Relationships and Influence (Part 2)

By Steve Huerd

One of the criteria by which college ranking organizations classify different institutions is class size.  The thinking behind this is the smaller the class size, the more personal interaction the student will receive with the professor.  Thus, personal access and instruction from a knowledgeable professor becomes premium when considerations are being made.

Yet, even within these smaller classrooms, having good relationships between the professor and the student is naturally implied.  There’s an old adage that says, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much care.”  This truth definitely applies to mentoring relationships as the perceived quality of the relationship between the mentor and mentee is possibly the single most important factor to mentoring effectiveness.

I believe the same is true in teaching.  If a student intuitively knows that his or her professor not only is an expert in their field, but that he/she also cares about them individually as a person, then they tend to allow the professor greater access to their inner thinking.

We all intuitively determine who we can trust and who we can’t, sometimes without even saying a word to that person.  People’s actions publically display certain levels of trust; either inviting us to be real, to use caution, or even to be fearful.

When a teacher has shown signs of being a trustworthy person, then those around them begin to allow them access to their thinking.  This relational trust, then, enables the professor to have more influence in their students’ lives and thinking.

Granted, no one can have close, personal relationships with all their students in every class, but by simply being aware of the relational factors present within the classroom, our effectiveness as instructors is greatly increased.  Our teaching then becomes better leveraged through relational influence resulting in greater impact upon the minds we seek to sway.

Relationships and Teaching (Part 1)

by Steve Huerd

Everyone wants to influence someone’s life when they teach.  Teaching is, after all, the passing of knowledge from one mind to another with the intent to help and improve another life.  But, what makes for effective teaching?  While there are many writings dealing with pedagogical techniques and tips out there, there is comparatively few dealing with how relationships affect teaching efficacy.

In my recently published dissertation, I argued that spiritual development occurs through personal, trusted relationships.  In other words, most people choose what to believe religiously through being influenced by those with whom they have personal trusted relationships.  These people could be their parents, extended family, key nonparental adults, friends, etc.  Thus effective transmission of faith and religious values, which most definitely includes knowledge, is passed along relationally from one person to another. 

This makes sense because we are all created in the image of God to be relational beings connecting with one another.  Even within the universe as a whole, truth is personal, found in the person of Jesus Christ.  This is in contrast to the notion that truth is merely a collection of facts or knowledge that fit reality that must be drilled into every young mind. Even Jesus noted that, “this is eternal life that they might KNOW you” (John 17:3 emphasis mine) implying relational knowledge as being the highest form of knowledge for eternity.

Thus there appears to be an inseparable link between knowledge and relationship as God created them.  Knowledge can exist outside of relationships, but it gains its full meaning and significance through relationships.  Indeed, even the entire universe has a relational connection to Jesus being created “by Him…through Him and for Him” (Col. 1:17).

This truth has profound implications for how we teach in Christian education.  For if knowledge is best communicated via relationships, then the types of relationships we have with our students will affect how they interpret the knowledge we are attempting to teach them.   In fact, I would argue, that the healthier and stronger our relationships with students are, the better they will receive and hear what we have to say.  This has been true in my experience in ministry all these years of working with students and I believe it is core principle essential to pedagogical efficacy at every level.

Why Don’t They Get It!

by Steve Huerd

One of the greatest moments in a teacher’s life is when their students “get it” and the light bulb comes on.  Sometimes you can see it in their faces, in their assignments or perhaps in their review of your course.  There’s something inherently satisfying seeing tangible evidence that you made a difference in someone’s life.

But what happens when they don’t get it and you can’t seem to get through to that young mind?  You know the truth you are sharing is critical to their understanding, yet they just don’t seem ready to hear it.

As teachers in Christian education, we are like the Apostle Paul who said to the Corinthians, “we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truth to those who are spiritual” (1 Cor. 2:13).

Last week I was teaching a large group of high school students in a foreign country on a mission trip and I desperately wanted to share the gospel with them.  However, the national staff told me if I did this publically in this way, it would not be received well by the students due to cultural differences.  They might be open to hearing it one-on-one but not in a large group setting, and especially if I preached it to them.

I consented, relinquishing my own ambitions, and shared only a small portion of my personal testimony regarding the importance of God in my life.  Immediately afterward two of their national staff thanked me for planting the seed in the student’s minds and said my approach was very effective.

Yet I struggled within myself thinking, “why can’t I just share the gospel with them…this is what they need!”  Yet, the truth was simply that they were not ready to hear it in that way.  Paul likewise, experienced similar frustration with the Corinthians, “I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it” (1 Cor. 3:2).  Even Jesus, in speaking to the disciples, had to curtail his teaching, “I still have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” (John 16:12).

As Christian teachers, we should be aware of the limits of our teaching upon young believer’s hearts.  Sometimes our students are just not ready to hear all the wisdom and insight we have to offer them.  Therefore we must make adjustments in our teaching when appropriate.  These somewhat painful and inconvenient adjustments should flow from our love for our students.  When they are not ready to hear, we must limit ourselves as teachers so as not to overburden them.  No one learns calculus in first grade and no one can “comprehend the thoughts of God except of the Spirit of God.”

Instructor Styles: The Co-learner

While there are countless styles teachers can choose from, as an instructor my overall aim is to aid students in their journey toward growth in knowledge and practice of the subject matter. In light of such,  I seek to, in some ways, stand on equal ground with my students. I long for my students to feel heard, valued, and respected. My intent is to mentor them in the subject matter while giving them the freedom to ask questions, wrestle with the content, and develop their voice. In so doing, I hope to also learn, grow, and wrestle with the topic(s) at hand.

A quaint book by Gloria Durka, The Teacher's Calling, suggests students learn more effectively in co-learning environments stating, “It is more effective to learn where the teacher speaks and listens, gives and asks, welcomes comments and insights, encourages students to think for themselves and help each other in the learning process” (45). However, we must also remain the "teacher."  While being open and respectful, we also need a sense of our own authority.  Durka echos my point saying, “We need the personal courage to make demands on our students . . . to do the work that is necessary to learn well. We need a sense of our authority” (50).

Striking a balance between authority and openness fostered through co-learning can be a great challenge. It is a balance I have not yet mastered. At times students can, and will, take advantage of my co-learner stance as a teacher. Being inviting and striving to be a co-learner while maintaining authority is a fine line to walk. I hope as I grow in experience and practice I will become better at mastering the tightrope walk such a style of teaching requires.

Nonetheless, at the end of the day, I fully and firmly believe in the power of being a co-learner. I have seen the depth of such a practice displayed in both classes I have participated in and taught. Learning together can be a powerful tool for both material mastery and transformation. Cooperation is a God-given gift. As a teacher, I have a unique opportunity to utilize that gift, to its fullest potential, to aid students along their quest for knowledge, growth, and transformation.

I hope you will join me in seeking to master this instructional style and offer your comments, reflections, and suggestions concerning this instructional practice.