Presuppositions for Our Methods of Teaching and Learning

A "pedagogy" is a teacher or school's method and practice of instruction. An intentional pedagogy must align with a school's fundamental convictions. We believe our students are created in the image of God. Scripture describes mankind as uniquely created beings made in the image of God, male and female, with a commission to exercise dominion over the created order (Gen. 1:1, 26-31). Due to sin, the image of God has been distorted and his work made more difficult, yet the image and the commission remain (Gen. 5:1; 9:6). Because God the Son revealed to man the exact imprint of God’s image through His incarnation and has brought redemption, His people are able to conform to His image by the power of the Spirit through sanctification (2 Cor. 3:18). For the educator to teach his students humanely then, he must understand the teleology of man as a created image-bearer of God.

Being informed by the biblical account of man, the counsel of Scripture in general, and Ephesians 6, Deuteronomy 6, and Proverbs particularly, our school affirms the following beliefs when considering students and teachers in the classroom:

The nature of the learner and teacher: man is an intellectual, physical, and spiritual being created in the image of God, impacted by the fall, formed through daily practices, and called to fight against the effects of the fall in order to exercise dominion over creation to the glory of God. 

The learner’s role is to pursue academic and moral excellence while coming to know more about the Creator and His creation. The learner is to respect the authority of his parents, his teacher, and the tradition under which he sits.

The role of the teacher is to participate in God’s mission to reconcile all things to Himself. The teacher is an authority and a guide (more authority with younger/immature students and more of a guide with older/mature students); a mental, physical, and spiritual disciplinarian who teaches with humble authority and leads the student to discover the truth. The teacher must never cease being a student himself.