Becoming a Great Teacher


[PDF]Becoming a Great Teacher - Rackcdn.com9df2108d3fcd08c669b8-8b2888a88c59dcb50eaf0a46b8aa9df1.r29.cf2.rackcdn.com...

0 downloads 212 Views 454KB Size

Practical Ministry Skills:

Becoming a Great Teacher Contents ........................................................................................ PAGE Leader’s Guide ................................................................................... 2 Planning Your Ministry TEACHING 101 by Howard Hendricks ........................................................................ 3 EQUIPPING TEACHERS by Howard Hendricks ........................................................................ 4 Planning Your Lesson CHOOSING A TEACHING STYLE by Roberta Hestenes .......................................................................... 5 HOW TO PREPARE by Roberta Hestenes .......................................................................... 6 HOW TO BE HEARD by Fred Smith .................................................................................... 7 MAKING YOUR LESSON MEMORABLE by Fred Smith .................................................................................... 8 TEACHING FOR THE SENSES by Cinda Gorman .............................................................................. 9 HOW TO ASK A GREAT QUESTION by Roberta Hestenes ........................................................................ 10 Resources FURTHER EXPLORATION ....................................................................... 11

From BUILDING CHURCH LEADERS © 2007 Christianity Today Intl www.BuildingChurchLeaders.com

page 1

BECOMING A GREAT TEACHER/TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Leader’s Guide How to use “Practical Ministry Skills” by BUILDING CHURCH LEADERS in your regularly scheduled meetings.

Welcome to BUILDING CHURCH LEADERS: Your Complete Guide to Leadership Training. You’ve purchased an innovative resource that will help you develop leaders who can think strategically and biblically about the church. Selected by the editors of Christianity Today International, the material comes from respected thinkers and church leaders.

“Practical Ministry Skills” is completely flexible and designed to be easy to use. Each theme focuses on a practical area of church ministry and comprises brief handouts on specific aspects of that ministry. The handouts give a succinct and practical overview of the issues most relevant to your goals. You may use them at the beginning of a meeting to help launch a discussion, or you may hand them out as brief primers for someone new to a particular ministry. This specific theme is designed to help equip teachers in your church. You may use it either for a group training session or to give individually to people who teach in Sunday school, Bible studies, or small groups. Simply print the handouts you need and use them as necessary. For example, to reflect on the basic skills and tasks of teaching, see “Teaching 101” (p. 3). To consider possible formats for your upcoming class, see “Choosing a Teaching Style” (p. 5). For ways to keep your curriculum from being forgotten, see “Making Your Lesson Memorable” (p. 8). To learn how to craft a thought-provoking question, use the skills from “How to Ask a Great Question” (p. 10). We hope you benefit from this theme as your church equips teachers to be effective. Need more material, or something on a specific topic? See our website at www.BuildingChurchLeaders.com. To contact the editors: E-mail [email protected] Mail BUILDING CHURCH LEADERS, Christianity Today International 465 Gundersen Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188

From BUILDING CHURCH LEADERS © 2007 Christianity Today Intl www.BuildingChurchLeaders.com

page 2

BECOMING A GREAT TEACHER/LEADER’S GUIDE

BECOMING A GREAT TEACHER

Teaching 101 The basics of the task from an expert in the field. 1 Corinthians 2:1–5

Successful teaching opens the mind, stirs the emotions, fires the imagination, and galvanizes the will. Here are some skills that contribute to that kind of teaching.

Help Listeners Identify with You Nothing moves listeners more than their reality, their experience, their emotions, their struggles. This is especially true in the classroom; people want to see themselves: their dreams, their needs, their problems, and their heartbreaks. They don’t want to hear something brand new as much as something relevant to them. They want to feel, This teacher understands me. Express Confidence in Learners Affirmation has tremendous power to motivate people to learn and even achieve great things. Here are the ways I make my affirmation have an impact. 1. Base it on fact—Mention specific things that indicate progress or potential. 2. Begin with the positives—Negatives need to be mentioned, but in due time. 3. Repeat the affirmation—You can’t break a person’s habit of negative thinking overnight or with one compliment. 4. Encourage learners to set their own goals—I can’t do everything well, but I can motivate others to realize their gifts and potential in Christ. 5. Affirm publicly—This can both affirm students and challenge observers. 6. Get excited about their discoveries—Teachers need to be thrilled as they watch their students learn. 7. Highlight potential—Recognized potential, even if it is undeveloped, enables learners to say, “Yes, I’m stumbling around now, but someday I will succeed.” Equip People with Skills Good teaching always will be concerned not only with ought-to’s but also how-to’s. Ought-to’s without howto’s actually demoralize people by making them feel increasingly like failures. For example, the average man avoids reading and studying the Bible primarily because he doesn’t know how. We need to teach people skills in order for them to grow. Speak to Needs Teachers never lack motivated learners when they speak to needs. The greater a person’s pain, the greater the motivation to learn. With their marriage crumbling, a couple will be compelled to hear a sermon series on family peace, but they would likely give only half a mind to issues they can’t connect with. This does not mean only equipping felt needs for a new job, for a less hectic life, for a harmonious family, but also the deep, underlying needs for meaning, for security, and for companionship. —HOWARD HENDRICKS; originally appeared in Mastering Teaching, © 1991 by Christianity Today International. Discuss 1. Describe how you have seen these skills at work in other teachers at your church. 2. Is expressing confidence in learners something we do regularly? Why or why not? 3. How practical is our teaching? How do we know it is addressing our people’s needs?

From BUILDING CHURCH LEADERS © 2007 Christianity Today Intl www.BuildingChurchLeaders.com

page 3

BECOMING A GREAT TEACHER/PLANNING YOUR MINISTRY

BECOMING A GREAT TEACHER

How to Equip Teachers Teacher training must be intentional, practical, and relational. 2 Timothy 3:14–17

Many churches across America are doing an outstanding job of equipping volunteers to teach with excellence. But it’s still not a given. As I have observed good programs, here are a few common threads that I’ve seen run through strong teacher training.

Causing to Learn Effective teachers understand what teaching is. Many teachers still think of teaching as dumping content. But open eyes and a smooth presentation do not measure effective teaching. Teaching needs to be understood as causing to learn, not reciting a lesson. Building a Database Teachers need a database from which to draw: Bible facts, doctrines, and teaching principles. I recommend equipping teachers for independent study. This makes them feel competent, more sure of their teaching, and more excited about their work. Teachers also need to know that people learn better when they participate in their learning, and when they can apply what they learn. Mentoring Skills Teachers cannot effectively teach without skills, especially the ability to communicate. Skills buttress confidence, one key to classroom effectiveness. Skills bring enjoyment in a job well done. All in all, skilled teachers are enthusiastic teachers. Teachers learn best from each other. Here are several things I’ve done to encourage mentoring of Sunday school teachers:     

Plant the seed early. Tell teachers that you want them to reproduce themselves. Encourage some mutual mentoring. Promote mentoring between teachers. Use the best teachers as trainers. Try to multiply teachers that are especially gifted. Stagger hands-on involvement. Alternate teaching with classroom experience. Affirm and honor the mentors. This will help others become comfortable with the idea of being mentored by someone other than the pastor. Igniting Passion The church wants teachers who impart not just knowledge and skills but also passion. Without passion there’s no life, no drive, no animating energy to the teaching. There’s no infectious quality to the message taught. Teachers need more than knowledge and skills to be effective; they need to be in the classroom exercising their passion for teaching. Maximizing Resources No one can train teachers effectively without drawing on the right resources. I recommend the following:  Proper recruiting. Effective training starts with recruiting that is honest and direct.  Conferences and seminars. These events often inspire and equip teachers.  E-training. For those who won’t go to conferences, use audio and video training.  Curriculum. Good manuals almost always include valuable teacher training. —HOWARD HENDRICKS; originally appeared in Mastering Teaching, © 1991 by Christianity Today International. Discuss 1. Are our teachers well equipped with knowledge of the Bible? What about knowledge of teaching styles? 2. How could we strengthen teacher training by combining hands-on learning with skills teaching? 3. How do we currently use mentoring? How can we do this better? From BUILDING CHURCH LEADERS © 2007 Christianity Today Intl www.BuildingChurchLeaders.com

page 4

BECOMING A GREAT TEACHER/PLANNING YOUR MINISTRY

BECOMING A GREAT TEACHER

Choosing a Teaching Style Are you using all the options available to promote learning? Psalm 119:130

Teachers have a number of tools in the teaching tool chest. Effective planning involves choosing the right tool for the right job.

Lecture Lecture is a good way to cover large amounts of material (e.g., the major views of the Book of Revelation) or complex issues (e.g., the relationship between New Age teaching and orthodox theology). On the down side, lecture does not demand much of students and can make them passive. Lecturing is best when it puts information together in ways that have not been done before. Individual Study and Reflection This can also be a powerful way to handle content, especially if you give people guidance during their study. One pastor I know begins his Bible studies by asking people to reflect silently on the passage for ten minutes, giving them two or three questions to guide their thinking. This method shows people that with a little perseverance, they can study the Bible by themselves. It also “primes the pump” for in-class discussion. Group Investigation This is a way you can make use of material already put together well by others. If I’ve found a great journal article or a Bible dictionary article, I’ll put people into groups and have them read the material. I’ll also give them a question (e.g., “What is the definition of grace according to this author?”) This not only is a way to deliver content, but it also starts building relationships. Group Discussion Group discussion can occur only after people have been provided with information, either from lecture or group investigation. When using this method, people respond and work with the information they have. Naturally, group discussion and group investigation are the heart of most small group Bible studies, where the Bible itself is the “article” under discussion. Breaking into Twos or Fours This is a variation on group discussion. I’ve used this in small groups and when I’ve spoken to 1,000 people. I ask people to turn to the person next to them and talk for three to five minutes about something I’ve just taught. It not only wakes people from lecture slumber, but it also connects them to others. —ROBERTA HESTENES; originally appeared in Mastering Teaching, © 1991 by Christianity Today International. Discuss 1. What method do we use in our teaching? Why? 2. Pick one method that you are unfamiliar with. Describe its promise for a class you are teaching. 3. Describe a positive learning experience of yours. What method was used?

From BUILDING CHURCH LEADERS © 2007 Christianity Today Intl www.BuildingChurchLeaders.com

page 5

BECOMING A GREAT TEACHER/PLANNING YOUR LESSON

BECOMING A GREAT TEACHER

How to Prepare Effective teaching starts in the planning stages. Proverbs 21:5

When I prepare a lesson, I do it with the following attitudes and principles in place: 1. I want to take people seriously. I don’t just want to entertain or impress people. I want to choose and teach subjects that really matter to people who have an eternal destiny. This doesn’t mean everything has to be deep, somber, and serious. In fact, learning needs to be fun; it should intrigue. But whatever we do needs to be worthy of people’s time. 2. I want people to learn and grow as Christians. My goal isn’t to display my learning, to teach creatively, to convey information, or a host of other things. Instead, I want most of all to see changed lives—obedient Christian disciples in the world. When I’m done with a class, I measure my effectiveness as a teacher by answering the question “Have these people learned a little better how to be disciples of Jesus Christ?” 3. I want people to experience authentic Christian community. Jesus may call us as individuals but only so that we might join others in the journey of faith. Discipleship is communal. It’s crucial in my teaching that I help people connect with each other. 4. I want the text to shape the class. It’s not only vital to teach what the text teaches but also, if possible, how it teaches it. I’m going to teach from Ephesians about building community. Our class must experience community in some way. 5. I want to block the class appropriately. I need to decide what the focus of my class will be. This allows me to highlight the concerns that need addressing, and it frees me from trying to cover material in equal chunks, using the same format week after week. 6. I want to affect the whole person. I aim at not just the mind but also the heart, and not just the heart and mind but also the will. So as I prepare, I ask myself three questions:  What do I want them to know? It never hurts to remind myself of some of the fundamentals of learning (for instance, that we need knowledge before we can apply it); and we need to dissect material before we can put it together in a new way.  What do I want them to feel? Learning is more than assimilating and applying knowledge. I’m teaching people, after all, not programming computers. So I also want to design the class so that it makes a difference in how people feel.  This happens in two ways. First, depending on the topic of the class, I want the class to feel the emotion the Scripture text conveys. Second, I want people to enjoy the learning experience so that they will continue to want to learn.  What do I want them to do? I’m concerned about what people do in the class and outside it. Whatever the course subject, I want them to practice what Paul in Romans calls “the obedience of faith.” I want them to love and obey God more faithfully. In a class on the spiritual disciplines, I might have individuals pick partners from the class to discuss week by week how they are doing with their Bible reading or prayer. —ROBERTA HESTENES; originally appeared in Mastering Teaching, © 1991 by Christianity Today International. Discuss 1. Describe a teacher you have learned from and how he or she used these methods. 2. Pick a principle that you would like to focus on in your next class. How can you improve your teaching with that principle? 3. Does your current teaching focus on knowing, feeling, or doing? Why has that been the case? From BUILDING CHURCH LEADERS © 2007 Christianity Today Intl www.BuildingChurchLeaders.com

page 6

BECOMING A GREAT TEACHER/PLANNING YOUR LESSON

BECOMING A GREAT TEACHER

How to Be Heard Mastering five overlooked fundamentals of clear communication. 1 Thessalonians 2:3–6

Improvement comes from concentrating on the basics until we can perform them without conscious thought. Here are some fundamental areas for teachers to try to improve:

1. Establishing a friendly atmosphere. To a large degree, the atmosphere we establish will determine how effective our lesson is going to be. Atmosphere is created by both our verbal and nonverbal messages. Try to start your lesson positively; say something like, “This has been a wonderful week.” If not much has happened, try to say something small that is positive. This builds a friendly atmosphere. It conveys a feeling anybody can identify with. And it helps people know that you have a good attitude. 2. Encouraging participation, not observation. Another way we can improve is by remembering that our goal is not to have people sit quietly while we talk, but to have their minds engaged by our subject matter. One of the keys to engaging people is using a conversational style. I read facial expressions and try to express my audience’s words for them. If they look confused, I acknowledge it. If they seem to disagree, I bring it up. 3. Ensuring I’m believable. I keep a constant watch on my believability. I’ve got to practice what I preach. I also try to establish authority. You can establish your authority by being a researcher, a Bible scholar, or by relating certain life experiences. But whatever your authority, you have to be careful of extrapolation—taking a principle from an area you know and trying to apply it to an area you don’t know. Extrapolation is where most speakers show their ignorance, and it undermines their authority. It is important to stick to things you know. 4. Making my voice inconspicuous. Few speakers have great voices, but most have ones perfectly adequate if people can understand the words. The voice should come across as natural. It should also contain some fire—conviction, animation. Fire in the voice means that the mind and the voice are engaged. There’s a direct relationship between an active mind and an active voice. 5. Using gestures effectively. Gestures have a vocabulary all their own. Speakers can’t develop a mastery of gestures quickly, but they can give themselves permission to improve. This includes eye contact. In speaking, eyes are almost as important as the voice. The temptation is to zero in on a few people up front who are attentive and neglect those out on the wings. But it is important to let those on the fringes know that you are thinking of them, too. —FRED SMITH; originally appeared in LEADERSHIP, © 1987 Christianity Today International. Discuss 1. Describe a time when a bad atmosphere kept you from learning. 2. What are some ways to make your teaching more conversational and interactive? 3. What gestures do you make when you teach? What about eye contact? Are there any changes you should make?

From BUILDING CHURCH LEADERS © 2007 Christianity Today Intl www.BuildingChurchLeaders.com

page 7

BECOMING A GREAT TEACHER/PLANNING YOUR LESSON

BECOMING A GREAT TEACHER

Making Your Lesson Memorable How to work on the one-liners that create unforgettable teaching. Deuteronomy 4:9 I listen carefully to what people say to me after I teach. If they say, “Boy, I wish I could speak like you,” then I’ve failed. But if they say, “I’m not going to forget that,” then I’ve succeeded. Making a speech is not an accomplishment; changing behavior is. The Power Combination The combination of point, story, and essence statement (a statement that holds the truth in a simple, memorable sentence) makes a message unforgettable and changes behavior. For example, in my book You and Your Network, I wanted people to remember that we have the right and responsibility to choose our attitude in every situation. So I used the combination of point, story, and statement: 1. I described the point as simply and clearly as I could. 2. I told a story about being on a plane when the pilot announced there would be a four-hour mechanical delay. Another passenger bolted off the plane to tell the young woman at the counter what he thought of the way they ran the airline. Irritated by the inconvenience I moved to join him. As I stood up to follow, I remembered Viktor Frankl’s definition, “Ultimate freedom is man’s right to choose his attitude,” and I sheepishly sat down. I had not chosen my attitude but had absorbed it from the circumstances and the people around me. I used those four hours of quiet, with free coffee, to productively do the work in my briefcase. 3. I summarized my point in an essence statement: “When we absorb our attitude, we are slaves; when we choose it, we are free.” Point, story, statement—and the last is not the least. I’ve had many people say, “I’ve always thought that; I had no way to say it. Now I’ve got words.” Keys to a Memorable Statement The first and most important step in creating an essence statement is to decide what to say. Then I see if I can express it briefly, using one or more of the following qualities:  Contrast. Often it helps if the essence statement sets up two opposing words. Contrast awakens the mind. For example, “While celebrities dazzle us, heroes enlarge us.”  Humor or surprise. I sometimes joke, “Moses was the first person to break all Ten Commandments.” People laugh, but they also remember my point: all of us have sinned.  Poetic sense. Memorable phrases grab the ear with balance or alliteration. They sound right. I tried to capture this in one message with the phrase, “The fallacy of fantasy.” Those powerful, short phrases can stick in the mind and change the heart. —FRED SMITH; originally appeared in LEADERSHIP, © 1987 Christianity Today International. Discuss 1. In what ways are you currently trying to make your teaching memorable? 2. List a few essence statements you have heard that stick with you? 3. How are essence statements used in the Bible? List a few examples.

From BUILDING CHURCH LEADERS © 2007 Christianity Today Intl www.BuildingChurchLeaders.com

page 8

BECOMING A GREAT TEACHER/PLANNING YOUR LESSON

BECOMING A GREAT TEACHER

Teaching for the Senses Some people see what you mean; others need to hear or feel it. Psalm 34:8

Illustrations are a common speaking tool. Usually, they are understood as vivid word pictures that give tangible features to abstract ideas. But not everybody carries a camera around in his or her head. Some people remember by replaying sounds. Others reach their world through touch, taste, and smell—through bodily sensations and movement. You can figure out how you learn by asking yourself these questions:  Do you make mental pictures to remember a past experience?  When recalling a conversation, do you remember accents and tones of voice, or do you picture the speaker?  Do some bodily sensations kick into memory, such as the awareness of the person sitting beside you at a concert, or the warmth of the room or the sweaty palms the first time you spoke in a public-speaking class? Teaching Sense-ably Knowledge of these kinds of learning styles can help a teacher craft a lesson that communicates with all three kinds of learners: visual, auditory, and sensory. I've found it useful to become aware of my own primary representational system. To find out what yours is, pay attention to the verbs you use in normal conversation. Do you hear yourself say, "Picture this," or "Look at it this way"? Or do you help people "get in touch" with God? How about "grasping the idea"? In counseling, do you "hear" what someone is saying or do you "see" their point? Our vocabulary usually matches our typical way of sorting the input gathered from our world. Once we identify our own learning style, we can work to reach people from the other two styles by the examples we use and the vocabulary we employ. Getting the Most from Metaphors A metaphor is one thing being spoken of as if it were another. Metaphors help us teach effectively to listeners' different learning styles. They must pass several tests. They must (1) fit the context, (2) be a part of our listeners' experience, (3) be easily identifiable, and (4) be compelling. A metaphor should reorient people's thinking. More than a Spoken Medium Most teaching is auditory. Does that mean that to engage the visual learners, we have to draw or show pictures, or act out a lesson? Perhaps. One way to reach visual and kinesthetic learners is to remind them of things they've seen and felt. In the classroom, you can also assign projects that reinforce the lesson. By paying attention to how our listeners connect with information, we can help them more fully encounter the Word who became flesh, and was seen, touched, and heard. —CINDA GORMAN; originally appeared in LEADERSHIP, © 1990 Christianity Today International. Discuss 1. What is your primary style of receiving information? How does that explain your communication style? 2. What are some metaphors used in the Bible? What senses do they appeal to? 3. Pick a metaphor in the Bible and restate its truth with the images that appeal to a different set of senses.

From BUILDING CHURCH LEADERS © 2007 Christianity Today Intl www.BuildingChurchLeaders.com

page 9

BECOMING A GREAT TEACHER/PLANNING YOUR LESSON

BECOMING A GREAT TEACHER

How to Ask a Great Question Five ways to prepare the part of your class that provokes the most thought. Luke 2:46 As I prepare a class, I carefully craft my questions, remembering these characteristics of a good question: 1. It can be answered by the people asked. I have to ask questions about things people know. They know, for instance, about their own experience. So, “When did you first realize that grace was more than just a word?” is more likely to work than “What are the three principle views of the atonement?” It also means I must take into account the unique experiences of people in the class. In a class of men and women, many women will be left out of a question like “When did you get your first car?” 2. It is interesting to everyone in the room. Some questions fall flat because they ask for information simplistically (“In John 3:16, how do we know God loved the world?”) or abstractly (“What does it mean to love?”). An interesting question will touch on a specific concern of most of the people present. 3. It is clear and simple. If you have to define words or phrases in the question, it’s probably not a good one. “In light of John’s eschatology, his view of last things, what would you say is the call of Christians today— what is the thing Christians are to do?” can be clarified considerably: “If according to John, good will win out, what difference can that make in our lives?” 4. It requires a thoughtful response. The question should not have an obvious answer. That not only bores people, it wastes class time. Better to simply state the answer in a declarative sentence and get to the meaty question: not “How does God show his love to the world in John 3:16?” but “God shows love by giving what is precious to him. What precious thing are you being called to give this week as an act of love?” 5. It will protect people’s dignity. A good question will not embarrass people nor will it separate people based on their knowledge, as in “Where else in the Bible do we find a discussion of the relationship between husbands and wives?” Right away, Bible novices in the class feel intimidated. As you can see, preparing questions is not something that can be done on the spur of the moment. Questions make or break most classes, so give a good deal of attention to crafting them. —ROBERTA HESTENES; originally appeared in Mastering Teaching, © 1991 by Christianity Today International. Discuss 1. Do you agree that questions make or break most classes? Why or why not? 2. Why is it important to frame questions based on your audience? 3. Describe a time when a particularly good (or bad) question affected your learning experience. What happened?

From BUILDING CHURCH LEADERS © 2007 Christianity Today Intl www.BuildingChurchLeaders.com

page 10

BECOMING A GREAT TEACHER/PLANNING YOUR LESSON

BECOMING A GREAT TEACHER

BECOMING A GREAT TEACHER/RESOURCES

BECOMING A GREAT TEACHER

Further Exploration Books and resources to equip teachers for success.

BuildingChurchLeaders.com: Leadership training resources from Christianity Today International. -“Evaluating Your Church’s Teaching” Assessment Pack -“Maximizing Church Membership” Assessment Pack -“Adult Education” Best Church Practices -“Church Job Descriptions” Best Church Practices -“Adult Sunday School Teacher” Orientation Guide -“Adult Education” Practical Ministry Skills -“New Teachers” Practical Ministry Skills LeadershipJournal.net: Our sister website offers practical advice and articles for church leaders. Basics of Teaching for Christians: Preparation, Instruction, Evaluation by Robert Pazmigo. This book divides the teaching task into three areas: preparation, teaching, and evaluation, and helps teachers develop their skills in each. (Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2002; ISBN 978-1592440023) Charting Your Course: How to Prepare to Teach More Effectively by Richard Prégent. This book focuses on methods for successful teaching preparation. (Atwood, 2001; ISBN 978-1891859069) The Craft of Christian Teaching: Essentials for Becoming a Very Good Teacher by Israel Galindo. A practical book to help churches, teachers, and learners attain their full potential. (Judson, 1998; ISBN 978-0817012809) Creative Bible Teaching by Gary Bredfeldt and Larry Richards. Teaches strategies for building bridges from the Bible’s world to today’s. Also includes practical advice for planning, teaching, and evaluating a lesson. (Moody, 1998; ISBN 978-0802416445) The Seven Laws of Teaching by John Milton Gregory. A classic text, this book covers the basics of teaching and learning. (Baker, 2004; ISBN 978-0801064968) Teaching to Change Lives: Seven Proven Ways to Make Your Teaching Come Alive by Howard Hendricks. Presents foundational principles that will help make teaching a life-changing experience (Multnomah, 2003; ISBN 978-1590521380)

From BUILDING CHURCH LEADERS © 2007 Christianity Today Intl www.BuildingChurchLeaders.com

page 11