Welcome back,

I'm grateful you're here! Today's letter dives into a bit of cultural context I wish I had known earlier in my career as a Christian educator. I hope it gives food for thought, no matter your role or experience, because this is the stuff your teacher training may not have shared or connected to your day-to-day work.

When Teacher Training and Experiences Collide with School Culture

I attended public schools throughout my childhood and undergraduate studies (many moons ago for this Gen-Xer). My initial teacher training and experiences immersed me in Piaget and Dewey's learning theories and all things differentiated. My first teaching job was at a public charter school in Connecticut, where they used the Bank Street teaching model and focused heavily on student-centered learning. My first exposure to teaching reading and writing was when they handed me the three-inch-thick Guiding Readers and Writers by Fountas & Pinnell and said, “Here is your English curriculum.” My initial training and experiences represent what many today may attribute to the current ills in our education system.

When I first started teaching in a Christian school (again, many moons ago), I faced two contradictory responses to my teaching. On one hand, the school leaders elevated me to a teacher-leader role because they observed how my instructional practices engaged my students and stretched beyond traditional teaching methods. On the other hand, I faced strong pushback from teachers (and some leaders), and for the life of me I could not figure out why. In one instance, a leader told me it was because my practices looked too much like what the public schools were doing. My quick response was What does that matter? Christian education is distinct in other ways. Why not use evidence-based practices that support student learning?

These questions followed me for many years, especially as I continued to encounter Christian school faculty who demanded research on teaching practices but were wary, and sometimes staunchly resistant toward that research.

All treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ (Colossians 2:3)

Through my doctoral journey, I discovered some historical context that offered my first potential insights into this tension around teaching practices and research. To some, this history may seem elementary. For me, though, whose teacher training included nothing about a biblical worldview, this history shed important light on what prompted Christian schools as institutions. It gave me a glimpse into the foundational liturjis that make Christian schools distinct. It did not change my mind about the value of teaching practices but rather expanded my understanding of my role as a Christian school teacher (More to come in future letters). I bullet-pointed some highlights below and reference them at the end in case you want to dive deeper (in all your free time ;).

A Bit on Christian Scholarship and the Enlightenment era (@1750–1820; Mactavish, 2026) A biblical worldview of knowledge is rooted in Scripture that proclaims God created all things (Genesis 1 & 2), that He is before all things and in Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:17), and all treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ (Colossians 2:3). Its end goal is to point people towards more Christlikeness. The assumption that knowledge comes from God, something divinely transcendent, was widely accepted for centuries. In philosophical terms, this is called pre-modern thought. However, during the Enlightenment era (@1750–1820), modern scientific reasoning that is grounded in human observation alone challenged the pre-modern view. At first, Christian proponents thought scientific inquiry could advance God’s kingdom, still placing all knowledge under God's authority. Over time, though, scientific reasoning dominated academia and repositioned the assumed source of all knowledge from God to people.

A Bit on the Common Schools Movement in the United States (Late 1700s–Early 1800s; Mactavish, 2026) As the US colonies came together as a nation, a growing need emerged to support the social well-being of the influx of immigrants, requiring broader outreach and an emphasis on democratic ideals and citizenship training. This led to the common schools movement, which became known as public schools. Biblical principles initially drove moral development in common schools. It was believed that linking the Bible, faith, and education to developing knowledgeable citizens would ensure liberty and freedom. However, court battles over which Bible and which Christian activities to use in common schools eventually led to the removal of all Christian activities. A Bit on Progressive Learning Theory (Late 1800s–Early 1900s) Progressive educational ideas from folks like Dewey, emphasizing academics as well as discipline, character building, and social development, began to permeate common schools. Many Reformed Christians saw (and still see) Dewey’s ideas as an overreach because of sacred beliefs around parental influence. Sectarian and philosophical differences about common schools led many Protestants to develop a separate Christian education system. ​ ​

Now, if you’re like me and entered Christian education because you loved Jesus and teaching and were thrilled you could do both freely, this history may seem excessive. BUT here’s why this history matters to your day-to-day work as a PreK–12 Christian educator:

1. Learning theories shape our teaching and learning beliefs, whether we are aware of it or not. Because those learning theories may deny a biblical worldview of knowledge, Christians should at least recognize it and be equipped to proceed with discernment. I am NOT saying that we should completely dismiss these theories, though; otherwise we, too, are denying that all knowledge is God's. However, discerning the different end goals (or worldviews) is the deeper work Christian educators need to stay true to a biblical worldview.
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2. Every teacher, leader, and parent enters a Christian school setting with their own faith, teaching, and learning beliefs. Some of these folks know the history and what a biblical worldview entails very well, and they assume you do, too. I didn't know for a long time, and I do think that impacted some of my relationships along the way. Ultimately, this history provides perspective that may create space for better understanding of a colleague, parent, or leadership decision.
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3. This history makes part of the beautiful role you get to play in God's greater story very clear: to help restore understanding of the awe, wonder, and certainty of our all-knowing God, and to point your students toward more Christlikeness.

Final food for thought as I wrap up:

• What teaching and training experiences have shaped you? Your fellow teachers? What can you learn from each other?
• How does the history of Christian scholarship and Christian schools deepen your understanding of your parents or colleagues?
• Does this history shed light on how your school approaches teaching and learning?
• How might a deeper understanding of biblical worldview help clarify your calling as a Christian educator?

Until Next Time,

God Bless,

Dr. Christy Mactavish

References:

Fountas, I. C., & Pinnell, G. S. (2001). Guiding readers and writers, grades 3-6: Teaching comprehension, genre, and content Literacy. Heinemann Educational Books.

Marsden, G. M. (1997). The outrageous idea of Christian scholarship.

Noll, M. A. (2022). America’s Book: The rise and decline of a Bible civilization, 1794– 1911. Oxford University Press.

Slater, R. G. (2019). A Christian America restored: The rise of the Evangelical Christian school movement in America, 1920–1952. Wipf and Stock Publishers.

Trentham, J. D. (2019a). Reading the social sciences theologically (Part 1): Approaching and qualifying models of human development. Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry, 16(3), 458–475. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739891319885463

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