Month: September 2014

Sleeping Student

My Lesson is Boring!

Jenny Smith / September 12, 2014

AC expressed a common concern on the LDS Seminary Teacher Facebook Group: “I’m a new teacher this year, not creative at all and need desperate help. I have my two boys in my class and they both tell me I’m boring.” Here’s what I said: Please know that everything I’m about to say is intended to be helpful. Please read it in that context.1) Consider the source. Your own children may be harder on you than others. They may be uncomfortable being taught in a formal setting by their own mother. They may have already seen all your tricks and heard all your stories. They may even be saying something to get a rise out of you, which unfortunately teenaged…

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Increasing Student Particpation

Increasing Student Participation during Gospel Lessons

Jenny Smith / September 11, 2014

Most gospel teachers struggle with classroom participation. Sometimes you’ll get a classroom of students who are very active and loud, and other times you may have a classroom of very quiet students. We want students to enjoy each other, but “between the prayers” we want them to talk about the gospel — not Friday night’s game. Following are some ideas to help you increase appropriate discussion in your classroom: Talk Less Ask and Pause Make your Classroom a Safe Place to Ask Questions and Share Ideas Encourage Sincere Participation Attempts Talk Less When a teacher takes the spotlight, becomes the star of the show, does all the talking, and otherwise takes over all of the activity, it is almost certain…

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Evaluating A Gospel Lesson – 10 Questions to Ask

Jenny Smith / September 5, 2014

After a lesson is complete, you may feel elated or even discouraged.  Evaluating your teaching is an important, often neglected, step that can help you improve as a teacher.  Evaluating your lessons is the “report” part of the Return and Report pattern taught in the temple.  Reporting, by asking questions of yourself, prayerfully consulting the Lord, speaking with another teacher or leader, or blogging experiences, can help you develop Here are some tips that can help you evaluate lessons and develop a plan to improve poor experiences or reproduce great teaching experiences. 10 Themes to consider after a lesson Was my level of preparation adequate?  Did I read each scripture reference?  Did I check LDS.org for music, videos, or general conference talks?…

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Can we stand to sing during sacrament meeting?

Jenny Smith / September 2, 2014

In short, yes, it’s okay to stand to sing during an LDS sacrament meeting service.  I’m never sure where these weird rumors get started — I blame the Utahns. Congregational Singing Most Church meetings are enhanced by the singing of hymns. Music provides a primary means by which members participate in Church worship services. Congregational singing has a unique and often underused power for unifying members as they worship together. As appropriate, a priesthood leader may ask a congregation to stand for an intermediate hymn or a national anthem (see “Hymns for Congregations,”Hymns, 380–81). (Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2, Section 14.4.3) Read the Church Handbook of Instructions yourself here: https://www.lds.org/handbook/handbook-2-administering-the-church/music?lang=eng (Once you get to LDS.org, you’ll have to navigate to Section 14.4.3 using the menu…

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