Sunday Sermons

The Art of Teaching

Mark Dunagan
10/01/06 - Sunday Morning

Teaching

Making an Impact upon your Students

Christianity is a taught religion (Matthew 28:20), and the New Testament places a good deal of emphasis on teachers and teaching (Ephesians 4:11-13; Acts 13:1; James 3:1). Each generation of Christians needs a new generation of skilled teachers (2 Timothy 2:2; 1 Timothy 3:2 “Able to teach”). Most churches do not have the luxury of a staff of professional teachers to handle this job, and even many trained college professors fail in teaching an interesting and edifying class, yet the task is not overwhelming. In many cases a class can be improved by simply avoiding the following common mistakes:

Beginning the class by talking too much:

Too much talking by the teacher places the class into a passive mode. When we teach we want participation,involvement, and input from the class (Ephesians 4:16).

Asking questions that have answers that are too obvious:

This is one of the problems with many of the fill-in-the-blanks workbooks. No one likes to answer easy and obvious questions. “No adult likes to sit in and participate in a class that is run like kindergarten” (“The Art of Teaching”, Berry Kercheville, Focus Magazine, January 2000, p. 15). When asking questions, you are looking for ones that confront the student with the idea, “What does this text have to do with my life right now?” “How does this text help me?”

Pure Lecture:

Too much talking by the teacher sends the message that no one in the class has any valuable input. The exclusive lecture method equally misses the reason for our classes, that is, mutual edification (Ephesians 4:16; Hebrews 10:24; 1 Thessalonians 5:14; Romans 15:14 “And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another”). If we are supposed to teach and admonish one another when singing (Colossians 3:16), then how much more this needs to happen when we are in a class setting and studying together. The lecture method is also a very inefficient way of learning. We remember only about 5% of what we hear; 10% of what we read; 30% of what we see; 50% of what we hear and see; 70% of what we say; and 90% of what we say and do. This method also prevents students from doing their own research and personal study. If people know that a class will simply be lecture, without any participation or comments from the class, typically they will not prepare. So resist the urge to tell your class all you know, rather prepare a program where they have to search for the truth. Lead the class to see and discover God’s truths for themselves by asking thought-provoking questions and giving practical and meaningful homework assignments.

Teach exactly what you taught a couple of years ago:

Avoid the temptation to pull out some old material without doing any more research. Before you teach each time, restudy the text or subject matter, update the material, and find a better way of teaching it. Good preparation and study makes a teacher fresh and interesting. Remember, you have spiritually grown in the last couple of years and the material you present should manifest that spiritual growth (2 Peter 1:5-11).

Teach only one verse at a time:

There is nothing wrong with going verse by verse, but this method does not work for every class or age group. In addition, when you teach a chapter or set of passages, teach that set of passages and not all the possible side issues. Resist the urge to turn what was supposed to be a textual study into a topical study; that is, if the next verse mentions Satan, do not lead the class in all the passages about Satan at that moment. Delay topical or subject studies for another class. Adult class (in which the teacher thinks that each verse introduces a completely new set of topics) may spend a lot of time covering one book yet at the end of the year still knowing very little about it. Make sure you get the overall theme of the chapter, of the paragraph at hand, and of the book itself.

Act like you are bored:

The Bible is an exciting book. “A teacher’s enthusiasm is transferred to the student. If you are not excited about a text, you simply haven’t studied it enough. Not a thing God wrote is boring when properly understood” (Focus p. 16). See 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture---is profitable”.

Allow the students to divert the class to topics outside the study:

Good teachers have a teaching plan for each class. They have the specific questions, goals and points that they want the class to grasp. The good teacher must continually bring the class back to attention on the text or topic at hand. “Some teachers will allow class members to voice all their ‘I think so’s’ without centering their attention on the text or insisting that class members back up their comments with Scripture. Classes like this never have a feeling of accomplishment. The class becomes more a gab session than an edifying experience” (Focus p. 16). Remember, the purpose of the class is not just to allow the class or kids to vent; rather the purpose is to learn and grow spiritually.

Move too slowly or rapidly over the material:

Both extremes are evidence of a lack of study and preparation. Classes that move too slowly create students who do not prepare for the next class, seeing that they know that the class will not move beyond one or two verses anyway. And the class that moves too quickly is only getting a superficial view of the text.

Failing to correct untrue statements:

The teacher must be more than a mere discussion monitor. Part of the task of the teacher is to anticipate differing views on a text so that he can better prepare and direct the class discussion to the goal of finding the truth. The teacher also needs to be able to summarize the section just studied, or summarize the views voiced in the class and come to a truthful conclusion. When an inaccurate view is presented, the teacher can do a number of things:

· He can ask, “I had never thought of that answer, why do you think that? Is there some Scripture that would give you that idea?”

· “Well, I’m not sure that would be correct because of (Scripture) that teaches…”

On the other hand do not be compelled to correct answers or comments that are technically correct, but not the precise answer you are looking for at the moment. Do not forget to praise the class for good and thoughtful answers.

Answer your own questions:

“As soon as a class learns that a teacher will answer his own questions, they will sit quietly and wait for his answer. Just as Jesus often did, good teachers are willing to ask a question and then wait. Don’t be afraid of silence” (Focus p. 17). See Luke 10:26; Matthew 13:36; 21:28 “What do you think?”; 21:31. Remember, a good and exciting class is keyed to the quality of the questions being asked, and the practical applications being made.

Teach the class the exact same way every time:

A good teacher needs to shift gears now and then. There are many ways of teaching the same subject and to the class involved. “Our goal as teachers is to create an atmosphere where the members of our class eagerly look forward to class time” (Focus p. 17).

Mark Dunagan/Beaverton Church of Christ/503-644-9017