Teaching for Transformation (TfT)

This year Heritage continues the process of implementing Teaching for Transformation (TfT). In early October all of our full time teaching staff had the opportunity to spend the day at either Pella Christian, Oskaloosa Christian, or Timothy Christian School. This was an opportunity to see how these schools, who have been using this model for several years, are implementing TfT and to gain wisdom and ideas as we continue to implement the model here at Heritage.

While the entire staff continues to be introduced to TfT, four teachers, the Early Adopters, are also receiving additional training and putting into practice its various components. On October 4 & 5, these Early Adopters spent two intensive days with one of TfT’s school designers sharing their Story Boards (visual displays showing evidence of students connecting their learning to God’s story of renewal), working on the implementation of their Throughlines (discipleship habits and practices that both form the learners and transform God’s world around them), and also beginning the process of developing their FLEx project (Formation Learning Experiences which are opportunities for the learner to practice living the kingdom story).

As their website states, “Teaching for Transformation (TfT) rose out of a deep hope that Christian Schools could be places where everyone would discover their place in God’s epic love story for this world.” As we continue to follow this model in years to come, one of our deep hopes is that as our students (and teachers) continue to learn and grow, we would connect our learning to God’s story of transformation and renewal. In turn we would engage with the world around us as God worshipers, idolatry discerners, creation enjoyers, beauty creators, order discoverers, justice seekers, servant workers, earth keepers, community builders, and image reflectors.

If you’re ever in the building, we encourage you to stop in either our 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, or Middle School History & Bible rooms to see these Story Boards (some also pictured below) and the work and connection our students are making between their learning and God’s world around them.

If you would like to read more about Teaching for Transformation, check out their website at https://www.teachingfortransformation.org/