Joel Apol, High School Teacher and Coach

What do you teach at Eastern Christian School?
Teaches history in high school and coaches cross country and track.
What do you love about Eastern Christian School?
“The students, the parent support, the academic freedom, the worldview focus, the idea that all corners of the world can be brought back to God’s purpose.”
Why do you like teaching at Eastern Christian? What motivated you to become a teacher at Eastern Christian?
“I like the fact that there is nothing out of bounds; that everything can and should be discussed. I’m in Christian Education because I can see no greater purpose.”
How do you teach a Christian Worldview in your classes at EC?
“I teach history….which is mostly a record of humans messing up the cultural mandate…everything is either our worldview or an attempt to excuse mans’ depravity. (Wow, is that heavy enough for you?) Every aspect of history or literature either reflects God’s purpose or rebels against it. We teach The difference.”
What is a unique experience, talent or interest that you bring to your classroom to help shape the learning experience of your students?
“I am very aware of the experiences in my life that I viewed as embarrassments or failures at the time that they happened. I now know that those experiences prepared me to understand my students who are going through the same problems. I want them to see a bigger picture, to view every experience as God’s training for w hat he w ants them to be. By God’s picture, I think all of them are much more important than Michael Jordan.”
What sets EC students apart from students in other schools?
“Kid’s are kids—What sets them apart is their parents. They want their children to prepare to be God’s tools in this big bad world. They, (parents), don’t just throw them into the muck.”
The Eastern Christian tagline is “Engaging. Nurturing. Transforming.” How do you accomplish this in your role at EC?
“Engaging is w hat w e do in class—asking questions. Nurturing is showing them the choices that they have and giving them experience doing God’s work. Transforming is w hen they choose a life for Him. It’s all worldview.”
What do you want your students to gain from having known you?
“A strong sense of purpose; the knowledge that they matter to God and that they are here to transform the world.”