All things bright and new
As a new academic year dawns, the pages of possibility unfold once again, offering both excitement and apprehension. For Christian educators, this journey carries a unique blend of challenges and blessings. Katie Bojang from UCCF’s Teaching Network suggests that we would do well to remember three important things…
Q: How can you tell if one of your students has used ChatGPT for their homework?
Q: How can you tell if one of your students has used ChatGPT for their homework?
A: There will be no spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors in it!
Written by Cassie Martin is Head of English and CPD Lead at a secondary school in Gloucestershire
This article is based on one written by the author for the June edition of Evangelicals Now
Easter Hope for teachers
In a world where Christianity is increasingly marginalised, and in a working environment where the views of Christians are often questioned, mocked, or ignored, ACT’S Tim Coles want to offer a few thoughts to faithful Christian teachers from the Easter story.
Firstly, I want to assure you that whilst Friday may be painful, Sunday is coming….
Industrial Action: Is there a Biblical response?
The difference that being a Christian makes to deciding whether or not to strike is significant- or at least should be. But it isn’t an easy decision: it’s a bit of a paradox.
Scriptures that speak about justice and righteousness, and that call on believers to work for justice and to care for the poor and marginalized are plentiful in both the Old and New testament. But is it befitting for a believer to use coercion to ‘get their own way’ in employment?
Pornography: a new resource from Lovewise
Pornography. It’s a word that can make many of us squirm and is a topic we find difficult to discuss. But clear, helpful guidance on the subject is exactly what our young people need.
But I’m not a leader!
At its heart, leadership is about influence, not position. This means that people who are not in positions of leadership can and often do lead very effectively. The converse is of course also true: many people are in positions of leadership yet fail to do much leading, let alone lead well.
In at the deep end: teacher training during a pandemic
I can’t speak for all new teachers, but I grieve the time I have missed. The freedom to learn and review mistakes and new methods found in initial teacher training is a gift. Having the time to hone skills and track your progress with a mentor is valuable time lost. It has been easy, therefore, to feel underqualified and like an imposter among other teachers. How am I supposed to be a great teacher when I still have so much to learn? What about the students I am teaching now; will their education be worse because of my ability to teach?
Navigating tricky topics: War
If you can listen to your students non-judgmentally, not only will you get insight into what they are thinking and feeling, but they might, too. Answers to big questions aren’t always necessary. Simply listening with an open, prayerful heart and acknowledging their feelings of confusion can be helpful by itself
God's Big Story
What makes a science teacher with a Biblical worldview different from a secular science teacher? As a Christian, what are the things I want my high school students to know? And more importantly, what is the Big Story I’m telling?
Sometimes it's just hard...
There are days when the good bits of teaching get clouded. Weeks when the joy of seeing young lives grow feels small compared to all the things that are feeling hard. There are times when laughter with colleagues is displaced by a quiet cry in the bathroom. Months when the routine is less about using our gifts and more about an endless list of fire-fighting the classroom disruption, the paperwork, the expectation of others and the criticism around.
ACT's Response to the Government's Conversion Therapy Consultation
The following letter was sent to Nadhim Zahawi MP, Secretary of State for Education, on 15th January 2021 to express the ACT Board’s concern at the potential impact of the government’s proposed conversion therapy ban on educators who hold to the orthodox Christian view of sexuality and gender.