Ten Terrific Teaching Tips

Whether you are asked to teach a Sunday School lesson or you have a friend who wants to learn more about the gospel, chances are you’re going to have many teaching opportunities. Here are some suggestions on being an effective teacher. (For ideas on preparing lessons, see New Era, Aug. 2004, 15.)

Be worthy of and pray for the guidance of the Spirit. The key to being an effective teacher is having the Holy Spirit with you (see Mosiah 18:26).
Try to encourage reverence and make the place where you teach inviting to the Spirit.
After you have prepared well and prayed for guidance, be flexible during the lesson and willing to teach what the Spirit whispers to you.
Use the scriptures, and follow the lesson plan in the manual.
Pray that those you are teaching will have the Spirit with them, so they can learn, understand, and remember.
Encourage participation. Ask questions that don’t just have yes or no answers, and give the class a chance to answer before you do. You can also have class members read scriptures or stories related to the lesson.
Be respectful to those you are teaching.
If helpful, use props, hymns, activities, visual aids, the chalkboard, or Church magazines to make your lessons more interesting.
Testify. You are giving the lesson, but the Spirit is the real teacher. As you bear testimony, the Spirit will confirm the truths you are teaching.
You can get more ideas from Church teaching manuals: Teaching Guidebook and Teaching, No Greater Call. Find them at www.lds.org in the Gospel Library database (in the Curriculum section of Church publications), or buy them at a Church distribution center or at www.ldscatalog.com.

Illustrated by Scott Greer