Engaging with Wonder | Teacher’s Desk with Kristi Schliep and Missy Takano (Ep. 232)

How can we spark wonder in the classroom? Are questions encouraged or an inconvenience? Missy Takano and Kristi Schliep return to the podcast for this round table conversation centered on personal experience and Scripture. Missy and Kristi share insights and ideas for teachers, parents, and school leaders looking to foster curiosity from a Biblical worldview.

• “The best possible way to engage with truth is to start by understanding our need for it, and I think that’s ultimately what a question is – a recognition that there’s something here that I’m curious about, something I want an answer for.” -Missy
• “With question-asking, there’s a recognition that everyone in the room has something to bring to the conversation.” -Kristi
• “I want to celebrate the curiosity and the courage that they’ve just [shown] by asking the question.” -Missy
• “If we’re going to ask our students to have intellectual humility, then we need to be willing to do that, as well.” -Kristi
• “Where’s this question coming from? What do you think about this? What else is this connected to?” -Missy
• “As followers of Jesus, there can be a desire for certainty [...] the invitation is to trust Jesus.” -Kristi
• “If our students believe in the good character of a good God, then it is so safe to bring their questions to him and to the community to discuss those things.” -Kristi
• “I want to set an environment in my response [...] celebrating the courage that lies behind asking a question that’s filled with doubt.” -Missy
• Learn more about honor-shame in the classroom here.
• “There’s this inherent, God-given, beautiful virtue within humanity to learn and to desire truth, and that is intended to leads us to the One who is truth Himself.” -Missy
• Psalm 104
• “The more we can play and delight and wonder, the more security our kids have in that themselves.” -Kristi
• “What are the questions at the heart of this particular subject that we want to keep in mind?” -Missy

What’s changing our lives:

• Keane: Reading through 100 top-ranked books
• Heather: Consistently serving in kids church
• Missy: Access to scholarly databases
• Kristi: Planting a wildflower garden

Weekly Spotlight: Black Forest Academy

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