Yes, You Can, and Should, Adapt Your Lessons

Last week's post bears a little follow up. I can simply not emphasize it enough: teachers can, should, and will adapt each week's lesson to best teach God's Word to the children He sends them.

You Can
Just in case your were waiting for permission, now you have it. You can change the lesson plan printed in your teacher guide to accommodate the resources you have available, the room in which you teach, the abilities of the students you will have in class, and your own teaching preferences.

You Should
Not only can you do this, but it is a good thing. The editor does not you or your situation and cannot accommodate for those things. I offer our customers a great starting place, but I rely on the teacher to make the final adjustments based on local preferences and needs.

You Will
And though I take time to emphasize these things, the reality is that you certainly already adapt your lessons on the fly, probably every week. If time grows short, you cut to the end. If you appear to be finishing early, you extend things a bit. If the language in the guide seems awkward, you reword. If you think an activity is dumb, you skip it. If you could find the object suggested, you wing it. That's what teaching is all about!

Please Don't . . .
So, you can, should, and will adapt your lessons as you prepare and teach them. But, please! Don't revise the theology! One of the strengths of Growing in Christ Sunday School materials, is that they have been carefully written, edited, and reviewed by folks chosen for their ability to teach God's Word in accordance with Lutheran theology, that is to say, what the Bible really teaches. If you believe something has been misstated, your pastor is a ready resource for verifying what is true and should be taught. Though we strive at CPH be be consistently faithful and error-free, our systems occasionally skip a beat. Don't hesitate to let us know, if you think that has happened.


We earnestly desire that God's Word be taught to His children correctly.


What do you find yourself revising most frequently in the lessons you teach?



Which do you think is easier: revising a bogus activity or revising the theological basis for a lesson?