Archive for March, 2012

learning to teach, teaching to learn

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0 Commentsby   |  03.30.12  |  06 Leadership, 07 Soul Care, 10 Identity, 11 Thinking & Communicating

In the spring of 2010, I was approached by Dr. Ashlock about the possibility of working as a teaching assistant for Mike Cope’s undergraduate Bible classes. Due to my busy fall schedule, I was hesitant to accept the position at first, but I finally applied for and accepted the position because I came to view it as an opportunity to gain some very basic experience in teaching, something I had not previously had much of an opportunity for. This job would be a chance to see if I might perhaps be qualified for or interested in pursuing that vocational route further.

Additionally, I was motivated by the fact that my inexperience at teaching was largely due to my position as a woman in the Churches of Christ. I had already voiced my frustration at that injustice. How, then, could I in one breath ask for gender equality and in the next turn it down when it was offered to me? And the job offered me a chance to model for the students what it can look like for a woman to be in ministry. This is an important thing for all the students—male and female alike—to see. I decided that if I could be one more person who helped break the cycle of gender inequality in the Churches of Christ, then I would gladly take the opportunity.

image originally from http://www.debtfreescholar.comAll that is a prelude to what these past two years have entailed for me as a TA for Mike’s Life and Teachings of Jesus and Acts—Revelation classes. The position entails routine tasks such as taking attendance and grading exams, of course, but at the heart of it are the opportunity to learn pedagogical skills by observing Mike at work and the chance to develop some of those skills on my own by putting them into practice during a weekly teaching session on Friday mornings with my own group of 30 or so students.

I have learned a great deal through this experience. I have been reminded of the unfortunate limits of my own biblical and theological knowledge (outcomes 1&2), which has motivated me to continue my pursuit of knowledge with continually renewed vigor, now not just for my own sake, but for the sake of my students as well.

The teaching experience itself has led me to greater effectiveness in outcomes 6bdf, as it has required me to work collaboratively with the other TAs, and it has given me the chance to teach and guide undergraduates of various backgrounds, beliefs, and capacities about what it means to be a follower of Jesus in a 21st-century world.

Additionally, being a TA has developed in me a greater competence in oral communication than I previously had, demonstrating outcomes 11acd. I acutely remember how, the first few times I was teaching my group of students, it was obvious how extremely nervous and new at this endeavor I was. Now I am able to clearly communicate to the students what I want them to learn, navigating the classroom with much greater ease and confidence, which makes the whole learning process more enjoyable and effective for the students.

Finally, one of the greatest joys of being a TA has been the opportunity to develop relationships with my students. It has been a blessing to see the ways God has uniquely created and gifted each of them, and it has been an honor to be a part, even if a small part, of their formation as Christian women and men. In return, they have been part of my formation as a Christian woman and have helped me see how God has uniquely created and gifted me. The experience has, therefore, been clarifying for my own ministerial identity (outcome 10abc), helping me see my strengths as a teacher and my desire to pursue that path further.

This reflection has, unfortunately, gone on far too long already, though there is still much left unsaid (such as the fact that I have agreed to be the lead TA for Mike and Rodney’s class next year). To give some greater substance to the above musings, I have included below for you a link to the class blogs I constructed (the 2011-2012 school year versions), along with some downloadable documents that I hope exhibit the MDiv outcomes I would like this experience as a TA to demonstrate. Click on the links below to take a look at: