Wednesday, July 18, 2007

The Engaging Teacher


The Engaging Teacher


Think for a moment about what you feel draws people back to your classroom week after week. Is it your compassion for the Word? Is it your faithfulness to the class? Is it your extensive Bible knowledge? Is it your transparency? Sadly, as long as folks are returning week after week, we seldom take the time to figure out why. Figuring out why people quit coming is far easier than figuring out why they continue to return to class. Now, this may hurt a bit, but it bears saying. Often, their faithfulness to the class has more to do with their love for the Lord than it does for the teacher. OUCH! Told you.

Just imagine for a moment that we have a mental check-list to go over before we present a Sunday School lesson. We may need to ask ourselves:
  1. Am I physically, mentally and spiritually prepared to present the lesson to the learners?
  2. Am I doing this due to my love for the Lord, my love for my church, my love for the class, or my love for self?
  3. Do I personally believe the lesson material applies to me? To the learners?
  4. Am I really prepared to answer questions from the learners?
  5. Do I have any unconfessed sin in my life that may hinder my effectiveness as a teacher?
  6. What do I want my learners to walk away from the classroom with on Sunday?

This is a generic list of questions that one may ask before standing to present a lesson to his/her learners. Your list may vary. That's alright. The main point is that you need a plan to reach your learners with the lesson material other than just lecturing to them. For today's learner, it often takes far more than a lecture to capture their hearts and their attention.

In our Teaching a Bible Lesson workshop, we stress the importance of having some interaction within the classroom in order to drive home the point(s) of the lesson. Just think about how we teach children. What is a common element of children's Sunday School lessons? Activities. We have to keep them active in order to keep them involved.


We have an exercise for you that may help make our point a little better. How do you think we learn the most? The least? I have placed some information below for you to unscramble. Once you think you have the correct answers, e-mail me at james@centercrosscreative.com with your responses and I'll let you know the actual survey results.
The five senses we use to learn are: Smell, Sight, Taste, Hear & Touch. In a recent survey, it was determined that we learn by these senses at the following percentages: 1%, 11%, 1.5%, 83% & 3.5%. See if you can match up the percentages with the senses.


In another survey, it was determined that we retain best when we: Read Only, Hear Only, See Only, See & Hear, Hear & Tell Back or Tell Back & Demonstrate at the following percentages (remember, they are scrambled): 30%, 10%, 90%, 70%, 20% & 50%. See if you can match these up.


In our Teaching a Bible Lesson workshop, we talk about the four types of learners. See which best describes your learning style.


Thinkers: They are commonly referred to as the “Sit and Stare” group. They are very rational, information-centered, and unemotional. They aren't usually comfortable getting involved. They just want to hear from the leader.


Feelers: These are the “Peacemakers”. They love to talk (just imagine their small group discussions). They're interested in making memories, and they get along well with others.


Sensors: You have to really watch these folks! They are referred to as the “Fast Movers”. They love hands-on activities. They are action-oriented....they don't care what the long-range plans are, they just want to get down to business. Keep an eye on these folks. You may just find yourself a new leader from within this group.


Intuitors: The more “artsy” individuals are found in this group of learners. They are “Flexible and Adaptable”, learning by trial and error. They are very experimental. These folks even adapt well to other learning styles.

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