Page 27 - CC Life 13 2015 Spring
P. 27
Internships - The Key to
Translating Classroom Learning
into Real Experience
Jonathan Shumate 到馬偕醫院報佳音
Acting Chaplain
be viewed as a three-year long internship for
Imagine taking your car to a mechanic who had read his future apostles. And when they failed,
hundreds of car repair manuals, but never worked on a Jesus did not give up on them, but used these
car. Would you trust him with yours? My guess is that experiences to teach them so that they would
you would much rather take your car to someone with be ready when the next challenge came.
years of experience. This illustration demonstrates what
we all know instinctively—genuine skill and knowledge One way we follow Jesus’ example in
development can’t be obtained from books. They require training the next generation through the
hands-on experience. This is why internships play a pivotal hands-on learning experience of internships
role in the learning process. They create space for a learner is through our Student Gospel Associations.
to translate classroom knowledge into real experience. These associations are student-led and
provide the students with valuable experience
But what kind of internship will serve the learning sharing their faith and developing ministry
process? The best internships are the ones that provide a skills. Twice a year these groups go on
good balance of challenge and support. Challenge involves mission trips that are led and planned entirely
letting the intern handle real responsibilities, and where by the students. Because of this, we have to
there is a real chance of failure. Support means creating be willing to risk that not everything will go
an environment where the intern is encouraged, mentored, as well as we might like, but to step in and
and free to experiment and even fail, in order to grow. do it is to take away the learning opportunity
this experience provides to the students. Yes,
Internships that provide a good balance of challenge the trip might not be as smooth as we would
and support greatly enhance the learning process. They prefer, but what lessons are the students
not only allow a learner to translate the knowledge they learning as they plan and lead these trips?
have already obtained into real world experience, they I’m sure God could do everything better
also create a hunger to learn more. A successful internship than we could, but He is humble and loving
is one that brings the student back to the classroom full of enough to include us in His redeeming work.
questions and eager to learn. We imitate him when we give those younger
and less experienced the opportunity to
If we need further proof of the value of internships to handle real challenges so that they can grow
the learning process, we can look at Jesus’ own ministry. to become future leaders and responsible
Everywhere Jesus went he took his disciples along with adults.
him. Indeed, his three years of public ministry can easily
