Teaching Problem Solution Finder

From Jamon C:

This is a little bit like a nuclear weapon .... I have 5 active seminary students, so this works better in small environment. I had a college professor give every student a red card and if they wanted to take over the class for 20 minutes they can (as long as gospel appropriate). They only get one red card for the year. I talked about it an empowerment this is their class, all can be heard. It is their permission to hijack the class.... One student asked jokingly to test the boundaries, "can we watch cat videos on youtube?" I said "Sure, it is your 20 minutes. After that it is over." No one has used their red card so far... but whenever someone speaks or is distracting, the simple question to ask is "Do you want to use your red card now?"

Courtesy of John Bushman:

As a coordinator for S&I, it has not been my style to be very controlling. It has been my goal to give great tips and helps, but in the end, the teachers decide what works for them or not.

BUT… now I want to mandate something because it can be so VERY helpful to the teacher and the students. With the teachers I coordinate, I want them to do “The Spot” at the end of each class. But I would think it would be very helpful for any teacher out there.

Let me explain what that is. At the beginning of class when the devotional is assigned and put together (Song, Opening prayer, Scriptural Thought…) I want also someone to be assigned “The Spot”. That student knows that at the end of class, they will be put on “the Spot” and will need to share what was the big lesson they learned that day in class. So in other words, after you challenge your class and testify and close the lesson, then you say, “Billy, it looks like you were on the spot today. What was the big lesson you learned from class today?” And then Billy would share what he learned. There is room for variety with this. One teacher had a big yellow mouse pad that she slaps on a student’s desk to let them know they will be on the spot today. One teacher had a little stuffed dog called, "Spot" she would toss to a student for "The Spot" and then that student would toss to another. You could also call this, "The Takeaway", or "The A-ha". Anything could work.

“The spot” is also good because it shows you as the teacher if the big points came through. I've found this also makes the other kids want to chime in. It also helps review what they learned and keeps them on their toes.

I am also attaching a devotional chart so it will make it easier for your class president to know what to write on the board. Some of you teachers already use something like this, but here is something for the rest of you. Naturally it is nice to have written up on the board what the opening hymn will be, and prayers, etc… But it is a pain to have to write all that up every day and then it cuts into your precious board space. Here is a solution. Have it on a paper (that is laminated with magnets on the back) that you can put up and take down easily. This also gives your class president an outline of what he needs to put up on the board before starting class.

Before I laminated it, I also added a piece of red or blue paper behind it to make it stand out a bit. Naturally, you can do "The Spot" without using this devotional chart. (http://nwseminaryshare.weebly.com/start-of-the-year-stuff.html)

Some teachers assign "The Spot" by placing a sticker underneath a chair before class begins. (~Jenny)

If you're struggling with students getting into sidebar or off-topic conversations during your lesson, you may try teaching them this phrase that has worked for me: "between the prayers".

The concept is that once we've said the opening prayer, our time has been consecrated for the worship of God. We focus on the lesson at hand "between the prayers" because that time is set apart for a certain purpose. Cell phone use is lesson-related. Conversations focus on gospel principles, especially those that relate to the lesson. Between the prayers, classes are single-minded and focused on the Lord. Before the opening or after the closing prayer, any appropriate conversation or activity goes. Students are naturally more quiet and subdued after a prayer, so use that to your advantage to immediately begin the spiritual portion of a lesson.

In order to make this concept work, teachers should use the prayer as a transition to the spiritual part of a lesson. Avoid saying a prayer and then moving into a "how was your weekend" type conversation. Do all activities that might get a little silly, like devotional or get-to-know-you type activities, before the opening prayer. When the activity is finished, you might say something like, "Now, let's pray to invite the Spirit into the spiritual part of our lesson." or "Okay, we are moving to the spiritual part of our lesson, so let's ask the Lord to help us feel the Spirit with an opening prayer."

If a student wants to show the class a non-lesson related photo or video during class, ask him or her to hold it until after the prayer, and then make time for the student to share because "...between the prayers, we are focused on the lesson". If students are talking out of turn, explain that you want students to visit, but the time between the prayers was consecrated for worship when we said our opening prayer, and that they should hold that conversation until after the closing prayer.

It will take a few reminders for students to learn to focus on gospel topics between the prayers, but I've found this simple notion to be very useful in helping students focus on the things I'm trying to help them discover.

This fantastic game ideas was shared by Ricki M on the LDS Seminary Teachers Facebook Group:

I had an idea for this game and it was a hit in Seminary this morning. Such a hit that I am writing it down so I can use it and share with others. This would work great when you are covering a piece of doctrine or a gospel principle where you want to have your students really involved in finding their own answers and also asking questions. We used it with 2 Nephi 29; where we learn about the importance of having the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Give students a block of scripture from one chapter or a list of Scriptures that compliment each other that they can to choose from to study on similar topic. Encourage them to cross reference etc when they find something that sticks out to them. Give each student 2 pieces of paper. I labeled them “Something I Learned...” and “A Question I Have...” On one they write something they learned from their study, on the other they write a question they had about what they read, or a question they think an investigator of the church might ask about those verses. Collect all the “A question I have” papers and put them in a basket. Randomly choose 2 students to come up, they will now be ʻmissionary companionsʼ. They have 90 seconds to use their scriptures, discuss, ponder, and come up with an answer to the question. Meanwhile while waiting for the ʻmissionariesʼ to return with their answer I randomly chose students to read aloud what they wrote down as something they learned. When the missionaries return they give their answer, as a class we vote on whether we felt the question was answered or if it could use a little more research. If we agree it needs more work, those missionaries ʻtagʼ two more missionaries who have an additional 90 seconds to respond. If we agreed that the question was answered sufficiently then they ʻtagʼ two more missionaries and we start with another question. This was so great on so many levels. It got the kids to really search for answers and think of good questions. It got kids that donʼt usually work together to have to discuss and be a team. It also gave them a chance to practice finding answers in the scriptures. It was great fun and I highly recommend it!

Great for: Asking questions, Eliciting thoughtful responses, Encouraging student participation, Giving every person a turn, Helping students find meaning in the scriptures, Learning to share feelings, Mission preparation, Reviewing a scripture story, Teaching students to use study helps

Class size: Any class size

Helps Students: SHARE feelings, thoughts, or personal experiences

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Student Age: Any age

Equipment needed: paper slips of paper with each student's name on it

Last week we were doing housekeeping things during class and did not get to cover the stories that students were reading in as much depth as I would prefer. I used this method to quickly cover 4 chapters students had read before class, as an introduction to the next chapters in Acts.

RULES:

1. 1. Each zone gets two identical sets of word strips, one for the zone leader, and a second for the remaining group members.
   2. Zones will have 60 seconds to determine a silent signaling method to let their zone leader know in which order to place strips, keeping in mind that the signals they use could be intercepted by other teams.
   3. Zone Leader leaves the group. He or she must stay 4 paces away from his or her group.
   4. The zone leader's word strips must stay flat on the floor.
   5. For the first 60 seconds on timer, the group may begin to sort the slips and signal the zone leader with their scriptures closed.
   6. After the first 60 seconds, the group can look in their scriptures, but the zone leader may not.
   7. The group whose zone leader correctly orders the timeline strips first wins.

This was a fun, useful game, and it was QUIET! I find myself so relieved when we are able to play a game quietly. Phew. Those kids can get overwhelming.

I allowed texting, but you might not want to.

This was a good activity for keeping everyone involved, and we were able to summarize a lot material very quickly. You could do this activity with the Plan of Salvation, the Nephite Cycle, or any number of things.

Great for: Covering a lot of material, Determining student level of understanding, Encouraging student participation, Lesson opener, Reviewing a scripture story

Class size: Any class size

Helps Students: SEARCH the scriptures or text

Prep Time: 10-20 minutes

Student Age: Any age

Equipment needed: 2 sets of identical wordstrips for each team

If you've got a lot of material to cover in a short amount of time, you can cover the material more efficiently when you know what students already know about the topic.  One way to quickly assess student understanding of series of events is to give them strips of paper with the main events summarized as a list.  Have the class work in groups and race to sort the events as quickly as possible.

After the first group has the list completed, have them come to the front of the class and, using their timeline, share the story with the class.  You can add in any extra information or ask questions as they go along. Slower sorters can put thier strips in order as the faster sorters share the story. 

I would stand at the back of the classroom for this activity so that other students direct questions to the fastest sorters first, before asking me.

Great for: Covering a lot of material, Determining student level of understanding, Encouraging student participation, Getting the attention of uninterested students, Reviewing a scripture story, When you're running out of time

Class size: Any class size

Helps Students: SEARCH the scriptures or text, SHARE feelings, thoughts, or personal experiences

Prep Time: 10-20 minutes

Student Age: Any age

Equipment needed: timeline listed on paper strips

Vanessa S. shared this on the Come Follow Me Facebook Group, and I asked her permission to share it here. She said:

"[A]fter some initially rather disastrous experiments having my girls teach, I eventually came around to this handout, which the girls told me has been very helpful. It outlines the steps for preparing a "mini-lesson" from a conference talk excerpt. I have a similar one that focuses on teaching from a scripture passage. I hand it out to one girl assigned to teach the following week, and I hand the talk excerpt out to all the girls, which gives everyone a week to prepare. So far even my most shy and reticent girls have been able to lead a decent discussion using this handout!"

Mini-Lesson Instructions

1. Read the enclosed talk, and as you read mark a few phrases or short sentences that seem especially meaningful to you. Pray before you begin, and ask the Spirit to tell you what message our girls really need to hear.
2. Ponder upon what you’ve read. Choose 2 or 3 specific quotes to discuss in class. How do you think those phrases apply to you and your sister Beehives here at church, at home, or with friends? Write down your thoughts to share.
3. Prepare an open-ended question (who/what/why/how) to ask the girls about each quote. For example: “What do you think Elder XYZ means when he says this?” or “How do you think this phrase applies to us in our families?”)
4. Do you have a brief personal experience you could share that illustrates your message? Sharing your experience will really invite the Spirit to enter the room and testify to the girls that what you are saying is true.
5. Share your testimony, your thoughts and feelings about the message you have shared during your lesson.

That’s all! Write down your outline with questions included and you are ready to go! Your lesson need only be 5-10 minutes. The time will fly by! If you find that the girls are engaged in your discussion please feel free to follow the Spirit and take as long as you like. Your teaching is the most important thing that will happen in class that day.

Thank you so much!

I love you!

Sister S

PS - Please call or email me if you have ANY questions or ideas. I will be so excited to hear from you!

You could use these five steps during class period or at mutual to help students learn to prepare a lesson with a leader present. This way, if they have any questions or need help, leaders are right there to assist. After the first time, I expect that students will be able to easily prepare a mini lesson during class time.

Great for: Improving talks or devotionals, Lesson preparation

Class size: Any class size

Helps Students: SEARCH the scriptures or text, SHARE feelings, thoughts, or personal experiences

Prep Time:

Student Age: Any age

Equipment needed:

Movie watching during class can be dull and non-interactive, and -- let's be real -- sleep-inducing, when you're teaching seminary early in the morning. I like this quote:

Showing movies in class should not be a Friday fun day activity. Okay, I don’t mind if you show them on Friday or even if students enjoy watching them. However, students should not view watching a film in class as any less rigorous than reading a book. If they do then you’re doing nothing to teach media literacy or enhance your curriculum. Brains should turn on when watching multimedia, not turn off. (The Right Way to Show Movies in Class, http://creatinglifelonglearners.com/?p=695)

You can use the pause button to help you engage students with the material more deeply. Here are some tips you can use during a movie to help kids stay interested and engage thoughtfully with the material they are seeing.

Before the movie begins, have students open scriptures to the section the video is about. During the movie pause and ask "Why is this person behaving in this way?" "Can you back up your reasoning with a scripture reference?"

Pause the movie when a person in the movie is about to make a choice. Ask the class, "What would you do? What do you think s/he is about to do? Why is this a good or bad idea?"

In a movie where language is difficult to understand or garbled, pause and ask if everyone understood what was happening.

Use a paused frame from a movie as a lesson opener. Have students describe the characters in the film. "These descriptions should go beyond mere physical detail and include guesses at the personality and intentions of the character based on what they can see." (http://busyteacher.org/4725-movie-novel-practical-tips-for-classroom.html)

Try showing the movie FIRST and then read the corresponding scriptural text after viewing the movie. Students may notice differences between the two, or they imagine the story or a character in a different way than the director did. Be sure to show the movie before you read the text so that the last thing kids leave with is the correct, scriptural language from the text, rather than a movie interpretation.

For example, the Church's new movie when Peter and John are questioned and threatened by the Sanhedrin has a minor difference from John's text. In John's version, the Sanhedrin don't say the name of Christ, while in the movie they do. We don't know if this is an exact quote that the Sanhedrin said to the apostles, but it could be. Why might this be significant? Why might they be reluctant to say Christ's name? What does this say about these individuals? It's a minor, not terribly significant difference, but a teacher can use it to start a lively discussion.

Start out the movie with a "Watch for" statement. You might ask students to watch for the way Laman and Lemuel react when Nephi tells them he will build a boat.

Pause BEFORE you show the film by discussing the most important question learned from the film BEFORE you show the movie. Giving students something to look for as they watch helps them focus on the important parts of the film and improves comments and discussion afterward.

For example, during that film on procrastination where the boy and girl practice on different schedules (Piano Recital, included with Old Testament Seminary Videos for Joel 2 and online at YouTube), you might start out with a question like "Have you ever put off an assignment to the last minute? What did you learn? What do you think would happen if you didn't practice for a piano recital? Let's see what happens."

Pause to let students fill out a handout during the film. You might pause during the film to let students write a characterization or write what they think will happen next. You might want to give them a minutes or so to catch up if you see that they are falling behind on taking down a list or process given in the film.

For example, you might pause during a film on the Restoration to ask students to write down the steps Joseph Smith took to prepare to enter the grove and pray.

During longer films, pause midway and have students recap what theve learned and explain how the movie is related to the topic you're studying. This activity helps transfer the new knowledge into long term memory. If students can explain what they’ve learned, you can assist but if they still can’t explain, you need to re-evaluate showing that movie or better frame the movie discussion next time." (http://creatinglifelonglearners.com/?p=695) In other words, make sure that you use a Watch For statement or other question or clue to help students focus on how this movie directly relates to your topic of discussion.

Great for: Using media during class

Class size: Any class size

Helps Students: SEARCH the scriptures or text, SEE a gospel principle in action

Prep Time:

Student Age: Any age

Equipment needed:

This idea came from a Pinterest post by Erin Guinup. She didn't post a link to a website, but posted a picture of her chalkboard from doing this activity that you can see at right. You can see her pin on my Seminary Pinterest page.

Basically, you start with a topic. Each student is given a piece of chalk to write on the board their responses to the writing prompt. Students may comment in writing as many times as they want, even on each others posts, saying they agree or adding more detail.

This activity is done silently, which can be a blessed relief in a classroom full of talkative teenagers!

When I did this in my class, I wrote on the board: "Why do some people accept the gospel while others don't?" Also on the board I wrote:

• Boys - John 7:17, Mosiah 1:5
• Junior/Senior Girls - Hebrews 11:24-26, Mark 7:9
• Freshmen/Sophomore Girls - 1 Nephi 2:11-12, 1 Nephi 16:2-3

After about 20 minutes of lesson and introduction to the topic that started by reading Acts 14:21-22, I said that one of the great tribulations a missionary or disciple of Christ experiences is when people reject the gospel message. Why do some people accept the gospel, even when they hear it from a powerful, righteous missionary like Paul? I explained how the Chalk Talk would work, and students got busy reading their scriptures.

This activity went great. Thanks, Erin, for a fantastic idea that really helped students get into the scriptures.

Great for: Determining student level of understanding, Eliciting thoughtful responses, Encouraging student participation, Getting the attention of uninterested students, Giving every person a turn, Helping shy students participate, Helping students find meaning in the scriptures, Learning to share feelings, Lesson opener, Reading a serious passage, Reviewing a scripture story

Class size: Any class size

Helps Students: SEARCH the scriptures or text, SHARE feelings, thoughts, or personal experiences

Prep Time:

Student Age: Any age

Equipment needed: a piece of chalk for every student

The purpose of this activity is for kids to learn to pick out what is the most important information in a section of scripture and to summarize it. This is a valuable skill to learn for preparing talks or lessons.

Hand each student a mini post it note. Have them place the post it note over the chapter header of a certain passage. Give students 3-5 minutes on a timer to look over the passage and write their own chapter header for the passage.

After time is up, compare student responses with the existing chapter headers. How do they differ? What is the same? When you find something important that isn't in the chapter header or footnotes, how might you mark your scriptures in a way to help you remember it? If you could only write one sentence about this chapter that would state the most important thing you learned, what would it be? Write your summary sentence and 1) share it with the class or 2) write it in the margin. Share with the class why this is the most important thing you learned.

Great for: Covering a lot of material, Determining student level of understanding, Eliciting thoughtful responses, Encouraging student participation, Helping shy students participate, Helping students find meaning in the scriptures, Improving talks or devotionals, Learning to share feelings, Reading a long passage, Reviewing a scripture story, Teaching students to use study helps

Class size: Any class size

Helps Students: SEARCH the scriptures or text, SHARE feelings, thoughts, or personal experiences

Prep Time:

Student Age: Any age

Equipment needed: post it notes timer marking pencil for every person in class