The annual Anglican Schools Australia Connections Forum provides a great opportunity for those of us involved in classroom teaching to reflect on our teaching and hear from leading practitioners.
The keynote this year was delivered by Nate Armsberry from the Centre for Public Christianity. He facilitated a practical session, inviting us to think about how we respond to tricky questions in the classroom. Questions are the bread and butter of religious education teaching, but tricky questions can, by their very nature, be challenging to respond to.
Nate encouraged us to cultivate a classroom culture where students feel comfortable asking questions—even challenging ones—and to have a process in mind that helps uncover why the question matters to the student asking it.
I remember being asked the question, “Is God real?” so many times that I grew tired of answering it. Nate reminded us that while we may have heard a question numerous times, for the student asking it, it may well be the first time they have had the opportunity to do so. A genuine question always deserves a genuine response.
In an age of limited attention spans, and against a background of limited understanding of the Christian faith, student questions are crucial. They provide an important avenue for addressing common misconceptions about religion.
Nate talked us through a very helpful “triage” process for responding to tricky questions.
Connections-Forum-2026_Session-1-Resource-Risk-Assessment.pdf
We have all, no doubt, faced the challenge of what to do when the depth of response required to do a question justice for the individual who asked it exceeds the attention span of the class. Nate’s “Conversational Risk Assessment Diagram” provides a helpful framework to guide us in dealing with difficult questions.
We all seek to create a classroom where questions are welcome. One of the joys of RE teaching is the lesson that really “takes off” because of an engaging student question. Nate’s session helped ensure these occasions are not one-offs but regular features of our teaching.
In our Anglican schools, we seek to create environments where faith is not just taught but meaningfully encountered. A great deal depends on the classroom culture we create.
The forum drew to a close with two shorter sessions. The first, “Capabilities for Formation: Teaching the Curriculum with Intention,” was led by the chaplain at Swan Valley Anglican Community School, the Reverend Toby Sharing. Toby shared insights into how to create a classroom shaped by real intelligence rather than artificial intelligence. We need to teach religious education in a way that is relevant and contemporary—not simply as a history of ideas. We can take our lead from Jesus, who did not always answer questions but questioned answers.
Fiona Hammond then provided a refresher on how to make the most of the Inner Vivid resources that were shared at our ASA Brisbane conference last year.
If you were unable to attend this worthwhile event, the good news is that the recordings and resources are available on the ASA website for you to explore at your leisure.
Event Recordings and Materials – Anglican Schools Australia
While finding time in our busy schedules to attend professional development is always challenging, the Connections Forum consistently provides rich and practical insights to support our classroom teaching.
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