Tuesday, August 25, 2009
"Teaching"
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One of the hardest things for me to wrestle with during this time of unemployment and career transition has been leaving teaching. I absolutely love teaching, and I think I have a natural talent for it. I remember many times being in my class, excited about the questions, eager to continue sharing and discussing and idea, and then at the end of the day thinking, "I can't believe I get paid to do this." I've come to realize that teaching is a part of who I am.
When reading Dallas Willard's Divine Conspiracy this morning, I came to the section in which Willard discusses how and why Jesus taught his followers. He states that, "the aim of the popular teacher in Jesus' time was not to impart information, but to make a significant change in the lives of the hearers." Therefore, Jesus "taught in such a way that he would impact the life flow of the the hearer." He explains that the disciples weren't aiming to record every single word of "information" in order to "know stuff" so that they could accurately reproduce during an arbitrary assessment. Rather, when Jesus taught, "we don't have to try to 'get it' and remember it. It has stuck in our life, whether we want it or agree with it or not."
Willard concludes the section by reminding us that, "Jesus not only taught in this manner; he also tuaght us, his students in the kingdom, to teach in the same way....By showing to others the presence of the kingdom in the concrete details of our shared existence, we impact the lives and hearts of our hearers, not just their heads."
When I read that, I realized that my teaching career has far from ended. And I don't just mean that I might continue to work in high schools, or eventually try to teach at a college or university. We teach each other things every day. And we don't forget the really important moments, the times when we see the kingdom of God in each others' lives. I have the opportunity every day to teach those around me - whether family, friends or strangers. Realizing the kingdom of God in each instant of life, celebrating its presence and profound power, and sharing it with the lives of others around me can be a significant teaching moment.
Even though I can no longer write "Teacher" on the blank line after "Profession:" on an application for an education discount, I can still live and be a teacher. Who knows who will be my student (or my teacher) today? As Willard says, "The condition of our hearts will determine who along our path turns out to be our neighbor, and our faith in God will laregely determine whom we have strength enough to make our neighbor."
And the same can be said for "teaching."
One of the hardest things for me to wrestle with during this time of unemployment and career transition has been leaving teaching. I absolutely love teaching, and I think I have a natural talent for it. I remember many times being in my class, excited about the questions, eager to continue sharing and discussing and idea, and then at the end of the day thinking, "I can't believe I get paid to do this." I've come to realize that teaching is a part of who I am.
When reading Dallas Willard's Divine Conspiracy this morning, I came to the section in which Willard discusses how and why Jesus taught his followers. He states that, "the aim of the popular teacher in Jesus' time was not to impart information, but to make a significant change in the lives of the hearers." Therefore, Jesus "taught in such a way that he would impact the life flow of the the hearer." He explains that the disciples weren't aiming to record every single word of "information" in order to "know stuff" so that they could accurately reproduce during an arbitrary assessment. Rather, when Jesus taught, "we don't have to try to 'get it' and remember it. It has stuck in our life, whether we want it or agree with it or not."
Willard concludes the section by reminding us that, "Jesus not only taught in this manner; he also tuaght us, his students in the kingdom, to teach in the same way....By showing to others the presence of the kingdom in the concrete details of our shared existence, we impact the lives and hearts of our hearers, not just their heads."
When I read that, I realized that my teaching career has far from ended. And I don't just mean that I might continue to work in high schools, or eventually try to teach at a college or university. We teach each other things every day. And we don't forget the really important moments, the times when we see the kingdom of God in each others' lives. I have the opportunity every day to teach those around me - whether family, friends or strangers. Realizing the kingdom of God in each instant of life, celebrating its presence and profound power, and sharing it with the lives of others around me can be a significant teaching moment.
Even though I can no longer write "Teacher" on the blank line after "Profession:" on an application for an education discount, I can still live and be a teacher. Who knows who will be my student (or my teacher) today? As Willard says, "The condition of our hearts will determine who along our path turns out to be our neighbor, and our faith in God will laregely determine whom we have strength enough to make our neighbor."
And the same can be said for "teaching."
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2 comments:
well said...and so right on.
Great post, Jesse. I can say, for my own part, that I have learned and continue to learn much from you about what it truly means to follow Jesus. Thanks.
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