CED 522 Teacher as Facilitator of Learning
Timothy W. Brock
Strategies for Teaching Teachers to Teach
Introduction
The information included in this class discussion was based on the material in Chapter 13, “Strategies for Teaching Teachers to Teach,” in the textbook, Teaching Today’s Teacher to Teach, by Donald Griggs. The professor will also provide additional ideas related to this topic.
A Brief Review of Ideas Shared in the Text
In the material included in this chapter, Griggs highlighted the following points:
· The work of the volunteer teacher is a very important component of congregational Christian education ministry.
· As the lead educator in the congregation, the Christian educator must develop and enact a number of intentional strategies designed to support, to equip and to enrich the work of the volunteer teacher.
· Prior to class, select one of the strategies described in the book. In class, be prepared to share this strategy and to explain why you believe this to be important to the work of volunteer teachers.
Practical Ideas
In the congregational context, a number of practical strategies can be used to support, equip, and enrich the work of volunteer teachers.
· Commissioning Sunday. On the first Sunday of the new Sunday School year, during worship, all leaders of the Sunday School ministry should be commissioned for service and ministry in the coming year. In this process, all Sunday School leaders are invited to stand in front of the congregation and participate in a response reading of commissioning.
· Teacher Appreciation and Recognition. At some point during the year, all Sunday School teachers (and other teachers in the congregation) should be formally recognized as a sign of appreciation of their work. At Fredericksburg Baptist Church and at First Baptist Church, Huntsville, Alabama, the church invited all Sunday School teachers and leaders to a banquet in their honor. Other churches give the teachers small gifts (purchased or home-made) to recognize their service.
· A Teacher Retreat. As congregational leaders, the spiritual lives of the teachers serve as an inspiration to the members of their classes and to the other members of the church. Regularly, the church might invite all teachers to a spirituality retreat designed to enrich their personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
· Teacher Training Events. At regular intervals, the leaders of the Christian education ministry should offer teacher training events for all Sunday School teachers and other teachers in the church. At First Baptist Church, Huntsville, the Christian education staff offered two types of training events: one designed for all teachers and one designed specifically for the leaders of various age-group classes (preschool, children, youth, and adults). When recruiting teachers, the staff communicated that teachers were expected to attend one or both of these training opportunities.
· Individualized Teaching Resources. As a Christian educator in the congregational context, one is expected to stay abreast of all types of resources (articles, books, magazines, pamphlets, videos, etc.) that will help teachers in their work. As appropriate, the educator can pass along specific pieces of training material to the teachers who would most benefit from these additional resources.
· Observations. At the invitation of the teacher, the Christian educator could go into a Sunday School class, observe the teacher at work, notice the class dynamics, and then provide feedback to the teacher, privately.
· Sabbaticals. At the invitation of the teacher, the Christian educator can offer teaching sabbaticals—a designated time for the teacher to be away from his or her class, to “recharge the batteries.”
· Preview Classes. The Christian educator might teach the Sunday School lesson for the upcoming Sunday morning on Wednesday evening. In this way, teacher could get a preview of the lesson and observe solid teaching processes in preparation for their work on Sunday.
· Have you ever participated in one or more of these types of activities?
· If so, what was your assessment of these types of teacher training activities? What were the strengths? What were the limitations?
CED 522 Teacher as Facilitator of Learning
Timothy W. Brock
Strategies for Teaching Teachers to Teach
Introduction
The information included in this class discussion was based on the material in Chapter 13, “Strategies for Teaching Teachers to Teach,” in the textbook, Teaching Today’s Teacher to Teach, by Donald Griggs. The professor will also provide additional ideas related to this topic.
A Brief Review of Ideas Shared in the Text
In the material included in this chapter, Griggs highlighted the following points:
· The work of the volunteer teacher is a very important component of congregational Christian education ministry.
· As the lead educator in the congregation, the Christian educator must develop and enact a number of intentional strategies designed to support, to equip and to enrich the work of the volunteer teacher.
· Prior to class, select one of the strategies described in the book. In class, be prepared to share this strategy and to explain why you believe this to be important to the work of volunteer teachers.
Practical Ideas
In the congregational context, a number of practical strategies can be used to support, equip, and enrich the work of volunteer teachers.
· Commissioning Sunday. On the first Sunday of the new Sunday School year, during worship, all leaders of the Sunday School ministry should be commissioned for service and ministry in the coming year. In this process, all Sunday School leaders are invited to stand in front of the congregation and participate in a response reading of commissioning.
· Teacher Appreciation and Recognition. At some point during the year, all Sunday School teachers (and other teachers in the congregation) should be formally recognized as a sign of appreciation of their work. At Fredericksburg Baptist Church and at First Baptist Church, Huntsville, Alabama, the church invited all Sunday School teachers and leaders to a banquet in their honor. Other churches give the teachers small gifts (purchased or home-made) to recognize their service.
· A Teacher Retreat. As congregational leaders, the spiritual lives of the teachers serve as an inspiration to the members of their classes and to the other members of the church. Regularly, the church might invite all teachers to a spirituality retreat designed to enrich their personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
· Teacher Training Events. At regular intervals, the leaders of the Christian education ministry should offer teacher training events for all Sunday School teachers and other teachers in the church. At First Baptist Church, Huntsville, the Christian education staff offered two types of training events: one designed for all teachers and one designed specifically for the leaders of various age-group classes (preschool, children, youth, and adults). When recruiting teachers, the staff communicated that teachers were expected to attend one or both of these training opportunities.
· Individualized Teaching Resources. As a Christian educator in the congregational context, one is expected to stay abreast of all types of resources (articles, books, magazines, pamphlets, videos, etc.) that will help teachers in their work. As appropriate, the educator can pass along specific pieces of training material to the teachers who would most benefit from these additional resources.
· Observations. At the invitation of the teacher, the Christian educator could go into a Sunday School class, observe the teacher at work, notice the class dynamics, and then provide feedback to the teacher, privately.
· Sabbaticals. At the invitation of the teacher, the Christian educator can offer teaching sabbaticals—a designated time for the teacher to be away from his or her class, to “recharge the batteries.”
· Preview Classes. The Christian educator might teach the Sunday School lesson for the upcoming Sunday morning on Wednesday evening. In this way, teacher could get a preview of the lesson and observe solid teaching processes in preparation for their work on Sunday.
· Have you ever participated in one or more of these types of activities?
· If so, what was your assessment of these types of teacher training activities? What were the strengths? What were the limitations?