Sunday’s Coming

Teaching and learning (John 3:1-17)

If Nicodemus wants to be a “teacher of Israel,” he needs to let go of his need to have all the answers—and he must be willing to learn.

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For more commentary on this week's readings, see the Reflections on the Lectionary page. For full-text access to all articles, subscribe to the Century.

What characteristics make for a good teacher? While the answer varies somewhat based on the subject matter and the age of the students, there are some qualities that empower someone to teach others effectively in whatever setting: