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 Christian schools need certified and highly competent Christian teachers. They cannot accept less because the school is "just a Christian school." Teachers in Christian schools must be knowledgeable about the subject matter they teach and about pedagogical issues and principles they use to help children learn. They need to have a positive Christian world and life view and be able to provide Biblical and spiritual leadership to their students and to others in their school community. Christian teachers should be competent practitioners, able to make their knowledge and theory work to benefit students. Students need more than "nice" Christian experiences only; they must learn and demonstrate their learning, and their teachers must be skilled in directing and assessing that learning.
The level of competence required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education is a base level, but teachers in Christian schools must also have a foundational understanding of Biblical Christian education beyond the base level, and reflect that understanding in their teaching and in their critique of issues and trends in both secular and Christian education.
This minor is for prospective teachers who believe that a Christian school may be where they belong or who wish to have the background and perspective that the minor will help them develop. The minor is not intended to stand alone but to be a significant supplement to the elementary or to one of the secondary certification programs. Given the size of the elementary and secondary certification programs at Geneva College, students should plan carefully in taking the Christian School Teaching Minor. Students interested in this minor should check with their advisors or with the Chairperson of the Education Department for further details. | 
