Classroom Management

Guiding Document: Selecting and organizing student leadership in seminary.

back of teacher with kids

“A seminary teacher may choose class officers, such as a president, vice presidents, and a secretary. The teacher first contacts each student’s parents and bishop for approval. The teacher announces officers in class, but they are not sustained or set apart. They can help the teacher with routine classroom duties and encourage other students to attend and participate” (General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 15.1.4 as of August 28, 2023). To help deepen students’ conversion to Jesus Christ, seminary student leaders might help teachers do the following:

• Maintain an appropriate spirit in the class.

• Encourage enrollment and attendance in seminary classes.

• Establish positive traditions.

Both male and female students can serve in any capacity as class officers.

Class officers are most effective when they are oriented and trained regarding their responsibilities at the beginning and throughout their assignments. This can be done during a brief group meeting with the teacher held immediately before or after a class or by appropriately sharing a list of their assignments, roles, and responsibilities. Ongoing communication between the teacher and class officers will also be helpful.

Class officers could be changed periodically throughout a school year at natural breaks to allow more students the opportunity to serve.

Teachers should regularly praise and thank class officers for their efforts.

Class officers can be used in a variety of ways to enhance the in-class student experience. Here is a list of some possibilities:

• Welcome other students to class.

• Conduct class.

• Encourage class to start on time.

• Devotionals—help with organization, scheduling, and reminders.

• Remind other students about important class events, assignments, preparation, and follow up.

• Doctrinal mastery.

• Ministering to other students.

• Goal setting and reminders/support.

• Set a good example.

• Pray to know for themselves how to serve the members of the class and the Lord.

Scenario—What it Might Look Like:

Beginning of the year:

By the end of the first week of a new school year, Sister Rojas has prayerfully identified three students she feels will make good class leaders: Isabela Clemente as class president, Jacob Smith as vice president, and Sara Abara as secretary. She calls each of their parents and bishops to receive approval to ask the students to accept the assignments.

Contacting parents and bishops:

Sister Rojas calls Isabela’s mom and says, “Good afternoon, Sister Clemente. I am Sister Rojas, Isabela’s seminary teacher. I have felt impressed to ask her to be our class president for the first term. This will require her to have minimal responsibilities in our class during each class session. Are you comfortable with me asking Isabela to fulfill this role?” She has similar conversations with Jacob and Sara’s parents and each of their bishops.

Invitation and Training:

After each parent and bishop has approved, Sister Rojas creates time during the next class session for students to work on an assignment with a partner. During this time, she asks Isabela, Jacob, and Sara to step into the hallway one at a time to invite them to be class officers, and a role document containing responsibilities is given for them to study. She then invites the three students to come to the next class 15 minutes early so they can discuss the responsibilities and answer any questions.

The class officers arrive 15 minutes before the next class, and they discuss the role document they received and ask Sister Rojas questions they have about their assignments. Sister Rojas asks Isabela to conduct today’s class and gives her some talking points to facilitate the experience.

First class session after training:

After their brief training meeting, Sister Rojas presents Isabela, Jacob, and Sara as class officers. As she presents them to the other students, she briefly explains their role and then turns the time to Isabela to start class with announcements and the devotional.

Throughout the term:

Sister Rojas frequently finds ways to thank the class officers and continues to train them during brief meetings before and after class. The class officers grow comfortable in their responsibilities, and they fulfill them well. They take turns welcoming students to class and getting class started. Sara does a good job reminding the other students when it is their turn to provide the devotional. Jacob tries hard to make sure everyone feels welcome and needed. Isabela often shares things from her personal scripture study and encourages her classmates to keep working on their study goals. At times the class officers give suggestions to Sister Rojas about how the class can improve or when they notice a student struggling. They also prayerfully seek ways to befriend and help their classmates.

At the end of the term:

Sister Rojas decides to appoint new class officers to give other students an opportunity to lead. She follows the same process as before to invite three new students to be the class officers for the next term. During the last class of the term, Sister Rojas calls Isabela, Jacob, and Sara to the front of the class and thanks them for their efforts. She then introduces the new class officers for the upcoming term.