Subject: Re: As to teaching From: "Susan Maneck" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2003 06:55:05 -0400 X-Message-Number: 5
Also, Book 6 tends to be overly rigid in its conception of how > >to teach at firesides. It emphasizes controlling the amount of information > >given to the seeker rather than answering the questions in their heart > >which is > >what the Guardian stressed. > > Only if it is improperly tutored.
Dear Loni,
I didn't say anything about the tutoring. I'm talking about what the book itself says. Also, I don't quite get why we are relying on tutoring to make up deficencies in the material itself. Why not fix the material rather than rely on something as instrinsically unreliable as individual tutors?
Come on, Susan. You teach. You know as well as every other professor that virtually no textbook is perfect for the course you teach. The most important element of any course is the quality of the teacher. This is why a major problem in university education is that teachers are trained to do research and not to be a good teacher! (There are some exceptions to this statement.) Someone who is interested in being a good teacher has to train on their own.
Right from the beginning the UHJ has emphasized the importance of properly training tutors. Book 6 is one of the most excellent tools I have ever seen in training people to be able to organize and participate in teaching campaigns. It is also excellent at training people to understand the importance of personal teaching plans, planning one and implementing it. (And before I forget again, Book 4 can also lead to the increase of firesides in a community.)
Of course the workbooks can be improved. They are regularly edited based on the comments of tutors and participants. As you know, I have my own critiques of the Ruhi workbooks -- and I have shared them with the publisher. However, you seem to want to throw out the baby with the bath water.
Most of all, you have never seen the Ruhi program in action, that is with properly trained tutors, willing participants and a supportive local spiritual assembly that works with the tutors and is ready to use the human resources once they are trained. I have. This is why I find your critiques not valid. Loni
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