I have rediscovered my love of teaching over the past few weeks.
Don’t get me wrong, I had not lost my care for students or passion for seeing students learn. I had, however, come to see classroom teaching as just one of many roles in a full and varied portfolio of competing commitments.
But the current health crisis has led to a reappraisal of personal and professional priorities for us all. As we witness the unfolding of health and economic crises in our state and country and face the implications of social distancing, I am re-evaluating activities and tasks that previously jostled for my time and energy.
Connecting with my Psychology class this month has provided a hiatus from these competing commitments and a sanctuary from bombardment of news updates and social media feeds. Within the safety of the classroom, my students and I have adapted to new methods of teaching and resolved to continue learning despite the tumultuous nature of the world beyond the school. I have experimented with different ways of involving students who are accessing the classroom via distance learning. Not all of these experiments have been successful. However, learning has continued, along with robust discussion and lots of laughter.
And I have come to love spending time with this class. Three times a week I leave the pressures of my leadership world and join my students on the journey towards a deeper understanding of Psychology.
“Our familiar method of interacting is disrupted for a time—let’s make sure we continue to build the community for which we were created.”
My teaching style hasn’t changed. I still use my ‘tried and true’ (perhaps old fashioned?) methods and require all students—including those offsite—to take notes, answer questions and participate in activities. What has changed is my appreciation of the community within which learning occurs.
We are designed this way. God Himself is community—the Triune three in one. Jesus operated in and through community while He was on earth, teaching and training His disciples and showing great love to the most basic structure of community, His immediate family. And we look forward to a renewed creation where we will live in perfect community with each other and with our creator.
As we enter a time of change—one where our familiar method of interacting is disrupted for a time—let’s make sure we continue to build the community for which we were created. As a leadership team at Calvin we are working hard to develop learning activities and interfaces that allow teaching to continue. But equally important is sustaining the community within which learning occurs. This may be the more difficult challenge in the coming weeks and months, but we will be praying that students, parents and staff find creative new ways to connect as community at this time.
Bonny Moroni – Head of Secondary