Seminaries and Institutes
Planning Guide

“Planning Guide,” Teaching the Gospel: A CES Training Resource for Teaching Improvement (2000), 4–6

“Planning Guide,” Teaching the Gospel, 4–6

Planning Guide

In-service leaders should consider the following steps when deciding what to train and how to train it:

  1. Assess teachers’ needs. Prayerfully identify, consider, and prioritize teachers’ needs.

  2. Plan to meet teachers’ in-service needs. Prepare and carry out a plan to meet teachers’ in-service needs.

  3. Counsel with and report progress to leaders.

Assess Needs

An in-service leader must prayerfully identify, consider, and prioritize teachers’ needs. One way to identify these needs is to ask: What problems are these teachers facing? Another way is to consult with teachers and ask: What areas would you like help with? Because some needs are more serious or urgent than others, in-service leaders will need to prioritize them. Record these needs according to priority in the “Teachers’ Needs” section in the chart that follows. (You may wish to photocopy the chart on pages 5–6 so it may be reused.)

Plan to Meet In-service Needs

Another important function of an in-service leader is to identify which principles to focus on in training so that teachers’ assessed in-service needs will be met. The “Principles to Emphasize” section in the chart that follows provides a way for in-service leaders to match the assessed needs to the principles emphasized in this manual.

Conventions, workshops, and faculty meetings play an essential role in meeting ongoing teacher training needs. Each in-service leader should develop a training plan that includes some combination of summer, midyear, and year-end conventions or workshops, along with faculty meetings (generally held each month). The training plan could also allow time for one-on-one meetings with teachers.

In meeting teachers’ needs, in-service leaders have the flexibility to emphasize all the principles in each lesson in this package, only certain principles in each lesson, or a combination of the principles from several lessons. In this way they can customize the lessons to meet teachers’ needs.

Report to Leaders

In-service leaders should counsel with CES and priesthood leaders about how to best meet teachers’ in-service needs. They should also report teachers’ progress.

Teachers’ In-Service Needs and Principles to Emphasize

Use the following charts to identify teachers’ in-service needs and the principles you wish to emphasize in training. After you have identified the principles, develop a training plan based on the priority of teachers’ needs.

Teachers’ In-service Needs

Priority

(rank by number)

Briefly describe teachers’ in-service needs and prioritize these needs according to the degree of seriousness or urgency.

Principles to Emphasize

Needs Being Met

This lists shows the principles taught in this manual. Identify which principles need to be trained to meet the assessed needs, and place the number of the teachers’ need in the right-hand column next to the associated principle.

Religious Education in the Church Educational System

  1. Religious and Secular Education Differ (p. 8)

  1. Edifying Teaching (p. 11)

  1. CES and the Mission of the Church (p. 14)

  1. Help Heavenly Father accomplish His work (p. 14)

  1. Help the Church accomplish its mission (p. 14)

  1. Introduction to the Objective of CES (p. 18)

  1. Fulfilling the objective of CES (p. 18)

  1. Fostering an attitude of inquiry and seeking (p. 18)

  1. The Four Aspects of the CES Objective (p. 20)

  1. Teaching students the gospel of Jesus Christ (p. 20)

  1. Teaching students by precept and example (p. 20)

  1. Providing a spiritual and social climate (p. 20)

  1. Preparing young people for effective Church service (p. 20)

  1. Accept and Fulfill Your Commission (p. 26)

  1. Live the Gospel (p. 30)

  1. Teach Effectively (p. 31)

  1. Administer Appropriately (p. 35)

  1. Administer appropriately (p. 35)

  1. CES and the priesthood (p. 35)

  1. Administrative tasks (p. 35)

Gospel Learning

  1. The Role of the Holy Ghost in Gospel Learning (p. 38)

  1. Teachers and the role or functions of the Spirit (p. 38)

  1. The Spirit and mastery of methods or skills (p. 38)

  1. Teaching by the Spirit (p. 38)

  1. The Functions of the Holy Ghost (p. 41)

  1. The Role of the Student (p. 44)

  1. The student’s responsibility (p. 44)

  1. Focus on the learner (p. 44)

  1. Learner Conditions (p. 47)

  1. The conditions of learner readiness, participation, and application (p. 47)

  1. Teachers do not create learner conditions (p. 47)

  1. Students with Limited Abilities or with Disabilities (p. 50)

Gospel Teaching: The Role of the Teacher

  1. Prepare Yourself (p. 52)

  1. Spiritual preparation (p. 52)

  1. Purpose of CES in-service (p. 52)

  1. Power of faith (p. 52)

  1. Decide What to Teach and How to Teach It (p. 58)

  1. Decide what and how to teach (p. 58)

  1. Balance the what and the how (p. 58)

  1. Sequential scripture teaching (p. 58)

  1. Decide the What (p. 61)

  1. Gather curricular resources (p. 61)

  1. Immerse yourself in the content (p. 61)

  1. The power of three readings (p. 61)

  1. Decide what is important for students to know (p. 61)

  1. Organize the lesson (p. 61)

  1. Decide the How (p. 66)

  1. Consider what students will do or feel as they learn (p. 66)

  1. Search, analyze, and apply (p. 66)

  1. Fundamental considerations (p. 66)

  1. Establish an Appropriate Physical Setting (p. 72)

  1. Establish an Appropriate Spiritual Setting (p. 73)

  1. Maintain an Appropriate Setting (p. 74)

  1. “Read” the students, and respond appropriately (p. 74)

  1. Maintain order and mutual respect (p. 74)

Gospel Teaching: Skills for Effective Teaching

  1. Scripture Study and Teaching (p. 78)

  1. Help students learn how to read and study the scriptures for themselves (p. 78)

  1. Read the scriptures together in class (p. 78)

  1. Use the Study Aids (p. 80)

  1. Use “Look for” Skills (p. 82)

  1. Use “look for” skills (p. 82)

  1. Analysis can reveal principles and is part of the spirit of inquiry (p. 82)

  1. Mark the Scriptures (p. 89)

  1. Take a Broader Perspective (p. 92)

  1. Take a broader perspective (p. 92)

  1. Synthesis can show patterns and principles (p. 92)

  1. Summarize the Scriptures (p. 97)

  1. “Liken” the Scriptures (p. 99)

  1. Understand how principles and doctrines apply, and use them (p. 99)

  1. The Spirit is essential in helping students “liken” the scriptures to themselves (p. 99)

  1. Develop Scripture Mastery (p. 103)

  1. Teacher Presentation or Instruction (p. 106)

  1. Teacher presentation is a primary activity (p. 106)

  1. True stories enhance scripture teaching (p. 106)

  1. Plan teacher presentation (p. 106)

  1. Combine teacher presentation with other methods (p. 106)

  1. Use variety in the presentation (p. 106)

  1. Ask Questions That Help Students Search, Analyze, and Apply (p. 112)

  1. Ask questions that help students search, analyze, and apply (p. 112)

  1. Avoid controversial or sensational questions (p. 112)

  1. Planning Class Discussions (p. 119)

  1. Good questions and effective discussions benefit students (p. 119)

  1. Plan the discussion (p. 119)

  1. Directing Class Discussions (p. 121)

  1. Follow the Lord’s model (p. 121)

  1. Direct inspiring and persuasive discussions (p. 121)

  1. Using the Board (p. 124)

  1. Involve more than one of the senses (p. 124)

  1. Use the board (p. 124)

  1. Using Objects, Pictures, and Sacred Music (p. 128)

  1. Involve more than one of the senses (p. 128)

  1. Use objects and pictures (p. 128)

  1. Use sacred music (p. 128)

  1. Using Audiovisual Presentations (p. 131)

  1. Writing Exercises and Group Work (p. 136)