Attributes of the Teacher

Week Four


______________Attributes of the Teacher
Day 1

Greek word – didasko (did-as'-ko) -- to teach
to hold discourse with others in order to instruct them, deliver didactic discourses (didactic=designed or intended to teach; intended to convey instruction and information as well as pleasure and entertainment; making moral observations)
to be a teacher
to discharge the office of a teacher, conduct one's self as a teacher
to teach one
to impart instruction
instill doctrine into one
the thing taught or enjoined
to explain or expound a thing
to teach one something


Biblical example of this gift is Luke.


Luke 1:1-4 Luke investigated everything carefully, spoke to eyewitnesses in order to write a connected narrative expressly to give Theophilus authentic knowledge. In Acts, Luke continues the story with first-hand, eyewitness accounts all with the purpose of including a chronological telling of the beginning of Christ’s church. Luke was a teacher as well as a physician and wanted to “turn on the light” so others could see.


PERSPECTIVE…


"Things We Can Learn From a Dog" 1. Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride. 2. Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy. 3. When loved ones come home, always run to greet them. 4. When it's in your best interest, practice obedience. 5. Let others know when they've invaded your territory. 6. Take naps and stretch before rising. 7. Run, romp and play daily. 8. Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. 9. Be loyal. 10. Never pretend to be something you're not. 11. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it. 12. When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit nearby and nuzzle him or her gently. 13. Thrive on attention and let people touch you. 14. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do. 15. When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body. 16. No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and pout. Run right back and make friends. 17. Delight in the simple joys of a long walk.


Only a person with the gift of Teaching could have researched, tested and developed the above piece into the 17 simple truth lessons. Teachers have an intense desire to present truth in a systematic manner to make sure you can follow easily. They have an interest in words and word meanings. They will have a broad vocabulary because of this interest and will put much emphasis on the meanings of words. They want to be sure you are hearing and understanding what they are saying correctly.


Teachers delight in researching and reporting as many facts on a particular subject as possible. They will spend a lot of time looking up and confirming details so they can share. They will focus on truth in context. Folks with this gift will almost always read surrounding Scripture when given a Scriptural reference to make sure the reference is not just a proof text. This kind of alertness to details is not usually noticed by others. God has given them this interest in finding details so they can present something clearly. They are not necessarily short, snappy, and to the point, however. On any project a report is required, the Teacher will lay out all the information gathered in clear, chronological order…but it may be a lot of information which can lead to seeming long-windedness.


These people will test the knowledge of those who teach them. Their interest in facts leads them to put much emphasis on accuracy and truth of those facts. If they detect an error in a sermon or lecture, they have a strong tendency to toss out the good teaching along with the error. Teachers will keep us on track theologically and help to discern Truth from error. They experience greater joy in researching the truth than in presenting it. They will get satisfaction in accumulation of facts and not necessarily in telling anyone or sharing their findings. However, that will not stop them from sharing what they know to be truth or from declaring something false when it is false. It is not a joyful thing for them to correct error, it is simply something that is so strong within them, they cannot help themselves.


In the use of illustrations, they will almost always site biblical examples. They can tend to be a bit narrow in this regard. This trait is good because leaning heavily on Biblical Truths is exactly what Christians should be doing.


Teachers have a tendency to remain silent until all the information can be gathered, listened to, thought through, discussed and researched for accuracy. They will validate new truth by established system of truth. When the teacher hears something new, he will compare it to what he already knows based on God’s Word and he will evaluate it accordingly. The teacher knows that what we “think we know” or what we “think is truth” which is based on opinion or based on something taught by others but not tested may actually be in error.


Characteristics of the Gift of Teaching… ____________________________________ Day One Luke 1:1-4

1. Presents truth in a logical and systematic way.
Teachers do not always make the most exciting or interesting speakers. However, their speech will be rich in truth facts and biblical references. Teachers will make profound conclusions.


2. Validates truth by checking out the facts.
Teachers want to know what they believe is based upon truthful fact. They are the ones that will know exactly why they believe what they believe. Sometimes researching the root meaning of a word will lead them on to hours of study. A teacher will read more than one book at a time and will often have markers in several books. (I have 6 books beside my bed and am at different places in each of them.)


3. Loves to study and do research.
A teacher will know where to go to find the answers to his questions. He will use many study tools rather than just one reference book. A teacher would rather learn the entire language instead of the meaning of a few words in that language. He wants to know not only what was said, but what was the author thinking when it was written? What was the thought process to come to that conclusion?


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