Int’l (MNN) – Teaching provides the opportunity to show students how to process the world around them. Yet, often that work is done without the influence of the Bible. Harold Klasssen with TeachBeyond believes that can change, even in “secular topics.”
Many Christians struggle with integrating Scripture into subjects they teach. Klassen’s organization Transforming Teachers compiles resources and ideas for teachers so that they can effectively integrate God’s Word with His world.
A Solution to the Teaching Problem
Before joining TeachBeyond, Klassen was a teacher for many years. He worked at both public and Christian schools. The problem was the same at both. How could he allow his faith to permeate his teaching and really help transform students?
(Image courtesy of Karen Stintz on Flickr https://bit.ly/2WbeYb1)
Klassen says, “I was always trying to add the Bible into my classes in chemistry and physics. And often it just didn’t feel very comfortable for my students or myself. It took a long time before I began to realize that what I needed to do was to understand what God was trying to do; and fit my chemistry and my physics into His plan, rather than trying to stuff some Bible verses into my classes.”
Helping Others
Learning how to fit lessons into God’s plans for the world took work. There was a lot of information to gather and issues to consider. Klassen knew that others must be struggling with the same problem. So 16 years ago, he began a website called TransformingTeachers.org.
“I began to collect things that others had written and then I was thinking about, so that people would have a place where they could begin to see what others were doing.” Klassen says, “And [they could] be encouraged to understand that it was possible to see God’s world and God’s Word together, the way he had them from the beginning.”
Since then, the resources and popularity have grown. For a short while his site was even one of the top sites for Christian schools in Indonesia. But Klassen says he is encouraged that there are so many more resources available in different languages now, than there used to be.
Even on his site, there are now resources available in Chinese and other languages.
Get Involved
The material on TransformingTeachers.org is focused on educators in a variety of situations. However, Klassen says the principles are the same for all Christians.
(Image courtesy of US Embassy Canada on Flickr https://bit.ly/2TKbomQ)
“When our mind is full of what God is doing, and how what we are teaching relates to his plans and purposes for each of us, for ourselves and for our students in our world, it’s going to leak out in whatever environment you’re in.”
Klassen challenges Christians to seek out resources and others to help them learn how to see their profession and teaching through the lens of the Gospel.
“Sometimes it’s easy. You get support from those around you. Sometimes you don’t. But even, and especially, in those places, it’s important for us to be as well-equipped as we can. So that [when needed] we can do a good job, even when it feels like we’re alone and it’s really difficult.”
Learn more about TransformingTeachers.org and how you can get involved here.
Learn more about the ministries of TeachBeyond here.
(Header image courtesy of Ilmicrofono Oggiono on Flickr https://bit.ly/33eXYlP)
