This reflection paper discusses how Christian Anthropology forms and informs learning at All Saints Catholic Primary School.
According to Treston (2001) Christian anthropology outlines “that in spite of our flawed condition, we are created in God’s likeness and have the capacity to be transformed by God’s gracious love.” Groome (1998) and Treston (2001) also discuss positive anthropology of the person by recognising that we are created in the image of God and that humankind is essentially all good. We are all made to seek out what is right and just, exactly what God would do. As an active member of the All Saints Catholic School community I value and uphold the All Saints vision of “a spirit centred community of learners, inspired by Jesus, seeking integrity and fullness of life” (All Saints Catholic Primary School Website). This is at the centre of teaching and learning at All Saints.
At All Saints Catholic Primary School learning reflects current theology and the use of scripture as outlined in Crossways and the Made in the Image of God (MITIOG) framework. We take a holistic approach to being human at All Saints. We foster the Catholic identity of the whole person by catering for a balance of social, emotional, cognitive, physical and spiritual wellbeing. I do this particularly by facilitating a range of learning experiences that are not only academic but build resilience, relationships and choices. The children at All Saints are exposed to learning experiences that promote lifelong growth by making learning opportunities relevant to the children’s lives as well as developing life skills that are meaningful. The children at All Saints are also given a range of leadership opportunities for example the opportunity to be on the...
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... my classroom I have created an environment where we are a family and as a whole school we are a village where interdependence is celebrated and we work together to do the best for our children and each other. In our village we all need to love and be loved. If I didn’t love my children I would not be catering for their needs. For successful learning to take place the children need to feel a sense of worth and meaning. Each child in my class is here for a reason and are valued as individuals whose lives are meaningful and so worthwhile (Groome, 1998, p. 93).
Reference List:
All Saints Catholic Primary School Website, URL: http://www.allsaints.catholic.edu.au/
Groome, T, 1998, Educating For Life, Thomas More, Allen Texas.
Reggio Emilia Australia Information Exchange. http://www.reaie.org.au/
Treston, K, 2001, The Teacher A Class Act, Creation Enterprises Wilston.
Wilson, Barbara S., Arlene Flancher, and Susan T. Erdey. The Episcopal Handbook. New York, NY: Morehouse Pub., 2008. Print.
So what exactly does it mean to be human? Does it mean that we were placed on this earth without purpose? How do we figure out what makes me a human? These questions often loom through many people’s mind. Throughout the book, Christian Anthropology by Michele Saracino she highlights the different ideas that help define what it means to be human. First, she begins by discussing how it’s important to have freedom and the duties that come with that. Secondly, she also discusses what could restrict us from being free which can include human-made categories. Furthermore, she discusses the idea of what a sin is and the effect of passivity. Lastly, another main idea she explains what forgiveness and the importance of letting go. Throughout the book, Saracino uses various examples to help support her claim on what she thinks it takes to be human.
This approach drives teachers to really understand and get to know their students, and to build upon a strong teacher-student relationship. In their key improvement strategies, Larburnum (2017) identifies that a learning environment is optimised through quality teaching practices which recognise the importance of the student-teacher relationship. They also place high emphasis on person-centred and family sensitive practice, and partnerships with families and communities. Engaging with families and understanding a child’s attained knowledge outside of school is one of the top priorities, as they recognise the positive effects this approach has on learning and teaching. In a study discussed in Moll’s Funds of Knowledge (2006, p.82-84), a teacher visited one of her students in order to gain greater insight into his life. She discovered that he sold candy in his local neighbourhood, and brainstormed ways she could implement it into her learning module for the upcoming week. The teacher opened up a discussion on candy with her students and worked with them to provide a definition. They were able to practice analytical skills, and grammar knowledge (ACARA,
Christianity is considered to be a living religion especially in terms of the reach for salvation. In the present through the practice of Baptism, Christians believe they die to the life of Original Sin and are born again to Christ, thus able to achieve Salvation. Thus, the tradition and sacred ritual of baptism implies that in order to be active adherents in the Catholic church, one must be baptised, just as Jesus was in the New Testament, “Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ.” (Acts 2:38) Another way in which baptism demonstrate that Christianity is a living religious tradition, is through the teachings associated with the purpose of human existence. Through the act of Baptism, which is a direct display of the belief in Salvation through Jesus, the purpose of human life is presented in terms of adherent’s purpose to lov...
Goheen, Michael, and Craig Bartholomew. Living at the Crossroads: An Introduction to Christian Worldview. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008. Print.
Humanity is made in the image of God. Therefore, all people have unique and valuable gifts to contribute to society. Every individual is also a sinner in need of redemption through Christ’s death and resurrection. Developing a relationship with Christ is the foundational purpose of my Christian educational practice. Instruction must be differentiated because each student is a unique creation. Effective differentiation is impossible without the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the use of research-based instructional methods and formative evaluation. Powerful teaching constantly modifies instruction to best address the needs of the each student and provides a foundation of love that recognizes each child as a gift from God.
Estep, J. R. & Kim, J. H. (2010). Christian formaton: Integrating theology and human development. Nashville, TN. B&H Publishing Group.
The teaching of the Bible should shape the church’s views on humanity. However, the teaching of the church should not be oblivious of the naturalist explanations of the important issues concerning Anthropology, because Christianity makes bold truth claims about the origin of humanity. It has to face the counter-claims with a fair consideration of their merits. For example the antiquity of humanity has been taken for granted for many years until only recently with the challenges coming from natural sciences. This forces Christians to re-evaluate their claims in order to reconcile what they have always believed with the new findings in science. In response, Christians have either rejected all anthropological data, or argued for the non-historical nature of the text of the Bible, or tried to reconcile biblical information with the scientific data.
The most successful way to instill righteous and moral behavior and thoughts is by demonstrating our respectable interactions and honest problem solving approaches during difficult times of our lives. “As adults we should dare to be adults that we want our children to be”. They learn by watching and are quick to mimic our behavior with their peers outside of home. The author writes that “we should strive to raise children who: engage with the world from a place of worthiness, embrace their vulnerabilities and imperfections, feel a deep sense of love and compassion for themselves and others, value hard work, perseverance, and respect, and also move through our rapidly changing world with courage and a resilient spirit” (214, 218-219). All of these elements will help to transform the way we live, love, and
Great teaching requires sacrifice and consistently puts the development of the child first Esquith, after teaching for over 30 years and writing several award winning books, exemplifies this child centered philosophy of teaching. His purpose is to share his dedicated and selfless approach to teaching with teachers, in the hope that they too, will be inspired ‘to teach like their hair is on fire.’ He believes that commitment to each individual student is essential. As a role model, he stresses the importance of being dependable and providing an atmosphere that is safe and that promotes the love of learning. He focusses on values and teaching his students to respect themselves and others, to be kind and to always work hard (Esquith, 2007). With Esquith’s simple motto of, “be nice, work hard and there are no shortcuts, in the classroom” (Esquith,2007), it is easy to see why his students are so happy and successful.
In the past centuries scientific innovations have occupied people’s mind. People have been looking for answers about their existence with the help of science and the scientific method. But nothing has changed with people’s culture or behavior. However, something happened two thousand years ago that influenced and changed how some people perceive the world and self existence. It was the beginning of Christianity.
JPII begins this section with, “Through the words, the actions and the very person of Jesus, man is given the possibility of ‘knowing’ the complete truth concerning the value of human life.” To understand this value, or anthropology, one must turn to Christology. Furthering this term, it is
All children come from different diverse backgrounds. Some may come from two parent homes, living with grandparents, live on a farm, speak a different language, etc. In the early childhood classroom, teachers need to teach unity. I believe that children need to learn how to see themselves as equals. There are so many stereotypes that can be placed on people. If we as teachers can help children understand we are all God’s children, we can help stop these destructive
The statement “philosophy of Christian education” contains much information to be unwrapped. The term philosophy literally means, in the Greek, “love of wisdom.” In this case, the study of philosophy involves a “critical study of the basic principles and concepts of a particular branch of knowledge” (Philosophy). My understanding of Christian education is what I hope to unveil in this brief document. A high-quality education of children must embrace a student’s intellect, spiritual nature, social life, emotional growth, and physical health. I see evidence for this in scripture as Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). The goal of education should be the training of children, in every area of their life, for adulthood. What makes my philosophy of education different from the secular world is the distinctively Christian biblical worldview. It is this biblical worldview that sets apart Christian education from the public schools in our culture because we address the spiritual dimension of children that the secular humanistic education denies.
The author’s main argument is the failure of moral theology to focus on the everyday ethical issues confronting Christians, while his main aim is the usefulness of social anthropology to moral theology. The author wants a strong (er) relationship or connection between moral theology, i.e. ethics, and anthropology.