I have just finished a wonderful week of teaching in a summer institute for school teachers. The week-long institute was designed to provide professional development for PreK-Grade 12 classroom teachers in the Christian school. The institute provided seven different topics with each topic involving 6 hours of instruction. I had the privilege of teaching two of those topics.
I love teaching adults! They are so motivated to learn and they bring such rich experiences into the classroom. The role of teacher often takes on the service of the facilitator - serving up new information and then directing the discussion that naturally follows. The insights of adults and their passion for growth make them a joy to have in a classroom setting.
I love to teach! Although I was quite tired at the end of the week, I was also energized by the teaching experience. I think my passion for the content of my workshops comes forth in my animated delivery and genuine enthusiasm for the message. In the midst of the interactive classroom dynamics and the exchange of information, I find myself thrilled with the whole process.
As I have reflected on the past week of professional development, I have considered again the two sides of teaching: preparation and presentation. I often ask prospective teacher in the interview process which side of the teaching they enjoy the most. For me personally, the answer is "Yes!" I enjoy both the preparation and the presentation with equal zeal - but for very different reasons.
The preparation for teaching is is powerful! As I concern the incredible responsibility that I will have in helping others understand and apply truth, I am driven to know my topic, to research my statements , to ground my opinions in orthodoxy, and to ensure accuracy, integrity, and truthfulness in my presentations. I enjoy words.... definitions are important to me....logic, reasoning, and analysis drive my research. All of this takes time (lots of it) to prepare a workshop. I have never timed it, but I would estimate that for every hour of lecture, I put in 6-10 hours of preparation. Part of my problem with research is that I cannot bring myself to stop. There is always another article to read, source to include, quote to find, thought to include. And for me, the research is fun, exciting, and intellectually stimulating. I always gain so much more than my students. I usually end up with twice or three times more material and insight than I end up sharing with the class. I find myself so blessed during the preparation stage of teaching.
But then come the time of presentation. Even with the time spent in preparation, I often feel inadequate for the time of instruction. The nervousness of presentation is always there with little butterflies in the stomach, or huge waves of mental anguish, depending on the audience. But once the session has begun and get over the hump of anxiety, I experience the rush of presentation. Words begin to flow.... the expressions on the faces of the audience reveal acceptance and understanding.... I begin to see light bulbs of comprehension turning on in the eyes of many faces.... smiles and chuckles react to my humor... debate, discussion and dialog begin to invade the experience and I am floating on educational energy.
At the end of the day during this summer institute, I was physically tired, my feet were sore from moving around the classroom, my mouth was dry from talking, but my heart and spirit were alive with the experience. I am not by nature an extrovert and social gatherings are not my element of ease, but engaging a classroom filled with students who desire to learn together meets my driving heartbeat.
I love to teach and I love teaching adult!
photo credit: http://lifeinthenhs.wordpress.com/2009/03/10/
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