Philosophy of Teaching
By: Carrie Hunter
One of my favorite teachers said in a class session once “There is so much to know and learn about God that He has given us an eternity to find out about Him.” I had never considered that. Thinking about it though I realize that after we pass on from this world into the next we are given an eternity to learn even more yet an eternity still isn’t enough time! That should be incentive enough for us to learn as much as we can now while we are here on earth. It should also prompt us to teach as much as we can while we are here. That there is so much to know means there is much to teach and even more to learn. This is where I begin in what I see as important for a teacher.
The pursuit of knowledge and methods
We must continue learning even as we teach. There is so much to learn and so little time! If we view knowledge (as we should) as being communicated from God then as believers we should have a desire to attain as much as we possibly can. All truth and knowledge comes from God. The more we know the more God can use us to impart His truths and wisdom.
When we think we have nothing more to learn we run the risk of becoming torpid in our own thinking and lives. No make that we will become torpid in our thinking and in our lives. It is a given. We should never decide we already know enough to get by and become content in where we are. If we refuse to learn we lose our ability to adapt to everything going on around us. We are then at a disadvantage when dealing with a group of people or generation outside of our own circle. In order to be relevant we must continue to grow. We do this by continuing to learn not just facts but also approaches; methods. It is important to employ new and different methods as teachers in order to stay relevant. The truth we are handling is and always will be relevant therefore so should our methods be.
Pedestals empty – Godly people need apply
There is a portion in the book Teaching to Change Lives by Dr. Howard Hendricks titled “Empty Pedestals”. There is a lack of godly people whom others can view as mentors. There is the lack of theological training to be sure but there is also an absence of strong moral character in teachers today. How we live our lives automatically determines how effective we will be in what we teach. If our lives do not reflect the truths of which we speak how convincing will we be when stating them? I think as teachers we should take it seriously that others are looking up to us and looking to us for guidance in not only areas of academia but emotional and spiritual areas as well. Therefore how we live must reflect the truths we teach because people whom we are teaching are looking at that.
On a personal level, I am uncomfortable with compliments; especially those to do with my ability to absorb and retain biblical truths. I feel awkward when people comment about my being “deep” in the things of God. I have come to realize though, that God has given me these abilities for a reason. I have come to realize this reason is to share both the things I have learned and will continue to learn. It occurred to me from reading Hendricks’ book that God has given me a pedestal on which to sit. And see, this is a tricky way God has of humbling me.
You would think that with people telling me often that I have great godly wisdom, or that I am intelligent, I would become prideful; quite the contrary. What it does is reveal to me all the areas in my life that God has yet to address. When someone comments on my knowledge, I think to myself I really have to live up to this now, all the while, I understand that I can not do it without God. It is indeed most humbling. So to fill an empty pedestal is very much a humbling experience. It is a daunting task as are all tasks set before us by God but what it should do is prompt us to rely on Him even more.
Meeting Needs
Being a teacher puts you in a position of meeting peoples’ needs. In order to know what they need and where they need to go we have to know from where they are coming. This requires personal involvement with the people we are teaching; finding out about their background, knowing about their life etc. Knowing where they are and where they have been will better equip us to know the destination they wish to reach; the goal which they want to set. It is important as well that we pray for wisdom and insight’ that God will show us how to approach a subject to where it addresses the individual needs of the people whom we are teaching.
Being an Impact
If you are meeting peoples’ needs you will be making an impact on their lives. This requires (as stated earlier) setting goals. Both the teacher and the students must have a goal or a destination they wish to reach. The whole idea of making an impact is rooted in taking a person from one place and giving them guidance towards another. If we have helped someone move from point A to point B then we have successfully made an impact. This is the idea of edification. We are being used to build each other up. As a teacher we add another brick to a foundation that God has laid in their lives. He is using teachers to further His work.
Truth and the positive impact
We do not set out to merely impact people with abstract ideas and concepts. In order to positively impact people we must present them with truth. God’s Word is truth and as teachers of it we need to ensure we are being intellectually honest when handling it. We run the risk of twisting His Word if we don’t study it properly. The truth is the only thing that can truly change people (positively impact them) and it is our job to ensure we are presenting it accurately.
Pacing yourself for the sake of your students
The last thing we want to do as teachers is stand in front of a class and dribble out a string of arbitrary facts just for the sake of talking. Impressive as it may be to show how much you know, it is just that… impressive. We are to be an impact on people, not just merely impress them with our intellectual prowess. Inundating people with a string of facts without any reason leaves them overwhelmed. The point of teaching is to have people absorbing what is being said not drowning in it. If they absorb it, understand it, they will then be able to effectively communicate it to someone else. If they drown in it, as they leave the classroom they will feel as though they are coming up for air.
Therefore when we are presenting points we need to be concise and not cover too much in one foul swoop. The information presented should be pertinent to the topic and further still applicable to the students lives. Otherwise you have wasted a lot of your time and theirs.
Be prepared to give a reason
In teaching as with any conversation in our Christian life we should always be prepared to give a reason or an answer. To do this we must be very familiar with what we are teaching. This goes back to the first principle of always learning. The more we know about a subject the better chance we have of giving an answer when a question comes up. Also, sometimes we just won’t know an answer. When that happens just say “I don’t know.” This shows honesty and people appreciate that. Also, I feel it puts people at ease for them to see that you yourself are still in the process of seeking out truth; faith seeking understanding. They may be feeling inadequate for their lack of knowledge on a particular issue and if they see that you yourself don’t have all the answers it is encouraging to them in a way. Too it prompts them to seek out the answer for themselves. That is the ultimate goal in teaching anyway - to teach people to learn and think critically.
A feeling is so much stronger than a thought
Finally it is important that when we are communicating anything it should be something we care about. A thought isn’t really worth much until you feel strongly about it. While our feelings do not make something any more or less true they certainly can play a part in communicating what is true. If we are passionate about what we speak that will come through and passion traditionally is contagious. If we are genuinely excited about what we are talking about it will affect those listening and stir up excitement in their own hearts and minds.
I can not think of a reason not to be passionate about God’s Word. I can not think of a better way to show Him how thankful we are for His giving it to us, than by teaching it to others.
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