The Ontario College of Teachers believes that its membership apply professional knowledge and experience to promote student learning. They use appropriate pedagogy, assessment and evaluation, resources and technology in planning for and responding to the needs of individual students and learning communities. Members refine their professional practice through ongoing inquiry, dialogue and reflection. (OCT, Professional Standards of Practice)
This ethical standard of care is similar to the Catholic Graduate Expectation #1: A discerning believer formed in the Catholic Faith community who celebrates the signs and sacred mystery of God's presence through word, sacrament, prayer, forgiveness, reflection and moral living.
In order to meet the OCT and the CGEs requirements I wrote a theological responses to three questions related to contextualism. By utilizing reflective methods teachers can bridges the gap between OCT inquiry and reflection; and CGEs word, reflection and moral living. In this assignment I purposely engaged the miracles and parables of Jesus, and by doing so, I was able stretch myself so to meet the rigourous expectations of the OCT while at the same time to bringing to life the Gospel.
How can we avoid allowing the literal context of the miracles and parables to overshadow their implications for us as Catholics?
Contextualisation is a good strategy for reading Biblical texts. This is the idea that Catholics cannot understand a passage until they understand the situation in which it was created. That deeper understanding is then used to approach the textual meaning through the lens that the person who originally wrote it and the people who originally read it intended.
How can we integrate the miracles and parables into the curriculum as teaching tools?
Jesus taught the people through miracles, illustrations, sermons and parables. Through his teachings he showed the true components of faith and how to guard against a fruitless and hypocritical life. His teachings show both teachers and their students how to prepare for life in his eternal Kingdom by living properly right now. He lived what he taught, and we to must practice what we teach to our students.
In order to integrate the miracles and parable into the curriculum it is necessary to take advantage of the liturgical calendar, Christian symbols, and to take advantage of the historical Jesus who lived as a man within a specific time and in a specific place.
Some integration ideas include:
- Employing charts and technology to provide visual aids that summarize Bible data and teachings.
- See the 'big picture' of Jesus by using the harmony of the Gospel miracles and parables.
- Get a wider perspective by looking for harmony with Old Testament accounts. Jesus is often present as a shadow or type within the Torah.
- Use maps of the Holy Land to show where these events occurred.
