Seminarium

The Elements of Great Teaching

A Good Class Spoiled!

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Two years ago, I reached a point where I began to regard student evaluations as “a good course spoiled.” You may wonder about that phrase. Let me explain.

There is a famous quote that “golf is a good walk spoiled.” You may have even said it. And for sure, it can be. It doesn’t matter how positive your attitude is, or how much you practice, or whether you have played the course 100 times. The results of your efforts are objective. You can either hit the ball or you can’t. You can’t hide your natural abilities, or lack thereof. They are on display for everyone to see….

Teaching as Vocation—Part III: Formulations to Reality

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The following excerpts of David’s upcoming book, Teaching to Learn, Learning to Teach: Reflections on Education as Transformation through Dialogue (Fall 2013 ), are used by permission of Wipf and Stock Publishers.

To a person, my elementary, middle, and high school teachers in the small western Pennsylvania town of Hollidaysburg were conscientious and cared about us.

Depressurizing Students

I recall one typifying moment in which I went to a ninth grade history teacher, saying that I was afraid I might be having a nervous breakdown—going to school, doing homework, working 25 hours a week in a barber shop as an apprentice, being in the school band, and practicing for a school play at night. What Miss Ruck said to me (words I clearly recall) was unbelievably liberating and healing…

 

Teaching as Vocation—Part II: A Time to Love

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The following excerpts of David’s upcoming book, Teaching to Learn, Learning to Teach: Reflections on Education as Transformation through Dialogue (Fall 2013 ), are used by permission of Wipf and Stock Publishers.

Biblical language distinguishes between two different experiences of time. Chronos time is the linear experience of time in hours, days, weeks, and so on. By contrast, kairos time is “opportune time” or “occasion time.” Perhaps it is best captured by the well-known verse declaring that “For everything there is a season. . . a time to plant and a time to pluck up  . . . a time to weep and a time to dance . . . .”

Times Zones of Teaching

When class is going normally, I consider myself to be on linear syllabus time, moving along with the subjects and methods that need to be dealt with. However, when one of these special moments presents itself, I immediately think of myself as being on kairos time, “opportune time”—a time that comes when it comes and we have to be open to it….

 

Teaching as Vocation—Part I: The “Flow” of Teaching

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The following excerpts of David’s upcoming book, Teaching to Learn, Learning to Teach: Reflections on Education as Transformation through Dialogue (Fall 2013 ), are used by permission of Wipf and Stock Publishers.

In the course of finalizing a series of autobiographical reflections for my upcoming book, I had a dream that was illuminating for me.

“I am Going to Enjoy This.”

I have been retired for several years now. And I have not done any teaching during that time. In my dream, I had been invited to go somewhere to give an informal talk or lecture in a lounge at some unidentified seminary institution. I was pleased to be doing it.

However, I was worried that too few people would show up, concerned that it might not be worthwhile for the school to have invited me. But I was reassured as I walked down the hall when I saw about 30 or so people moving into the lounge area, some I recognized from seminary. And I thought this to myself: “I am going to enjoy this. When I taught before is when I experienced ecstasy.” Then I woke up.