How Do You Incorporate Religion into Your Education Philosophy?

[engu]

If religion plays an important part in your life, how do you incorporate it into your philosophy of education? More importantly, how do you teach it and apply it through homeschooling or afterschooling? Do you start with a Unit Study approach or something else?

[FlockOfSillies]

Hi engu,

 

You might want to post this question on the K-8 curriculum board. It's more focused on school-subject topics. The General Board is kind of a free-for-all.

[GWOB]

Every day I say a prayer similar to the following: "Oh dear God, please let me survive this day without shipping my children off to some remote location." Throughout the day I am often heard saying this to my children "For the love of God and all things Holy, please complete your assignment!"

 

Sorry, couldn't resist. I know I'm useless.

[sbgrace]

I see religion (in our case I would term it relationship with God and others) as integrated into all of life. In other words, our life is the teacher for our children in a much more effective way than anything we directly teach. This would be true homeschooled or schooled outside the home and research backs it up. This would be true for any religion or world view or views without religion as well. Most kids will become what they see. For myself that is the great responsibility. So here modeling--prayer, reactions, how we handle life and interactions is the main thing in my mind. From a homeschooling perspective my kids get to see "more" of that modeling than they would if they weren't homeschooled and that's for better or worse.

 

That said, we do have a bible type lesson (I'd call it a devotional) every day and on Saturday and Sunday we have family bible times where I plan a more elaborate lessons. Right now that involves working through the Old Testament again.

 

But this is knowledge and knowledge itself isn't anything. I do hope it communicates the importance and that the knowledge they absorb bears fruit in their lives. I think it will because I believe that's how it works. But I think the living is what matters.

[Rosie_0801]

It is important to us to spend serious time on all the major religions, and surrounding issues because religion, along with psychology and philosophy are hugely important for understanding our fellow humans. And even the introverts have to spend a lot of time dealing with them ;) There's a lot less fear and anger when you understand where the other person is coming from, even if you don't agree. For example, I can speak Christianese with the best of 'em ;)

 

How this will look in day to day reality is not something I can comment on yet, of course, but I have plans :tongue_smilie:

 

Rosie

[Ginevra]

Every day I say a prayer similar to the following: "Oh dear God, please let me survive this day without shipping my children off to some remote location." Throughout the day I am often heard saying this to my children "For the love of God and all things Holy, please complete your assignment!"

:lol::lol::lol: BWWAHHAHHAHHA!!! Dang, I wish I had written that!

[Peela]

Mostly, we just live what we believe, and talk about it - it's not separate from our lives. I haven't taught it as a separate subject, per say. We tend to relate more to being "spiritual" rather than "religious" and don't have a dogma to share.

 

However I have taught world religions through history, and that has been an easy and practical way to do it. I have spent extra time on the religions I wanted them to get a good feel for, such as Buddhism.

K12 has a good world history course for middle school kids- History Odyssey- and that is secular and covers the origins of the major religions quite well. Certainly a good starting point. I would use it again. (I just used the narrative book, which you can buy separately,not the whole enrolled K12 course, and built a course around it.)

[creekland]

God is very important to us (we are Christian), but I have never made learning about God a special course in our schoolwork as I never want my kids to compartmentalize it or see it as work as they might another subject. Instead, God is just part of our lives. He's something we could talk about at any time, in any subject, or just in our everyday lives. It's been that way since our kids were born, so it's normal around here.

 

We don't require Bible study - that's purely on a "want to do it" basis. We do go to church most Sundays and the kids have youth groups Wednesday and Thursday evenings (different groups). They willingly attend these. I'm not sure how I'd handle it if they didn't want to go. It's never come up. I'd deal with it then if it did.

 

Our texts are sometimes religious and sometimes secular. I use what I think is best for the subject involved. If a religious author has a differing view than we do, it makes a nice discussion.

 

Around middle school my boys all learned about the various world religions. I think that's superbly important. Plus, we teach tolerance as one of our major philosophies... if we want the right to believe and worship God as we desire, we need to allow others that same right even if we disagree with them (this goes for atheists too). We can get along, yet disagree - whether religion, politics, social issues, or whatever.

 

At this point, all three of my boys share our faith and appear to have made it their own. They've grown strong in their daily faith and tend to be leaders where they go. I think a big part of that was never pushing any of it on them - we just lived our choice of life out in our daily life. Quite honestly, even if they ended up rejecting our faith, I'd still love them. I'm their mom! But it's nice to see them sharing what we consider to be so important.

[Harriet Vane]

We approach it in two ways. I have always been careful to talk to my children about relating to God as a friend, so there have always been as-we-go-along discussions and prayer as well as outreach to the needy and hurting. Church attendance is part of the dynamic. We have also always prayed with our children before bed and briefly at mealtimes. Doing these things integrates God into the fabric of our everyday life.

 

I consider it absolutely indispensable to also have a disciplined study of the Bible. Our faith is strongest when supported with logic, reason, study. When the kids are younger, this takes the form of a daily Bible time (answering questions, etc.), and takes only about 10-15 minutes per day. In the middle years we continue in Bible study, but I include a year of focusing on Bible study methods and a year on philosophy/worldview. By the time my dd reached 8th grade, we transitioned to having her do both her Bible class, but also a personal, shorter, private prayer time on her own (separating out the friendship with God from the study of the Bible).

 

In high school the study aspect will include classes on Old and New Testament survey, Christian history, World Religions, etc.

[eternalknot]

If religion plays an important part in your life, how do you incorporate it into your philosophy of education?

 

I make a conscious effort to not get overly attached to certain curriculum, methodology, or plans. I step away from the idea that there is a "best" curricula/method/lesson plan, and work with what I have (both child and material). My philosophy of education is very much a go-with-the-flow and if-it-ain't-broke type of thing. It's about focusing on the now and the lesson moreso than later and the end goal.

 

More importantly, how do you teach it and apply it through homeschooling or afterschooling? Do you start with a Unit Study approach or something else?

 

Well, I'm Buddhist. It's something that just pops up randomly throughout our day, in the things that I say and the rituals I have. My kids are being raised with a Buddhist philosophy, but their faith is Catholic. I've incorporated Catholic tradition into their daily lives (morning rosary, lenten and advent activities, prayers before meals, celebrating certain saint days - particularly their name saints!) but also into their education. I include important saint and church histories in their history and literature studies, and I also use a Catholic catechism curricula as a separate subject (they don't go to our church catechism). Copywork is sometimes taken from the Bible, or Saint's studies. Art sometimes includes works or artists of Catholic persuasion. Science, too, especially since we've just finished up the Middle Ages and are moving forward from there. Lots of interesting discussions.

 

We live in the Bible Belt; it's overwhelmingly Christian (the type that don't consider Catholics to be Christian, and certainly have no regard for Eastern faiths). Because my kids are Catholic, and I have little local support, I teach it as a separate subject whilst trying to make it a part of our daily lives as best I can. They have a significant amount of exposure to other religions by virtue of our friendships, mine and theirs. They're very curious, and I think having different religions without their family makes them a bit more respectful and accepting of differences. I'll probably include a formal World Religion class at some point (if not at homeschool, then afterschool) but for now they're pretty familiar with the biggies :)

[kalphs]

Dh and I have done this with Dd...

Since our faith is Christian our family attends Sunday worship at our church each week along with family activities. In the morning we have a devotional along with breakfast. Dd belongs to the Awana Club at our church, so she is learning about the Christian faith and how it applies to her everyday life. In the evening after dinner Dh reads from Arthur Maxwell's "The Bible Story."

A couple of years back I taught world cultures/world geography. The book we used for world religions was "DK Faith Just Like Mine" which is excellant!

While looking at curriculum Dh and I tend to look at material which is "non sectarian."

Resources which will teach Dd the concepts/give her a firm foundation for math, science, history, lanugage arts, foreign language, art and music. It is our job to teach Dd what our religious beliefs are and why we believe what we believe. It is not up to the Holtzman's, Dr. Jay Wiley, Jeannie Fulbright, or Marie Hazel to teach our child theology, it is our responsibility. If the material we choose happens to contain "theological content" we skip over it.

I like Susan's statement in the WTM, " We believe that religion's role in both the past and the present cultures is best taught by the parents from the strength of their own faith. I don't want my six year old taught religion in school. That's my job. It is my responsibility to teach my children what I believe, why I believe it, and why it makes a difference."

Edited October 24, 2010 by kalphs