A Profound Interactive Dialogue

　　I once took the team-taught course “Pastoral Leadership and Ministry.” It was co-taught by two lecturers and aimed to provide students with different perspectives on issues relating to pastoring. Though it is true that this model of teaching may have diverse class requirements and thus increase students’ burden in certain areas, the resulting unique learning environment outweighs its disadvantages.

　　First of all, this team teaching approach inspires students to figure out well-developed theological ideas. It allows students to see how different lecturers, through their own distinctive interpretative frameworks, respond to the same topic. The contrasts and differences between our teachers’ elucidations make room for students to hold diverse opinions, provoking them to analyze, compare and integrate what they learned. The whole process stimulates us to reflect on the theologies that we learned about.

　　Second, the theological ideas so constructed are dialectical. As mentioned above, the team teaching approach vividly put forth different interpretations of the same topic in front of our eyes. It is not difficult for students to discover their similarities and differences. Unlike doing a literature review by ourselves, we can interact with our teachers straightaway. Students in Hong Kong are accustomed to the one-way education approach where dialogue and interaction are rare. However, since the teachers’ elucidations exhibit such apparent similarities and differences, students can now ask questions with confidence and ease. By observing the lecturers’ examples, students can learn how to respond to different interpretations. Hence, we construct our own theologies amid interactive dialogues. Of course, a good interactive atmosphere is dependent on the teachers’ attitudes, horizons and broad-mindedness, as well as the cooperation between them. Their interaction can increase teaching efficiency in the classroom, so that teachers and students can both benefit.

　　All in all, the team teaching approach can bring about an enriched teaching-learning experience, allow teachers and students to have profound interactions with each other, and facilitate our continuous growth in theological knowledge and in life.