Any decision to teach a child in a Christian school is underlined by a desire to have the learner, in time, adopt a proper way of considering the learning process. The school inevitably communicates that both the learning process and the learner are important. In that sense, no curriculum in a Christian school is purely innocent. The school is a medium, but it also carries a message.
In taking your child to a private Christian school in Gilbert, AZ, you are subscribing to this belief. You are choosing to gamble on the scripture that instructs you to teach your children in the way that they should walk. You hope that when they grow, they will not depart from the way of truth. It is about choosing to inject a biblical worldview in their young minds so that it will take them through to adulthood, stewardship, service, and leadership. The following are characteristics that make such a school unique:
Individuality
In a Christian school, every child is recognized to be unique and gifted. They have in them dignity because they are created in the image of God. Such dignity must never be denied to them. During lessons, these children learn from Christian narratives based on how God is the creator of all beings. As a Christian educator, the teachers’ vocation is to encourage children to use those gifts to flourish in the community.
Relationship
The Christian school is about people who are willing to share themselves with others. The educator builds relationships with the children in the learning environment. They realize that there is a power dynamic between students and teachers and it needs to be maintained within healthy boundaries. The relationships created within these facilities are meant to help the student to flourish. They are reciprocal so that the child will learn and participate in an open manner in the learning process.
Community
Christian schools are about creating a society where individuals edify one another. Here, no one is isolated. The belief is that interconnectedness will be foundational to the Christian life. There is a foundational teaching of a common good so that everyone acts towards the interests of the community as is and as it will be. This means that the vulnerable and the poor are taken care of. In a Christian schooling system, children learn to invest in shared purposes and to take care of other people.
Agency
Christian schools teach students to take responsibility for their actions. One big challenge with other education systems is that they show some children to trust in their ability to change the world, and others not to. Christian classrooms do not have children believing themselves to be unworthy of opportunities. They provide resources for everyone to excel.
Above everything else, Christian schools are about stewardship. They take on a holistic approach to relationships, education, and life in general. The student learns to live in peace with nature and God’s creation. In seeing other people care for what they were given, they learn to do so for themselves as well and to do it diligently.
