Principles of Christlike Teaching: Teach the Doctrine

Help learners find personal relevance in the doctrine of Jesus Christ.

Skill

Prepare invitations and prompts that help students find personal relevance to a scripture block.

Define

Students can find personal relevance in the scriptures when they consider how what they are studying could be meaningful and useful in their circumstances. One way teachers can help students in this process is by preparing invitations and prompts that include the following:

• An opportunity for students to think about their current life circumstances.

• A moment for students to read a scripture passage.

• A prompt that helps students identify similarities between their circumstances and the circumstances of those they are reading about in the scriptures. For example, “My experience is like Peter’s because …”

• A chance for students to ponder how the faithful responses of those in the scriptures can inspire their own faithful responses today.

Doing this will help students learn how to learn from the scriptures and allow the Holy Ghost to help them find personal relevance.

The models and practices below are general examples. Training will be more effective if models and practice opportunities are connected to the next lessons that will be covered in the curriculum.

Model

As Sister Williams prepares her lesson for Acts 4–5, she includes the following in her plan:

• Ask students: “What is something in your life you could use help with today?”

• Invite students to read and respond: “As you read Acts 4:1–13, please prepare to finish the following prompt: ‘My life is like Peter’s and John’s because …’”

• Ask students: “What do you learn from Peter’s and John’s responses that can help you?”

Click here to see a video of this model.

Practice

• Prepare invitations and prompts that help learners find personal relevance in an upcoming lesson this week. Share your invitations and prompts with a friend, family member, or colleague and ask for feedback.

Discuss or Ponder

• How will creating these types of invitations and prompts help learners find personal relevance?

• How will these types of invitations and prompts improve the learning experience?

• What are other ways you can help students find personal relevance in the scriptures?

Incorporate

• Create a plan to practice creating invitations and prompts that will help students find personal relevance in the doctrine and principle of the gospel that you teach.

Want More?

• Chad H Webb, “We Have Not Come This Far to Only Come This Far (Seminaries and Institutes of Religion annual training broadcast, June 9, 2020), broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org

• “Panel Discussion” (Seminaries and Institutes of Religion annual training broadcast, June 9, 2020), broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org

• “Ask Inspired Questions,” Teaching in the Savior’s Way (2016), 31–32

Skill

Start a learning activity by inviting students to ponder a personal circumstance.

Define

In The Charted Course of the Church in Education, President J. Reuben Clark Jr. testified that our students have had spiritual experiences when he stated, “I say once more, there is scarcely a youth that comes through your seminary or institute door who has not been the conscious beneficiary of spiritual blessings” (9). Before inviting students to read a scripture passage, ask them to ponder if they have had an experience with the truth they are about to learn. A teacher could invite students to share, but it is not necessary that students share what they think about. This gives an opportunity for the Holy Ghost to provide personal relevance at the beginning of the learning activity.

The models and practices below are general examples. Training will be more effective if models and practice opportunities are connected to the next lessons that will be covered in the curriculum.

Model

The following are questions you could begin with in a lesson focused on prayer:

• What experiences have taught you the value of prayer?

• Based on your experiences with prayer what would you want the rest of the class to understand?

Sister Tanaka starts class by saying, “Today we will be talking about Alma 36 and Alma’s repentance. Before we begin, please ponder this question: ‘What have you come to know about repentance?’”

Click here to see a video of this model.

Practice

What question could you ask to help students ponder a personal experience if you are teaching:

• A lesson about education.

• Malachi 3.

For your next lesson write down a question you could ask your students that would allow them to ponder personal circumstances tied to a doctrinal principle or truth in the block you will be teaching.

Discuss or Ponder

• After practicing, what value is there in having students ponder personal circumstances that relate to the block to start a class?

• What other principles could be considered when you begin the class by inviting your learners to ponder circumstances?

Incorporate

• For the next couple weeks consider asking questions to start class that allow students to ponder experiences that are tied to a doctrinal truth or principle found in the block of scripture you will be teaching.

Want More?

• J. Rueben Clark Jr., The Charted Course of the Church in Education, rev. ed. [1994; address to Church Educational System religious educators, Aug. 8, 1993], Gospel Library