A Unique Approach to Seminary Training : Training & Assistance for I.L.T.I. Teachers
One common problem the ILTI-15 Year Evaluation brought to the surface was that many teachers teaching ILTI material were ill-equipped to teach the I.L.T.I. material. Teachers found themselves in the awkward position of not being able to answer their students’ questions with complete or satisfactory answers. Because of this, the teachers had lost the respect of their students (lost face.)
As a result many schools discontinued teaching some or all of the I.L.T.I. material replacing it with easier to teach, and easier to understand lessons from other sources. To us this was the most crucial issue. If teachers were not familiar enough nor trained well enough to teach I.L.T.I. than our material is useless.
The most common lessons dropped from the curriculum were those teaching practical hermeneutics. I.L.T.I.’s course on hermeneutics is the central and pivotal unit upon which we base all our other lessons. By dropping this course, the teachers made understanding other I.L.T.I. materials more difficult.
After much prayer, discussion, and thought, we feel the Lord has led us to a divine solution. We will begin implementing two changes that should make I.L.T.I. easier to teach and easier to understand.
The first, is to create teachers’ packets. Each topic, will contain a packet with it extra material designed to aid the teacher. This packet may include suggestions for group exercises, diagrams, flash cards, discussion points, participation projects, power point presentations, videos, or other aids to help the teacher.
The second is to start certification of I.L.T.I. teachers and a Training of Teachers program. (TOT). ILTI-TOT will be a short course in which we teach the basic skills needed to teach any I.L.T.I. material. The TOT course will primarily focus on Hermeneutics, (the practical, common sense principles used to understand the Scripture) as a means of understanding and teaching the Bible. All I.L.T.I. material is presented from this approach, and the ILTI-TOT will be a practical course designed to train the teacher in using hermeneutics as part of his teaching and to use hermeneutics to find answers to any question the student may ask.
Once we have launched the ILTI-TOT Course, the I.L.T.I. Staff will travel throughout the world training potential teachers by conducting mobile seminars. We realize that for many teachers, this course will be their first introduction to the field of hermeneutics. Our goal is to make this course practical, simple, easy, and fun, while being comprehensive and academically complete.
During this ILTI-TOT Course, the participants will learn how to respond to questions by leading their class through joint hermeneutical exercises. Those who are taking the ILTI-TOT Course will take part in live practical exercises, which solidify and reenforce each point or concept as we are teaching it. They will also participate in role playing exercises designed to hone their teaching skills by using hermeneutics.
By the time the seminar is over, everyone who took part will leave confident in their own abilities to analyze and understand the Scriptures, using hermeneutics. They will have had practical, one on one, first hand experience using hermeneutics as a teaching method. The teacher will also have the ability, skill, and confidence, needed to lead a class through a guided exploration of the Scriptures. With these new skills, teachers will not be afraid to answer any question.
We believe that pastors and teachers who know how to understand and accurately teach from the Bible, are needed in the Church. Because of this, we are not limiting ILTI-TOT Course only to potential I.L.T.I. teachers. Instead I.L.T.I. will conduct this course with an open enrollment for any clergy or Christian educator to attend.
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A Unique Approach to Seminary Training:
1) A multi-tiered approach to training leaders
2) Training and assistance for I.L.T.I. teachers
3) New presentation and format
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