I read an article for a class this week that talked about how classroom dynamics often are thought to be the sole responsibility of the Teacher in the class.
It says, "as we understand the nature of learning we will... help teachers understand how to initiate and maintain conditions in their classrooms conducive to the emergence of learning--because the action of learning is emergent."
Emergent meaning: arising as a natural or logical consequence.
As I was thinking about this, I thought of how as teachers we really need to be aware of purposefully creating learner enabling atmospheres. Part of that is helping the class be actively involved in being agents by choosing the class dynamics.
In order for this to occur, clearly and simply helping them understand, throughout their stay, how to be agents and choose is vital. Agency will influence their entire lives. Even choices as simple as choosing to be happy, or choosing to be sad depending on what they focus on. Choosing to let things go... choosing their attitudes toward missionary work and what they are doing in general.
As I think about this more, I love how being an agent helps us emerge. We learn characteristics about ourselves and strengths about ourselves we never would have seen or recognized before.
I hope we all take some time to think about how we can use our agency, as teachers, to create learner enabling environments that help our missionaries develop their awareness of their own agency... and by doing this begin to learn and emerge into the Heirs of God that they are.
I've always loved How To Begin Teaching, as I feel it can make all the difference as to whether or not an investigator has a spiritual experience. Creating that atmosphere is absolutely vital. We need to be able to do it in our classrooms. We need to be able to do it with ourselves when we go to seek revelation. Our hearts and minds must be in the right place and open before we can expect to learn what truths God has in store for us. These experiences that we have and that we want our missionaries to have are sacred and must be treated as such. And it is down to how we use our agency which will determine our sensitivity to those sacred moments where we are experiencing God's presence.
ReplyDeleteAs I've been taking time at the beginning and throughout class to follow-up, discern, and then help them see how what we will be going over in class will be personally relevant to them (that it will help them overcome their concerns and answer their questions), I noticed that usually the missionaries will then make a conscious choice to be more anxiously engaged in their learning and be more willing to "treasure up" His word.
Through "How To Begin Teaching" and creating that learner enabling atmosphere, the Lord will "educate [their] desires" so they don't just come to learn because they need to (acted upon) but because they want to (act).