It occurs to me that I have not, in my past Sunday School and midweek teaching assignments, focused enough on the vocation of student.
We all have work, jobs we are assigned or undertake voluntarily in our lives as God's children. These vocations are opportunities that God gives each of us to serve Him through service to our neighbor, be they family members, classmates, neighbors we know, or members of our community or the wider world.
For children in school (and this obviously includes public or parochial school, not just Sunday School), the vocation of student stands along with other vocations (sibling, child of parents, citizen, and others) as a role that God has given.
When child shows up in Sunday School, whether freely or under compulsion, he or she becomes a student. He or she enters the classroom with a purpose, with a job description that is just as important as the role of the teacher.
It strikes me that there could be benefits from relating to my students in these terms, talking to them about the vocation of student and the roles and responsibilities that come with being a student. Their vocation is the reason that they are to pay attention, follow directions, be respectful of the teacher and their fellow students, and participate in class activities.
Sunday School brings something special to the vocation of student. The Bible student is learning to handle the Word of truth, God's Word. That word is, as Paul says, dynamite to those who believe. It truly benefits the student to pay attention.
Have you talked with your students about their vocation?
What benefits do you see in such a discussion?
God's blessing as you teach God's children His Word!
Monday, January 30, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Why is biblical literacy important?
If you've followed this blog for very long, you will not be surprised to hear me say that the heart of Sunday School is sharing the Gospel of salvation through Christ with God's children.
Since that is the case, one could wonder why I have been slow to buy into the workshop rotation model of Sunday School.
Workshop Rotation
The workshop rotation model chooses to focus on just a few Bible accounts each year. The selected sections of Scripture are taught through several workshops (drama, video, art/crafts, cooking, and many others). Children attend a different workshop each week and study the same Bible account for three, four, or five weeks in a row. There are some significant positive aspects to this model. Repetition is a powerful teaching tool; students are likely to learn the Bible account and its application to their lives well through the month of instruction. Variety in learning styles are accommodated in the different workshops. A student who must miss an occasional week of Sunday School will not miss an entire lesson. Assuming that Law and Gospel are applied in each workshop and that the Gospel predominates in the instruction, I can certainly affirm this model.
Biblical Literacy
The workshop rotation model offers depth in biblical instruction. What it lacks is breadth. The students will encounter only ten or twelve Bible stories a year. This compares to the potential for learning forty or fifty Bible stories a year in a more traditional model.
The Bible is a library of books that together recount the amazing record of God's creation and preservation of a chosen people through whom and to whom He sends His Son, Jesus, as the Messiah, the Savior from sin, death, and Satan and the giver of forgiveness, life, and salvation. Students who learn the full scope of salvation history over time will be better able to understand and connect the various accounts in the Bible and find application to their lives. They will see God's love through a broader array of varied Gospel images. And, assuming that Law and Gospel are applied in each lesson and that the Gospel predominates in the instruction, the broader approach will provide both proclamation of the Gospel and increased biblical literacy.
From my perspective, it is a better way to teach God's children His Word.
What am I missing?
What approach do you take in your congregation?
Since that is the case, one could wonder why I have been slow to buy into the workshop rotation model of Sunday School.
Workshop Rotation
The workshop rotation model chooses to focus on just a few Bible accounts each year. The selected sections of Scripture are taught through several workshops (drama, video, art/crafts, cooking, and many others). Children attend a different workshop each week and study the same Bible account for three, four, or five weeks in a row. There are some significant positive aspects to this model. Repetition is a powerful teaching tool; students are likely to learn the Bible account and its application to their lives well through the month of instruction. Variety in learning styles are accommodated in the different workshops. A student who must miss an occasional week of Sunday School will not miss an entire lesson. Assuming that Law and Gospel are applied in each workshop and that the Gospel predominates in the instruction, I can certainly affirm this model.
Biblical Literacy
The workshop rotation model offers depth in biblical instruction. What it lacks is breadth. The students will encounter only ten or twelve Bible stories a year. This compares to the potential for learning forty or fifty Bible stories a year in a more traditional model.
The Bible is a library of books that together recount the amazing record of God's creation and preservation of a chosen people through whom and to whom He sends His Son, Jesus, as the Messiah, the Savior from sin, death, and Satan and the giver of forgiveness, life, and salvation. Students who learn the full scope of salvation history over time will be better able to understand and connect the various accounts in the Bible and find application to their lives. They will see God's love through a broader array of varied Gospel images. And, assuming that Law and Gospel are applied in each lesson and that the Gospel predominates in the instruction, the broader approach will provide both proclamation of the Gospel and increased biblical literacy.
From my perspective, it is a better way to teach God's children His Word.
What am I missing?
What approach do you take in your congregation?
Monday, January 9, 2012
That's a Good Question
Much of the interaction that takes place in your Sunday School class is the discussion that occurs between the teacher and the students, and—in upper grades—among the students themselves, on the Bible passage or topic under consideration. Lively discussion and assimilation and understanding of information are the result of good questioning techniques on the part of the teacher. Do you spend more time than you’d like lecturing, talking, or “filling the silence” in class? If your teacher-talk-to-student-talk ratio is out of balance, these tips may help.
Three Levels of Questions
We can ask three levels of questions during Bible discussion—information questions, analysis questions, and personal questions. All three are important to successful study. Each level gets deeper into the text and it is generally helpful to ask information questions before asking analysis questions and analysis questions before personal questions.
Information Questions
We ask information questions at the first level to verify the accuracy of the participants’ understanding of the text. “What does this say?” “Where was Paul when he wrote the letter to the Romans?” “To whom was he writing?” Information questions assess the degree to which the students have heard the words of Scripture.
• Use the “reporter” questions—who, what, when, and where? These questions get at the facts of the Bible account.
• Avoid questions that can be answered with yes or no. Such questions almost always steer the students to the answer you desire. Occasion “yes or no” questions should always be followed with a “reporter” question.
• Gear your questions to your class. The questions in the teacher guide are of necessity written with a broad audience in mind. You, however, know your students better than the editor of the material. You can revise or create questions that will get at the heart of things for your students.
• Don’t ask questions that everyone can probably answer. Students will tend to turn off their critical thinking skills and give you only what you ask for.
• Don’t ask questions that no one can answer—at least not very often. This can lead to frustration and will cause some students to withdraw from further participation.
Analysis Questions
We ask analysis questions at the second level to deepen the participants’ understanding of the text. Analysis questions require the students not just to hear the Bible text but assimilate and integrate that information with what they already know to increase their understanding. “What does this mean?” “Why did Paul write that?” “How would the Roman Christians have felt about that?”
• Analysis questions should always find their answers in the text or in the text combined with other knowledge the students are known to have. They are not intended to elicit speculation or opinion.
• Follow up unexpected answers; don’t label them wrong. You may learn something new about the text—or about the participant—by asking how he or she came to that conclusion.
• Silence does not mean you’ve asked a bad question. It may indicate you’ve asked a very good question and the students are deep in thought. Wait out the students’ silence whenever possible. This can be a painful wait for many teachers. Count silently to ten (or even 20) while resisting the temptation to rephrase the question or help the students.
• Don’t rephrase the question. Many of your students will then be considering how to answer two questions—your first question and your rephrased one. Mental gridlock can result.
• Avoid “questions by the paragraph.” Participants can’t answer a string of questions or a question that they don’t understand. Keep your questions short and allow the students to answer each one before moving on.
Personal Questions We ask personal questions at the third level to help participants apply Scripture to their own situations. “How is your life situation like that of the Roman Christians?” “What would your friends do if you acted that way?”
• Don’t request embarrassing information or examples. This will dampen participation. Almost as much good can come from asking “When might children your age sin against this commandment?” rather than “When do you sin against this commandment?”
• Respect opinions. Information and analysis questions may have wrong answers; point out correct answers in the text. Personal questions are trickier. Ask follow-up questions, state your beliefs, and let Scripture speak clearly. Remember that the Law condemns us all; it can be helpful to speak it in the plural: “God’s Word condemns us when . . .”
• Avoid questions that begin “Don’t you think . . . ” They are really statements masquerading as questions to which we don’t want the students to answer “no.”
• Encourage participants to ask their own questions. Don’t ignore the questions they ask. If you don’t have the answer, ask for the opinions of others, steer the questioner to an appropriate resource, or offer to research it yourself.
Practice and Prepare
Applying these levels of questions and tips can be hard work. It is a good practice to write out (or rewrite) the discussion questions you will use in class as you prepare to teach. Then you can evaluate them before you use them and grow in your questioning skill. As you write the questions, make sure you can answer them—and would want to. This advance preparation will help to guarantee interesting discussion and lots of student participation.
(This content was first published in Teachers Interaction magazine and is (c) 2005 and used with permission.)
Three Levels of Questions
We can ask three levels of questions during Bible discussion—information questions, analysis questions, and personal questions. All three are important to successful study. Each level gets deeper into the text and it is generally helpful to ask information questions before asking analysis questions and analysis questions before personal questions.
Information Questions
We ask information questions at the first level to verify the accuracy of the participants’ understanding of the text. “What does this say?” “Where was Paul when he wrote the letter to the Romans?” “To whom was he writing?” Information questions assess the degree to which the students have heard the words of Scripture.
• Use the “reporter” questions—who, what, when, and where? These questions get at the facts of the Bible account.
• Avoid questions that can be answered with yes or no. Such questions almost always steer the students to the answer you desire. Occasion “yes or no” questions should always be followed with a “reporter” question.
• Gear your questions to your class. The questions in the teacher guide are of necessity written with a broad audience in mind. You, however, know your students better than the editor of the material. You can revise or create questions that will get at the heart of things for your students.
• Don’t ask questions that everyone can probably answer. Students will tend to turn off their critical thinking skills and give you only what you ask for.
• Don’t ask questions that no one can answer—at least not very often. This can lead to frustration and will cause some students to withdraw from further participation.
Analysis Questions
We ask analysis questions at the second level to deepen the participants’ understanding of the text. Analysis questions require the students not just to hear the Bible text but assimilate and integrate that information with what they already know to increase their understanding. “What does this mean?” “Why did Paul write that?” “How would the Roman Christians have felt about that?”
• Analysis questions should always find their answers in the text or in the text combined with other knowledge the students are known to have. They are not intended to elicit speculation or opinion.
• Follow up unexpected answers; don’t label them wrong. You may learn something new about the text—or about the participant—by asking how he or she came to that conclusion.
• Silence does not mean you’ve asked a bad question. It may indicate you’ve asked a very good question and the students are deep in thought. Wait out the students’ silence whenever possible. This can be a painful wait for many teachers. Count silently to ten (or even 20) while resisting the temptation to rephrase the question or help the students.
• Don’t rephrase the question. Many of your students will then be considering how to answer two questions—your first question and your rephrased one. Mental gridlock can result.
• Avoid “questions by the paragraph.” Participants can’t answer a string of questions or a question that they don’t understand. Keep your questions short and allow the students to answer each one before moving on.
Personal Questions We ask personal questions at the third level to help participants apply Scripture to their own situations. “How is your life situation like that of the Roman Christians?” “What would your friends do if you acted that way?”
• Don’t request embarrassing information or examples. This will dampen participation. Almost as much good can come from asking “When might children your age sin against this commandment?” rather than “When do you sin against this commandment?”
• Respect opinions. Information and analysis questions may have wrong answers; point out correct answers in the text. Personal questions are trickier. Ask follow-up questions, state your beliefs, and let Scripture speak clearly. Remember that the Law condemns us all; it can be helpful to speak it in the plural: “God’s Word condemns us when . . .”
• Avoid questions that begin “Don’t you think . . . ” They are really statements masquerading as questions to which we don’t want the students to answer “no.”
• Encourage participants to ask their own questions. Don’t ignore the questions they ask. If you don’t have the answer, ask for the opinions of others, steer the questioner to an appropriate resource, or offer to research it yourself.
Practice and Prepare
Applying these levels of questions and tips can be hard work. It is a good practice to write out (or rewrite) the discussion questions you will use in class as you prepare to teach. Then you can evaluate them before you use them and grow in your questioning skill. As you write the questions, make sure you can answer them—and would want to. This advance preparation will help to guarantee interesting discussion and lots of student participation.
(This content was first published in Teachers Interaction magazine and is (c) 2005 and used with permission.)
How Do You Know that They Know?
Assessment is not typically a highly visible concern in Sunday School. Teachers do not give the students tests or quizzes. They do not give grades. No one fails or is retained. Most Sunday School teachers do not keep portfolios or assign homework.
That could give the impression that the Sunday School is not concerned about acheivement, that we don't care whether the students actually learn and retain the concepts we teach. Certainly that is not the case.
So the question arises: "How do we know that the students know the points we have been teaching?"
I have written elsewhere on this blog about the importance of student talk (check the second part of this post as well). The essence is this: we can verify what the student is taking away from the instructional session only if we are hearing from them or seeing their learnings displayed in some way. Call this lesson feedback. Here are a few ways you can solicit such feedback from your students:
* Invite the students to retell the story.
* Ask lots of good questions.
* Assign free art, where the student draws a picture and then displays and tells about it.
* Invite students to act out the Bible account.
* Play Bible review games. (The Growing in Christ curriculum, especially in the middle and upper grades has several great resources of this nature.)
The bottom line is, we don't know what they know until they tell us: in words, or drawings, or writing, or actions.
How do you figure out, from week to week, what they know? Share your ideas.
God bless you as you teach God's children His Word.
Monday, January 2, 2012
How Will Your Teachers Grow in 2012?
Effective teachers are the key to strong Sunday Schools.
Yes, curriculum is extremely important, since a flawed curriculum is a huge obstacle for any teacher, especially one with limited background or experience.
But even the best curriculum may fail if the teacher is unskilled, inexperienced, unmotivated, or not well prepared.
So, how will you work to equip your teachers, and yourself, for great Sunday School education in the new year?
Here are some tools to consider.
The Teacher Guide
The Growing in Christ teacher guides are packed with helpful information and tips. If a teacher uses the guide fully and regularly, he or she is likely to grow. In particular, the key point, Law/Gospel points, and biblical commentary on the first two pages of the lesson are packed with potential. I suspect, though, that the teacher who has taken too little time in preparation may be skipping over these gems.
The Sunday School Spot Web Site
CPH is working to improve this site in the new year, but it even now has some wonderful opportunities for growth. One of best are the "Seedlings" podcasts. These weekly recording are highlighted on the first page under the Teacher Spot tab. where a link brings up a 20- to 30-minute discussion of the next Sunday's lesson. Former editor Pam Nielsen shares her wisdom with Sunday School teachers each week courtesy of the folks at Issues, Etc. (We failed to post podcasts in about six of the last 52 weeks, but we plan to do significantly better in 2012.)
Teachers Interaction
If you are not yet providing this magazine for your teachers, by all means, consider it for 2012. Teachers Interaction is the only magazine devoted specifically to strengthening the Lutheran Sunday School teacher for the crucial task of teaching God's children His Word. I will happily send a sample copy to anyone who would like one. Post a comment to this post, or e-mail me at tom.nummela@cph.org.
Teacher Meetings and Training Opportunities
How do you train your teachers? Are teacher meetings and training courses a thing of the past? I'd love to hear what you do in your congregation along these lines.
God bless your task in the year ahead.
Yes, curriculum is extremely important, since a flawed curriculum is a huge obstacle for any teacher, especially one with limited background or experience.
But even the best curriculum may fail if the teacher is unskilled, inexperienced, unmotivated, or not well prepared.
So, how will you work to equip your teachers, and yourself, for great Sunday School education in the new year?
Here are some tools to consider.
The Teacher Guide
The Growing in Christ teacher guides are packed with helpful information and tips. If a teacher uses the guide fully and regularly, he or she is likely to grow. In particular, the key point, Law/Gospel points, and biblical commentary on the first two pages of the lesson are packed with potential. I suspect, though, that the teacher who has taken too little time in preparation may be skipping over these gems.
The Sunday School Spot Web Site
CPH is working to improve this site in the new year, but it even now has some wonderful opportunities for growth. One of best are the "Seedlings" podcasts. These weekly recording are highlighted on the first page under the Teacher Spot tab. where a link brings up a 20- to 30-minute discussion of the next Sunday's lesson. Former editor Pam Nielsen shares her wisdom with Sunday School teachers each week courtesy of the folks at Issues, Etc. (We failed to post podcasts in about six of the last 52 weeks, but we plan to do significantly better in 2012.)
Teachers Interaction
If you are not yet providing this magazine for your teachers, by all means, consider it for 2012. Teachers Interaction is the only magazine devoted specifically to strengthening the Lutheran Sunday School teacher for the crucial task of teaching God's children His Word. I will happily send a sample copy to anyone who would like one. Post a comment to this post, or e-mail me at tom.nummela@cph.org.
Teacher Meetings and Training Opportunities
How do you train your teachers? Are teacher meetings and training courses a thing of the past? I'd love to hear what you do in your congregation along these lines.
God bless your task in the year ahead.
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