This is a familiar but underused teaching technique. When you invite students to role play, "The students' job is to shore up their friend, and they almost always bear testimony in the process -- almost without realizing it." (Becoming a Great Gospel Teacher, Eaton and Beecher, p 91) "We've had our students play everything from […]

The Lord often uses "formulas" to show how to obtain certain blessings or outcomes. Mark these with an equal signs. They signal a plain truth of the gospel. Look For: Look for places where the Lord defines something or ties two or more things together. Words like "is," "like," or "in other words" Example: D&C […]

Divide students into pairs and have one student tell [or write] a story from memory in as much detail as possible, with the second student adding in as much missing detail as possible. Now, the entire class looks over the story in the scriptures and adds in any additional details. The teacher and students work […]

Anciently, making an oath or covenant was the strongest form of commitment one could use. When the Lord swears something to us, this should be very serious to us. Look for such language as "As I the Lord liveth," "I am the Lord," or when the Lord uses a certain Name (ie. "the Lord of […]

Pose a question, and then hand several students a piece of chalk with an invitation to write their answers up on the board. Other students can line up for a turn when they are ready to respond, or students may hand off the chalk to others in the class for responses. The best questions for […]

How does connecting different parts of the story in the same or other chapters help make one scene more powerful and meaningful. Look For: Put parts of a story or teaching together (don't forget previous and future chapters!) and "look for" connections. Examples >1 Samuel 1 --2 Hannah's sacrifice of giving up her firstborn Samuel […]

"What do you do when you have a student who answers all the questions or who speaks up just because it's quiet?" one teacher asked. Bro B taught us that teachers should first determine if you are dealing with a smart kid or a smartaleck kid. Your response to interruptions will be different based on […]

Many scriptures make promises and conditions by putting them in a formula, usually stated as a "If [this happens], then [that will happen]." Look For: Watch for the words like "If..." and "then..." CAUTION: many times the "then" part is implied and the word "then" word is left out. Example: 1 Nephi 2:20 "Inasmuch as […]

Think of ways to group your text to help you cover material effectively. Then WRITE VERSES ON THE BOARD to help students get through the material efficiently during your lesson. EXAMPLE: On the easel I wrote the following for Deuteronomy 8: Blessings of REMEMBERING v 2 v3 v4 v5 Dangers of FORGETTING v11 vv12-14 v17 […]

Instruct students to look for and circle/highlight words that are especially motivating, inspiring, comforting, thought-provoking, etc. SAY "As you read, be aware of words and phrases that really stand out to you. They may seem powerful, motivating, comforting, though-provoking, etc." Example: Hebrews 7:25 One night while reading Hebrews I came upon this verse and one […]