Teaching Strategies Reflection

Reflection on Subject Specific Strategies

            One of the most positive aspects about teaching theology is the fact that it allows for many different forms of education as well as formative and summative assessments. Also, because there are many different branches of theology, there are various ways to interpret religious beliefs and customs. From observing the four other theology teachers at my school, I have seen types of education and assessment from all over the spectrum.

            Due to the varying branches of religious belief, there is a theology course that specializes in world religions. In this class, Ms. Morais instructs the students on the wide range of religious thought outside of their comfort zone. They study Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Gnosticism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity to name a few. While most of these religions have opposite values, there are still a few matters that remain important across the entire range. For example, the students make charts and diagrams of the similarities and differences between Islam, Christianity, and Judaism during the first few weeks in class, and it surprises them how much all three religions have in common. On the other hand, the students also observe how different the three religions are in comparison to each other and to other religions or sects from the Far East or aboriginal belief systems. There is something for everyone out there! I think it is imperative that the students focus on the similarities as much as the differences because it promotes an open mind and an open heart to ideas that may not be understood. Education is not all about learning for the sake of reading and regurgitation. Education is also about understanding and learning why something is the way it is and respecting that. The world religions course is eye opening for students in the way that it is taught by Ms. Morais. The history teacher at my previous school also had the ability to mix historical facts and time periods with theological 

aspects. It shows students what relevancy theology has in the development of a people and a nation.

            Another aspect that I have seen in the theology courses at my school, my classroom included, is discussion. One of my favorite parts of my class, and it probably shouldn’t be, is when my students get so ensconced in a topic or a question that they want to talk about it until the bell and afterwards. It doesn’t really help with getting topics covered, but it is intriguing. The ideas and questions take up root in their minds, and they must be answered in order to satiate that need for knowledge. Being from the South, I have always found it acceptable to ask questions about pretty much anything and religion falls into that category. If my students are curious about a belief or an idea or a custom that is foreign to them, then I encourage them to discuss it with each other during class or on an online forum. This kind of conversation breeds desire to know more and learn more, even if they don’t realize it at the time. They can generate thoughts, and we can, as a class, gain more knowledge and recognition of a topic that might have been never considered beforehand. It’s the why that keeps them wondering, and if testing that why with talking is necessary, then sign me up!

            Another portion that I feel is absolutely necessary when it comes to a theology classroom is homework. And by homework, I mean reading and reflecting on what has been examined. A good deal of practice work in theology class, especially Ms. Perry’s and Ms. Morais’s, consists of reading primary or secondary sources and chatting about them the next day in class. They also have their students write reflections and journals about what they were assigned to read. Ms. Perry has her students write weekly journals about their reading assignments where they compose and mention what stood out and why it is important to the subject of theology. It is not the most traditional form of homework and practice like questions in science or math equations, but it is what makes up our field. We read, we write, we talk about it. Reading and reflection, either writing or discussion, is a memory I have of my collegiate theology classes, especially in ethics or philosophy courses. It is a quick formative comprehension assessment that packs a punch.

            Summarization and note taking are also imperative when it comes to the field of theology. I would wager that notes are taken at least four days a week, or at least, topics are discussed. Notes add in the little extras or “cheats” that may not be in the book. Notes may also clarify on aspects that may seem confusing in the book. I have my students take notes every day because I have freshmen, and this is a new subject to some of them, and as a result, the extra reinforcement is needed. When it comes to my sophomores, I also have them take notes, but more often than not, the note taking is on extensions of the field like historical, literary, or geographical aspects that won’t be mentioned in their text. This expansion also allows me to mix together subject areas and garner information from the teachers in other subjects. We can cross matters and infuse both subjects into our classes. Also on the subject of note taking is summarizing the material. This concept is integral from the field of theology because of the large amount of historical background that comes with it. Students won’t be able to remember everything because it is not their specialty (not yet), so it is necessary to compose abbreviated versions of the information as to not overwhelm and to give the general purpose and objective.

            A large part of theology is also based on questioning. Sometimes the students may not know where to begin on their trains of thought, and they might need a little push. The role of a theology teacher is to poke and prod, to give a shove in an interesting direction for the sake of analysis of the topic at hand. In all theology classrooms, this technique is necessary for the teacher and the students to keep up the constant stream of inquiry that is imperative to the subject. Ms. Perry and Ms. Morais, as well as I, all have techniques that we use to illicit a proper analysis from a student. Ms. Morais is a prompter. She puts herself in the middle of the discussion and offers helpful hints to get the students’ ball rolling. Ms. Perry has certain questions mapped out for the students for each set of slides in order to advance to the next set of slides. Also, both instructors often combine prompting and set questions. In my classroom, I tend to do a mixture of prompting and previously making questions to encourage my students’ involvement in the class discussion. In my theology classes in college, my professors, more often than not, provoked us with a thought or belief, and we were meant to take it from there. It is the easiest way to get things moving.

            Though all theology teachers that I have observed have mostly used the same techniques, there are a few techniques that I don’t like. One of the problems I have the most difficulty with the classroom is group work and collaboration. I think that, at times, it can be appropriate if enough rules and parameters are set, but more often than not, students will take an alternate route to completing the assignment. Also more chatter and “dead” time tends to occur than actual work, even if you have the coolest assignment being done. Both the theology teachers where I work, as well as teachers in most observational videos, use group work for students to collaborate either in the classroom or out of the classroom. I feel like a jerk, but I don’t like formal collaboration as much as the other types of education tools. I am fine with discussion in the class and on forums, but group work is not my cup of tea. I’d prefer that my students feed off each other in a dialogue about the subject at hand or in individual reflection. I also think that some teachers using hands on activities have to be careful because it can turn too much into a game and not a lesson. I’m not saying that school should be boring. Everything can be fun, and everything should be fun, but there needs to be a balance. The same thought goes with all the projects that I have seen in other classes with massive amounts of glitter and poster boards. Yes, these activities are fun, but they are only as influential as the lesson that is behind them.

            Each of these aspects of teaching is up for interpretation for individual subject and class, but these are the most significant strategies for me as a teacher in my field. I’m an open minded person when it comes to most ideas and thoughts, and that concept remains true in the field of education, but I do like my old standbys and traditions.