This chapter is for sure one of the hardest nuts to crack. There are no Pat-answers and procedures one can follow or invent and then say, "Now we know how it works." Many facets play together to make that venture a successful one. One of the reasons to make a school “Christian” is the fact that there are teachers that share the same vision, believe the same values, and act according to the same (at least cardinal) principles.

The work ethic in General at a “Christian School” must be different because it is in accord with the fundamental beliefs in the dignity of labor and the Protestant ethic – that work is good in itself.

Teachers have the role of mentors because  they are being watched all day long. Their credibility emerges out of their authenticity of being servant leaders that can be observed and evaluated. Another reason is the distinct teaching method with biblical principles at the heart. A typical example of sharing this “tacit” knowledge on an informal basis and trust relationship is the traditional apprenticeship. Apprentices work with their masters, acquiring skills through observation, practice and imitation.

The Austrian Curriculum limits education to the transfer of information from rather than transformation. This is one of the reasons why approaches like this will work better in a smaller private setting and a limited to a geographic location than in a large stiff public system with great hierarchies, matrix organizations and the like.

The public system suffers because of various reasons.  A big share of the disappointment that teachers have is that they do not feel appreciated in their work anymore, sometimes deprived of their intrinsic motivation and therefore have lost their vision and engagement. They lose their joyful excitement they had in the beginning.

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