Unconventional Teaching

I was so surprised today by the progress I witnessed in my university students. I have watched an unbelievable transformation this semester. I remember the first class, when I had them up and mingling, how they all huddled in the back corner together, practically whispering. And then, on the odd chance that someone might understand them, they put their head into the text book while they whispered to insure that no one would ever hear them speaking English! You can imagine my amazement at the site today, when I looked up and suddenly realized my students were using body language and many weren't even holding their text books! The room was so noisy during the conversation times that I had to shout out to be heard to lead them into the next thing. "OK!" has become my token, round-em'-in phrase, and today I heard a student mimicking me in this- it made me smile : ) .

The approach to education and classroom management is vastly different in Japan than what I experienced as a student in the U.S. Here, students are taught to memorize information from text books and lectures given by professors. When they study, they simply read a book or section over and over and over. Those of you who know me can see what a stretch it would be for me to teach in such a way- and it just doesn't work for the subject matter of English conversation. So I am, what you might call, an "unconventional" teacher in this culture- playing games, music, encouraging my students to assume false identities of famous persons and engage one another in hypothetical dialogues! At first, it felt like I was teaching people how to be creative, then we worked on learning to enjoy ourselves, and now, finally, comes my end goal- to see the students grow in their own personal confidence and ability to use English in daily conversational situations. One student, who always sits stone-faced, actually smiled twice today!

It is a blessing to see students breaking the mold and experiencing a non-Japanese style of learning- and enjoying it! When I think about the obstacles to Christianity within this culture, such as conformity and anti-individualism, I feel hopeful in seeing these young people living outside of the cultural expectations- and I pray it will help them to live outside of them in other realms one day- like faith. Please join me in praying for them, that this freedom will carry over into other areas of their lives, and that they will find the freedom they need to seek truth and that in doing so, God will make himself known to them.

Change

Whoever said change was a bad thing? Some people vehemently argue it is a good thing. While these two thoughts remain largely subjective to a given situation or one's experience, the characteristic of change that is utterly dependable is its inevitability. It seems we always have to be on the lookout for it; because the moment we become comfortable in the present is the moment it sweeps us away or breaks on the horizon. I suppose to clarify I should say that the above all refers to "macro-change", while we know that there is also a thing called "micro-change" that is occurring in such fluidity all around us that we hardly take notice of its presence.

I feel that in the last few years of my life, really since I finished my undergraduate classes, I have been living in a state of constant, streaming "macro-change". I write about it today because it seems to be happening in such large proportion, or is getting ready to. Missionaries finishing their service and new ones coming and beginning teaching; sites are growing and shrinking; pastors are coming and going from places (all these things will be officially announced at the end of February); our status as volunteer missionaries has changed to employee (meaning more fundraising, but also the possibility of taking my first call here); changes in weather and my learning to adapt to and live in a cold environment without the comfortable amenities I'm used to; changes in the VYM community (we have a couple who just got engaged : ) ); changes back home in the lives of my friends and family that I'm not able to experience with them; and since coming to this country, there have been a lot of changes in me.

It seems like, in the midst of uncertainty, the temptation to trust in myself always emerges. It is the temptation to worry over what I have no control of. Sometimes it appears as the temptation to try to control the change in a way that looks right to me, or is beneficial in the way I desire. Sometimes it manifests itself as fear or insecurity. The other response to uncertainty one can have is of faith and trust. It is in this response that I find myself humbled, depending less on my own wisdom and knowledge and more on guidence from God.

And so it is in all times of change; we find ourselves faced with the choice of looking to ourselves or looking to God. We can pull away or draw nearer to our God. We can worry or have faith. We can depend on ourselves and our weakness, or we can depend on the One who is mighty and made the world and everything in it. We can think of ourselves and how these changes will personally effect us, or we can think of His kingdom and see how He can be glorified and revealed through the changes. I know I've learned these things before, and I know, no doubt, that I'll come to places in the future where I need to be reminded of them, again and again. I thank God for His grace and patience in teaching me these things.