Dec 10, 2017 | TEC Connects
As the holidays are quickly approaching, there will be periods of down-time. Times when you and I don’t have to look at our phones, answer the never-ending stream of emails or wait for an answer from a higher authority. This is when we can Rest, Reflect and Read.
Rest is something that we are all in need of for our physical and emotional wellbeing. Resting is different for each person and can range from the highly active state to the sleeping state. Personally, mine is spending time alone without any appointments. What will your rest involve?
Reflection is something that we need. A time to step back and take stock of what has been happening this year. Maybe we need a radical rethink of how we do education. What are the priorities and practices of education? Do we need to teach resilience, engage all students in learning, improve or change our school offerings or focus on developing qualities and skills for the real world from a Christian perspective? Will that then inspire us to read different books?
Reading is so vital for transforming our thinking. Take stock of how the Bible has already changed us and continues to change him. Some books that I have read this year are Courageous Leadership; Hello Gen Z; The Multiplier Effect; The girl with No name; Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars.
So, Happy Christmas, Happy Reading and Happy New Year!
Dec 10, 2017 | TEC Connects
We educators are constantly under a barrage of challenges about the newest and best ways to deliver our teaching to our students. Is rote learning critical enough? Is process focussed learning substantive enough? Are open learning spaces better than rows of desks in a classroom? What kinds of assessment and feedback should be given when, and in what manner? How much of our planning should be set by external bodies, and how much local context should be considered? How should we teach character and ethics – is there some kind of absolute truth, or is it all socially constructed?
Another of these challenges is deciding how much teaching is better face to face, or via some electronic device. We face that question regularly here, at TEC. How can we make available our services to people with integrity?
Thankfully, the Bible gives us a paradigm to discern some wisdom in this mix. Biblically, it is what kind of heart is brought to the teaching and learning that counts. What does that look like? For us, it means reflecting on what kind of heart we bring to the material we offer. For those taking part in any of our courses, it depends on what heart they bring to the learning. If our hearts are bent on loving God and others more, we will understand more of God’s will in what we engage with – either through agreeing that it is part of His grace and truth, or realising it is a soft facsimile.
This is our prayer as we continue to develop material into the New Year. We hope that you can see God’s grace and truth more clearly, whether engaging face-to-face or on-line.
Grace and peace,
Dr Stephen J Fyson
Look out for the new courses, face to face and online, in 2018
