“MY TEACHING SPEAKS”
Earth is a labyrinth world and a man is empty, man created without anything on him. Job said “And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” Job 1:21 KJV. This response of Job expresses that the Lord gives and the Lord will take it away. The Lord gives because we are empty, we do not have any concrete possession when we arrive here on earth or even non-material possession like knowledge, wisdom, etc…. The emptiness of a man can lead him into danger, threat or even possibly to death. The emptiness need to be filled by truth for a man knows how to live in a labyrinth world.
The goal of teaching and learning process is to have a transformed learner know how to educate, engage and a learner knows how to manage himself. As an educator I wrote my personal philosophy of teaching that will help me and guide me on my journey as a conduit of blessing and learning to my students. Let me use the acronym word SPEAKS to express my philosophy in teaching and learning process to achieve my goals as a teacher. SPEAKS stands for Study, Present, Engage, Assess, Knack and Sanctity.
STUDY
Not having a steadfast study is impossible to have an erudition and possess a delightful teaching skills. I like the story of Dr. Howard Hendricks when he intended to ask one of his professor and he said “What keeps you studying? You never seem to stop.” The professor answered him; “Son, I would rather have my students drink from a running stream than a stagnant pool.” This statement is very powerful. It implies to me as a teacher that I need to keep myself engaged in learning because the teacher must be a fountain of learning and a good source of knowledge. In chapter 1 of Teaching to Change Lives by Dr. Howard Hendricks, he simply stated “If you stop growing today, you stop teaching tomorrow.” Knowledge fuels a teacher, a teacher with a small volume of fuel cannot go further. I need to have a continuous study and feed myself with learning for me to SPEAK with erudition.
PRESENT
When I was in fifth grade way back 2004 I still remember my teacher in H.E.L.E. who was good in writing on the board the whole hour and giving only one instruction “copy until the bell rang and wait for the next subject.” Oh no! She was present but did not present anything for us to learn. In my teaching philosophy I need to “present”, present my teaching in a creative way using different method that evoke participation of my students to meet their needs as a learner and cause a maximum impact to them so that they will clearly understand (cognitive), accept (affective) and apply (psychomotor) what is learned.
Using varied materials and strategies to present the lesson can be useful to me to help my learner engage in a lesson. Pastor Willy Cruz our teacher in evangelism class uses different tactics in sharing the gospel to catch the attention of his prospect, to engage with him and eventually share the gospel to that person. How amazing it is that by igniting the interest of one person at a time can produce a transformed life and eventually influencing others to be transformed too.
In presenting my lesson I need to consider my learner, their background and their learning style for them to acquire new learning precisely. Our Lord Jesus is very particular to his audience when He was teaching, in Luke 5:1-11. He called James, Peter and John and said unto them “from now on I will make you fishers of men.” Why He used the word fisher? Because that is the job of the disciples. Christ is the perfect example of being creative in teaching He uses parables and allegory in teaching to fire up the interest of His learner.
Creative presentation in teaching may be compared in baking a cake. A baker start in planning the size and shape of a cake before doing it, consider the sugar level of both icing and bread and thinking what flavor to make. As a teacher compared to a baker I will pick the best ingredients, lending a time to prepare it and cook it with patience. After making the bread I need to work on the icing to make it more presentable and attractive. To have a creative presentation I must have a time for preparation to justify my duty as a teacher. In baking, baker will not put all the ingredients in an electric mixer, put it inside the oven and ignore the taste. A baker needs to follow the right procedure. There is no luck in baking, so as in teaching. Well I didn't believe in luck.
ENGAGE
I observed that when the teacher speaks alone a student just hear it. But when the learner and teacher interact, learning is present. I, as a teacher, must encourage my student to interact and involve them in every lesson. I will motivate my learners to speak, calling their names with respect and asking relevant questions to involve them in participation. I need to converse with my student because participation is very vital in teaching learning process. Encouraging students to speak help them to express their learning and compare their thoughts to others. In a classroom set up, conversing with students means immersing them in knowledge and experience for them to develop self-esteem. Do not set aside the vitality of engaging or communicating in teaching. In chapter 4 of Teaching to Change Lives by Dr. Howard Hendricks, he said “Don’t forget what business we’re in—the business of communication. Communication is the reason for our existence as a teacher.”
ASSESS
A good teacher knows his learner. I, as teacher is required to know the learning ability and learning capability of my learner. But how? Assessment can be a great help for me to know the standing of my learner. For me evaluation is necessary to detect their progress and help them to develop their weaknesses. Peter W. Airasian define assessment as “The process of collecting, synthesizing and interpreting information to aid in decision making”. It implies to me that assessment can be done not only in pencil and paper exam but also during class interaction, games, debate, reflection and etc. The purpose of assessment is to help the learner develop his area of difficulties and enrich learner’s strength. Part of assessment is throwing questions. Questions that can make my learner think and reflect on their own answers. If my learner throw a question to me, my duty is not to give an answer always. I noticed Jesus when someone throw Him a question. He question the questionnaire. Dr. Ravi Zachariaz speaks that “If you question the questionnaire you do two things. First, you determine the entry point of the question. Second, you force him to open up on his own assumption.” Part of assessment is giving questions. Through questions I can help my learner to reason out and express their thoughts.
KNACK
We have a general perspective that the job of a teacher is one of the most difficult job in the world. I agree on that. Nevertheless, the grace of God is always available for me. Although I am not able but He enables me to teach others also. If I am embarrassed, discourage and desperate sometimes I always look back on the cross to be reminded that the battle is not mine it is in God. If my God is with me there are no things that can stop me from doing His will with all my utmost.
Two years I have taught the 10th grade students in a private school and I experienced how hard it is to be a teacher. I was a teacher, a counselor, a designer, a property custodian, a singer in a classroom, a guitarist in school events, a basketball coach, an event organizer and even a baker. (That time one of our faculty member resigned so I accepted a job for replacing him on that subject. I didn’t have any experience in baking. I always just say that I can do it. I studied how and by practicing it I learned and it worked). In every particular job of a teacher I realized that there is no other way to be a skillful teacher than practicing it regularly. In chapter 3 of Teaching to Change Lives by Dr. Howard Hendricks, he stated “Well guided practices makes perfect.” A successful teacher is a skillful one. Before Ezra was sent in Israel to teach the people of God, he was a scribe, the one skilled especially in the law (Ezra 7:6). The highlight of second return of the Israelites led by Ezra is the transformation outcome of religious and social reforms. Ezra’s success by leading his people starts by active discipline and unwavering commitment study to become a skilled teacher of the law. Therefore I must be disciplined and committed to become a skilled, efficient and effective teacher.
SANCTITY
Teaching and learning goal transform lives. My role as a teacher is not only to teach but also to be a model to my students. There is no more effective visual aids that I can use to show transformation rather than myself. Romans 12:1-2 is very powerful for me as a model to my family, to my students and to my colleagues. They must know the Jesus through me off course by living a holy life which is acceptable to Jesus my Lord, not by conforming any longer to the pattern of this world and also by transforming my mind. They need to see the difference and that difference can lead them to the truth. The truth that is within me. The truth who is Jesus.
The success of a teacher cannot be seen right away or even after a year. A transformed life is a great success of a teacher and it gives glory to God. I have a privilege to teach and it means that I have an opportunity to touch other lives. I do not want to waste that privilege to become a part of their lives, to share the faith that I have and introduce Christ, who can offer a great transformation. All learning that I have and all the truths that I know, all of them falls back to the very Truth, for His Glory! Our Lord Jesus Christ. The greatest Teacher of all.
1 Dr. Howard Hendricks, Teaching to Change Lives, (Sisters,
Oregon: Multnomah Publishers, Inc, 1987).
2 Dr. Howard Hendricks, Teaching to Change Lives, 17.
3 Dr. Howard Hendricks, Teaching to Change Lives, (Sisters,
Oregon: Multnomah Publishers, Inc, 1987).
4 Peter W. Airasian, Classroom Assessment, (USA: McGraw-
Hill Companies, Inc. 1997).
5 Dr. Howard Hendricks, Teaching to Change Lives, (Sisters,
Oregon: Multnomah Publishers, Inc, 1987).