Becoming a Great Teacher
by Debra Conley
Do you have what it takes to be a super teacher? I do think
there are natural-born teachers, but there are also many tasks anyone can
master if there is sufficient desire.
I have used a number of suggestions to direct and encourage
teachers who want to be super teachers. Here is one suggestion to get started:
If I gave you one sentence and no other help, could you create an entire thirty
minute lesson plan around that one thought? Some of you could do a great job
with no further help. Some of you would get started on some ideas and then ask
for additional inspiration. Maybe you are one of the ones who is not sure where
to start, or how to direct a lesson. Some of this depends on the purpose of the
lesson. School and Sunday School lessons usually have different methods because
of different purposes. Think about the goal of your lesson before you start to
create the actual plan. What is the one main point you want to get across to
the students in this lesson? That’s your goal. The poorest teachers are those who
read or repeat pre-written lessons without calculating the needs of the
audience in front of them.
Here is one way to get started: Think of a visual example of
your subject goal; this is where object lessons work best. Demonstrate sin in
our lives by cutting open a bruised or rotten apple. It may still look good on
the outside, but the inside is useless for nourishment. Next, make an auditory
connection with your subject; let your pupils hear the goal stated, using an
illustration if necessary. The good apple has been harvested right from
the main tree, without exposure to the “world” of other apples slowing
degenerating in a barrel. Third, create a tactile application connection with
this lesson. Don’t forget that tactile doesn’t always mean craft. It can be
acting, puppets, or other activities that are hands-on, which includes music,
games, or role-playing. These three simple steps can get you started on a great
lesson.
Most important in any lesson is feedback. Ask your students
what they learned, why they should listen and how they should respond to
today’s lesson, and ask them to remember this for next time. One of the great
successes of the AWANA Program in instilling a heart for the message of the
Bible is that children memorize Scripture, not just clever sayings, poems, or
words from a coloring page, and repeat those Scriptures many times. If we hide
His Word in our hearts, it will guide our conscience against sin (Psalm
119:11).
