Teaching to Change Lives

1. The Law of the Teacher: Continuous Growth is Essential

If you stop growing today, you stop teaching tomorrow.

Personal development is paramount. As a teacher, your effectiveness is directly tied to your ongoing growth. This growth encompasses not just knowledge of your subject matter, but also your character, skills, and life experiences.

Holistic growth matters. Jesus himself grew in wisdom (intellectual), stature (physical), favor with God (spiritual), and favor with men (social and emotional). Similarly, teachers should strive for well-rounded development in all aspects of life.

Practical ways to grow:

• Maintain a consistent study and reading program
• Enroll in continuing education courses
• Develop a personal Bible study program
• Get to know your students and their needs
• Regularly examine your life and seek improvement

2. The Law of Education: Adapt Teaching to Learning Styles

The way people learn determines how you teach.

Understanding learning processes is crucial. Effective teaching is not about inculcating principles, but about infecting people with knowledge and passion. This requires adapting your teaching methods to how your students best learn and process information.

Levels of learning:

1. Unconscious incompetence (don't know you don't know)
2. Conscious incompetence (know you don't know)
3. Conscious competence (know and are aware of knowing)
4. Unconscious competence (know without thinking about it)

Goals of teaching:

• Teach people how to think
• Teach people how to learn
• Teach people how to work

Develop these basic skills in your students: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Remember, the process of learning often involves tension and even failure, which can be valuable teaching tools when properly guided.

3. The Law of Activity: Maximum Involvement Yields Maximum Learning

Maximum learning is always the result of maximum involvement.

Passive learning is ineffective. Christian education often suffers from being too passive, despite Christianity being a revolutionary force. To truly impact lives, teachers must involve their students actively in the learning process.

Levels of retention:

• Hearing alone: 10% retention
• Seeing and hearing: 50% retention
• Doing (along with seeing and hearing): 90% retention

Meaningful activities should:

1. Provide direction without dictatorship
2. Stress function and application
3. Have a planned purpose
4. Focus on process as well as product
5. Include realistic problem-solving situations

Remember, in the spiritual realm, the opposite of ignorance is not knowledge, but obedience. Aim for active obedience in your teaching.

4. The Law of Communication: Bridge-Building is Key

To truly impart information requires the building of bridges.

Establish commonality. Effective communication starts with finding common ground with your audience. The greater the commonality, the greater the potential for communication. This requires getting to know your students and their life experiences.

Components of communication:

1. Intellect (thought)
2. Emotion (feeling)
3. Volition (action)

Effective communication involves:

• Translating concepts, feelings, and actions into words
• Using both verbal and non-verbal communication
• Ensuring congruence between what you say and what you do
• Preparing well (structure, introduction, conclusion, illustrations)
• Presenting clearly (enunciation, volume, pitch, speed)
• Getting feedback to ensure understanding

Remember, what's important is not what you do as a teacher, but what the learners do as a result of what you do.

5. The Law of the Heart: Impactful Teaching is Heart-to-Heart

Teaching that impacts is not head to head, but heart to heart.

Holistic approach is necessary. In biblical context, 'heart' embraces the totality of human personality - intellect, emotions, and will. Effective teaching, therefore, involves the transformation of the whole person.

Three key elements of communication:

1. Ethos (Character): Produces learner's confidence
2. Pathos (Compassion): Produces learner's motivation
3. Logos (Content): Produces learner's perception

Importance of attitude: All learning begins at the feeling level. People accept what they feel disposed to accept and reject what they feel disposed to reject. Your attitude and relationship with your students can significantly impact their receptiveness to your teaching.

Remember, no one cares what you know until they know that you care. Strive to connect with your students on a personal level, showing genuine interest and care for their lives and struggles.

6. The Law of Encouragement: Proper Motivation Enhances Learning

Teaching tends to be most effective when the learner is properly motivated.

Intrinsic motivation is key. While external motivation (extrinsic) can be useful, the ultimate goal is to trigger internal (intrinsic) motivation in your students. Help them become aware of their needs and how the subject matter addresses those needs.

Characteristics of good training:

• Involves telling, showing, and doing
• Gives responsibility with accountability
• Is creative and tailored to individual interests and abilities

Motivational techniques:

• Use role-playing and real-life experiences
• Provide opportunities for discovery learning
• Celebrate student contributions and insights
• Create an atmosphere where asking questions is encouraged
• Use a variety of methods to cater to different learning styles

Remember, every student can be motivated to learn, but not at the same time, not by the same person, and not in the same way. Be patient and creative in your approach.

7. The Law of Readiness: Preparation is Crucial for Both Teacher and Student

The teaching-learning process will be most effective when both student and teacher are adequately prepared.

Preparation extends beyond class time. To maximize the learning experience, move the starting point of interest-building back before the class begins. Use assignments to precipitate thinking, provide background, and develop habits of independent study.

Characteristics of good assignments:

1. Creative, not busy work
2. Thought-provoking
3. Doable

Strategies for effective class discussions:

• Create a safe environment for questions and participation
• Affirm and encourage student contributions
• Handle tough or threatening questions with grace
• Manage discussion dominators tactfully
• Help students develop note-taking skills

Remember, your goal is to develop lifelong learners. Your teaching time should be a stimulus, not a substitute, for personal engagement with the subject matter.

Last updated: January 22, 2025