A Thought on Teaching #2

Friends,

I apologize for the brief intermission; I hope to return to sending these thoughts out more regularly. As the year begins, I'd like to welcome Brother Dan Bryce as a new Youth Sunday School teacher, and thank Brother Andrus Madsen for his service among the youth. His passion for the gospel, ability to connect with the youth, and unique insights will be missed. We look forward to

For those of you who were in class on the 6th, we had a great combined class and kicked off this year's study of the Book of Mormon. The room was full, nigh to overflowing, and everyone participated. We discussed the purpose of our Sunday School class and talked about how as teachers and students we could achieve our purpose. The discussion focused on Doctrine & Covenants 88:122, and our youth taught us about the connection between these repeated words in the verse: All, One, and Edify.

Class members shared how they would describe the Book of Mormon to a friend or neighbor, and then discussed what some of our prophets have said about the Book. We talked about how the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion, and heard people share their experiences having questions answered by the Book of Mormon and of their feelings about the Book of Mormon. In the end, we spoke of and shared spiritual witnesses about the Book of Mormon and its power, and felt of that same power as class members were able to share testimony.

If you were there, I hope that you noticed not just what was taught, but how it was taught. The previous Thought on Teaching offered this challenge:

Challenge: As you plan your next lesson, consider what you are going to teach, but think spend more time considering how you are going to teach it. Select a few principles from your scriptures block and then think, "What can I do to help my class have an experience?" rather than, "How can I get through all of this material?"

Remember, less can be far more if it provides opportunity for the Spirit of God to speak to the spirit of man. Gospel growth comes through experiences of the Spirit.

Along with thinking about how you could do this, I hope that you're watching others to see how they do it. On the 6th, you might have noticed the different ways that class members were able to share their thoughts--with their neighbors, in groups, and to the class. You might have noticed the preparation given before a question was asked, and how the questions led from explaining a concept to testifying of a gospel truth. Above all, I hope you noticed the feeling that came as class members spoke and were "edified together."

The Ensign this month has several great articles about teaching and teachers. Please study Brian Gudmundson's article on page 26 about " Questions, the Heart of Learning and Teaching" This is a great article about the art of asking questions, and combines scriptural and prophetic insights, along with practical application. This is something that can be kept close at hand; it will prove a useful tool for your lesson preparation.

The Challenge for this Thought on Teaching is this:

Challenge: After studying "Questions, the Heart of Learning and Teaching," evaluate your own teaching--do you ask questions during your lesson? Is there a category that most of your questions fit into? Then, while you're preparing your next lesson, plan out questions ahead of time for each of the categories that Bro. Gudmundson talks about. After class, you can evaluate how your new types of questions worked. It may take some time to learn how to ask the questions, but you will find that questions--adequately prefaced and cleary asked--will open the door to better participation and will invite the Spirit as students ponder your questions and then express their feelings and convictions.

Remember, great teachers ask questions that invite inspiration. We can learn to become great teachers by being aware of the questions we ask and by making those small changes that will make poor questions good, and good questions great.

Best,
Jeremy

A Thought on Teaching #1

All,

Thank you so much for all that you do in preparing for and teaching your lessons so diligently each week. I hope that you can identify those things that work well in your classes and continue to use them. Please know that I am here for you as a resource for anything you might need for your class. I understand the importance of teaching the principles and doctrines found in our Sunday School lessons, and I know that the power to change lives is real as we teach by the Spirit. I wish that I could spend more time with each of you, discussing the principles of the lesson, thinking of ways to present those principles, and discussing ways to involve the members of your class! The more we think about our lessons and how we teach, the more we can improve and truly make Sunday School a great experience for those that attend.

In keeping with the scriptural pattern of giving “line upon line” (see Isa. 28:10, 13; 2 Ne. 28:30; D&C 98:12; D&C 128:21), I hope to regularly be able to share with you some of my thoughts about teaching through these “Thoughts on Teaching” emails. Please feel free to “reply all” and share with the group what you think or how you’ve tried to implement the principles shared, or to just let me know if there’s a particular principle or skill you think I should write about.

May we all learn and improve together as we strive to “teach diligently.”

Best,

Jeremy

A Thought on Teaching, No. 1

Repeated words and phrases in the Scriptures, among other things, can serve to emphasize a principle. President Henry B. Eyring taught, “When the words of prophets seem repetitive, that should rivet our attention and fill our hearts with gratitude” (“Finding Safety in Counsel,” Ensign, May 1997, 24). Identifying and pondering these scriptural repetitions has helped me to understand better what the prophets have taught.

One such phrase occurs early in the Gospel of John: come and see (see John 1:39. 46). As two disciples begin to follow Jesus, He asks them, “What seek ye?” Their response, “Master, where dwellest thou?” was met with the Savior’s invitation, “Come and see.” Later, Jesus finds Philip, who in turn seeks out Nathanael. To Nathanael’s concerned inquiry, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip replies, “Come and see.”

Later, Jesus uses a similar phrase as he teaches among the Nephites. While challenging his disciples to “hold up [their] light,” He—as if answering the question that his disciples should ask about holding up their light—explains to them what that means. “Behold, I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do” (3 Nephi 18:24). And what had He done? He had “prayed unto the Father,” and had “commanded that [we] should come unto [Him], that [we] might feel and see; even so shall [we] do unto the world” (3 Nephi 18:24-25).

Again, we see the call to come unto the Savior. But what was different in the invitation to the Nephites? He not only invited them to come and see, but also to feel. He bid them to learn with an invitation to participate, to experience.

In Daniel K. Judd’s recent General Conference talk about teaching, he related the following quote from Elder Holland: “Most people don’t come to church looking merely for a few new gospel facts or to see old friends, though all of that is important. They come seeking a spiritual experience. They want peace. They want their faith fortified and their hope renewed. They want, in short, to be nourished by the good word of God, to be strengthened by the powers of heaven. Those of us who are called upon to speak or teach or lead have an obligation to help provide that, as best we possibly can” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “A Teacher Come from God,” Ensign, May 1998, 26; quoted in Daniel K. Judd, “Nourished by the Good Word of God,” Ensign, Nov. 2007, 93, emphasis added).

I know that our classrooms can be such a place, where our members are nourished with grain and not with straw, and where truths of the Gospel are experienced, not just related or discussed. It is through the individuals’ experience with the Spirit that testimonies are strengthened and the flame of faith is fanned brighter.

Challenge: As you plan your next lesson, consider what you are going to teach, but then spend more time considering how you are going to teach it. Select a few principles from your scriptures block and then think, “What can I do to help my class have an experience?” rather than, “How can I get through all of this material?”

Remember, less can be far more if it provides opportunity for the Spirit of God to speak to the spirit of man. Gospel growth comes through experiences of the Spirit.

Suggested reading:
Daniel K. Judd, “Nourished by the Good Word of God,” Ensign, November 2007, 93

Edification Through Participation

In our first round of teacher development, we discussed the purpose of a Sunday School (or YM/YW/EQ/HP/RS/Primary) class, and came up with several ideas:

• Edification
• Feel inspired (ie, have questions answered, learn new things, feel motivated to be better)
• Gain spiritual strength for the week
• Develop friendships and unity

We talked about some paradigm shifts that might be necessary to make this happen. "As a teacher,

• I teach students, not lessons.
  I should think about their needs while I prepare my lesson, not just what interests me. It's not about me.
• I should never feel like I need to "get through" a lesson.
  I realize I have more information in my lesson than I could ever cover in the 40 minutes that I have. I feel comfortable with my lesson preparation, and can let the students take up time in the class and invite the Spirit through discussion. If I am just moving "through" points on my outline, I am probably presenting gospel "facts" and not taking time to bring a "feeling level" into the classroom by exploring the gospel principles.
• I need to help the students personalize and internalize gospel principles.
  I can do this by asking questions that require a response with a personal pronoun, and by inviting students to share experiences from their lives.

Edification (and its corresponding feelings of the Spirit and desires for improvement and drawing closer to Christ) should be the overarching goal of our classes, not merely imparting gospel facts. Our students should leave the classroom having felt and recognized the Spirit, having testified of gospel truths, and feeling personal inspiration on how they should act on the gospel principle taught that day.

A pattern for edification is found in Doctrine and Covenants 88:122. Look for the repeated word or words:

Appoint among yourselves a teacher, and let not all be spokesmen at once; but let one speak at a time and let all listen unto his sayings, that when all have spoken that all may be edified of all, and that every man may have an equal privilege.

All and one (in various forms, a, the, one) appear multiple times in this verse. Who is the one? Is it always the same person? Who are the all? What then is the relationship between the one, the all, and edification?

"According to this verse, learning is enhanced and class members are edified when they have the opportunity to participate, and one of the best ways teachers can help class members participate is by asking questions that encourage students to think, feel, and share. ...

"How much should students participate in class? A teacher who takes up most of the class time speaking is likely talking too much. In many lessons, student participation can [and should] fill about half of the lesson time."**

By involving the students in the lesson, you begin to focus on them and their needs. Their participation brings about a learning experience, which will stay with them longer than a presentation that does not involve them. Since we as teachers may readily agree that we don't have the corner on the insight-market, allowing students to participate opens up the class to new insights, new experiences, and more "witnesses."

Edification in the gospel classroom comes through participation. Our lessons will be greatly enhanced by planning participation opportunities and our students' lives will be blessed.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Weston 2nd Ward Sunday School blog! Here you'll find teaching helps and resources, and summaries from the lessons taught in the teacher development course.

Do you have some questions about a lesson you're teaching or about a teacher development meeting? Do you have some thoughts or insights you'd like to share? Feel free to post them in the comments area, or to start a new thread (instructions will be sent individually).

Thanks, and happy teaching!