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….