Most of us memorized the 23rd Psalm by the time we turned five. We could quote the books of the Old Testament and the New Testament, the fruit of the Spirit, and a number of other verses, including John 3:16 and John 11:35 (Jesus wept). After we reached 7th grade, however, we outgrew all that memory work, and our teachers stopped giving it to us.
There's no reason to have stopped it. In fact, there is a good reason to continue. Bible study and Bible discussion classes are necessities for the Christian, but a Bible student also needs to know where to find relevant passages in the Bible. Most of us know what is in the Bible and what God says, but we have trouble finding just the spot we want. So we say things in a Bible discussion like, “We can’t just give our money to God and think that’s enough. The Bible says, I think in James, we should always be doing good.” Which is a fine statement, but doesn’t do us much good if we cannot point to the exact passage for a study of the context. For all anyone else knows, we might have quoted Shakespeare (which happens on occasion).
The only way to remedy this is to memorize important Scriptures and ideas in the Bible and where they are found. It seems like a daunting task, but it really isn’t if we tackle it one week at a time, rather than all at once. Teachers can have one piece of memory work each class, whether it is a scripture, a list like the Judges, or other important Bible facts. If the students come back each week with their memory work complete, they get a prize at the end of the quarter. For younger kids, especially if you teach a class where your child is a student, you might host a cookout or take the students for ice cream. This works with adults, too. You might bring donuts to class each week for those who complete the work. (You might also ask people to help out with the expense, or even ask the Elders.)
Coming up with the memory work is not hard. You can find your own, such as those listed in the box above, or you can use the Scriptures in each week’s lesson. Just flip through the lesson and find a relevant Scripture. For instance, in Lambert’s The Living Way series book on Miracles and Parables of Jesus, a verse from Isaiah about the providence of God, found at the end of lesson one on page 10, can be used for the memory verse. If you use a Scripture from each week’s lesson, the students will gradually build up their knowledge of relevant passages for Bible topics from Baptism to the return of Christ.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
How to Teach a Better Bible Class: End by Giving a Point to Think About by Josh Hardin
Bible class never really ends. The teacher may finish the day’s lesson, the buzzer may ring, the students may go home, but the Bible study, or at least thinking about the Bible, should never end. Deuteronomy 6:7-9 tells when people should think about the instructions of God:
Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on our foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
In other words, all the time. The Word of God is something to carry in the forefront of a Christian’s thoughts. It is what directs his other thoughts and actions. It is something to meditate on every day, all the time. A Bible class should reflect that by giving the students a point to think about as they leave class.
The ending point is a question that does not need to be answered before the bell. It can be given, in fact, just after the bell rings. It should reflect the main point of the lesson and give the students something they may want to study that week and even talk about with their parents (or their spouses and friends).
This ending question can be more personal and can challenge the students to look at some truth in a new way, or at least with a little more depth. For example, after a lesson on patience, a teacher might ask: “Remember the person you gave as an example of patience? What makes them patient, and how can you be more like that person this week?”
Bible study helps Christians understand what God wants and makes them into His people. Bible teachers who take their responsibility seriously and work to improve their teaching skills help people become more Christ-like in their thoughts and their actions. They help all Christians write the words of God not just on plaques outside their doors and on needlepoint frames on their walls, but on their hearts. They have a great responsibility, but they also have a great reward for helping people get to Heaven.
Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on our foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
In other words, all the time. The Word of God is something to carry in the forefront of a Christian’s thoughts. It is what directs his other thoughts and actions. It is something to meditate on every day, all the time. A Bible class should reflect that by giving the students a point to think about as they leave class.
The ending point is a question that does not need to be answered before the bell. It can be given, in fact, just after the bell rings. It should reflect the main point of the lesson and give the students something they may want to study that week and even talk about with their parents (or their spouses and friends).
This ending question can be more personal and can challenge the students to look at some truth in a new way, or at least with a little more depth. For example, after a lesson on patience, a teacher might ask: “Remember the person you gave as an example of patience? What makes them patient, and how can you be more like that person this week?”
Bible study helps Christians understand what God wants and makes them into His people. Bible teachers who take their responsibility seriously and work to improve their teaching skills help people become more Christ-like in their thoughts and their actions. They help all Christians write the words of God not just on plaques outside their doors and on needlepoint frames on their walls, but on their hearts. They have a great responsibility, but they also have a great reward for helping people get to Heaven.
Friday, July 11, 2008
How to Teach a Better Bible Class: Let the Silence Hang After a Question by Josh Hardin
Most teachers are nervous if they ask a question and no one responds. If there is a moment of silence, it must mean the teacher is not doing his or her job. After all, a classroom is a place where information is exchanged, and in order for that to happen, someone has to talk. So teachers often ask a question and then answer it themselves if no one responds in a few seconds. Silence, however, is not a bad thing. Silence can be a useful teaching tool.
The previous two articles focused on how to get students to think and how to ask thought-provoking questions. When a thinking question is asked, the students will need time to think. This will result in a period of silence. That type of silence, however, is a productive silence. That silence may be the most useful part of the class because the students are not using their mouths or listening to the teacher. Instead, they are using their brains. So teachers should let that silence hang for a few moments and give those brains time to work. (And give their own brains and ears a moment’s peace.)
This may be uncomfortable for some teachers. Thoughts may run through their heads. “Maybe I need to explain some more so they will understand.” “Maybe I need to tell them the answer so they will know it.” But if a teacher gives in to those things, the students will not have time to figure it out on their own. Not every moment should be filled up with talk. Some should be filled up with thought.
There may be times when no one answers even after a few moments of silence. There are a few things a teacher can do that are better than just answering the question and moving to the next part of the lesson. One of those things is to call on someone. There are students in every class who are thoughtful enough to have a solid answer most of the time even if they don’t speak up. A teacher can call on one of these students to break the ice once in a while.
Another thing a teacher can do is to rephrase the question. Maybe no one understood what was asked. If no one responds to, “When you hear the word ‘peace,’ what do you think of?” the teacher can rephrase that to, “What images come to mind when I say the word ‘peace?’”
Finally a teacher can give an example. If no one responds to the rephrased question on peace, a teacher might say, “For instance, peace is the opposite of war.”
This will give the students an idea of what the question is about and give their brains something more to work on.
Silence in a classroom should not be feared, but should be used instead to let the students work their brains and learn how to think.
The previous two articles focused on how to get students to think and how to ask thought-provoking questions. When a thinking question is asked, the students will need time to think. This will result in a period of silence. That type of silence, however, is a productive silence. That silence may be the most useful part of the class because the students are not using their mouths or listening to the teacher. Instead, they are using their brains. So teachers should let that silence hang for a few moments and give those brains time to work. (And give their own brains and ears a moment’s peace.)
This may be uncomfortable for some teachers. Thoughts may run through their heads. “Maybe I need to explain some more so they will understand.” “Maybe I need to tell them the answer so they will know it.” But if a teacher gives in to those things, the students will not have time to figure it out on their own. Not every moment should be filled up with talk. Some should be filled up with thought.
There may be times when no one answers even after a few moments of silence. There are a few things a teacher can do that are better than just answering the question and moving to the next part of the lesson. One of those things is to call on someone. There are students in every class who are thoughtful enough to have a solid answer most of the time even if they don’t speak up. A teacher can call on one of these students to break the ice once in a while.
Another thing a teacher can do is to rephrase the question. Maybe no one understood what was asked. If no one responds to, “When you hear the word ‘peace,’ what do you think of?” the teacher can rephrase that to, “What images come to mind when I say the word ‘peace?’”
Finally a teacher can give an example. If no one responds to the rephrased question on peace, a teacher might say, “For instance, peace is the opposite of war.”
This will give the students an idea of what the question is about and give their brains something more to work on.
Silence in a classroom should not be feared, but should be used instead to let the students work their brains and learn how to think.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
How to Teach a Better Bible Class: Ask Open-Ended Questions by Josh Hardin
The first thing to do in order to lead a good discussion class is to ask open-ended questions. Nothing kills a discussion like a question to which everyone knows the answer. No one wants to speak up, because it is obvious that no one should have to. When someone finally does speak, they say one or two words and then go silent. No one else says anything, because there is nothing else to be said. Discussion over.
Open-ended questions, however, can allow a discussion to build. They allow the class as a whole to work through the thought process of answering the question. The students have to think through to find the solution rather than trying to determine just what the teacher wants to hear. The teacher acts as mediator for the discussion. He or she makes sure everyone stays on the subject and that the class continues to move forward. The teacher also makes sure that the students see the problem with a biblical mindset and think through it in God’s way. Certainly, there will be some answers that are not quite right. The teacher can see how the student might have arrived at that idea and guide them back to looking at it in the proper light. Once a discussion has gone far enough, the teacher can summarize the good things everyone has said and move on to the next questions or passage of Scripture.
Here’s an example. In a class about the Exodus, a teacher might tell the story about Moses going up on Mount Sinai to receive the law from God. Meanwhile, down below, the people melt their gold and make an idol of a calf, which they praise as being their god. Moses comes down off the mountain and smashes the tablets of the Ten Commandments in anger.
The teacher asks: “Did the people sin by making a Golden Calf?”
A student answers: “Yes.”
Teacher: “Should they have done that?”
Student: “No.”
Teacher: “Should we worship idols today?”
Silence.
Someone finally says: “No.”
End of discussion.
Teacher goes on reading and making comments.
Instead of asking those yes or no questions, the teacher could have asked open-ended questions to make the students think. “Why do you think the Israelites made a calf to worship right after they had seen God’s power bring them out of Egypt?” “Why did Aaron agree to build the calf?” The students’ answers may also give rise to other questions that can be discussed.
With these types of questions, the students have to think through why the Israelites did what they did. What were they thinking? What was their mindset? Did they really believe that calf, which they just made, brought them out of Egypt? Most importantly, how do we avoid falling into that same type of mindset and thinking today? The class thinks through the problem together, the teacher makes sure that people stay on the right track, and the students learn to evaluate problems and figure out biblical solutions on their own, even when the teacher is not around to give them the answers.
It may frighten some teachers to ask open-ended questions. Students may give some answers the teacher does not expect. Students may ask some questions the teacher cannot answer. But it is important to remember that no teacher has all the answers, and it is okay to say, “I don’t know. I’ll have to do some more study on that.”
It takes more work to teach using open-ended questions, but the class itself is easier because the teacher talks less, and the students actually learn more and are able to examine the Bible in a way that will help them think like God wants them to.
Open-ended questions, however, can allow a discussion to build. They allow the class as a whole to work through the thought process of answering the question. The students have to think through to find the solution rather than trying to determine just what the teacher wants to hear. The teacher acts as mediator for the discussion. He or she makes sure everyone stays on the subject and that the class continues to move forward. The teacher also makes sure that the students see the problem with a biblical mindset and think through it in God’s way. Certainly, there will be some answers that are not quite right. The teacher can see how the student might have arrived at that idea and guide them back to looking at it in the proper light. Once a discussion has gone far enough, the teacher can summarize the good things everyone has said and move on to the next questions or passage of Scripture.
Here’s an example. In a class about the Exodus, a teacher might tell the story about Moses going up on Mount Sinai to receive the law from God. Meanwhile, down below, the people melt their gold and make an idol of a calf, which they praise as being their god. Moses comes down off the mountain and smashes the tablets of the Ten Commandments in anger.
The teacher asks: “Did the people sin by making a Golden Calf?”
A student answers: “Yes.”
Teacher: “Should they have done that?”
Student: “No.”
Teacher: “Should we worship idols today?”
Silence.
Someone finally says: “No.”
End of discussion.
Teacher goes on reading and making comments.
Instead of asking those yes or no questions, the teacher could have asked open-ended questions to make the students think. “Why do you think the Israelites made a calf to worship right after they had seen God’s power bring them out of Egypt?” “Why did Aaron agree to build the calf?” The students’ answers may also give rise to other questions that can be discussed.
With these types of questions, the students have to think through why the Israelites did what they did. What were they thinking? What was their mindset? Did they really believe that calf, which they just made, brought them out of Egypt? Most importantly, how do we avoid falling into that same type of mindset and thinking today? The class thinks through the problem together, the teacher makes sure that people stay on the right track, and the students learn to evaluate problems and figure out biblical solutions on their own, even when the teacher is not around to give them the answers.
It may frighten some teachers to ask open-ended questions. Students may give some answers the teacher does not expect. Students may ask some questions the teacher cannot answer. But it is important to remember that no teacher has all the answers, and it is okay to say, “I don’t know. I’ll have to do some more study on that.”
It takes more work to teach using open-ended questions, but the class itself is easier because the teacher talks less, and the students actually learn more and are able to examine the Bible in a way that will help them think like God wants them to.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
How to Teach a Better Bible Class: Teach HOW to Think, Not WHAT to Think by Josh Hardin
There are two problems with a straight lecture class. One of them is that students tune out the drone of a lecture. The other problem is that lectures do not teach students how to think. Lots of information can be imparted with a lecture. Some classes and topics call for lecture because a lot of facts must be taught. Chemistry comes to mind, so do History and Grammar. Bible class is different, however, because students do not need to learn just facts about the Bible, but how to make it the main part of their lives.
A Bible class should teach students how to think like a Christian, not just what a Christian thinks. That goes for any topic covered in the class. Facts are great. Especially for playing Bible trivia games or if someone is on Jeopardy! But Christians need to understand how those facts apply to their lives. A teacher can tell students, “Don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t dance, etc,” for an hour, but then the student leaves class and goes out on his own. Sooner or later they will be in a situation that is not exactly like the one talked about in class. If they have not been taught HOW to apply biblical principles and reason out the problem, they will not be able to make the right decision. Teachers cannot make every decision for their students, so they have to teach students to make proper decisions in real time.
Paul talks about thinking like a Christian and making God-like decisions in Romans 12:2: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Notice that there is a pattern both for the world and for God’s way of thinking. If students learn just facts about the Bible or answers someone else tells them, they do not learn God’s pattern. In fact, they only learn how to put Bible facts into the pattern of the world. Instead, Christians should transform their minds, renew them to think like God so they can put things from the world into God’s pattern. When a Christian knows how to think and view things the way God views them, he can test, he can prove, he can reason out what God wants him to do.
That is difficult to do in a lecture class because the students do not have to follow the reasoning to the conclusion. They only have to hear the final answer. It is much easier to teach the thinking process in a discussion-style class. In that setting, a teacher can better understand what the students think about the topic; consequently, the teacher can not only give them the right answer but can also guide them to the proper pattern of thought. In this way, the teacher can show students the process of how to reach the truth rather than simply handing them conclusions.
Next week’s article will cover how to conduct a discussion-style class.
A Bible class should teach students how to think like a Christian, not just what a Christian thinks. That goes for any topic covered in the class. Facts are great. Especially for playing Bible trivia games or if someone is on Jeopardy! But Christians need to understand how those facts apply to their lives. A teacher can tell students, “Don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t dance, etc,” for an hour, but then the student leaves class and goes out on his own. Sooner or later they will be in a situation that is not exactly like the one talked about in class. If they have not been taught HOW to apply biblical principles and reason out the problem, they will not be able to make the right decision. Teachers cannot make every decision for their students, so they have to teach students to make proper decisions in real time.
Paul talks about thinking like a Christian and making God-like decisions in Romans 12:2: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Notice that there is a pattern both for the world and for God’s way of thinking. If students learn just facts about the Bible or answers someone else tells them, they do not learn God’s pattern. In fact, they only learn how to put Bible facts into the pattern of the world. Instead, Christians should transform their minds, renew them to think like God so they can put things from the world into God’s pattern. When a Christian knows how to think and view things the way God views them, he can test, he can prove, he can reason out what God wants him to do.
That is difficult to do in a lecture class because the students do not have to follow the reasoning to the conclusion. They only have to hear the final answer. It is much easier to teach the thinking process in a discussion-style class. In that setting, a teacher can better understand what the students think about the topic; consequently, the teacher can not only give them the right answer but can also guide them to the proper pattern of thought. In this way, the teacher can show students the process of how to reach the truth rather than simply handing them conclusions.
Next week’s article will cover how to conduct a discussion-style class.
How to Teach a Better Bible Class: Pray for the Lesson by Josh Hardin
Prayer is the simplest way to ensure that a Bible class goes well and achieves its goal. Many people, however, avoid prayer except in times of distress. Some people forget to pray, some have only certain times of day that they pray, and some think God should not be bothered unless the problem is too big to handle without Him. None of those reflect the Bible’s view on prayer. Prayer is effective in any situation, no matter how great or small, and God tells Christians to use it continuously. It is a first act of preparation, dedication, and guidance, not a last resort when human effort fails. A Christian’s instinctive reaction to a problem of any size should be to stop and pray.
Prayer asks for God’s help and guidance, and puts a Christian in the proper mindset of acceptance of His aide rather than reliance on personal effort. People can fail. God does not. This is true for even the simplest situations and smallest decisions. “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed” (Proverbs 16:3). A negative example of this is found in Joshua chapter 9. Joshua and the Israelites made a treaty with people they met. It seemed like an easy decision, but verse 14 says they “did not inquire of the Lord.” Joshua later found out that the people lied, but he couldn’t go back on the treaty. The Israelites regretted that simple decision for years because they did not think to ask God first. Bible class is a perfect example of that same need to seek God’s guidance first. It is something so simple, something that a person can do without help, but it is imperative that God be a part of it. A Bible teacher should teach God’s Word, not their own. There is no better way to make sure that happens than to ask God. He will help; and the teacher will go into the class understanding that the students benefit from God’s Word, not the teacher’s effort.
Prayer does not have to be complicated. It does not have to generate a feeling of awe, or devotion, or peace. It does not have to be long. It can be and often should be very simple. A prayer for a Bible class can be as easy as “Dear Heavenly Father, please help me to teach these students the right way. Let me teach your Word and not mine, and let them learn what they need to learn. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.” It can be prayed on the way to worship service, before the lesson is studied, or right before a teacher walks through the door to class.
It is not easy to see how God helps through prayer, but the Bible says that He always does help when a Christian asks in the right way. “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). That goes for any situation, great or small, including Bible class.
Prayer asks for God’s help and guidance, and puts a Christian in the proper mindset of acceptance of His aide rather than reliance on personal effort. People can fail. God does not. This is true for even the simplest situations and smallest decisions. “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed” (Proverbs 16:3). A negative example of this is found in Joshua chapter 9. Joshua and the Israelites made a treaty with people they met. It seemed like an easy decision, but verse 14 says they “did not inquire of the Lord.” Joshua later found out that the people lied, but he couldn’t go back on the treaty. The Israelites regretted that simple decision for years because they did not think to ask God first. Bible class is a perfect example of that same need to seek God’s guidance first. It is something so simple, something that a person can do without help, but it is imperative that God be a part of it. A Bible teacher should teach God’s Word, not their own. There is no better way to make sure that happens than to ask God. He will help; and the teacher will go into the class understanding that the students benefit from God’s Word, not the teacher’s effort.
Prayer does not have to be complicated. It does not have to generate a feeling of awe, or devotion, or peace. It does not have to be long. It can be and often should be very simple. A prayer for a Bible class can be as easy as “Dear Heavenly Father, please help me to teach these students the right way. Let me teach your Word and not mine, and let them learn what they need to learn. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.” It can be prayed on the way to worship service, before the lesson is studied, or right before a teacher walks through the door to class.
It is not easy to see how God helps through prayer, but the Bible says that He always does help when a Christian asks in the right way. “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16). That goes for any situation, great or small, including Bible class.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
How to Teach a Better Bible Class: Start the Class by Requiring Thought from the Students by Josh Hardin
Class sessions that are the most successful require thought from the students. The earlier that thought is required, the better. When students have to think, when they are forced to take an active part in the lesson, they are more likely to pay attention and learn. Each class session should begin with something that requires thought from the students and focuses their minds on the lesson topic.
Many classes begin with lecture or a scripture reading. There is nothing wrong with either, but they do not require anything from the students except that they listen. Listening is the hardest thing for a student to do, especially at the very beginning of a class period. Students may have just gotten out of bed, or they may be thinking about what happened at school or work or what they must do for the next day. What they need is something that will bring their minds to the lesson at hand, and listening to another person talk will not do it.
It seems like a normal thing for a teacher to talk and to tell the students things they need to know. Most people, teenagers and even adults, tune out the drone of a lecture. Everyone who has sat through a class has done this. The teacher’s voice becomes just a dull roar in the background. Their words turn into nonsense sounds just like the teachers on Charlie Brown. (Wak wa wak wak wak, wa wa wak.) If a class period begins with the teacher talking for five minutes, a large number of students will stop paying attention. The teacher may not get it back for the rest of the class time. It is much better to get the students’ minds thinking right away. Once their attention is fixed, it is harder to lose it.
A student’s mind needs to be warmed up for the learning ahead. Just like an oven must be preheated or a car takes a few minutes after startup before it runs smooth, the brain has to “get going” on a train of thought in order to really work right. The teacher can help this by opening up the class with a small activity or thinking question that relates to the main point of the lesson.
These activities do not have to be complicated. For instance, if the lesson is on peace, the teacher might ask, “What do you think of when you hear the word ‘peace’?” Each answer can then be written on a chalkboard for reference later in the class. For a lesson on patience, the teacher can ask the class to think of people they know who are patient and what makes them patient. Some activities might require a little preparation before class, while others need none at all. In either case, the students’ minds will be focused on the topic and ready to think about the lesson. Not only is this easier on the teacher, but the students will learn more from the Bible study.
Many classes begin with lecture or a scripture reading. There is nothing wrong with either, but they do not require anything from the students except that they listen. Listening is the hardest thing for a student to do, especially at the very beginning of a class period. Students may have just gotten out of bed, or they may be thinking about what happened at school or work or what they must do for the next day. What they need is something that will bring their minds to the lesson at hand, and listening to another person talk will not do it.
It seems like a normal thing for a teacher to talk and to tell the students things they need to know. Most people, teenagers and even adults, tune out the drone of a lecture. Everyone who has sat through a class has done this. The teacher’s voice becomes just a dull roar in the background. Their words turn into nonsense sounds just like the teachers on Charlie Brown. (Wak wa wak wak wak, wa wa wak.) If a class period begins with the teacher talking for five minutes, a large number of students will stop paying attention. The teacher may not get it back for the rest of the class time. It is much better to get the students’ minds thinking right away. Once their attention is fixed, it is harder to lose it.
A student’s mind needs to be warmed up for the learning ahead. Just like an oven must be preheated or a car takes a few minutes after startup before it runs smooth, the brain has to “get going” on a train of thought in order to really work right. The teacher can help this by opening up the class with a small activity or thinking question that relates to the main point of the lesson.
These activities do not have to be complicated. For instance, if the lesson is on peace, the teacher might ask, “What do you think of when you hear the word ‘peace’?” Each answer can then be written on a chalkboard for reference later in the class. For a lesson on patience, the teacher can ask the class to think of people they know who are patient and what makes them patient. Some activities might require a little preparation before class, while others need none at all. In either case, the students’ minds will be focused on the topic and ready to think about the lesson. Not only is this easier on the teacher, but the students will learn more from the Bible study.
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