Teaching Theology

Essentials of theological education – teaching

I will not pretend to cover such a massive subject in 500 words but there is value in sketching its correct shape. We teach. What do we mean when we say that?

When I was a student, good teaching mostly resided in delivering excellent content with all the study, careful preparation and academic expertise that entailed. It was up to the student to learn. More recently the pendulum has swung the other way and good teaching is deemed to be mostly about facilitating learning, with all the aids, skills and techniques that involves. As they say, the sage on the stage has become the guide on the side.

No sensible person would criticise either good content or facilitating good learning in teaching but it is increasingly being realised (although good teachers have always known this) that teaching is above all about relationship. Good teaching is relational teaching. It is the relationship that is formed between teacher and students that is the linking bridge between the good content and the good learning. This should be music to the ears of a Christian theological educator.

Elements of trust, respect, enjoyment of each other’s presence, joint emotional engagement with the subject, a free and fearless space created, academic community, common purpose, mutual sense of obligation, ease of interaction – we could almost say conversation, deep concern for the other, willingness to share ourselves not just what we have read. These are some of the characteristics of a learning relationship which works. It is why students remember some teachers more than others, why they enjoy some classes more than others. It is why some teachers change lives and others do not. It is what our ministry is all about. Let us not deceive ourselves, expecting all of these things with every student in every class we teach is utopia. But the key is what we think of ourselves, what we believe we are called to be and do

Let us work hard and well in putting together excellent content which gives real knowledge in a broad and deep form to our students, and models for them what it means to examine a subject with academic eyes and critical judgment. Students need a basis on which to live, think and judge. Let us also work hard at helping our students learn. We need to learn how they learn, check that they are learning, use those aids and techniques which are appropriate to achieve our aim.

But let us be careful that nothing gets in the way of building the relationship which makes it all possible, whether that barrier be a sleep inducing heavy set of facts on the one hand or an over-use of “clever” PowerPoints which directs their attention away from you and so dilutes the relationship on the other. If only we would sometimes leave the lectern, turn off the projector, sit on the edge of the desk and have a real caring, conversation with our students.

We are Christian academics who help people learn by forging ministry relationships with them. That is what we mean when we say we teach.

This entry was posted on February 5, 2018 at 11:50 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.