For the most part, people come to class looking to be edified. Unfortunately, teachers sometimes do things that make it hard for that to happen in their classes.
I don’t believe that there are bad teachers. There are only good teachers that slip into bad habits subsequently annoying their class members. Everyone has something to offer to a classroom as long as they get a few things straight. When class members are annoyed, they stop paying attention or refuse to participate. I’ve noticed that the following 7 things seem to take place in our classes on a regular basis. If you want to be a great teacher, figure out a way to root these out of your system.
1. Start By Apologizing For A Lack of Preparation
This is the worst way to start your lesson off. Whether you just procrastinated til the last minute or your Sunday school president called you at 10pm on a Saturday night…it makes no difference to the class. All you do by telling them that you’re unprepared at the beginning of a lesson is give them a reason to check out early. I know you might be saying it because you want to garner some sympathy from those in the classroom so that they don’t think you’re an idiot, but announcing this doesn’t help your situation. It only impairs it. When you’re in a bind for last minute content, focus 100% of your time on crafting some deep and thoughtful questions. You can take 10 minutes, review the content, and jot down the most important thought provoking questions to ask the class. Then build off of their responses.