MR says: The next time you have to prepare a lesson in Church, remember to follow the example of the Master Teacher.
Ever been stumped with a lesson topic? Have you stumbled finding an answer for a class member? Maybe you’ve taught every Sunday for the last few months, but you are struggling to keep your class involved? Christ is our example in everything, so to that end, here are five easy steps to teach like Jesus Christ, the Master Teacher.
1. Know Your Students
Image courtesy of LDS.net
Getting to know your students outside of class helps you know their needs.
One of the primary ways Christ was able to teach so many diverse people is that he loved each and every one of them for the individuals they were. From the Pharisee Nicodemus to woman by the well, Christ personalized His message and His delivery for every student.
When speaking to the woman taken in adultery, the scriptures say,
“When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more,” (John 8: 10-11).
How We Can Do It
Christ knows us perfectly, and (un)fortunately, we don’t have that knowledge of one another. When it comes to reaching our students in our lesson, we should try to tailor our delivery and message to our students’ needs.
- We can personally visit our class members (if your class is small).
- If we are too busy to do personal visits, we can try to attend church events like Priesthood or Relief Society meetings, service days, and ward activities to get to know your students.
- We can also spend just a few moments at the beginning of class asking for news from the member’s lives (this works best in children and youth classes).