Considering Method and Message

I had an experience in the classroom recently that became a teaching moment for me. In the moment it was not too pleasant, but I handled it well and have tried to learn from it. Perhaps I can leverage my learning into new ways of sensitivity and teaching. In my title I refer to it as both method and message. I want to go deeper into some analysis. 

The event in the classroom had to do with what I was teaching. The student lamented that I was not doing some things in terms of content that she wanted. It was a legitimate complaint in the sense that she was right; I was not offering the content she wanted. I understand what she preferred, but I also knew I would not do what she wanted. So, the bottom line was her complaint was legitimate and I did not think that option made sense for the majority of the students. Fortunately, the student understood, as I did, so it was not a struggle nor the end of a friendship. Now I will share what I learned.
 

The first thing I want to share has to do with method. A better word for that in this context might be effectiveness. I am confident I still am pretty effective as a teacher. This student would agree fully. That was not the focus of our conversation. I am getting older, so I have tried to be sensitive to when it is time to go do something else. But all the evidence is that I am still effective in helping the learning process for students. The student would not disagree.
 

However, the conversation opened me to more. It had to do with the message. I call this the issue of relevancy. In effect, the student was saying that what I wanted the class to learn was not relevant to her life. That may well be. Each of us surely can determine in part what we want to learn. All of us are capable of learning things we don’t want to know. She wanted me to know what we were learning was not relevant to her life. I surely am not going to dispute that. I am in no place to judge whether something is relevant to someone else. That is to some degree subjective.
 

My conclusion from this experience was that in her case, I was effective, but irrelevant. That is a sharper way of understanding that simply saying that she didn’t like class or like me. Neither was the case. As a faculty person, I made a judgment about what to teach. In a way I was telling students that I thought what I brought to them was---or would be---relevant to their lives. In the moment the complaining student did not agree. Who knows long term whether this will still be the case for her. She and I both agree that I am still fairly effective in helping her and others learn.
 

This could be nothing more than my little story that probably is of little interest to anyone else. But I think it is helpful when we relate it to some of the spiritual giants of our traditions. For the moment, let me focus on Jesus. He was clearly one who bore a message for his age---and the ages to come. And he had a method. Let’s look quickly at both of these.
 

His message has been compelling for many of us for two thousand years. I find it powerful and persuasive. He talks about dying to the old self. He counsels that we love one another, even our enemies. His message is demanding. He asks for things that are not easy for anyone who is on an ego trip. He wants us to walk the second mile in doing something that was hard. Becoming a follower of his message has sometimes brought suffering, death and ridicule to folks.
 

Many people in our current age do not find his message compelling. It is not good news to them. The have some other agenda. They do not believe the stuff he taught. No amount of cajoling or inviting them is going to convince them that his message is a good one for our world of conflict, etc. They don’t care how effective he might present it. There is no interest.
 

If we look at his method, he does not seem too effective in the moment. He only had twelve disciples. He used parables, stories, sayings and healing experiences to convey his message. Some believed on the spot. Others walked away and some were so put off, they organized a mob and killed him. And yet, his message and influenced has endured for centuries. So, we can say, he was both effective and not effective. Like me, the teacher cannot always determine effectiveness.
 

Is there a long-term realization in all this for me? I say yes. I learned a nice distinction between effectiveness and relevancy. They both are important for the job of teaching---whether as a parent or savior! I also realize that sometimes the student may well judge the message to be irrelevant, but that does not make it so for everyone. Just because there is one atheist does not make the message of Jesus irrelevant.
 

He was not always effective, and neither am I. But if I believe in the message I want to convey, then I proceed. I will do it as effectively as I can. Given what I teach I hope the Spirit is with me. I am sure Jesus hoped the same thing. For me and for Jesus, this whole venture is a calling. We strive to be as relevant and effective as we can be.