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San Jose Christian
School Faculty
Amy McCutcheon
Professional
Biography
My parents are
strong believers in Christian education, and for this
reason I attended Central Valley Christian School in Visalia,
California for thirteen years of my life. I was always
told that I had the personality of a teacher. I’m
still unsure of the specific characteristics that brought
about those remarks, but I always brushed off comments
of that nature. During my senior year of high school I
decided to become a teacher’s aide for the kindergarten
at CVCS. In that role, I eventually realized that all
those comments I had brushed off had a purpose! After
high school I attended Trinity Christian College in Palos
Heights, Illinois. In 2007 I graduated with an elementary
education degree with a minor in English and middle grades
endorsements in social sciences and language arts.
Personal Biography
I grew up in Tulare, California, a small
farming community, where my dad owns a dairy. Some might
consider me a country girl for this simple reason, but
my family would disagree. Ever since kindergarten I loved
to read and thoroughly enjoyed “teaching” my
younger siblings all sorts of things. I am the oldest
of four children with two younger brothers and a younger
sister. My husband, Matthew, is currently attending Palmer
Chiropractic here in San Jose. We currently worship at
Grace Presbyterian Church in Palo Alto. Together we love
taking road trips and watching movies. I spend much of
my free time reading novels. Tom Sawyer and Treasure Island
are among my favorites. When I am not in San Jose I am
usually down in the central valley catching up with family
and friends.
Christian Philosophy of Education
As a middle school teacher I have a
unique viewpoint toward Christian education. Every day
I see the students entering my room growing more and more
into adults. My students are now at a point in their lives
when the novels, writing, and movies they encounter are
more controversial than ever before. I try to walk alongside
them as we discover how to be Christian writers and readers
in a secular world. It is so important to me that the
students at SJCS have Christian role models in their lives
as they chart the occasionally choppy waters that bring
them from childhood into adulthood. While some young people
handle this change relatively easily, I know that for
many, there are times of doubt as to who they are, and
even where they fit into God’s plan. At SJCS we strive
to “teach” the whole child, focusing not just
their academics but also their spiritual health. To me,
Christian education goes beyond just teaching from a Christian
perspective in the classroom. The church, school, and
home should be working together to help these young adults
become the adults Christ has patterned them to be.
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