public school teacher? When we invited Dr. Mary Poplin, author and Professor of Education at...

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