Vol 49, Num 4 :: 2010.04.01 — 2010.10.01
Al Boerema asks the question:
What are some books that all Christian educators should read?
Christian Altena begins the discussion:
Hello all,
I must admit that I don’t find myself reading very much outside my subject area, especially during the school year. So to start, a Christian teacher should be well read within their discipline. As a history teacher, I believe I owe it to my students to be a digger and a researcher. I want to provide them the rich background of stories and opinions that their textbooks are so bad at consistently providing. The teaching of history can be especially lively because of the subject’s constant dance with perspective, opinion, and revision. As a result, a Christian history teacher’s reading should include a multitude of perspectives.
Here’s a partial list of history books that are well thumbed:
Another book I keep returning to is Creation Regained, by Al Wolters. I have found this book to be invaluable in helping me communicate to my students just what it is that a Reformed and Christian education is all about. Ideas like the four worldview questions (Who are we? Where are we? What’s the problem? What’s the solution?), the concepts of “structure/direction,” and the “sacred/secular” dichotomy frequently find expression in my classroom.
- Christian
New panel member Rebecca De Smith joins the discussion:
I agree with Christian that it is hard for teachers to find time to read outside of their discipline, especially during the school year. But the flexibility of summer offers teachers an opportunity to refocus and refresh themselves as they look ahead to the challenges of a new school year. Here are some books that have helped to shape many teachers and classrooms:
Happy reading!
- Rebecca
Bruce Wergeland offers another perspective:
Greetings
I have been wrestling with this question for some time, and I have decided that I cannot answer it. Let me explain.
First, the question implies that all Christian educators read purposefully: to imagine reality from a different perspective or so that they can assess their own perceptions, biases, or priorities. They don’t. Unfortunately, for some, teaching becomes simply a job and reading is only for leisure, not for learning. However, most Christian educators are lifelong students, and consequently, there are no excuses, no best books, and limited time to read a book twice. Books are purchased, cherished, and reviewed when new thoughts call for the wisdom of a second opinion. The quotes and chapters of books become constant companions that continually challenge educators to perceive the world with a greater sense of empathy.
Second, I do not believe there can be an exclusive reading list for any Christian educator because books represent the ideas and narratives of individuals, and all readers select, critique, and consume books that appeal to their own understanding of humanity. When I recommend a book to colleagues, my hope is that they will engage the discourse or narrative, and then allow their interpretation of the language to lead them to new places, ideas, and questions in their own lives. I do not expect “my book” to have the same profound impact on them as it did on me. Reading is an act of authority because we allow the meaning of language to enter our mind on our own terms.
As an educator, I am reading a diverse selection of genres, topics, and authors that inspire me to consider deeply a story of brokenness, to engage a description of creation, or to accept a challenge to be faithful. It is not just the topic or the book title that draws me, but the notion that someone has taken time to relate their story or discoveries within an academic discipline or literary genre. After all, language must be constructed within the context of a human experience, and no book can offer anything more than a personal perspective or interpretation. From St. Augustine to stories of Communist China to Muslim novels, I am reading for understanding rather than knowledge.
I do not know if I can ever provide anyone with “my reading list,” but I do know that reading new books is helping me to listen (more), before I speak.
- Bruce
Tony Kamphuis jumps in with more titles:
Interesting comments, Bruce.
Here are some books I love and that (almost) all Christian teachers would benefit from reading:
One thing I think is of great benefit is to read a solid magazine like The Atlantic or The Economist that pulls your brain into any one of a number of different directions. Christianity Today keeps you up to speed on developments within the evangelical and broader Christian world, and I really enjoy Books and Culture-an excellent way of staying on top of thoughtful Christian inquiry into your area of teaching. This makes me realize I haven’t gotten a copy for a while … my subscription must have ended, and so should this breviary of books. Speaking of a breviary: Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin, by Cornelius Plantinga-what a great book!
- Tony K.
New panel member Mary Ashun contributes more titles:
It was good to read some of the titles previously suggested and know that at one point in time, I had the time to read them! Time is a crucial factor for classroom teachers. As some have mentioned, I have also found that sometimes encouragement is needed in the form of books that are not necessarily trying to make you intellectual and sophisticated. Instead, they pique your interest in things around you and cause you to ask even bigger questions than the ones you’ve previously asked. As such, my “recommended” list (in no particular order) will not really be highbrow most of the time, but contain books that in the past have caused me to ask what my role is: as a teacher, as a mother, as a Christian, as a friend, as a global citizen.
And now I must stop because I feel like reading …
- Mary
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