sustain:if:able kiwi

encouraging better practice in teaching: snapshots of learning

A few days ago, following conversations with visiting family, I was reflecting on teaching. How do we encourage teachers in their teaching? One suggestion was the use of a journal, shared with a peer, in which together regular reflection on practice occurs.

There were some really helpful comments which have kept me thinking during the week. Plus the fact that my (temporary) “study leave” office is close to a classroom, so I get to hear the occasional lecture as I write.

And this week came news of the sale of Instagram to Facebook for 1 billion.

Which got me thinking about snapshots. A moment of time. A visual media rather than a written media. So what if rather than a journal, you invited teachers to take a snapshot? One per class. Not a literal one. But they are given a blank piece of card, perhaps in the shape of a “polaroid”? On which they have are invited to note down the best teaching moment of that class.

And then teachers meet as peers, spread their “snapshots” and reflect together about what they’re learning about teaching.

Which sparked another possibility. What if you invited teachers to take snapshots not of their teaching, but of their students learning?

Let me explain.

At Uniting College, our mandate is to form leaders. What if each teacher was given a “snapshot” (a blank card), one for every student in their class. And at some time during the semester, they were expected to take a “snapshot” (again not an actual picture, but a quote made, an interaction, an essay, a moment of caring) of that student displaying leadership and ministry. This is based on appreciative inquiry, looking for strength, rather than weakness, in a student.

Imagine being given that at the end of the semester. A fulltime student has 4 topics per semester, 8 per year, 24 per degree. By the end of your time, the student has 24 snapshots of them at their best in terms of leader development.

One of my guiding principles is that ministry and leadership are unique. Each person has a unique fingerprint and our task is to work out how our unique personality and experience form us into leaders. So by the end of the degree, the student has 24 “snapshots.” Spread those over the table, reflect with a mentor on your 3 years of study and I suspect you would have a pretty good mirror on who you could be as a leader. There could even be degree topic toward the end in which you enter a process of leadership reflection – on the snapshots, on your life experiences, on your passions.

What do folk think? Might “snapshots” encourage better practice in teaching? And learning?

encouraging better practice in teaching

practising teachers should be encouraged to use reflective journal writing as part of their daily professional teaching experience. Nooreiny Maarof, “Telling his or her story through reflective journals,” International Education Journal, 2007, 8(1), 205-220.

My brother from New Zealand is staying for the weekend. A trained high school teacher, with a deep passion for education, and a particular focus on outdoor education and life skills, I always enjoy hearing what he’s thinking and wrestling with.

Today, we discussed the place of student feedback. As we were sharing notes, he commented on a new initiative among high school teachers in New Zealand. Teachers are being expected to keep a journal, in which they reflect on their daily teaching.

It struck me as a brilliant initiative and I began to think about it in terms of tertiary education, and in particular for us teaching staff at Uniting College.

I have often reflected how you need no qualifications to be a tertiary educator, other than expertise in a particular field. Which potentially makes for some very, very bad teaching. Sure, in a tertiary institution, we receive feedback from students, in the form of class evaluations. But this is often highly individual, a teacher receives it, but it is up to them if they do anything with this information.

Last month at Uniting College, we added a quality management step, in that we are requiring teachers to, upon receipt of feedback, complete a one page form reflecting on what they did well and what they might like to change.

But that occurs at the end of a course. What if it was supplemented by the use of a journal, in which teachers reflected on what they hope to achieve in each class, what actually happened, and what they are learning about the art of teaching? For us at Uniting College, it could also include linking to our particular focus on forming leaders. How did what we do – in class and informally – help us in the task of leadership formation? How did it build on what students already bring to the class? What “sacred moments” were we part of creating?

This could then be shared with a peer on a regular basis, throughout a semester, for discussion and mutual support. It would not be tied to performance, but simply a way to encourage reflection on practice and with a peer.

Advantages could include a constant reminder of why we exist, reflection on our practice, peer support in our task, and learning from the best practice of each other.

Thoughts? And what other ideas have you come across for encouraging better teaching practice at tertiary/Seminary level?

finding voice, losing mine!

Today I spoke to Catholic Education, to about 120 staff, gathered for a day of annual retreat, providing the keynote input over about 90 minutes. In discussion with the organisers, I spoke on the theme of “Finding Voice, telling stories.” It was a slight adaptation of a presentation I gave back in September last year, to the Australian Religious Press Association, which seemed to go well, both then, and again today.

I began by using a film, The King’s Speech,

because I have a voice

to open up the topic of how we find voice, individually and as communities. Then under 3 headings I explored

• a theology of finding voice – Moses, Elijah, the short ending of Mark (16:8), then drawing on The Divine Voice: Christian Proclamation and the Theology of Sound and Sense Making Faith Body Spirit Journey

• finding voice today – some contemporary cultural analysis, including the way that Douglas Coupland, in 1991, in Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, focuses on telling stories as a way of finding voice, and then returns to that theme some 19 years later, in Generation A: A Novel.

• three stories of finding voice that inspire me, to conclude (specifically the Parihaka story, Brooke Fraser and Paul Kelly).

As I spoke, I pondered the irony – that as I spoke on finding voice, I was losing mine. You see, today was my last public speaking engagement for the next 3 months. From 1 April to 1 July, I am on sabbatical and I’ve been able to politely say “no” and “sorry”, to a whole range of speaking, preaching and teaching, clearing space in order to focus on some writing. (More on the shape of that next week, when I actually start).

Which seemed to me, as I spoke, to be such an important irony to live within, the need to pause one’s mouth in order to think, process, reflect, read, re-stock. To find voice, but in a different way – with written, not spoken words!

please be seated for learning

As the lecture year began, my colleague and I decided to play with the seating.

It is a post-graduate class, of whom a maximum of 18 could turn up, although because these are all folk active in ministry, the usual turn up is around 14.

Historically we have gathered the desks in a circle. While this expresses collaboration, over time, a number of downsides have become apparent.

First, you have to put in enough seats to cater for the maximum. If you don’t, and everyone turns up, then the result is quite disruptive as everyone has to pull their seats back to widen the circle. Second, the circle gets quite wide, and thus the sense of intimacy is reduced. Third, a scorched zone tends to appear around wherever the lecturer sits in the circle, as folk have this instinctive aversion to being seated to close to lecturers.

So on Monday we played with groups of three, spread in 5 areas around the class. If all turn up, it’s easy to add a 6th cluster. The use of three meant that conversation in small groups was instantly easier. Further, it created an accessible inner area. So we were able to start by all moving into the centre to stand, share and pray. Physically we were closer and it seemed to make us feel closer.

It felt good. Discussion seemed to flow much more easily, to weave in and out around the group and to be less lecturer-centric.

Summer spirit Perth bound

I’m flying to Perth for the weekend, to speak at a conference called Summer Spirit. I’ve been asked to do three keynote sessions, 2 Q and A workshops and be part of one panel, and to speak about mission as fresh expressions.

Earlier this week I emailed over some things I will need
-blank pieces of A4 paper
– Boat making instructions
– felt pens
– pipe cleaners
– bags of licorice allsorts

After the conference, I’m staying on for a day, to enjoy tasting some Perth wines. I’m looking forward to that, plus being with folk I’ve not met before and being with another part of the Uniting Church, that diverse thing that is spread across the vast expanese of Australia

love feast an intensive ending

I’ve been team teaching with Michelle Cook an intensive for the last two weeks. The photo is from a student desk, the key texts (!), Basis of Union on top, Bible on the bottom. A seeking of integration, not a statement of priority!

It’s been a great few weeks. The new approach to tutorials has worked really, really, well. Students have not only been very engaged. They have also experienced processes around how to think. More importantly, they have also experienced the richness of thinking processes in community – that together we are so much more informed than in isolation. For students training for ministry, this seems to me to be such an essential skill, learning to work in and with groups cf solo minister.

During this week of the intensive we have been offering daily communion, each different, wanting to give students an experience as well as a lecture, wanting students to appreciate the rich diversity in communion practices. Monday was from Uniting in Worship. Tuesday was alternative worship with stations. Wednesday was an adaptation of Orthodox communion. Today was a love feast.

It was the final day of class, so folk were invited to bring food to share. As people arrived, a prayer inviting the Spirit was prayed. Bread was served. We were then ate the shared lunch around tables, enjoying communion of and with each other. During this time, a Bible story was told (thanks Sarah), about Jesus eating practices. As we moved into dessert, the communion cup was offered, followed by prayers of intercession. The benediction was chocolates, the invitation to take the love feast that is God’s communion sweetness into the world.

It was a lovely end to a great few weeks.

missional values

This was a (home designed) “brand” on a sweat top being worn at mission-shaped ministry course last night. And what are the missional values embedded in the words?

Eden’s bean. Serving God. Drinking Coffee. Since Day three.

It was another great night. Lindsay Cullen, from the Canberra team, was with us, sharing on the topic of missional values. I think he enjoyed having a 2nd go (having taught this topic in Canberra last weekend) and we certainly enjoyed a new face, some external input and outside encouragement.

God touched me downunder

In my last blog post, I reflected on smell and spirituality. It turned out to be quite a profound learning experience for the class. So, encouraged, this morning I introduced touch and spirituality.

I began with a mediation. I invited the class to think about returning home at the end of the day. To get out of the car. To enter their home. To imagine their lounge, then bathroom, then bedroom. And in each place to look around and consider what kind of things you find pleasure in touch?

I then noted the importance of touch in Christianity – in baptism, during Ash Wednesday, as we say the peace, as we participate in Communion. I noted how Jesus was touched – wrapped in swaddling clothes, circumcised, taken in Simeon’s arms, in baptism, in the passion. And how Jesus touches others – little children, the leper, in bread broken and cup offered.

And then invited reflection on what kind of touch experiences have been important to us in our spiritual journey.

Together we said a prayer

Lord, You knew the touch of love
You knew the touch of friendship
You endured the kiss of betrayal
You endured the crown of thorns
Help us to touch others with your love
Help us to touch others with your friendship
Help us to heal the wounded hearts
Help us to heal the scars and hurts. Prayer from Sense Making Faith.

I then gave out fabric, raided from the home sewing stock. Each person got 4 pieces. (They were allowed to swap if they got stuck.) And the invitation, to express our text for the week (Luke 1:39-45), using their four pieces of fabric. People worked away, some with silk and string, others with weave and fabric.

And then the question for group discussion: What had we learnt, freshly, about the Biblical text? And about ourselves?

Oh my goodness.

We were still going some 90 minutes later, sharing, learning, reflecting. It was a rich, rich conversation on a learning exercise that in some ways was so simple. Yet had become profound.

One conclusion (among many): that as Christians we are “out of touch”, simply because we have ignored the senses in our faith.

A note: The shape of this exercise owes much to some material (pun intended) from Sense Making Faith which is a wonderful resource. For more on how it can be used, not just in a class, but in church and in mission, go here.

What does the Spirit smell like?

Yesterday in class we began by smelling the Bible. I realise this is not a standard approach to Christianity, the Bible or to tertiary study. So before we began, as a group we needed to take quite some time to make sure we were connecting with our noses.

So I began with a quick quiz. People were asked to rank favourite smells – sunday roast, coffee, bbq, gingerbread, popcorn, cut grass. The buzz of conversation confirmed that people were starting to think through their noses.

Second, we read an excerpt from Sense Making Faith, reminding us of how important smell is – our unique smell, smell in creation, the changing smells of life.

Third, we took some quiet time to reflect on the familiar scent of a person we love, followed by the smell of our church. How would we recognise people and place by smell alone?

Fourthly, we prayed

Lord God,
You walk in all our memories
You know where we have been
What we have said, known and felt
Come to us in the scent we remember
The time when we walked with you
And know that we walk with you still
Amen. Prayer from Sense Making Faith.

Fifthly, we considered not just good smells, but also bad spells. We asked ourselves where are the bad smells in our community? And we prayed, together again. We started and ended the prayer together, with space in the middle for us to name individually the smells we have been reflecting upon.

Lord God,
In the stink of rubbish tips where people make a living
In the stench of grave where people search for their dead
In the foul odour of disease where people are suffering
You are there. (space for individuals to name the smells). You are the fresh air.
Help us to make lives for the scavengers of rubbish
Help us to bring justice for the unknown dead
Help us to nurse and heal the diseased.
Help us to bring your fresh new life to the world. Amen (Prayer from Sense Making Faith).

We were now ready to smell the Bible. We were aware of the importance of smell and the fact that smell can work both positively and negatively. And so we smelt our Biblical text for the week (Luke 1:39-45). I read it slowly, pausing often.

And we were moved, by the fresh insights that emerged, by the growing awareness of the humanity of the text. And we were stumped by verse 41 “filled with the Holy Spirit.” What does the Spirit smell like? Are we “smelling” too much into the text? Or is that the Spirit does have an aroma, and we’ve simply never yet been aware of it, never paid attention?

A note: Much of this material comes from Sense Making Faith which is a wonderful resource. For more on how it can be used, not just in a class, but in church and in mission, go here.

confessions: the place of ikea in worship and teaching

Dear Ikea,

I love your shop. I love the creativity of good design. I love the way that the confines of space become a springboard to creativity. I love it so much that today I taught my class in your shop. We arrived at 1 pm and and we left at 3 pm.

First, because we had talked in the morning about the importance of environments. So moving from a class to lunch at your place provided an experience of a different environment. This led to a profitable discussion as we compared your space with church spaces.

Second, I gave out to the students one of your shopping lists and cute little pencils. The students are all working on a project for Friday. And since the confines of space can become (as you know so well) a springboard to creativity, in order for students to experience this, they were invited to choose (not buy) one thing from your shop for use in their project.

Third, we were due to talk about spirituality2go, about providing ways to resource spirituality beyond the gathered congregation. I placed a whole lot of my previous ministry ideas in a box in the middle of the table at which we were sitting. The class took turns to pull out an idea, at which point I shared the creative processes that led to that idea. (A lot more ideas are on my website – either under the heading worship treats, or preaching today or Creationary (a space to be creative with the lectionary).)

However, all of this is not what I need to confess. What I need to confess is this …

that I am the one who (absent-mindedly) took the help yourself little black tongs from your bread roll container.

I apologise for my neglect, for interpreting help yourself to apply to the tongs and not the bread rolls.

I trust that your dishwashing staff recognised these little black tongs and have now returned them to their rightful place,

Signed,
Steve Taylor

a kick in our guts? Luke 1:39-45

Day 2 of the Living the text intensive began by Dwelling in the Word, in Luke 1:39-45.

Dwelling the word is a process which encourages a deep listening to Scripture and to each other. A passage is read, folk share in 2’s what strikes them or what question is raised. What people hear (not say), is then shared with the whole group.

As this group listened to each other, themes began to emerge. In the words of one “Is knowing only cognitive?” It began with the observation that it was in response to the the movement of a baby (“leapt for joy”) that the Spirit was shared. In other words, to know the Spirit required a woman (Elizabeth) being sensitive to her body and an unborn baby to be responsive to the work of the Spirit. God’s revelation, through the body of a woman and a child.

This was laid alongside the fact that Mary also is carrying a child and comes to Elizabeth perhaps in an act of affirmation and confirmation. She has a belief, that she carries a child, but probably senses that this belief runs counter to her Jewish faith. Thus her knowing is in process, is being reshaped by her experiences of God.

In other words, moments of experiential knowing, of paying attention to God in our bodies, need to be affirming and confirmed in community, with other humans.

Of course, what is even more intriguing is that this theme would be a subtext running throughout the lecture input during the rest of the day. As we explored the place of imagination and the role of community, time and again we returned to Luke 1:39-35 and our work written on the white board, to the lovely interplay around revelation as a process, of being embodied, of requiring community.

living the (digital) text: use of social media in theological formation

Day one of the Living the text intensive kicked off today. A really engaged group and it looks like being a rich week.

One of the things I want to encourage during the intensive is a variety of learning experiences, a whole range of different and new ways by which folk can engage with each other. For instance, one of the assessment tasks is based on each person creating their own blogsite onto which they are expected to place a 1,000 word reflection on the intensive experience.

It’s a pretty simple process. I give out a one page “how to get started blogging.” Each student sets up their blog and sends me their URL. (I arrange an optional tutorial on the second day for any folk who get lost.) I create a central “class blog” (a living the text blog) and each student’s blogsite is listed on the sidebar. (If you click on it, you’ll see previous “cohorts”, the classes of 2008, 2007, 2006.

Having a central blog then allows a second piece of assessment. This involves students being expected to comment on each others blogs. So for example 10 comments of 100 words each becomes a 1,000 word addition to the original 1,000 word self-reflection.

Educationally, this has a number of advantages. Students get to revise not only through their own 1000 word reflection, but they also hear the reflections of others in the class. It reminds them of the diversity of experience. It also allows them to take the class interaction into another, online, context. The intensive experience, which can become quite rich relationally, can continue. And they get to explore the world of social media, which IMHO is an essential part of being in ministry today.

Living the text intensive – learning from Rob Bell, Brian McLaren and U2

I’m teaching an intensive – Living the text – in a few weeks (11 -15 July). It has become a bit of signature course for me. I first taught it at Fuller Seminary in 2006, again in 2007, then at Tabor in 2008, a couple of times in Christchurch and finally a segment by distance last year at the University of Otago.

So this is number 7 and it’s been fun over the last few days to update the readings, ponder the case studies, hit a few refresh buttons and consider what we can learn from the likes of a Rob Bell or a Brian McLaren or a Bono Vox about communication.

There’s still space for a few more, so if you want a week of story, community and creativity that seeks to resource the use of the Bible in local church communities, then drop me a line.

Here’s the plan for the week

Monday
The text today: The text as strangely familiar
Case study: U2‘s Bullet the Blue Sky; Rob Bell “Resurrection”

Tuesday
Imagination: Community
Case study: Communal lectio divina by Brian McLaren

Wednesday
Environments: Spirit2go
Case study: Show and tell from the Taylor grab bag

Thursday
Storytelling in theory: Storytelling in practice
Case study: Amateur Godly play

Friday
Sunday’s coming: Structures, preparation
Case study: Participant offerings and discussion

And here’s the course blurb: This course will explore the communication of the Biblical text in a contemporary world, with particular missiological reference to the use of the Bible in a contemporary context. It will apply theological insights around text, community and culture, to the task of maintaining and communicating the integrity of the Biblical text with reference to postmodernity. This course will take for granted skills in expository preaching, and deliberately seek to critically explore other ways to engage and present the Biblical text.

teaching Jesus today

“…Theologians are now primarily called to provide not a theoretical argument for Christianity’s plausibility, but an account of how Christianity can be part of the solution—rather than part of the problem—on matters that make a life-and-death difference to people, especially the poor and the oppressed. Kathryn Tanner, Kathryn. “Christian claims: how my mind has changed.” Christian Century 127, no. 4 (February 23, 2010), 40. 

This quote (hat tip Paul) haunts me, a call for those who teach, research and train leaders.

It was hugely important in the new VET Christology distance course I have been writing this semester and in my own thinking, including the Flinders University debate.