Accreditation in Lutheran schools

The Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA) operates schools in order to make available ‘a formal education in which the gospel of Jesus Christ informs all learning and teaching, all human relationships, and all activities in the school’ [LCA and its schools].

As teachers play a vital role in the ministry of the school, the LCA ‘commits itself to the promotion and support of its schools by … providing means and opportunity for the professional theological pre-service and in-service education of teachers’ [LCA and its schools].   Through the accreditation process the LCA formally acknowledges teachers when they have completed its formation, developmental and study requirements.

Pathways is the professional development program for staff new to Lutheran schools required under the new Staffing policy for Lutheran schools

The Pathways program comprises three elements:

Pathways: spiritual focus

This program has a spiritual focus and is required of all staff (including graduates of Australian Lutheran College's Lutheran Strand).

Pathways: theological focus

This program has a theological focus and is required of teachers who need to gain accreditation as a teacher (At) or accreditation as a leader (Al).

Pathways: vocational focus

This program focuses on the Lutheran understanding of vocation and how this related to the role of teachers in Lutheran schools. It is required of teachers who need to gain accreditation as a teacher (At) or accreditation as a leader (Al).

The program provides staff with the opportunity to focus on the practice of Lutheran schooling. They will reflect on how they individually can contribute to the mission of the Lutheran school as they live out their vocation.

The program explores:

• Mission and ministry of a Lutheran school
• Vocation
• The teacher in a Lutheran school

Pathways: vocational focus materials are only available for regional facilitators.

What is Equip?

Equip is the in-service professional development program specifically designed to prepare and support teachers who teach Christian Studies in the Lutheran school. Equip is practical, equipping teachers with theology, biblical literacy, pedagogy and classroom management skills to plan for and deliver an effective Christian Studies program. A teacher new to the teaching of Christian Studies will typically be expected, with the support of their school, to complete the ten modules of Equip over their first three years of employment. Together with the completion of Pathways: Spiritual focus, the completion of Equip enables teachers to gain accreditation as a Christian Studies Teacher (Ac). Alternatively, accreditation can be fulfilled by completing Pathways: Spiritual focus and a Graduate Certificate in Theology (Christian Studies strand) at Australian Lutheran College.

Equip is designed to:

• give teachers the necessary information and tools to begin their journey in teaching and learning in Christian Studies
• supply strategies to plan and deliver a course of Christian Studies to students
• unlock the key concepts that underpin the Lutheran Education Australia (LEA) Christian Studies Curriculum Framework (CSCF)
• prepare teachers to identify and meet the challenges that will face them

Equip gives a broad overview to the learning and teaching of Christian Studies. It aims to:

• equip and support participants to develop personally as they grow in their own spiritual and theological understandings
• equip and support participants professionally as they:
  • increase in confidence to take risks and explore concepts in Christian Studies
  • develop personally and professionally
  • grow in their understanding of the purpose of Christian Studies
  • identify their role and responsibilities as teachers of Christian Studies
  • discern and make decisions about which of the significant ideas in the curriculum framework they will need to teach their students
  • grow in their knowledge of concepts and processes in teaching and learning as they relate to Christian Studies
  • conceptualise the entire learning journey for the student and identify the contribution they are making to that journey
  • increase their understanding of the spirituality of students and its implications for planning and student engagement
  • develop a range of classroom strategies that support and engage student learning in Christian Studies, develop deep understandings, imagination and connectedness with others, other learning and future life goals
  • develop a repertoire of classroom strategies for assessing students’ development in Christian Studies

Equip consists of ten modules, each a one-day workshop of approximately six hours. Each module comprises:

A workshop, built on the principles of the inquiry process

• introducing specific CSCF content
• developing and expanding theological and pedagogical concepts
• utilising a range of individual and small group strategies
• incorporating time for reflection
• applying theology and pedagogy through collaborative planning of units of work
• sharing classroom practice with other participants

Journal entries

• as a learner, reflecting on and responding to learning

Pre- and post-module activities

• reading set materials
• completing the writing/documenting of units
• trialling workshop activities and specific foci in the classroom
• collecting student data or other tasks
• (ongoing) preparing portfolio of work for final presentation

Equip facilitators

Order Equip modules online this requires your regional login

Equip facilitator resources this requires a login