Observation # 3 Gateway Christian School

Juggling two jobs while attending school full-time hasn't allowed for me to conduct more than three observations. However, I feel that I have gained valuable insight into the reality of life in the classroom and the teaching profession. I also expect to continue to develop and improve upon my teaching abilities as I progress through the Bachelor of Education program.

My final observation occurred at Gateway Christian School, which is located down the hill from my house in a neighborhood of mixed dwellings, both modern and traditional. While walking past the melody of old and new houses, I contemplated what I would observe at Gateway - a school that is modern in it's location but traditional in it's values and beliefs. I am not a practicing member of the Christian faith, so the religious aspect of Gateway intrigued me. I wondered how Christianity would be incorporated into the curriculum?

I didn't have long to wonder, as I was immediately assigned to the grade 4 class team taught by Mrs. Neilson and Mr. Kanenborg. The class began it's day with an exercise referred to as "Bible Warm Up". In this activity students were required to answer questions about a certain passage from the Bible. The teachers emphasized self and peer evaluation, but patrolled the class for students seeking additional assistance. The classroom walls were plastered with a myriad of Christian teachings that followed the school's mission of "...providing a Christ-centered education in which students are encouraged to serve God joyfully, in all areas of life."

Following the daily "Bible Warm Up" exercise, students gathered at the front of room, where four stools had been placed for the two teachers, myself and my fellow classmate, Jamie. Students were permitted to ask questions pertaining to the schedule of their classes that day, as well as anything else that was weighing on their minds. Students also asked questions of myself and Jamie, relating to our experiences as student teachers. It was a very warm, positive and loving experience.

Once the question session was completed, students watched a video that explained the difference between Biblical and modern Israel. Jamie and I were assigned to another class during the video.

While we walked the halls to our next observation, I noticed that the walls were filled with various tenets of the Christian faith. Students were encouraged to conduct themselves in a manner that closely resembled what was expected of them by God. This encouragement was reiterated in each of the classrooms I entered, and occasionally by the teachers. I am unsure if there is a correlation between the atmosphere of respect and the Christian beliefs promoted by the school, but I felt that the learning environment was vastly different than that of my previous observation placements.