August 2005
Salvador, Brazil
Dear Friends,
Last night we had a teachers’ meeting at ITEBA (Theological
Institute of Bahia) to prepare for the next semester, which starts
August 1. I felt very encouraged because not only did most of
the teachers for once actually attend the meeting, but we also
had some excellent ideas for improving the school academically,
despite its financial problems. ITEBA may have no money, but it’s
got a very good faculty.
Most of the discussion centered around:
- The need for motivational speeches at the start of the semester
and perhaps later too because, for a variety of understandable
reasons, some students have a hard time remembering why they’re
at ITEBA or what a wonderful opportunity this is for them.
- The need for writing assignments across the curriculum, and
the best approach for the instructor to take in getting students
to write, since the teaching of Portuguese in Brazil’s
public high schools is a real horror story and has left our
students scared to death to write anything at all.
- The need for students to take two semesters of research methodology,
the second semester being devoted to the students’ writing
a rough draft of their graduation thesis, and the related need
for two directors (rather than one) for every thesis.
- The need for a supervised, in-class “reading week”
toward the end of the semester so that students actually study
for exams.
- The feasibility of a mid-semester “theology week”
with guest speakers and workshops so that our students can get
the feel of being theologians.
- The need for more and better academic counseling.
- The need for ITEBA to have an entrance exam preceded by exam
preparation courses, since many of our students desperately
need assistance in getting up to speed for college-level work.
There was strong general agreement on all these points, and specific
tasks were assigned. In my view these are real signs of health. |
