Team Teaching with HKBTS Characteristics

　　“Introduction to Preaching” in the spring of 2008 is the first team-taught course in which I participated. My teaching partner was Dr. Poling Sun. Dr. Sun was responsible for the master’s level class and I was in charge of the bachelor’s level class. Both groups of students gathered together for the first four lessons. Dr. Sun taught the first and second lessons, and I the third and fourth. However, we did have much interaction in class, and our students said that they benefited a lot from it. After the first four lessons, the two classes were held separately, and students began to practice preaching in the classroom.

　　To my surprise, I had the opportunity to co-teach the course “Preaching” again after ten years in the spring of 2018. This time, my teaching partner was President Joshua Cho. The teaching model was similar to the past: President Cho was in charge of the master’s level class, and I was in charge of the bachelor’s level class. The two groups of students got together for the first four lessons. However, this time I was responsible for the first lesson while President Cho was responsible for the second to fourth lessons. We also had a lot of interaction in class. Beginning from the fifth lesson, the bachelor’s and master’s level classes were held separately, and students began to practice preaching in the classroom.

　　President Cho often says that HKBTS is a disciple community and repeatedly emphasizes the significance of hospitality. Such HKBTS characteristics were vividly reflected in the team teaching experience of the above courses. Although the three of us all taught the art of preaching, as each of us received different trainings and had different experiences, our preferences and approaches in teaching are very different. Team teaching allows us to learn from each other, and greatly enriches our imagination and increases the possible ways of teaching. Moreover, students can learn an important lesson from the interaction among the teachers: people can accept and appreciate each other even if they have different opinions; it does not necessarily result in hostility.

　　In the spring of 2018, in addition to co-teaching “Preaching” with President Cho, I also collaborated with Dr. Andres Tang and Dr. Freeman Huen in teaching the elective course “William Willimon on Worship, Ethics and Preaching.” Each of us taught three to four lessons. In the remaining three lessons, three of us came together to interact with each other and with all the students; such an arrangement is new to me. Thanks to Dr. Huen for making such suggestion. Such an arrangement also enriched our imagination and increased the possible ways of teaching. All three of us attended the whole fourteen lessons together. There were many impromptu responses during the lessons. All three of us and our students still talk about it enthusiastically even now.

　　One of the necessary conditions for team teaching is friendship and mutual trust among the teachers. If these do not exist, each teacher will just make one’s own presentation independently, and there will be no exciting interactions filled with positive sparks. Thanks to God for letting me have such good memories along my teaching journey at HKBTS.