Use this tool to solve common problems you'll find in your gospel classroom. Select from the options below to find teaching techniques that will help you solve some of the most common problems in LDS gospel classrooms:
Students open their notebooks and write two things: one question they had about the reading and one thing they learned anew or that they had forgotten. We spent probably 40 minutes covering the things they wrote. Great discussion and opportunity for sharing.
I learned this method at a Seminary regional training. It's a great method that requires little or no preparation. This works best with passages that include plenty of action.
Assign one student to be the narrator. The Narrator will read a passage of scripture with FEELING. He or she should do the voices and any sound effects needed for the roles. Other students are assigned to be the actors in the Kung Fu movie. These actors will dramatize and lip sync their roles, but they don't speak. The effect looks like bad dubbing in a kung fu movie. This is an easy way to engage students in the scriptures. Even those not acting or narrating are engaged because it's just so funny!
This one is fun for adult classes, too, as long as the group is laid back.
I learned this technique from Deann, who learned it from The Famous Linda D:
When you have a large class of youth, you will need a seating chart to help behavior issues. It's not mean -- it's positioning everyone so they can participate constructively. Daniel Roma teaches Seminary teachers that f you have more than five students, you need a seating chart.
Deann seats her students boy/girl/boy/girl. I have never done that, but I do require students to sit with their zone, which I rotate.
Assign students into Zones, or groups, of 3-5 students. This is a team that will compete in games together and participate in other activities as a group. One student is the zone leader. I use the zone leaders to represent the zone when selecting activities, they lead group discussions, they present for the group when we do a group presentation, or he or she may be the "nonmember" when playing Member/Nonmember. When giving instructions, Linda D says, "Zone leaders, give me a wink and a nod when you know what I'm talking about and can lead your zone." She also says, "Classroom management is about getting kids from being strangers to being a team." Splitting into zones is a good way to help that effort.
Linda names her zones cleverly: Cal-zone, End-zone, O-zone, etc. I just have numbered zones, or I call them by their leader's name: Emily's zone or Jake's zone.
I have found that zones make it much easier to keep students who talk too much apart. It also helps students get to know others in the classroom, and it gives leadership opportunities to shy youth. I also don't have to spend time on the logistics of separating into groups for group work, because students know to work within their zones.
I used these questions on a worksheet to help students evaluate and understand personalities in the scriptures:
Name:
Scripture:
Spouse/Children:
Age:
Hometown:
Occupation:
Describe this person using only three words. Circle the word you feel is this person's core quality:
________________ , ________________ , ________________
Briefly describe the person's attitude toward:
Him/Herself _______________________________________________
Family ____________________________________________________
God ______________________________________________________
What problem(s) has this person experienced?
Describe an event from the life of this person that is meaningful to you:
How does/might this person react when under temptation or stress?
How did/might this person solve their problem?
What did Heavenly Father/Jesus do to/for this person?
Wise people learn from their own choices; super-wise people learn from the choices of others. What can you learn from this person's choices (good or bad)?
Write the assigned verses or passages on a post it note. Mix up the order you will be covering the passages in, and stick an assignment under each seat in the classroom. When it comes time to read, have everyone look under their seat for their passage and read.
I usually employ this method when we have several scriptures to read from different areas of the scriptures.
When using this method -- especially with adults -- be sure that everyone in your class can read before class begins. If you know some members of the class are not thrilled with reading aloud, remind the class that it's okay to mispronounce words or read slowly. I do it, too, and Church is a judgment-free zone.
For many teachers, there is an imaginary line about 5 feet in front of the chalkboard, near the table. Students do not cross that line, nor do teachers. One of the best Classroom management skills you can develop is breaking The Plane, or getting in the habit of moving about the classroom as you teach.
There's a great discussion of this in the book Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov. It's Technique 15 "Circulate". He suggests that teachers cross that imaginary line during the first five minutes of every class. He suggests that teachers must suggest to their students that they own the room, and it's normal for the teacher to move around anywhere in the classroom. I have found this to be very helpful in my class. You already know that approaching a chatting student can help redirect them. You may need to tap them on the shoulder and point where they should be looking, or you might bend down and talk. Practice moving around the room as you teach so that students become comfortable with the idea of you moving around. It will help you address problems quickly and with minimal disruption.
I have been trying to learn this technique myself. It is HARD to cross that line for the first few times -- it's like a force field! But now, my students don't think twice about me moving in and among their tables or looking over their shoulders, listening in on a group discussion, or answering a private question. What's more, it's much easier for me to move toward a student and cut off their talking without breaking the discussion or causing a big disruption. Most of the class isn't even aware of me stopping a situation before it gets out of hand, because they are already accustomed to me moving around.
Have each student read a scripture on a gospel topic or a keyword written on a wordstrip and then place that wordstrip under the correct header.
EXAMPLE: I used this method to teach the plan of salvation. I divided the board into three sections: premortal, mortal, and postmortal. I also stuck Post-it notes with words like fall, creation, resurrection, birth, war in heaven, outer darkness, death, celestial glory, paradise, spirit prison, etc, underneath each of the chairs in the room. My Lesson opener was to introduce the material and then have the kids look under their seats to get their post it and stick it on the board in the correct section. Then as a group we would correct any mistakes, and we would go over each of the topics that needed explanation.
You know how this works: each student's name is written on a piece of paper. You draw a name out and that's the person who reads or prays next.
EXAMPLE: I use a bucket with craft sticks that have each student's name written on it. One end of the stick is red and the other is green. Students with red facing up, have been chosen. It's an easy way to remember who has already had a turn without having to keep track of a list. Students like that they can see they aren't being "picked on". I use it for randomly assigning prayers and keeping track of who has given prayers already. I have also used the bucket to draw names for scripture reading or sharing ideas as well.
It's easiest to use this method when a classroom's attendees don't change too much from week to week. But if you're using it in adult Sunday School or Elder's Quorum, you could have students write their names down on a list at the beginning of class, have a volunteer cut it apart, and then draw the names from the hat.
Since this is my first year teaching Seminary, I'm still learning and looking for ideas on how to teach students to use the Gospel Study Aids like the Bible dictionary, index, gazeteer, maps, footnotes, and other supplements during their scripture study. Here are a few of the things I've used with success, and I'll add more as I find them.
Please share your ideas, too, in the comments section. We're all learning together and can benefit from others' tips.
Seriously. The Bible Dictionary is awesome. I use it over and over during class -- at least once per week, and lately, during the History books of the Old Testament, I'm using it almost daily. Here are some examples of when you can use it:
- A student asks a question about giants or unicorns. (See BD, giants or BD, unicorn)
- A student mentions how the names in the Old Testament fits with their world history courses. (See BD, chronology)
- You're reading 2 Samuel 22:27 and come upon a weird word. (BD, Froward)
- You are introducing a new prophet or book in the Bible. (see the Bible dictionary entry for that prophet or book, Judges and Chronicles are especially helpful)
- Students are getting confused about the timing of Bible events (BD, chronology)
- You're curious about what the Temple of Solomon was like (BD, Temple of Solomon)
- You're reading the Psalms, and a student asks what the word "selah" means (BD, Selah)
- What exactly is Frankincense, anyway? (BD, Frankincense)
- A student asks a question asking for more data during class that you can't answer.
I really can't emphasize it enough: familiarize yourself with the contents of the Bible dictionary so that you can know when to call on it on the fly during class. The Bible dictionary has saved my bacon from being burnt on a difficult question on more than one occasion! It's awesome!
I used the maps when describing the Exodus, but since my scriptures have the old maps..... uh.... yeah it's pretty bad. Any ideas you have would be helpful! Please post them below!
The Index and the Topical Guide are slightly different. While the Topical Guide has information on general topics and covers all 4 standard works, the Index covers only the material in the Triple. The Index also includes a great index of references to the names of individuals found in the Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrine and Covenants. You might ask your students questions and have them find the answers to questions like the following:
- You are trying to find a scripture you heard that contains the word "dance". You know it's in the Old Testament but can't remember exactly where. (Topical guide)
- What would you use to find out more information about a person mentioned in the D&C? (Index)
- Where can you look to find out that scripture about the Waters of Mormon? (Index)
- You are giving a talk on obedience. Where might you start? (Topical Guide)
- Where can you look to determine how many Nephis there are in the Book of Mormon? (Index)
If they're getting really good at these, you might ask them some more advanced questions that include the Bible Dictionary:
- You're wondering about the Passover. (BD, Passover / BD, Feasts)
- You know that the parables are recorded in several places in the Bible. How can you find them quickly (BD, Gospels, Harmony of)
- You want to know where Lazarus was raised from the dead (BD, Gospels, Harmony of)
- You're wondering where the Bible came from (BD, Bible; BD, Bible, English; BD, canon)
- You're friend mentioned the Lord's Prayer. What is that, and where can you find it? (BD, Lord's Prayer -- why? because the words "Lord's Prayer" don't appear in the text, it's not going to be found in the Topical Guide)
You have decided to supplement your study of the D&C with the Church History Institute manual to improve your understanding of how events unfolded in the D&C. You notice the revelations are not in chronological order. How can you study the D&C in time/chronological order? (See Chronological Order of Contents in the D&C. It's just after the testimony of the Twelve Witnesses)
Your little sister is bored in church. All you have is your scriptures to entertain her (Show her the Maps, illustrations in the Pearl of Great Price, Maps at the end of the D&C, charts in the Bible Dictionary, get her to read all the verses about unicorns in the scriptures)
You can't remember where Hosea is ... (Title Page, Bible)
Is Titus in the Old or New Testament? (Title Page, Bible)
Is there a map that shows Bethel? (Gazeteer)
You're teaching Sunday School about Abraham and Mount Moriah. Your students like visual aids. Where can you look? (Gazeteer)
This is an activity I use when I see that section from the reading has lots of great things to underline. Write the verse numbers you'd like the students to read on the board. Use something soft, like a beanbag or silicone toy (we call ours Samson), to toss between students.
After introducing your material, explain that you are about to play a game called "What did you underline?". Each student will read a scripture passage aloud and then tell the class what he or she would underline. (You may also ask them to share why they chose that particular section.) After the class discusses the verse, the teacher will call out the next verse, and the student tosses the beanbag to another classmate, who then reads the next verse. You may want to establish a few rules, like no overhand tosses, no aiming above the neck, or everyone gets a turn.
This is a fun activity, that most students really enjoy.
When planning a lesson I estimate about 3 minutes per passage for reading, discussing, and tossing.
Many teachers use a Scripture Journal to help students retain information they are being taught or to help themselves with personal study. Here are some ideas for using a scripture journal that will give you lots of ideas.
My friend DeAnn purchase a composition notebook for each student for use as a scripture journal. Into this book they paste quotes and are assigned to write FITs (Feelings, Impressions, & Thoughts) based on the quote. Sometimes she might ask them to write about a particular passage, especially a scripture mastery. They might write how they can apply that scripture in their lives or describe a time when a passage helped them. This book is private, and the information is rarely, if ever, shared with the class.
Tell the students to open their scriptures to the passages you will be covering during today's lesson (it might corresponds with last night's reading). Explain their writing prompt (they might summarize the material, describe the feelings of a person in the verse, make a list about something in the passage, liken the scripture to their past, present, or future lives, or something else, write how they will teach this topic to their children, prepare a 2 minute talk based on the passage, etc.). Set a timer to a few minutes minutes (5-7) for them to write.
While the timer is going walk around the class and look at the work students are doing. Offer words of encouragement. Remind them when they have 60 seconds left.
After time is up, invite a few students to share what they wrote to the class. This can serve as a devotional or attention-getter. It's also a useful tool to prepare students for material that will come up during the lesson.
You could also use the timer approach at the end of class to keep a lesson from going over.
Here's what the Seminary manual says:
Some people keep a journal in which they write the main idea of what they read, how they feel about what they read, or how they think what they read applies to their life. If you are using this manual for home-study seminary, you are required to keep a notebook to receive credit. This notebook will be like a scripture journal.
It is also good to talk with others about what you read. Writing down some notes so that you remember what you want to talk about and discussing what you learned will help you understand and remember more of what you read.
The Redheaded Hostess has scripture journaling down to a fine art. She suggests that instead of writing in your scripture journal by passage you write in your journal by TOPIC. Using her method, you might record impressions, but the emphasis will be on writing doctrine you learn from the scriptures.
You can choose several topics you'd like to study and then study those one at a time, or you could start reading a book of scripture and add topics to your journal as you come across them. Here's where RHH describes her journal set up.
You could apply this method of journaling to a multi-year seminary program very easily using a 3-ring binder. Students can add pages and quotes into their journals as they are taught, alphabetically by topic. At the end of Seminary, students would have a fantastic resource chock-full of information for preparing lessons, talks, and for enhancing their own study later. RHH is using hers as heirloom gifts for her children. Beautiful idea.
Here are some more links to her great information
http://www.theredheadedhostess.com/category/scripture-study-2/scripture-... - Quotes from her journals
http://www.theredheadedhostess.com/category/scripture-study-2/scripture-... - Journal tips
