The Learning in the Teaching

It was back to school for me. The minute I learnt of this module, my interest was piqued. I used to teach in my imaginery class when I was a child.  Actually, I was imitating one of my teachers. Never did I for once imagine I would be teaching a real class when I grow up.

I have attended Sis Davina’s tutorial on Biblical Hospitality so her notes on ‘Education on Hospitality, Teacher as Host’ caught my attention. It is a known fact that a teacher should care for his or her students but this is the first ever I hear of the concept of a teacher being a host.  Drawing parallels from how God is a host, Jesus is a host and the early faith communities are hosts open my eyes to how a teacher should embrace his or her students with empathy and understanding.  The more the caring, the better the student learns. This goes beyond the call of duty to merely perform the role of a teacher in a job. I am being inspired and challenged by this learning to follow God’s example to be a host to my students in future. Yes, I bring them snacks but it is more than just their stomachs.

However, what is disturbing is the accepted concept of ‘perceived caring’ as a central perception of teachers on the part of students. Here, Teven suggests that it is the perception of caring on the part of teachers that count, not the caring.  So, my question is this: Is such a teacher in reality a caring person? I do have issues with this concept.  Because I know my God cares for me; it is not a perceived act of caring, He cares. There’s no faking it, so neither should I.

Which brings me to my next reflection.  Among students’ expectations of a teacher ranging from ‘Credibility, Authenticity and Spirituality’, Authenticity stands out most for me.  Just as I seek out authentic teachers, my students are looking out for the same in me.  Do I walk the talk? More so, as someone teaching God’s Word, what am I like outside the classroom? I used to wonder about a neighbor teacher when I was a child growing up – what was she teaching in school? She lived a few doors away from my parents. She was a teacher in a reputable secondary school. Then the natural consensus was that teachers were role models in character and behavior.  However, this teacher would always be telling off salesmen attempting to sell her their wares. Or she would be playing mahjong every weekend and raising her voice in annoyance and irritation each time she had a bad tile or was losing. Perhaps I was naïve then in thinking that teachers were perfect beings. Now I know better.  Someone I know used to say ‘Teachers are devils!’ :)

‘The teaching behind the teaching’ is my third learning point from Palmer.  He outlines both the conventional classroom and the conventional ways of teaching. Gone are the days when authoritarian teaching brings out the best in the learning.  Active participation from the class encourages and stimulates learning and better absorption. But it is so easy to slip back into the mode whereby the teacher dominates the class. Pure transmission. Just last Sunday, I voiced my concerns to my senior pastor that conducting a survey of the Old Testament over 10 weeks (1 hour each week) would constitute only transmission. They may be no time left for Q&A even.  So it is interesting that in all the five micro-teaching presentations in class, all teams included components for activity and class participation, including some whacky games.

The two weeks slip by quietly but very quickly. I signed up for this module because I want to learn to be a more effective and impactful teacher.  There is so much I do not know.  I learnt in the Christian Education class that CE is not just about training and equipping believers but that the trained and equipped would go out and do likewise.  It is recurring, never stopping. Unlike education in the secular world where the learning and equipping is to prepare the student to face the world’s challenges. The philosophy of Christian teaching, as indicated in the notes would be to instill a commitment to service, to truth, to excellence and spirituality – to know, to do and to be.  And as the teacher teaches, learning also takes place in his/ her life as he/ she interacts with the students and learns from them.

My fervent prayer is I will be able to take what I have learnt in this class to my classroom. Not all at one go but small steps, one at a time, empowered by the Spirit, fueled by His love for His people, desiring for them to learn and grow together with me.  So they in turn can pass it on.