The Effects of Visual Aids

The Effects of Visual Aids

How often do you stop and take a good look at your classroom? Believe me, your learners are looking it over, even while you are teaching. I still find myself looking over classrooms in churches where we conduct workshops and it is interesting what you can find. Yogi Berra was right when he said, “You can see a lot just by looking”. Try it this week. You'll see what I am talking about.

In our Teaching a Bible Lesson workshops, we stress the importance of an effective classroom environment....something inviting to visitors and regular class members alike. Having someone at the door to greet others as they enter is a tremendous help to the teacher. This also helps to give a visual presence of your class as others pass by. Someone may be intrigued to try the class simply because they see a friendly face at your door.

One thing we like to do when we take our workshops on the road is to decorate a room with caution tape....you know the kind. The kind that is often seen at construction sites. It really gets the attention of folks as they pass by. The first time we did our Blueprint of a Leader workshop at our home church, we had folks lean their heads in very carefully just to catch a peek at what we were doing. We had hardhats, a hammer, power tools and an actual blueprint displayed for visual effect. We overheard some folks before they even got to the room making statements like, “We know who's in that room....Micah and James!” That was a tremendous compliment. The same should be said of your teaching style. People should be able to identify your room by the environment you create.

Not only is it important to have visual aids to draw folks in, but you had better have some planned to keep them in as well. You can't expect to do one creative lesson a year and keep a packed class. It just isn't going to happen. You don't have to do anything creative each week either. You just need to develop a pattern where folks expect something unique and different every few weeks or so.

Not only is there a need to have visibility from the hallway to entice folks to come in and see what's going on; but, there is also a need to use visuals as you present the lesson to the learners. In our Teaching A Bible Lesson workshops, we encourage our learners to use common household objects to illustrate major points of the lesson material. For instance, you can use a common serving tray to illustrate “acts of service”. You can use a bottle of laundry detergent to discuss Peter's concern over unclean things. I pasted pictures of various prepared foods to paper plates one Thanksgiving to illustrate a time of fellowship and thanksgiving. I've used a pitcher, bowl and towel to illustrate Jesus' act of service to the disciples as He washed their feet. I believe you get the general idea.

Role-playing is a great visual aid as well. One of the earlier lessons I taught in the Discovery Class involved Scripture about Moses and the Tent of Meeting. As I studied and saw that Moses had access to God each day in such a unique manner, I decided to set up a press conference. After all, this was very newsworthy material, so I developed a Script which called for about six network representatives to interview Moses about this “Tent”. As I asked for volunteers, I had one man comment that he didn't want to represent any of the “liberal” networks. A simple act of asking for volunteers enabled me to understand where he stood morally and ethically.

Newspapers or news pages from various Internet news sites can be very effective visuals when presenting a Bible lesson. Many times, we can find parallels between news articles and the Bible itself. Anytime we can use a current event to point out the truth of Scripture, we have the potential to impact our learners in a greater way. The news has an affect on us all.

It's How They Get It!

It's How They Get It!

In an effort to be as effective as possible in our Teaching a Bible Lesson workshops, we use material by other credible authors who have taught Sunday School for much longer than we have. They are the experts, and we want our learners to get the best advice and information available.

One of those authors we refer to quite often is the late Findley B. Edge. In his book titled Teaching for Results, he states that there are three objectives for teaching. Each of these is known as the teaching “aim”. They are:

• Knowledge


• Inspiration


• Conduct Response

We all have a reasonable understanding of what knowledge is, and we have a good handle on what inspiration is, but how do these help to get us to the point of conduct response?

Well, here's another list that helps to answer that question. It comes from Findley Edge's book titled Teaching for Results also. It is the five steps in the teaching-learning process.

Exposure....

One must be exposed to Scripture to gain the knowledge of what it says or means. True exposure comes from reading the Word of God for yourself. I often experience this for myself as I prepare for the lesson material. If I read the information from the quarterly over and over each week, I may fail to get the real meaning of what the Holy Spirit is revealing to us through Scripture. However, if I open my Bible and read the very same words right off the page in the Bible, something unique happens. The words really seem to come to life and I understand more of what the Scripture is trying to explain. Try it for yourselves sometime. You'll be fascinated.

Repetition....

Why do you think parents often repeat sentences to their children? Well, it can be that they aren't listening, or it could be that they aren't wanting to hear. I'll share a story with you. I grew up in a Christian home, but I didn't really understand the concept of salvation or even Christianity for that matter. I did understand the concept of being good though. This is what I clung to for approximately 30 years....the fact that I was good. I had gotten away from church around the age of 10 and hadn't gone but about three times in about 30 years, and I remember getting very aggravated each time I would hear a preacher give the invitation or altar call. I remember wondering why in the world they constantly do this, but then one day, I found myself praying the very same sinner's prayer that I had hated hearing for so long. Repetition is necessary in order to get the attention of the listener.

Understanding...

I'll use my own example again to explain that if I hadn't surrendered and prayed the sinner's prayer, I would have never understood the concept of salvation through faith rather than works. I found that I no longer had to work so hard at being a good person because my intent to be good was much stronger after this conversion experience. Understanding that I was a sinner after all helped open my eyes to the true value in salvation and eventually led to the formation of Center Cross Creative.

Conviction....

Without knowledge of the Scriptures being shared with us, and being repeated time and time again, we will never understand what God intends for us to understand. If we fail to take notice of these opportunities to learn that God has provided (through Sunday School, worship service, radio programs, etc.) for us, we'll never be convicted of true sin in our lives, which will cause us to be ineffective for God. Once we receive Christ, the Holy Spirit indwells us and it is He who convicts us of sin and urges us to repent.

Response....

This is the “action” piece of the learning process. Through the first four steps, you have been audibly informed and emotionally challenged. Now, it's time to apply what you have learned in class. Look for opportunities to duplicate what our friends in the Bible have done for the Lord and others. God deserves a response.

The Big 3

The Big 3

Writers struggle with it....especially the 1st of the Big 3. Cooks know that the 1st and 2nd of the Big 3 can affect the 3rd if done incorrectly. People in sports often fear the 3rd of the Big 3 more than they do the 1st or 2nd simply because the 3rd is so final.

So what is it about the Big 3 that causes us such anxiety? It's the task of taking three separate parts of something and bringing them all together with a final product or purpose in mind. What am I talking about? The beginning, the middle and the end.

The Big 3 doesn't discriminate....everything in existence has these 3 elements. Take a Sunday School lesson for example.

For those of us who teach, we realize that the preparation for an effective Sunday School lesson can be very tiring; however, if the presentation of the lesson material isn't effective, those hours and hours of hard work will be useless. I believe all of us who teach long to hear these words, “I really enjoyed that lesson teacher.” Unfortunately, we don't hear them often enough.

Perhaps we don't hear these words often enough because we have gotten complacent with our study habits. Maybe....just maybe we feel that we are so spiritual that the words will simply flow as we open our mouths on Sunday morning, and everyone (including ourselves) will receive a tremendous blessing. Don't count on it. God isn't pleased with laziness. Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived made that clear in the book of Proverbs.

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.

Proverbs 6:6,7

In our Teaching a Bible Lesson workshops, we use three terms to describe a Bible study lesson. They are:

1. Ignite (the Intro)
2. Investigate (the Middle)
3. Impact (the Conclusion)

The reason we chose the word “Ignite” for the introduction is because we like to fire people up. We like to set the stage early on for some excitement within the classroom. Every lesson in our First Steps of a Disciple study series has a dynamic opening to capture the attention of the learners. We have seen that if we can set the stage effectively from the beginning, we don't have as much trouble keeping the learners' attention throughout the rest of the lesson time. But, it certainly doesn't stop here. There's still a lesson to present, but how effective will it be? That's determined by the actual content.

Imagine ordering a sandwich in a restaurant. Many of us will raise up the top slice of bread to see what is on the sandwich. Ever done that? Yeah. I thought so. We Investigate, or check out the middle of our sandwich. Our learners do the very same thing. Imagine the bottom slice as the arrival time in the classroom and the top slice as the departure time. What we as teachers put in between these two slices will determine whether or not our learners return for more.

If we have done an effective job of firing our learners up, and we have been able to give them a better understanding of Scripture, this next part is our ticket home. It's our opportunity to Impact them with a challenging conclusion. In our Teaching a Bible Lesson workshop, we use a book by Findley Edge titled Teaching For Results. He talks about “carry-over”. This is the act of taking the lesson material and applying it beyond the classroom in a real-life setting. This could mean raking leaves for someone as a class project or some other activity, depending upon the lesson topic being taught.

God's Word is powerful. It convicts today just as it did over two thousand years ago. It can reveal where and how we can serve effectively. Take a moment and ask God what He would have you to do as an individual or what your Sunday School class can do for Him today.

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.

Prepare Daily

“Not many should become teachers, my brothers,
knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment....” - James 3:1

In an earlier article titled The Prepared Teacher, it is mentioned that we provide an outline in our Teaching a Bible Lesson workshop along with a recommended Daily Prep Schedule. In today's article, I want to mention some specific areas of preparation that can be of help to you. After all, if we consider the “accountability” in James 3:1, we have no choice but to be well-prepared in every way.

If there was a way to get a glimpse of the study habits of some of the greatest Bible study teachers in the world, I am sure we would see many of them in various positions as they prepare to teach a Sunday School or Bible study lesson. They may be found kneeling in prayer, pouring over commentaries and the Word of God, trash cans overflowing with discarded notes or perhaps with tears puddling upon their desks. How would you be found?

I want to make a point of saying that the foundation of sound Bible teaching is only found in the Word of God. Effective study habits require discipline. Here at Center Cross Creative, we have developed a basic study routine that can be quite effective. Take a look for youself.

Daily Prep Schedule

Sunday Evening
Read next week's Bible lesson while the excitement of today's lesson is still fresh on your mind. You may find the next lesson is a continuation of today's lesson, or that the two Bible lessons have similar themes to encourage your learners.

Monday
Pray, asking God to reveal ways that the upcoming lesson may apply to your learners and their lives.

Read the lesson to begin absorbing the main topic or theme. Then, look for events throughout your day that may relate to the Bible study material.

Meditate on Scripture, asking the Holy Spirit to speak to you about effective ways to present the Bible lesson to your learners.

Tuesday
Gather your resources and review them. Make brief notes about each portion of the lesson. Try to recall events from yesterday that may relate to the lesson. Write them down as examples to be used with your Bible study lesson.

Read Scripture in a quiet place.

Pick a direction or key theme.

Wednesday
Do some self-evaluation today, asking God to reveal any weak areas in your life that may hinder your study time and the presentation of the Bible study material on Sunday.

Attend church service tonight in support of your local church (We realize not all churches have Wednesday night services, but if your church does, we encourage you to attend). Even though you are preparing a lesson for your learners throughout your week, God may have a very special message for you as well.

Thursday
Read your resource materials along with the Scripture for the upcoming Bible study lesson.

Pray and ask God to reveal His truth to you regarding the lesson material.

Make a rough draft of an outline.

Friday
Read all of your reference materials along with the Scripture again.

Meditate on the Scripture before beginning your workday. Ask God to help you to be keenly aware of the events of your day and how they may apply to the Scripture passages.

Take time with your family tonight. Remember, they need you too!

Saturday
Take time with family again today. Do some chores. Remember, your family needs you and you need them. God recognizes your commitment to teach His Word, but He has no desire to have you sacrifice precious time with your loved ones. He is the master of time.

Do a final review of the lesson material. Prepare a final outline for the Bible study lesson.

Gather everything (outline, notes, prayer requests, commentaries, your Bible, etc.) you will need for an effective presentation of the Bible study lesson tomorrow.

GO TO BED EARLY TONIGHT.

Sunday morning
Deliver your lesson with confidence!

As you close today's lesson, be prepared to challenge your learners. If time allows, give the learners a sneak-peek of next week's Bible study lesson.

The Prepared Teacher

It isn't likely that any of us would spend weeks planning a vacation only to find out upon arriving at our intended destination that we have failed to pack our suitcases. Perhaps we loaded them in the car at the last minute before leaving our home, but it isn't likely that they would still be empty. No. This just isn't likely to happen.

Yet, many times on Sunday mornings all throughout this land, Bible Study teachers stand before a room full of people unprepared. The demands of the previous week have hindered many of us from finding the necessary time to prepare for an effective Sunday School lesson. I am firmly convinced that if we truly desire to be an effective teacher, God will remove the distractions that hinder us.

One of the main topics in our Teaching a Bible Lesson workshop is The Prepared Teacher. We often kick this session off with a skit about being unprepared. It's really fun to watch the faces of the attendees as we begin. Sometimes, it seems too real, even to us! In all honesty, our desire is to help Bible study teachers to become the very best they can be for the Lord and their church.

Let's get right to the heart of the matter. God's Word tells us in Jeremiah 17:9 that, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked;....” and it continues by asking the question, “Who can know it?” We've got to maintain a clean heart in order to be an effective Bible study teacher.

Even after we become Christians, we have to guard ourselves. Paul warns us in Ephesians 6:11 to “Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil.” Once we accept Christ, and have a determination to follow Him, we can be assured of coming under attack by Satan and his demons.

Young believers are often very vulnerable, and Satan knows this. He'll even use people within the church to attack us. That is one of the reasons the great apostle Paul gives even more warning in II Timothy 2:15. He is trying to reassure his “spiritual son” Timothy of God's call upon his life as he says, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn't need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.” Paul is warning us against falling victim to sinful activity which will harm our witness for the Lord. We need not be concerned about our approval of man – just our approval rating in the sight of almighty God.

In our Teaching a Bible Lesson workshop, we suggest that attendees do a self-inventory regarding any sinful activity that may hinder the work of Christ as they prepare for their Sunday School or Bible study lesson.

“You Are Always On My Mind”

You may remember this song by Willie Nelson. In our Teaching a Bible Lesson workshop, we encourage attendees to think about their learners. This means to consider how the lesson material may apply to specific folks within the class and how the class may come together to meet a need either inside or outside the classroom setting. One thing our Sunday School class just voted on this past week is to help a friend of mine in Nicaragua who is 28 years of age and facing serious surgery in the coming months. We voted to assist with the cost of this surgery because we recognize Elver (please pray for Elver) as part of the body of Christ even though he is over 1,000 miles away.

Once the heart and mind are somewhat synchronized, you should be ready to actually start on the lesson material. In our Teaching a Bible Lesson workshop, we provide a Lesson Outline as well as a recommended Prep Schedule. Both of these tools help to provide a simple yet concise picture of what God's Word is trying to teach us.

The final step in being prepared is the learning environment. We encourage all of our Bible study teachers to use visual aids such as props, posters and handouts to enhance the learning experience. Get rid of clutter before class begins!

The Called Teacher

“Get that, will you?”
“Tell them I'm on another line.”
“Just take a message.”
“Tell them I'm not in.”

Most of us would recognize these as normal responses to hearing the phone ring. I want you to just take a moment and think about what your response may be should God be the one calling you to be a Bible teacher. I mean, we all know (or at least suspect) that God won't call us on the telephone to be a teacher, but He may call us when it isn't convenient. He may even send a message through another believer. One thing for sure is that God knows whether you're really “in” or not.

Another thing we dread about communication today is being put on “hold”, but have you ever considered how God feels when we place Him on hold? So often, someone who is busy climbing the career ladder doesn't feel he/she has time to respond to God. A single parent doesn't feel he/she has time to respond because of the demands of parenthood. Still others may have chosen a lifestyle that doesn't allow room for God.

Being too busy with life will often keep someone from being used of God for His glory. That is one reason we open our Teaching a Bible Lesson workshop with a segment on The Called Teacher. In Matthew chapter 28, Jesus calls....did you get that? He calls us to “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

God gives some specific instructions here in Matthew. He tells the disciples to “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you......”. Notice that He gives us specific instructions. For starters, they have to:

• “Go...” - We all need to be about the Father's business. That means that we can't serve him effectively sitting still.
• “make disciples” - We have something to say that bears repeating over and over again by many. It is the gospel message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
• “baptizing them” - He even tells how to baptize them....completely!
• “teaching them to observe” - He gives specific instructions about what we are to teach these new disciples - to teach them to “observe” everything His Word commands.

He continues by giving us assurance with His statement, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” We don't have to do it alone! Jesus is our teammate. He is our help. He is our comfort. He is our protector. He is literally our everything!

In the Teaching a Bible Lesson workshop series, we talk about the “gift” of teaching. Not everyone is called to teach, but we are all called to learn. Ephesians 4:11 reads “And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers....”. Notice that He personally appoints us to specific roles.

I didn't feel qualified to teach when God first called me, but it wasn't long until I realized that He was giving me a new discipline of study that I hadn't desired before. This was confirmation of His call on my life. I have since been teaching a regular Sunday School class along with various discipleship classes in addition to the training we do through Center Cross Creative.

James 3:1 warns us that “Not many should become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment...” If you are struggling with whether or not God is calling you to teach a Sunday School class or a Bible study group, I would strongly suggest that you consider this bit of Scripture as fair warning ahead of time. James is saying that if you aren't willing to be 100% serious about following what the Lord's Word teaches, you had better leave it alone.

People will look up to us as teachers. They trust us with their innermost thoughts. They trust us with their hurts and sorrows, and they expect us to be real and genuine with them.

Pray that God would confirm His call in your life. And if He has called you, renew your commitment now to be the Bible teacher that God has called you to be.

by James Gunter