UNDERSTANDING THE PSYCHE AND MINDSET OF MATURE STUDENTS

A young lecturer for my Biblical Greek class prohibited students from setting up Whatsapp chat groups. No reason was given, but in my opinion, there was every reason why such support group has been helpful to learning the biblical languages.

Ignoring the instruction, a few mature students decided and agreed to proceed by setting up a chat group to learn Greek together. We shared the good resources. That was, in fact, how I was introduced to a series of online lectures by Dr Mark Schuler, a lecturer of Biblical Greek at Concordia University. Most of us followed through his online series and found Dr Schuler's videos to be a very good source of teaching. It is systematic and we were able to follow.

On this point, allow me to put some thoughts together about who we are: mature students. This is especially important to lecturers who have never worked in the marketplace. Put it crudely, they just parachuted into the seminary positions after their graduation. Because of that, we find them sometimes unable to relate to mature students. A few of us have expressed our unhappiness with the condescending attitude that some of them show.

If you happen to be one of the lecturers in this category, you would do well if you develop some sensitivity towards your mature students from Day One that you teach in a class with mature students. Their level of respect for you depends on your respect of who they are.

Some of them can qualify to be your uncles or aunties. They have worked for more than 20 or even 30 years. Through the years, they have met all kinds of people and encountered all sorts of challenges in life. It's shown all over their wrinkles and their grey hair. Some have even gone bald because of stress at work.

Do not think that you can treat them like one of your sophomores or freshmen. I was chatting with a former ambassador about pursuing his theological education by extension (or TEE) and if he were to sign up, he brings with him a wealth of experience in diplomatic relations that you and I would never have the chance to experience.

Among us, we have doctors, engineers, accountants, marketing directors, university lecturers and people from all walks of life and so many different professions. Some of them understand pedagogy better than you; therefore, as a lecturer, it is always best to stay humble and share your knowledge without trying to be condescending.

Except to puff you up, your additional knowledge in theology does not allow you to reprimand a 60-year-old man for meeting his grades or fulfilling the requirements in the assignment. You have apparently failed to understand that as age catches up so is their efficiency, yet we should praise the Lord that they still have a great hunger to learn theology.

In the eyes of the people, you are only a young lecturer. Only experience, respect and sensitivity towards others, and wisdom would make you a better lecturer. Meanwhile, I pray that you will go in the right direction, instead of saying in your little cocoon thinking that you have made it in life.

After all, seminary lecturers are not that highly esteemed in Malaysia, but if we learn to respect each other, you can lift up your head and rejoice that you have indeed made an impact on people's lives.

I wish to end by saying how much I admire one former dean of Malaysia Bible Seminary, Rev Loh Soon Choy. Although at 80 plus, he is still the Rev Loh that I knew when I was probably in my twenties. He is always the encourager in the lives of the people he comes in contact with. Any may I say that he was also one of the key people who raised MBS' profile years ago!