The Notebook

Biblical Classical teachers and students compile notebooks to help document their journeys of Biblical thinking and reasoning. As a result, a history of learning is produced. The notebook is a part of the process for internalizing and forming Biblical convictions for life and learning.

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Everything about the notebook reflects the individuality of the student. The student’s Biblical reasoning and connections are personal and kept organized in the notebook.

The Notebook is Meaningful

Instead of tossing used workbooks in the recycle bin at the end of the year, the notebook is a treasured history of:

• individual thought and reasoning
• questions that are answered or spur more thought
• a record of how to live Christianly
• a compilation of Biblical solutions to problems
• theology in various subjects
• apologetics in various subjects

It’s the teacher’s and student’s personal record of the True, Good and Beautiful, in the Biblical context.

Teachers and Students

Before they can teach, the teachers are students. As they study and create Biblical Classical lessons, they prepare for teaching with context. Instead of merely consuming facts and ideas, they interact with God’s Word. They have time to reflect and reason. A love of learning and original thought is nurtured as students consider the context of what they study.

The same is to be said of students who are teachable, active and affective learners. These students will receive what the teacher has to pour into them. Biblical Classical discussions enrich the lessons as students think through principles, internal-to-external and cause-to-effect.

The Biblical Classical Method

The notebook is generally a three-ring binder with tab dividers for each subject. However, in some instances a bound notebook with tabs may work well for older students.

Each subject’s individuality is honored because God created them. They’re unique. They each serve specific purposes— individually and collectively.

Each subject is placed on the Timeline of Liberty, and students learn how to identify where to place them. In part, they learn how God uses each subject to advance the Gospel and His idea of Liberty.

Students learn how to research each subject using primary sources. Additionally, they learn how to deduce Biblical principles that pertain to particular subjects. Research is done for the big picture of the subject and then for particular areas of study within the subject.

Time to reflect on meaningful questions and to reason from Biblical principles shows students that God’s Word is practical, intelligent, and applicable to life.

In Summary

Biblical Classical notebooks add meaning to the student’s education. They’re able to give consideration to each subject and their purposes as they create notebook pages. The notebooks are not the end goal, but they are a key aspect for developing Biblical thinking and reasoning. They’re something to treasure because they reflect the individual student.