Day 8: teacher's mind-- words and questions

"OK, what do you think of Hasan's characteristics in this novel that you read so far?" Miss Tisa asked her Grade 10 students while I was listening to her in the classroom. Then I saw some of the students came up with some ideas and the learning begin as they went deeper and deeper around the topic of that day.

It often seems to me that the Secondary Math and language teachers are like bringing the 'seed' of thought and knowledge to the students in the form of questions. This is not only to start but also to nourish and guide the students along their learning. And I find that the questioning technique is also a powerful help to encourage and to direct students' thinking process. In another word, by doing the questioning the teacher is trying to speak with students' language or even to see with the students' eyes. By applying this little but not-too-easy technique, the teacher is implanting approach and mindset to the students to work on.

And of course, the questioning is not the end of learning but rather the tool to limit and decide what is to be learned and what actually really matters. Therefore, each question has always a motivation behind itself, either to justify, or to encourage thinking, or to adjust the thought and to conclude the observations and even to revise the conclusion. And I am glad that at times, a proper and sincere guiding question is more respectful and caring than to dictate everything and to compel the audience to be one mind with us.

Reflecting on this, I find that the question can also be the image of our heart, because the words (including the question) that come out from our mouth are from our hearts. Therefore, it is very good to keep watch and guard our hearts in repentance and prayers. Knowing that He is Mighty and I am so poor, I beseech Him to have mercy on me and heal me from the wounds of sins in my heart which has made it to be stinky for the angels, others and even God. Let his mercy heals it and drops as a fragrant oil which transform the heart and mind to gush out myrrh and incense unto Him! Lord, have mercy!
And by His mercy, our longing and questions in this life lead us to amaze and to fear Him and even to love Him. We fix our attention to our True and Great Teacher Who is so firmly and wisely guide and direct us through the Holy Spirit in His Holy Church unto Himself, with more than questions-- with the fullness of the Truth. Glory to You, O God! Glory to You!