Basics of Teaching for Christians: Preparation, Instruction, and Evaluation

Rating:
Summary: Stewardship and the Calling of the Teacher
Review: As his title--Basics of Teaching for Christians--indicates, Pazmino sets out to present a methodology for teaching that is distinctively Christian. All aspects of life are affected by following Christ, and teaching is no exception. According to the author, two main biblical principles guide a distinctively Christian method of teaching: the work of the Holy Spirit and the importance of stewardship. Guided by these principles, Pazmino outlines a three-stage approach to teaching: (1) Preparation, (2) Instruction, and (3) Evaluation.

In the first stage, preparation, Pazmino argues that because teachers are called to be good stewards, they must make the most of the resources and opportunities that they are given. This includes rigorous preparation of the teacher's heart, spirit, mind, and body. The teacher must be careful, however, that such careful planning does not result in rigid expectations for how the class should go. When preparing content, the teacher must allow for unexpected directions the class may take as a result of the work of the Spirit.

The second stage, instruction, is further divided into three parts: the prelude, lude, and postlude. The prelude is the time of introduction. If it is effective, it will trigger interest on the part of the students and gain their attention. The lude is the main time of instruction. Pazmino covers many methods and principles, but the basic idea is a psychological order of instruction, in which the focus is on the students, rather than the actual content. The postlude is the time for the teacher to enthusiastically reiterate the main points to seal what has been learned.

In the third stage, evaluation, the teacher is once again called to be a good steward by carefully and honestly evaluating how he is progressing as a teacher. According to Pazmino, among the skills that the teacher should be consciously developing are clarity, flexibility, enthusiasm, and the appropriate use of praise and discipline.

As a guide for Christian education in general, Pazmino's book is insightful and helpful. Someone might complain that he lacks an explicit grounding in the covenantal nature of church education, but such a concern is in some ways beyond the scope of the book. His emphasis on stewardship is a helpful corrective to the tendency of teachers to underestimate the importance of their task. Additionally, his argument for the importance of genuine enthusiasm on the part of the teacher cannot be emphasized enough. A teacher must truly care for the material and his students in order to be effective.