I grew up in a very religious household. My father is a pastor and my mom ran the Sunday School area for the children. My family’s religious beliefs crossed over into my and my siblings schooling. My dad always told us that it was his responsibility to teach us about God and it was our teachers job to educate us on the core subjects; Math, English, Science, and History. According to Van Brummelen (2002), “Responsibility teaching views the student as unique, made in the image of God, redeemable in Christ, creative, a little less than the angels, but fallen, flawed and floundering” (p. 38). My family was always taught the “Golden Rule”. My parents were very strict with us treating everyone equal and always showing the face of Christ, whether that was in school or outside of school. I think this shaped my siblings
and I in the way we acted and treated others during the school day. We would help our
peers when we could and assist the teachers if they needed. I was always my teachers go-to student to walk around with the students who were new to the school or students
who were having rough days and just needed a friend. I know the way I was raised and how I acted during my education has shaped me into wanting to be a teacher and include every student to feel accepted in the classroom.
Matthew 5:14-16 states, “14 You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way,
let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (English Standard Version Bible, 2001, Matthew 5:14-16). Creating
a safe and welcoming environment for my students starts by showing my students everyone is loved. Every student is welcomed for who they are. In the book of Matthew, it states that [you] are the light of the world, so I will do my best to ensure that every child feels as though they are the light that keeps our classroom and bright and positive environment. English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online.
https://esv.literalword.com/
Van Brummelen, H. (2002). Book Review: In Defence of Religious Schools and Colleges. Journal of Education and Christian Belief, 6(1), 79-80. https://doi.org/10.1177/205699710200600108
