Teacher Workshop

(These are notes from a Stake Relief Society Teacher Training held June 14, 2018. All teachers can benefit from these ideas. Published here with permission from our Stake Relief Society Leaders. Some information regarding lesson materials may be out of date,  as of the October General Conference adjustments.)

Talks you can refer to when planning and preparing lessons:

1. “Increasing Participation in Lessons” Ensign, March 2001 by Jonn D. Claybaugh and Amber Barlow Dahl
2.  “How to Get the Most from Your Class” Ensign, January 1978 by Irene M. Bates
3.  “Leading Class Discussions” Ensign, June 2009 by Robb Jones

Improving our teaching takes time and effort. You can practice one or two of these things each time you teach. You can ask your leaders for feedback. We hope that the counselors and teachers will work together as a team in planning the lessons and improving teaching in our wards.

Part 1 Developing Lesson Plans

How can we help the class members know what the lesson is ahead of time so they can read it and be prepared to participate?

Answers in our discussion included: Monthly Newsletter; Ward or RS Calendar; Facebook; Email; Circulate a list, include a hard copy; Ward or RS Website; Each Sunday announce what is next week’s lesson.

Our purpose is to bring souls to Christ. Our preparation as teachers can make a difference.

Resources for Relief Societies and Elders Quorums:
Come Follow Me-For Elders Quorums and Relief Society
2nd and Third Sundays
4th Sundays

These are also found in the back of the May Ensign. There is a short lesson outline for each talk in General Conference and for each Ministering Topic. You can break them down into three sections: the topic or main principle for the lesson; ideas for how to present or discuss the material; questions to ask.

Recap of what was disused. This is something you can do at the end of each lesson, or at times throughout.

Part 2 Asking Questions

Questions Should Invite Inspiration

“To ask and to answer questions is at the heart of all learning and all teaching. The Master asked, answered, and sometimes chose not to answer questions in his ministry.

“Some questions invite inspiration. Great teachers ask those. That may take just a small change of words, and inflection in the voice. Here is a question that might not invite inspiration: “How is a true prophet recognized?” That question invites an answer that is a list, drawn from memory of the scriptures and the words of living prophets…

“But we could also ask the question this way, with just a small difference; “When have you felt that you were in the presence of a prophet?” That will invite individuals to search their memories for feelings. After asking, we might wisely wait for a moment before calling on someone to respond. Even those who do not speak will be thinking of spiritual experiences. That will invite the Holy Ghost” (The Lord Will Multiply the Harvest [address to religious educators, 6 Feb 1998], 5-6).

Ask Questions That Lead Students To:

Search for Information

1. Invite students to search the scriptures using the scripture study aids, such as the footnotes or the Topical Guide to find the answer.
2. Begin questions with words such as who, what, when, how, where,and why.

Analyze what they are studying

1. Encourage students to think about the meaning of what they are studying. Allow for more than one possible answer.
2. Begin questions with phrases like, ‘Why do you think…” “How is it that…” or “What do you think this means?”

Apply the lesson in their lives 

1. .Encourage students to apply what they have learned from the verse. Allow for more than one possible answer.
2. Begin questions with phrases like, “Why should…” “What difference would it make if…” “What did you learn from…” or When have you felt…?”

Avoid questions with “yes” or “no” answers and other obvious answers.

Part 3 Dealing with Comments and Silent Time

Positive Ways to Respond to Comments

• That you for that comment
• I like the way you put that!
• I think you said it well
• Let’s write that on the board; it is so insightful
• Did t he rest of you hear that? Please say it again.
• Thank you for sharing your feelings.
• What a wonderful testimony you have shared
• That is a good question. Who would like to respond to it.
• That’s interesting. Please explain more of what you mean.
• How did you come to feel that way?
• That was a good comment. Would anyone like to add to that?

If a class member states something that is inappropriate to incorrect you might say:

• Thank you. The principal I want you to think about is . . . . .
• I’ve heard that too, yet my understanding is . . .

If a class member states something that seems to be taking the lesson in a direction that was not intended, simply respond positively to what has been said, introduce a new topic, and then ask again for participation.

Taken from the: “Increasing Participation in Lessons” Ensign, March 2001 by Jonn D. Claybaugh and Amber Barlow Dahl

Allow for silent time after asking questions:

Don’t just call on the first person to raise their hand when responding to a question. Count to 10 (or 20) seconds before calling on someone. This gives each person a chance to think and receive their own inspiration.

Make eye contact and use people’s names.

Encourage sisters to write down their thoughts and inspiration. Each lesson can be an opportunity for sisters to receive their own inspiration and recording it can help them better remember. 

Ask yourself, “What do you want to experience” in this meeting/lesson etc.

Using official church doctrine: We have been asked to only use official church doctrine in our lessons. That means anything that has “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints” on it. There are different ways of learning for each individual and when we use official doctrine we allow the spirit to be in our meetings, and then each sister can receive the inspiration she needs. 

The importance of creating a good learning atmosphere:

“Creating an atmosphere of participation enhances the probability that the Spirit will teach more important lessons than you can communicate. That participation will bring into their lives the direction of the Spirit. When you encourage students to raise their hands to respond to a question, while they many not realize it, they signify to the Holy Ghost their willingness to learn. That use of moral agency will allow the Spirit to motivate and give them more powerful guidance during your time together. Participation allows individuals to experience being led by the Spirit. They learn to recognize and feel what spiritual guidance is.”

Elder Richard G. Scott, “To Learn and to Teach More Effectively,” The Religious Educator, vol. 9, no.12008,6.