Responsive Menu
Responsive Menu
Dear Teacher,
As a new seminary teacher, I felt overwhelmed and out of my element. I wanted to teach like the inspiring teachers who had taught me—yet struggled to know how. The Gospel Library felt dizzying and it was hard to know where to begin.
This started as an assignment for my BYU-Pathway class, but it’s turned into a real passion project. I’ve spent hours scouring both current and obsolete official Church manuals—TeachinGospel.com is what I wish I had. The material you’ll find here does not replace materials on Gospel Library; this website simply organizes and occasionally simplifies or expounds.
TeachinGospel.com will help new teachers gain their footing and experienced teachers add to their toolkit. I hope you find this resource helpful in your efforts to serve Jesus Christ and teach His students.
-Cody W
There’s a fundamental pattern of Spirit led teaching that new teachers often fail to understand. Ready to learn the pattern? To really grasp this, complete following three activities!
Read one 1 Nephi 11-14 or watch the video below looking for…
*If you want to deep in your understanding of listening, observing, and discerning study this talk. “Quick to Observe” David A. Bednar Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles May 10, 2005
Let’s take a moment to review debrief break it down and bring this all together.
-What did Nephi do or have that invited the Spirit of the Lord to teach Him? What can we do to help our students invite the Spirit to teach them?
-Nephi is asked twice what he desires and give a different answer each time. Why does his desire change? (see 1 Nephi 11:2, 10)
-Nephi’s learning experience could’ve ended much earlier. What did his teachers enabled them to keep teaching him more?
-To discern what a student is thinking or seeing, we might ask our own version of “What beholdest thou?” The Spirit and the angel knew what Nephi was seeing—so why would they ask him? How does asking him help him learn? (The Spirit can enlighten.)
-Why didn’t they just tell Nephi the answers to His questions? Instead of telling our students what
The pattern is this invites the Holy Ghost to…. This invites the Holy Ghost to… –>
It’s easy especially as a new teacher to see how much questions are used in teaching to get fixated on using questions. don’t over fixate on it itds a dance between asking questions and guiding them too or presenting information.
-Why didn’t they answer Nephi’s questions by telling Him? You cannot open up a vision but what can you do?…
I’ve seen some teachers only lecture and struggle to consitently deliver engaging. I’ve seen other teachers fire question after question. the pattern is…
Notice how Nephi’s desires or at least the focus of his desire changed througout. What caused. That. I hope you’re seeing the pattern. Diagram of this to this to this. Questions (or an inquisitive humble and meed mind) spark or lead to deeper understanding. Deeper understanding leads to questions. Where is the Spirit and where is the teacher? As a teacher you can begin with a question or begin with information. Which will lead to questions and.
The pattern explained or diagramed. Followed by a short articluate activity followed by go and use the website to build your toolbase or practice/become principles and character attributes of Christlike teaching.
You cannot but you can… you cannot… but you can…
Notice this pattern of learning.
A desire was had. (Sometimes we as teachers have to stew that desire at the beginning.)
Information was given.
Invitations were asked or Questions were given that provided Nephi to articulate expand and testify of what he was learning. All througout this process the Holy Ghost can do His role as we… the Holy Ghost can enlighten and expand understanding. As we… the Holy Ghost can testify of truth.
You can use this to stay Christ centered learneer focused and scripture based. The methods the…. and the… are all up to you. Now that you know the pattern use your imagination seek the spirits help and seek for the most effective appropriate and useful method that is reasonably within your capabilities. Stay grounded by these three things to aim for conversioin. Principles will enhance and aim.
-Nephi is asked twice what he desires and give a different answer each time. Why does his desire change? (see 1 Nephi 11:2, 10)
-Nephi's learning experience could've ended much earlier. What did his teachers enabled them to keep teaching him more?
-To discern what a student is thinking or seeing, we might ask our own version of “What beholdest thou?” The Spirit and the angel knew what Nephi was seeing—so why would they ask him? How does asking him help him learn?
-Why didn't they just tell Nephi the answers to His questions?Teachingospel.com has an expansive index of teaching methods, tools, and ideas for variety. Although it never hurts to brush up on the fundamentals, you’ll likely find these other sections of the website most helpful to explore.
There’s a fundamental pattern of Spirit led teaching that new teachers often fail to understand. Ready to learn the pattern? To really grasp this, complete following three activities!
Read one 1 Nephi 11-14 or watch the video below looking for…
*If you want to deep in your understanding of listening, observing, and discerning study this talk. “Quick to Observe” David A. Bednar Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles May 10, 2005
Let’s finish off with a debrief! First a few questions.
You may not be able to open up a vision for your students—but—like the Savior (see 3 Nephi 17:5–8), as you carefully listen to and observe them, the Spirit will help you discern what they need and what you can do to help them come unto Christ. Then thoughtfully, you can choose a learning activity that will best allow the Holy Ghost to teach.
The ultimate teacher is the Holy Ghost, you and I are more like tour guides. As tour guides we know the terrain best: we’ve prepared beforehand. We help our students safely traverse the terrain while leading them to and directing their attention towards those places that are most beautiful and awesome. Just as a beautiful vista has profound impact on our minds and hearts, the Gospel terrain will have a profound impact on minds and hearts as the Holy Ghost touches the eyes of our student’s understanding.
We use different methods and learning activities to immerse our students in the landscape. These Christ centered and scripture based learning activities are like your way of opening up a vision for your students.
Sometimes as teachers, we might tend to lean a little too far in one direction—either we talk too much, turning our teaching into a monologue, or we ask so many questions that it starts to feel more like an interrogation than a discussion.
When a teacher finds the right learning activity the questions will feel natural, there will be so much to see in the terrain, there will be substance, there will be things to ask questions about.
Then we can watch as our students explore and analyze. As we observe we will discern what to do next. We will know how to fan the fire inside of them.
There are so many learninga activites a teacher can use. Check out using questions
We will observe listen descern. use questions and inspire light the fire.
There are so many learning activities that’s why I’ve created…
Learning to use questions correctly can be tricky. But that’s why I’ve created…