If the goal of catechesis is to cultivate an encounter with Christ, why do religious educators spend so much time focused almost exclusively on ideas and not experiences? The reason is that many have never been shown a method that inspires the heart while also instructing the mind. Jared Dees, creator of the popular website The Religion Teacher, shows how applying the steps of lectio divina to teaching can reorient religious education toward encountering the person of Christ rather than merely sharing information about him. In Christ in the Classroom, Catholic author and speaker Jared Dees applies the five steps of lectio divina—reading/learning, meditation, prayer, contemplation, and action—to the ministry of catechesis. He offers teachers and catechists a practical framework for preparing lessons that broaden the focus of teaching from mostly intellectual learning to also encountering Christ in prayer, reflection, and action. Using this method, students and catechists come to know intimately the person of Christ at the same time that they are learning the tenets and traditions of the Church. Dees shares stories of success and failure from his own teaching experience and he offers dozens of field-tested strategies, tactics, and teaching methods to effectively integrate the steps of lectio divina into the classroom or other catechetical setting. Outfitted with these tools, both experienced and new religious educators will feel confident in their ability to teach effectively and lead their students to a life-changing encounter with Jesus.

As a teacher, you long to help others do more than understand the Bible. You want them to experience its relevance and power for their lives. Teaching like Jesus is the answer! This commonsense guide offers examples of Jesus' teaching style from the Gospels, then shows how you can make these principles work for you -- regardless of what age group or ethnic background you're dealing with. Using a proven, four-step plan, Teaching Like Jesus gives you action steps, summaries, and other practical resources that will make your classroom a lively place to learn and apply the lessons so vitally important for transforming lives and nurturing disciples. You'll learn to think in terms of "see, hear, and do" in your lesson plans. And you'll find sample plans for age groups and cultures ranging from African-American preschoolers to Chinese married couples.

Christian teachers have long been thinking about what content to teach, but little scholarship has been devoted to how faith forms the actual process of teaching. Is there a way to go beyond Christian perspectives on the subject matter and think about the teaching itself as Christian? In this book David I. Smith shows how faith can and should play a critical role in shaping pedagogy and the learning experience.

In our nation, Christian teachers are prohibited by law to share the message of salvation through Christ with their students. However, as highly visible members of their communities, teachers have a tremendous opportunity to lead people to Christ directly or indirectly by projecting a life that honors Christ as the person at the head of their classrooms and in their interactions with other stakeholders in the school and community. Christ in Your Classroom is a guide for educators who wish to honor God through their work, but it also emphasizes the need for Christian integrity and consistency in all areas in one’s life. Hodgdon provides a candid look into his own life story and his frequent stumbles during his walk with Christ and how God inspired him, the least likely of people in his own admission, to create this unique manual for educators.

In Teaching and Christian Practices several university professors describe and reflect on their efforts to allow historic Christian practices to reshape and redirect their pedagogical strategies. Whether allowing spiritually formative reading to enhance a literature course, employing table fellowship and shared meals to reinforce concepts in a pre-nursing nutrition course, or using Christian hermeneutical practices to interpret data in an economics course, these teacher-authors envision ways of teaching and learning that are rooted in the rich tradition of Christian practices, as together they reconceive classrooms and laboratories as vital arenas for faith and spiritual growth.

Written by veteran teacher Dalene Parker, this is an inspirational and encouraging book designed to prepare and equip teachers in the rough and tumble field of public education.

Share God's best gift with your family this year and start a lifetime of traditions with this gospel-focused, four-week Advent family devotional. Each week includes Bible readings, fun Christmas activities, songs, and an original Christmas story.

Whether you teach all day every day or once a week for an hour, the 41 devotions in "God in My Classroom" will help you understand God's presence in the important work you do. Written by a teacher, these selections focus specifically on the life of the Christian educator.

This valuable handbook helps teachers develop spiritual understanding to cherish the uniqueness of each child while challenging kids to grow up to be like Christ. Includes reproducible handouts, charts, and chapter questions for small group discussion. HeartShaper(R) Resources help children of all ages discover God's love and interact with the Bible in a way that helps them connect to God, Jesus, the church, family, and others. These age-appropriate resources can enhance any children's curriculum and help reinforce Bible lessons.