Based on Jesus and his teachings, it is clear that teaching is a profession set aside by God Himself. The Gospels extensively reference Jesus and his teachings, with statements of the ways in which he taught openly to those who wanted to listen. The practices that a teacher uses have a considerable impact on the student and even make a difference in their lives. Hence, it is essential to consider the methods and instructional practices that Jesus used and establish ways in which these practices can be emulated in the modern curriculum. The Biblical perspective of teaching clearly states that we need to understand and study this Master Teacher's way of instructions.
Literature Review
Many teachers that have shown their extensive knowledge of their subject areas have come and gone over the years. The background of experienced teachers can be traced very far back into human history, but Jesus Christ is identified as the master of all (White, 2000). Hence, in an attempt to understand His methods of teaching, His instructional practices can be divided into different categories.
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Speaking with authority
Jesus utilized a wide variety of practices in the three and a half years of his ministry. However, chief among this, which inspired the masses, was that he spoke with authority. He was certain about what he taught, which resulted in some of his students believing in his teachings. In Mark, the bible states that those he taught were intrigued by the authority that he used when teaching (Translation, 1996: Mark 1:22). His teaching was rooted in God’s word. When the scribes taught in the synagogue, they just provided quotes from different experts. However, when Jesus was teaching, he spoke with the authority of God himself.
For all those who questioned him or presented doubts regarding his teachings, Jesus posed a question to them as a way to highlight spiritual truths. The four gospels present more than 100 questions that were asked by Jesus in his teaching (Alexander, 2018). Sometimes these questions were rhetorical, while at other times, they acted as an examination of his students’ understanding. The primary function of these questions was the arousal of interests in those who listened to him. He not only asked questions but also encouraged those who listened to him to ask questions. This way, he also ensured that his teaching was full of application. Whenever he was teaching, he included what his students understood as concerning what he taught.
The use of object lessons
Many of Jesus' teachings revolved around actual objects. Jesus had a comprehensive understanding of the masses and crowd that he taught, having lived among them for more than 30 years. He was aware that a majority of them were visual learners, and hence, used object lessons as a way to enhance their comprehension. His practice of utilizing known things and giving them a new spiritual significance was familiar to those who listened to him, which helped him to arouse and maintain His teachings (Alexander, 2018).
He used object lessons for the communication of truth to those who wanted to listen. Some instances of these object lessons included Jesus' use of water when he was by the well, the use of bread to feed 5000 people, and references to a fig tree, mustard tree, and other objects with everyday life for the revelation of spiritual truth. Through the use of familiar objects, Jesus was able to ensure that the unknown was expressed through the use of the known.
The use of repetition
Repetition is vital for new lessons, a concept demonstrated by Jesus in his teachings (McCoy & John, 2016). This involved the integration of new ideas into relevant situations and rigor. All these three were present when Jesus was interacting with his disciples and other individuals as well. For example, when highlighting the humility of children, Jesus taught these in several ways, to different crowds. This includes stating the significance of the receipt of truth and faith similar to a child as well as instructing his disciples so that he could enable the children to approach him. His repetitive use of children emphasized a message to those he taught. It indicates the importance of identifying the important concepts within a lesson and finding a proper and repetitive way to build upon them. For example, he repeatedly talked about how he would die and resurrect (Translation, 1996: Mark 8:31, 9:31, 10:33-34). This way, by repeatedly stating this theme, his disciples were able to gain an understanding of his death and the significance that this would have for the human race.
Story Telling
Jesus made the truth he taught memorable through the use of stories. Jesus regularly used stories in his teachings, which emphasized the implications and applications of his lessons. Through these short stories, his main aim was not entertainment, but rather, education. He related everyday examples to those who listened to him, using components that they could easily refer to, such as fig trees, mustard seeds, and weddings (McCoy et al., 2016). Jesus told multiple parables to his audience. These stories made his teachings more entertaining while also establishing a connection between different aspects of his teachings.
Teachable Moments
Jesus significantly utilized teachable moments as a way to impart wisdom and truth in different moments. During one of his lessons, there was an interruption from a professional in the law who questioned the requirement to inherit eternal life. At this moment, He stated that the need for individuals to adore God with their hearts, minds, bodies, and souls (Translation, 1996: Matthew 22: 37-39). Jesus used then used the teachable moment to introduce a story regarding the love of God. In these moments, Jesus used words that were direct and simple- an essential feature of his instructional practices. These words also contained symbolic meaning and were well within the comprehension of those he taught.
Reflection
Jesus’ teaching practices can be summarized in the approach of experiential learning. Experiential learning can be defined as the procedure of constructing meaning from direct experience. To replicate Jesus, instructional practices, the application of experiential learning in the modern curriculum would be essential. Tolbert (1999) states that the approach of Jesus to teach was experiential learning since he provided instructions to his students, and then called on them to conduct them. Not only did he teach His disciples what actions they should take, but he also sent them out to implement these actions and relate their success to him. This approach, as with Jesus' instructional practices, can also be divided into different steps.
The first step is that teachers have to speak with certainty when introducing new content to their students. This means being confident not only on biblical teachings and spiritual truths, but also on different concepts in other subjects. To instill confidence in the student regarding specific educational concepts, teachers should also express their certainty regarding the concept (McCoy et al., 2016). The second step is the integration of object lessons in different subjects. Using object lessons will be significant to demonstrate specific facts and ensure that students are provided with an appropriate learning environment. For example, history teachers can use artifacts as a way to express specific historical facts or even conducting a trip to an archeology museum.
The third step includes the use of questions as a way to engage students. Jesus used a variation of questions as a way to start conversations or arouse their interests in the middle of teachings. Through questions, teachers will aim the ability to stimulate thoughts, guide learning, and challenge those that he teaches. Therefore, in the fifth step, the access and activation of prior knowledge are identified as critical to enabling students to understand the relevance of what they learn. Hence, the use of repetition within a class is significant in supporting the understanding of concepts. This can be used by integrating different activities, such as the pairing of students. Once relevance is established, the rigor of the content can then be enhanced.
Lastly, teachers can use storytelling as a launching point for their lessons. At times, instructors may be highly focused on addressing the components structured for a lesson, which results in them missing the significance of instructional practices used by Jesus. Hence, teachers should attempt to integrate the learning points of a lesson within a story, whenever possible, while using everyday examples related to their students (Alexander, 2018). However, they also have to be aware to ensure that stories are used for education and not just entertainment.
Conclusion
The instructional practices identified within this paper are practices that can be used and replicated in each classroom across the educational system. For each content area, teachers have the ability to adopt specific practices that suit their concepts and their areas. Teachers are encouraged to follow Jesus' example through the use of steps such as speaking with certainty and incorporating repetition. In this way, this will not only facilitate the emulation of Jesus but also ensure that a proper learning environment is established for the understanding of students.
References
Alexander, I. (2018). Modelling our teaching on the Jesus of the Gospels. In Reimagining Christian Education (pp. 111-121). Springer, Singapore.
McCoy, E. D., & John, W. (2016). The Teaching Methods of Jesus. The Journal of Biblical Foundations of Faith and Learning , 1 (1), 9.
Tolbert, L. V. (2000). Teaching like Jesus: A practical guide to Christian education in your church . Zondervan.
Translation, N. L. (1996). Holy Bible. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale .
White, E. G. H. (2000). True Education: Adaptation of Education by Ellen G. White . Pacific Press Pub. Association.
