I am a Maths teacher at Marrara Christian College and a curriculum coach for the NT Christian Schools. I started teaching as a mature-age student after working overseas in humanitarian aid work and starting a family. I love going for walks on the beach at sunrise and sunset and exploring new places by bicycle with my husband (particularly if it involves a café).
When I began to teach at a Christian school, I was confronted with the need to teach mathematics from a biblical perspective and couldn’t find many examples to show me how to do this. I turned to passages in the Bible, such as Genesis 1 and Job 38, that revealed the mathematical structure and order used by God in creating the world, which gave me an overarching perspective to teach students. Recognising mathematics as a useful tool for serving others, I sought to build units of work around this. However, I struggled to find the words to authentically answer the question, “Why are we learning this?” especially when doing abstract topics such as algebra. I was also concerned that students often view mathematics as boring and irrelevant other than for some distant ‘good job’. Therefore, I began to study for my Master of Education through the National Institute of Christian Education to explore these concerns.
I soon realised that I had been trying to ‘add’ the Bible to my lessons; instead, the biblical narrative should underpin everything we do. Colossians 1 tells us that God’s dominion “isn’t limited to ‘religious’ bits. It reaches into every nook and cranny of the school yard and throughout His creation” (Dickens et al., 2015, p. 10), and should shape my approach to mathematics, pedagogy, and curriculum.
My desire is that our students will know their place in God’s kingdom. That they would be equipped, through the lens of mathematics, to live as God intends, not just in the future but right now! That they would be “salt and light” (Matthew 5:13-16), bringing hope to their communities, or as one of my students recently said, that they would be “wise influencers for good”.
In sharing these resources, my hope is that you will also come to see that mathematics is not religiously neutral. There is a ‘worldview’ behind everything we do, whether articulated or not; therefore, I offer some words and ideas for you to consider as you shape your own classroom narrative and, in turn, build upon these ideas to share with others.
One of my favourite quotes:
“True motivation and inspiration for mathematics lies in the observance of God’s created order. The wonder of creation… reveals a God who is not boring. Hence, true mathematics teaching should be taught in a room, not with mirrors on the walls, but with windows wide open to the outside world.”
