Monday 8 February 2010
Series II. Effective Teaching Methodologies I Have Discovered And Used In My Teaching At Fuller.
For this series, I am taking material from my position paper,
EffectiveMethodologies.pdf.
This paper on effective methodologies is available in its entirety from my web site resource page.
Part II. The Next Six—From the Simple Side of the Effective Methodology Continuum:
21. Goodwin’s Expectancy Principle
Individuals
22 Goodwin’s Expectancy Principle—
Class as a Whole (can apply to any
groups)
33. Recognize and take advantage of
Teachable Moments
42. Worship-Input-Ministry Triad
46. Use of Small Groups in Everything:
classes, seminars, workshops, etc.
47. Eliteness Principle
These numbers above (21, 22, 33, 42, 46, 47) refer to a table listing 49 effective methodologies. I won’t be sharing all 49 but instead have chosen only about 21 to share. This is the second group I have shared.
This series illustrates and describes the concept of effective methodologies, one of the four focal
components defined in the focused life. I am using my position paper, EffectiveMethodologies.pdf as my source. I will be using one section of this paper (Illustrations of Effective Methodologies I Have Personally Discovered).
Definition
An effective methodology is some ministry insight, repeatedly used and perfected, which fits well with the leader’s giftedness and is a means of effectively delivering some important ministry of that leader which enhances life purpose or moves toward ultimate contribution and.
While ministering a leader will discover ministry insights on how to deliver ministry better. A ministry insight is some breakthrough as to how ministry can be done better. As the leader ages some of those insights will drop off and not be used. Others will be perfected and repeatedly used. Those that are used become effective methodologies. Effective methodologies are closely related to giftedness. Thus a leader needs to know well his/her giftedness set.
The heart of an effective methodology is a ministry insight. A ministry insight is some breakthrough a leader gets concerning how to personally do ministry well. All leaders have ministry insights. These breakthroughs will come all during ministry. A leader may get them in any of the age brackets. But it is in the latter age brackets [40-50 and 50-60] that we really realize what we have and how powerful they can be if we focus on them. It is in the years 50-60 that we should reflect back and conserve those major breakthrough insights that we have gained in the past by converting them into effective methodologies, that is, repeated, effective use of good ministry insights. In other words, we should use them to death (an old southern idiom)—especially as we see their purpose in focusing our lives. In the 20s, the initial breakthroughs in how to do ministry usually involve use of giftedness with individuals or small groups. Frequently they have to do with how to present truth from God’s word in an effective manner. In the mid to late 20s and early 30s, further breakthroughs usually come and have to do with the importance of relationships and organizational structures through which we work. Conflict processing usually forces us to learn quickly. In the late 20s and early 30s, all kinds of ministry insights come as we further explore different roles and discover more of our giftedness. In the 40s, we begin to use some of the accumulated ministry insights repeatedly. They become effective methodologies. In the 50s and 60s, we get maximum benefit from effective methodologies. We reflect back and remember some used in the past. We organize our ministry around them. We exploit them. This exploitation is a major portion of the concept we call convergence—where a leader is operating with great impact—not only doing things efficiently but also doing things effectively (that is, doing the right things efficiently).
Illustrations of Effective Methodologies I Have Personally Discovered
I am going to list a whole batch of my own effective methodologies. I will be using the basic notion of the effective methodology continuum shown in Figure 1 below. It is based on the idea that effective methodologies can range from a simple idea, like the Final Day Exercise, used repeatedly all the way to a vast complex endeavor, like a Billy Graham crusade. I am going to number my own effective methodologies and place them along the continuum. See Table 4 below for what the numbers stand for.
Simple Medium Complexity Complex
Methodology Methodology Methodology
1, 8, 12, 13, 14, 21 2, 4, 7, 10, 15, 16, 17, 3, 6, 9, 23
25, 26, 31, 33, 39, 22, 28, 32, 41, 49
42, 46, 47
20,29, 34, 37, 18, 30, 35, 36,
38, 48 40, 44, 45
——————-Whole Range S, M, C——————
5, 11, 19, 24, 27, 43
Figure 1. Effective Methodology Continuum
Again let me remind you, numbers above refer to table entries of my effective methodologies in the position paper on effective methodologies. I am not going to share all 49 of my effective methodologies in this series, but I will share especially the ones I have used with good impact. I will share some from each of the three sections of the continuum.
Here is the format I will use in sharing these effective methodologies:
# & Name:
Description:
Usefulness, Teaching-Wise:
In Part I of this series, I gave the first five simple methodologies. Here are the second five, all coming from the Simple Methodology Side of the continuum:
# & Name: 21. Goodwin’s Expectancy Principle—Individuals
Description:
Ministry insight—I use Goodwin’s expectancy social dynamic principle in my mentoring of leaders. The Principle Stated—An emerging leader tends to rise to the level of genuine realizable expectancy of a leader he/she really respects. I make sure I give challenges that are realizable but do stretch the emerging leader. I have usually assessed their potential and want to motivate them over the long haul to reach that potential.
Usefulness, Teaching-Wise:
This is a powerful motivational technique that requires some discernment by the teacher. To challenge to too high an expectation can kill a student who tries to reach it but is not yet ready to. On the other hand, to challenge to too low an expectation will result in the student not being challenged at all. So a teacher using this technique should be able to discern future levels of attainment in the student.
# & Name: 33. Recognize and take advantage of Teachable Moments
Description:
Ministry Insight—One of Jesus’ most powerful teaching techniques was to seize a timely moment as an occasion for teaching something—see Mk 1:14,15 (timing is crucial to much of teaching; Fig Tree, Olivet Discourse, etc.). Sometimes a need in the class makes it clear that I should intervene with some teaching, which fits the situation; timing is right even though the teaching is not what was prepared. I interrupt whatever was planned whenever I see a special teaching moment and teach for the lesson of the teaching moment.
Usefulness, Teaching-Wise:
Motivation to learn is a key factor. A teachable moment takes advantage of some student’s desire to learn something. I am willing to depart from my scheduled teaching to take advantage of a time when someone is genuinely wanting to learn something.
# & Name: 42. Worship-Input- Ministry Triad
Description: Ministry Insight—In my classes, I learned that cognitive information alone was not enough to transform lives. I adopted the Vineyard model used early-on by John Wimber. I call it the Worship-Input-Ministry Triad
The Vineyard Model in theory deals with affective, cognitive, conative and experiential generally in that order. This is not a bad order. They use a time of worship; then they follow with some speaker giving input; then they apply by inviting the Holy Spirit to come and minister. See below for an extended treatment of how I apply their three-fold triad to my own classes.
Usefulness, Teaching-Wise:
The threefold triad is a major means for developing a learning community. People who worship together will also share together in their learning experiences in the class. All three in a single presentation.
I deliberately apply different means to represent all three of these in my teaching ministry. The idea is not to do all three in a single presentation. This is not always possible. But I manage to do all of them in the course of a series of inputs over time, like class sessions. And I frequently am looking for new ways (functional means) to represent the forms of worship, input, and ministry in a classroom setting.
1. Worship— where possible I have a worship leader
and a time of worship singing.
2. Input— lots of this comes via spiritual formation,
input lectures, and assignments with materials,
3. Ministry— Prayer is critical here. Often the small
groups will do ministering also.
I will use times in class for the class as a whole to pray for something, some situational thing happening in the world or in regards to missionaries or mission situations or personal situations that a class member is going through. Sometimes I will use word of knowledge to call on the right person to pray for another person. Sometimes I will break up into groups and have people lay hands on and pray for some people in need. Sometimes I will have to give a word of wisdom to a person (usually do this in a one-on-one, and not in front of class). But I am open to the Spirit moving in a class to do something (and hence canceling whatever else I had designed).
Usually over a ten-week class we will have two or three very meaningful ministry times. This really does something for a class. The worship element sets the tone for the class. When folks have worshipped, they are usually much more sensitive to the Spirit as the input comes. Input opens eyes to see things not previously seen or to reinforce things already known. Ministry times build community in the class. The tighter is the community in the class the more the input will penetrate.
# & Name: 46. Use of Small Groups in Everything: classes, seminars, workshops, etc.
Description:
Ministry insight—People learn best when in small groups where they can express what they are learning. That is, if the small groups are designed well and are discussing material they have studied. Learned dynamics of small groups—what sizes work best, what kinds of mixes. Early on in my being discipled, I was part of a Dedicated Band—Nav contacts at Lockbourne Air Force Base. I saw power of small group that was really committed. Some dynamics involved: small group pressure, accountability, and importance of leader modeling what is being demanded of others. This learning about small groups was re-enforced by my local church’s uses of small group Bible studies. Right from the get-go in teaching I have used small groups. There are two keys to successful small groups. One is having the small group actually interact over material and assignments being done for the class. As they apply concepts to their own lives and share them they learn. And other students learn too. Giftedness operates. A second key concerns selection of folks for the groups. Selection of like/compatible folks for small groups makes a big difference in the small group developing a learning community.
Usefulness, Teaching-Wise:
Small groups allow for things being learned to impact. As a teacher I move around from small group to small group as they are sharing. This allows me to learn how the students are doing in terms of grasping the concepts. Small groups are scheduled to meet during regular class times.
# & Name: 47. Eliteness Principle
Description:
Ministry Insight—When people are especially invited to participate in a small group dedicated to some special learning goals they come and learn and Goodwin’s expectancy principle is seen to operate at group level. The eliteness principle is a powerful motivating factor. Early on in my discipling, I was part of a Preacher Boys class, committal (1964-65, met at 6:00-8:00 a.m. on Saturday mornings), which had a sense of eliteness. We went through Pentateuch verse by verse in two years, verse by verse teaching allows for all kinds of ministry philosophy input, knowing the Pentateuch allows an excellent foundation for other parts of the Bible.
I experienced personally what it meant to be part of an elite group studying together with a mentor who was respected as a Bible teacher. Out of this insight I have eventually designed many kinds of small groups including special mentoring groups, which I call cluster groups. My cluster groups and mentor groups have built on this eliteness principle. I have written up an evaluation of a 1,2 Corinthians cluster Groups in my ML540 Leadership Training Models class.
Usefulness, Teaching-Wise:
I am able to do AFTERGLOW consolidation/legacy work via use of this eliteness principle.
I have now shared 10 simple effective methodologies in Part II of this series. Next week I will share 5 effective methodologies—which are slightly more complex than simple methodologies.
Blessings As You Develop Effective Methodologies That Impact Your Hearers
Bobby Clinton
