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What is important to you? What are you passionate about?

Simply being a good person, having the love and support of my family and being happy is what is most important to me. I am passionate about cooking, reading and spending time with my family, friends and my animals. Professionally, being a good teacher is important to me and something that I am passionate about. I strive to be a teacher that is able to identify and nurture a student’s individual strengths and talents. I like to think that I am making a positive impact in the lives of my students, supporting them to learn, grow and develop. If I can have a positive impact in my student’s lives by helping them to see how important they are and showing them the impact they can make, I feel I am doing my job justice.

What has brought you to this Lutheran school or ECS?

The opportunity to work in a school that values the individual child and provides its students with a nurturing environment where they feel supported to learn, grow and develop. After learning about the school values and approaches to teaching I felt it was a good fit as it resonated with what I value for teaching and learning. The community culture and teaching of life values that will set students up for success were a great attraction to teaching at the school.

What questions do you have about Lutheran education and your role?

- How can I best support my students in their faith journey when I feel I am only just beginning my own faith journey?
- How do I navigate questions of conflict between faith and the law?

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Attached is a word document addressing Outcomes 1, 2 and 3.

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Connect ePortfolio - Outcomes Document - Grace Greenham

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What is important in Lutheran education?

- Core values of love, justice, compassion, forgiveness, service, humility, courage, hope, quality, appreciation.
- Importance of community, strengthening relationships with families, the community and God
- Promoting Christian growth and development, teaching of the gospel

What questions emerge for you after viewing the sites and videos?

- How can I embed the core values and beliefs that underpin Lutheran faith and education in my daily teaching practice?

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This video clip from the Connect 4 padlet was informative because it gave me a better understanding of the history of the Bible as well as how scripture has been shaped into different forms of the Bible for differing religious traditions. It also made me wonder just how different the Bible is in these different forms. I understand that there are differing ideas on how to read and understand the Bible scripture and this is something I would like to find out more about.

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'While theology of creation emphasises the importance of each person, it stresses that individuals are created for inter-dependence rather than for independence' (Bartsch 2013).

I have always believed that relationships and building community are essential to creating a positive learning environment for students. This reading also discussed how God seeks out relationships with each of us and it is intended for us to build a community and depend on one another. It explains that God puts us in closer relationships with some people and this made me consider that as teachers we have been placed in an important role to help build relationships with our students and support them in developing their faith with God.

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'Since both theology and natural science seek to explore the truth in relation to the origin of the universe, and since both seek to take reality seriously, ultimately they need not be in conflict' (Bartsch 2012, p.1).

This reading was a useful tool to reflect on my understanding of Creation as I feel there is so much conflict in society with arguments around the Bible vs Science. As a beginning teacher I can sometimes find these conflicting arguments difficult to navigate, not knowing what to say. I appreciated the reflections within this article and how it looks at it from both perspectives, not looking at trying to draw out conflictions, instead focusing on how Creation and Science instead can be complimentary to one another.

Bartsch, M. (2013). A God who speaks and acts: theology for teachers in Lutheran schools. Adelaide: Lutheran Education Australia p55-58

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After exploring the areas that involve you, record your thinking and what you would like to know more about.

Worship – providing students with the opportunity to pray, sing and praise God.

Devotion – the importance of daily devotion and having the opportunity to speak to and praise God. Reflecting on strengthening my own class devotions by including bible stories in addition to prayer and song.

Learning and values – Lutheran schools aim to encourage and support students, informed and sustained by the Word of God, to develop their God given talents so that they may shape and enrich their world. Highlighting the importance of community.

Christian Studies – curriculum built upon four key areas of Christian Beliefs, Christian Church, Christian Living, and Christianity in the World. Focus on reflection of the world, own beliefs and spirituality.

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‘We may be the only copy of the bible that some people will ever see’ (Grieger 2018, p.1).

This reading and quote stood out to me from Session 1 because as a teacher in a Lutheran school this is so important to recognise. You may be the only person a student ever meets that shares with them the love both God and Jesus have for them. This resonated with me just how much power we have as teachers and the responsibility we have to our students and our school to ensure we are passing on the message and supporting our students to build their own relationship with God.

Greiger, N. (2018). Introduction to spirituality of Lutheran education. Lutheran Education Australia.

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This resource on the Padlet from Powell's Lutheran Bible Study (2009) stood out to me as it made me consider that there is more than one way to read the Bible. Often as humans, we have been conditioned to read to gain information and therefore we take things quite literally, as Powell discusses looking at 'the plain meaning of the text'. For me, I have found it challenging knowing how to read and interpret the stories and books in the Bible and this article made me truly consider that there is more than just one way to read and interpret the Bible. I feel this insight will help me as I continue to explore the Bible and begin teaching Christian Studies.

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In the Padlet was a link to the story of Jesus and the Samaritan Woman on Enter the Bible. Through accessing this link and further exploring 'Enter the Bible' I have found this to be a very useful resource because in addition to accessing particular stories you can also find a great deal of information about the books in the Bible. For example, I was able to view an overview of the book of John, as well as background information, theological themes and additional links to podcasts and videos. This will continue to be a useful resource for me, especially as I prepare to begin teaching Christian Studies. I also believe that this resource would be extremely useful for our senior primary students to explore the Bible in more detail in engaging ways.

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Old Testament

Genesis

Exodus

Leviticus

Numbers

Deuteronomy

Joshua

Judges

Ruth

1 Samuel

2 Samuel

1 Kings

2 Kings

1 Chronicles

2 Chronicles

Ezra

Nehemiah

Esther

Job

Psalms

Proverbs

Ecclesiastes

Song of Songs

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Lamentations

Ezekiel

Daniel

Hosea

Joel

Amos

Obadiah

Jonah

Micah

Nahum

Habakkuk

Zephaniah

Haggai

Zechariah

Malachi

New Testament

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

Acts

Romans

1 Corinthians

2 Corinthians

Galatians

Ephesians

Philippians

Colossians

1 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians

1 Timothy

2 Timothy

Titus

Philemon

Hebrews

James

1 Peter

2 Peter

1 John

2 John

3 John

Jude

Revelation

Old Testament

Genesis

Exodus

Leviticus

Numbers

Deuteronomy

Joshua

Judges

Ruth

1 Samuel

2 Samuel

1 Kings

2 Kings

1 Chronicles

2 Chronicles

Ezra

Nehemiah

Esther

Job

Psalms

Proverbs

Ecclesiastes

Song of Songs

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Lamentations

Ezekiel

Daniel

Hosea

Joel

Amos

Obadiah

Jonah

Micah

Nahum

Habakkuk

Zephaniah

Haggai

Zechariah

Malachi

New Testament

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

Acts

Romans

1 Corinthians

2 Corinthians

Galatians

Ephesians

Philippians

Colossians

1 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians

1 Timothy

2 Timothy

Titus

Philemon

Hebrews

James

1 Peter

2 Peter

1 John

2 John

3 John

Jude

Revelation

Explore the Biblical Book: John

Overview

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What's it about?

The beloved “fourth gospel” presents a portrait of Jesus that it is at once engaging and profound.

Associated Time Period(s):

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The beloved "fourth gospel" presents a portrait of Jesus that it is at once engaging and profound.

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I enjoyed reading this chapter and how it discussed some of the focal themes for Creation, including:
- The world is real, it is important and it is the ultimate manifestation of God
- The world is good, it demonstrates God's creativity and the world is loved by God
- We belong to the world, it does not belong to us, it belong to God
- We are fundamentally part of the Earth, it was here before us and will be here after us as well
- We are one, all children of God
- We are created by and called to God
-  God calls us along with our special gifts to be stewards of creation

It helped me to better understand and critically think about Creation and how it applies to my role as a teacher in a Lutheran school. Creation provides purpose for us and our lives.

Christensen, T. (2004). The Gift and Task of Lutheran Higher Education. Augsburg/Fortress Press. pp. 37-42.

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4. The Lutheran church and Lutheran education

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4. The Lutheran church and Lutheran education

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What questions do you have about the Lutheran church?

- How does the local Lutheran church work together with the school?
- How does the Lutheran church support the spiritual development of its teachers?

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This clip, while brief, helped to clearly explain the concept of God’s grace to me. That God’s grace is not something we need to earn, instead it shapes how we choose to live our lives. I liked that it acknowledged that no matter how hard we try, we are both sinner and saint simultaneously and God comes to each and every one of us to show us His guidance (Bolz-Weber 2013).

Bolz-Weber, N. (2013). Lutheran Theology in 90 seconds. YouTube.

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Lutheran Theology in 90 Seconds -- Nadia Bolz Weber

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How can we know about God?

- Read the Bible which teaches us to know about God and his creations

How does God’s word form and inform Lutheran education communities and my role?

- Setting the standard for Lutheran education core values
- Provides clear standards for schools, teachers and students to provide and receive high quality education that is centred around Christ, therefore allowing everyone to use their God given talents to thrive, flourish and serve others

What are the most significant aspects of Lutheran theology for Lutheran education?

- Understanding and embracing God's grace, relationships and community
- Working together to promote Christian growth and development
- Sharing God's word, the central message and Gospel
- Understanding that each child is unique and has their own God given talents and abilities
- Recognising our own personal identity and worth to positively contribute to Lutheran education

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Why does Lutheran education value community?

- Because everything is centred around God and we are all God's children, we have been brought together by God as such everything in a Lutheran education community is in relation to God and being in relation with God.

In what ways has the learning about community informed your understanding of Lutheran education and your contribution?

- It further strengthened my understanding of the importance of community and why I value relationships and building community as a teacher. It has encouraged me to think about how I am fostering community within my classroom.

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How does creation theology inform the why and how of Lutheran education?

- It provides us with the opportunity to share the Word of God and the wonderful world he created. It allows us to help our students understand their place in the world and the gift it is to be part of something bigger. Creation theology informs our daily lives, allowing us to reflect on how we belong to something more than ourselves. It informs our role as an educator, including both what and how we teach.

How does creation theology shape an aspect of your work with students?

- Reflecting on Creation theology gives me perspective on how I am a child of God as are the students that I teach. How God loves all of his children and I have the responsibility to help shape and guide my students, sharing with them the Word of God and how loved and cared for they are, but also how they can continue that message and share it with others too.

What questions or issues does the concept raise for me and how can I explore my questions?

- Having some families who do not believe, how do I answer students questions about conversations at home where families have told their children that God did not create them?

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• What are important aspects of spirituality from a Lutheran perspective?

- God's grace
- Relationships and community
- Faith

• In what ways might the concept of grace shape Lutheran education communities?

- Our philosophy for teaching and education
- How teachers and school staff can work together to support one another and share the Good News with the education community

• In what ways might the concept of grace inform the understanding of my role and my contribution?
- How I teach, engage and care for my students
- How I support and connect with the families of my students and the families in our school community
- How I represent myself in the classroom, school and wider community

• What questions or issues does the concept raise for me and how can I explore my questions?
- How can we support families who are hesitant to share in the Good News and God's grace?