Introduction
I took this course with two
thoughts in my mind: it should be easy since I have been in this education line
for more than a decade and it should be fun since I would be introduced to new
creative ideas about teaching. I was in for a big surprise when our teacher, Ps
Jadene, led and hand-held us step-by-step down into the depths of the heart,
the core of heart-deep teaching. My preconceived ideas about the course were
thrown out of the window almost immediately and bottles of chicken essence were
dropped onto my lap instead at every lesson.
In this reflection paper, I would
attempt to describe my learning journey, what processes have changed and
challenged me, and what insights I have gained throughout these two weeks of
intensive course.
Personal
Reflection
The main problem mentioned by the
author and emphasized by our teacher on the first day was the shallowness in
biblical teaching. Out of the six partial truths highlighted, I was guilty of
two: all fun activity equals good learning and all interaction equals good
learning. As an educator, I was aware that there are many types of learners. As
a learner, I know I am a visual and kinesthetic learner. That was the reason
why my focus was often in games and interaction. However, I realized that when
it comes to biblical teaching, I have to make sure these activities have to be
aligned with biblical goals and objectives and the interaction must reinforce
biblical values and principles. With these ideas corrected, I was ready to mine
nuggets of gold from the course as I continued to dig into the book with my
fellow course mates.
As part of the course assignment,
we were supposed to create a course syllabus and a lesson plan. I was aware of
the challenge when Ps Jadene showed us hers. It would take many “WOW!” moments
with the Holy Spirit before I could decipher what the BIG IDEA was. I was
right. Prior to this course, I have not done an Inductive Bible Study (IBS)
chart before. It was a challenge for me. The analytical outline was manageable
because I learned it during my Romans course two weeks prior to this course.
Thank God for that. If not, this analytical outline would be another hurdle to
me. I wrestled and struggled with the selected passage for days because I could
not identify the BIG IDEA. I was thankful when Ps Jadene went through my IBS
with me after I submitted it. I discovered that the key verse was supposed to
be the verse before my passage and I had left it out. No wonder I could not
identify the BIG IDEA. With this settled, I presumed I was ready to craft my
lesson plan. I had almost forgotten that I have to help my partner, Esther,
with hers and prepare for our presentation.
Initially, I felt distant from Esther’s
lesson plan as I felt I was made to adopt it as my child. However, within a day
or two, I felt myself enjoying the passage selected and thinking of ways to
teach this lesson with her. It was challenging because time was tight and we
had different ideas about the lesson. We took so long to decide on Priming Students’
Heart Pumps section because Esther wanted to use the traditional method of
reading the bible passage to the students while I wanted to try out a role-play.
It took a while for her to change her mind and for us to get going. Next, at
our first meeting outside of class hours, we shared our struggles with the
lesson plan. The section on Digging Deeper into the Word was challenging for us
as we were still not sure whether our BIG IDEA was correct. After we received
Ps Jadene’s comments on our analytical outline, we were able to dive into formulating
the questions for our students. We had to imagine the response of our students
as we plan this lesson. With that, we submitted our first draft.
I thanked God that the prompt
response of our teacher enabled us to make the final amendments to our lesson
plan the day before our presentation. I felt a sense of peace and calmness even
before my partner arrived at the meeting place. Somehow, I believed the Holy
Spirit was at work and He dissipated my fear and burden for our presentation. We
remembered to commit our lesson plan and presentation in prayer before we
started our meeting. Section by section, line by line, we went through the
suggestions made by our teacher and made necessary changes to our lesson plan with
the textbook as our reference. I felt myself enjoying this process towards the
end. Indeed, it was mentally and physically draining but there was a sense of
fulfilment after we completed it and presented it to our course mates in the
end. I felt as if my adopted child was born healthy and happy.
Looking back, I was thankful for this
pair work and I appreciated the thoughts that went through my teacher’s mind
when she planned this module. It was through this pair work that I learned how
to plan my second lesson plan. I have practised and gained experience when I
helped my partner create her lesson plan. The similar skills and methods used
in the pair work assisted me in crafting my own lesson plan. Very soon, I found myself enjoying the process
as well.
Once
again, my teacher walked the talk throughout this course. She has structured
every lesson as a part of her life and I am determine to do likewise in my
future lessons. We began each lesson with a short devotion and we were engaged
immediately because we could relate to it. We were always given bite size passages
to digest, draw and present to the class. At the end of the lesson, we became more
confident in completing our lesson plans. Even after I submitted the draft for
my second lesson plan, I was asked to think of other activities. This is the
creative element I have neglected and forgotten.
Conclusion
I am glad I took
this module. This course has taught me to value the thought process in planning
meaningful and life-changing lessons. The creative activities are only useful
and applicable after I have wrestled with the Holy Spirit what the BIG IDEA was.
My learning journey has not ended. I believe it has just started and I am
committed to integrate what I have learnt whenever I am placed in the capacity
to teach in the future.
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