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THE ART OF TEACHING
Twelve Keys to Teaching an Effective Bible Class
Introduction: In our study this morning, we noted the primary goal of Ephesians 4:11-16 is for all Christians to do their part in bringing the whole body to the unity of the faith and maturity. When we consider all that it takes for a church to reach these goals, we understand all the more how much time together studying and discussing is needed. [Unfortunately many churches, not understanding the goal, are shortening studying and equipping time together, especially on Sundays and then filling the difference with more singing. I’m all for more singing, but we have a huge work to accomplish in this text.]
Therefore, as we noted, good Bible classes are a critical way we meet the goals of “unity” and “maturity.” Our purpose in this lesson is to primarily see this from the teacher’s responsibility. Though not everyone will be a teacher, everyone is part of helping a Bible class bring us all to unity and maturity.
Thus, how can a teacher help this happen?
- Don’t begin the class by talking too much. A teacher must get immediate involvement so that the class gets on its “toes” and is ready to participate. Too much talking by the teacher at any time during the class, but especially at the beginning, causes students to gear themselves for listening instead of participating. It will be hard to generate discussion if you start with too much personal input. Look into the eyes of the members of your class next time you teach. After only one minute of you talking at the beginning of the class you will notice a change in attentiveness and the longer you continue with your monologue the less attentive and excited about the class your students will be.
- Don’t ask questions that have answers that are too obvious. The result will be that no one will answer or at the least they will feel embarrassed to answer such an obvious question. When this happens, some teachers will even think that they are teaching a really dumb class. But no adult likes to sit in or participate in a class that is run like kindergarten. This is also the problem with some lesson books where the student is asked to fill in the blanks. Then in class, the teacher dutifully asks brother “John” to read his filled in blanks. John does, and it’s on to the next question. This routine is boring and tedious.
- Don’t hand out a list of questions about a text. A list of questions by their very nature direct a student to see the text the way you see the text. This is the way churches perpetuate “creeds,” whether written or unwritten. A class is not creed rehearsal. We are in a quest to discover truth, and all of us together are commanded to “strive to maintain the unity of the faith” (Eph. 4:3). Therefore, we need all of us discovering the text and bringing our discoveries and conclusions together to be tested.
- Don’t lecture. Remember school? How much did you like a teacher who lectured? The enjoyment of learning is self-discovery. Lecture defeats self-discovery. Find ways to lead the class to see what God says. Teachers often have a strong urge to tell the class all they know instead of leading the class to see God’s truths for themselves. Consider some basic problems with lecture:
- Lecture implies that no one else in the class has any valuable input. You, the teacher, must know all there is to know about the subject.
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- Lecture misses the reason for our classes, that of mutual edification (Eph.4:16) and a joint search for truth (Eph.4:12-13).
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- Lecture is a poor way of learning. We remember only about 5% of what we hear; 10% of what we read; 30% of what we see; 50% of what we hear and see; 70% of what we say; 90% of what we say and do. Therefore getting a class to actually speak the truths (Eph. 4:15) they are learning, will create a better learning atmosphere.
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- Lecture will make students see no need for preparation for a class and therefore discourages personal study and even class attendance.
- Don’t “shoot down” wrong answers, or answers that are technically correct, but not answers that you were looking for. A teacher must be very careful how he handles a student who gives a different answer than what he was expecting. Sometimes a teacher has asked a very broad question but is seeking a very narrow answer. He then shoots down every answer, no matter how correct, because it is not the specific explanation he had in mind. If you want a specific response, you must ask your question so that it gives the students a legitimate opportunity to figure out what you want. There are at least two appropriate ways of correcting a wrong answer:
- In order to better understand a person’s answer that you perceive to be wrong (remember, the answer may not be wrong, it may just for the moment appear to be wrong), you might ask why they believe their answer to be correct. For example: “I had never thought of that answer; why do you think that? Is there some scripture that would give you that idea?”
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- If you are pretty sure the answer is wrong you could say, “Well, I’m not sure that would be correct because of the scripture that teaches…”
- Teachers must realize that they hold the key to good class discussion. By being harsh or abrupt with a class member who gives a wrong answer you effectively kill participation.
- Don’t teach based on previous knowledge. When a teacher does little if any preparation because he thinks he already knows the subject or text, it is like serving a cold can of beans. Relying on past knowledge makes a teacher dull and boring. Whether teacher or student, when we do not restudy a text before our class we are taking an arrogant attitude. Do we really know the text so well that there is nothing more to learn? Do we have perfect recall of everything we learned in the past? Are we that sure that our past positions on a given text were perfect, without flaw? Good preparation and study makes a teacher fresh and interesting.
- Don’t study or teach the text verse by verse. Many teachers are not leading their class in a textual study but in a topical study. Instead of trying to understand the Holy Spirit’s message in the text, these classes are allowing each verse to suggest to them a new topic to discuss. If the verse mentions Satan, the teacher follows cross references all over the Bible on Satan. If the verse mentions the gospel, a study of the “gospel” is done. Classes like this will spend an extraordinary amount of time covering one book and in the end know very little about the book. Instead, study one paragraph at a time, always looking for the main point and the progression of thought used by the author. Get the skyscraper view of a text before looking at the details. Delay topical studies for other classes.
- Don’t be bored with the text. It is important for a teacher and students to exhibit enthusiasm about what he is teaching. A teacher’s enthusiasm is transferred to the student. If you are not excited about a text, you simply haven’t studied it enough. Not a thing God wrote is boring when properly understood. On the other hand, your passion must be generated from the text. “If your cup runs over, wonderful! But don’t slosh it out.”
- Don’t allow students to divert the study to topics outside the scope of the class. Good teachers have a design for their class and for what they want to accomplish in each time period. If a teacher continually allows a student to dictate the direction of the discussion, the learning experience will lack organization and structure. The result will be that members become frustrated with the lack of discipline in the study. Some teachers will allow class members to voice all their “I think so’s” without focusing their attention on the text or insisting that comments be backed by scripture. Sessions like this never have a feeling of accomplishment. The class becomes more of a gab session than an edifying experience.
- Don’t move too slowly or too quickly through the material. These extremes are often a symptom of a lack of study and preparation. The teacher who moves too slowly through the material tries to get as much class discussion as possible, no matter how redundant, so that he has to do the least amount of preparation. Students stop preparing because they know that the class will not move beyond a few verses anyway. The teacher who moves too fast may not be studying enough to see the depth in the text under consideration. He quickly moves through each chapter accepting only superficial explanations of the text. The result of both types of teachers are class members who become discouraged with the learning process and want to quit.
On the other hand, keep in mind the goal of Ephesians 4:11-15, to come to the unity of the faith and to be able to “speak the truth in love.” If our “slow-down” is a result of trying to accomplish these goals, then we fulfilling the purpose of a Bible class.
- Don’t avoid correcting unscriptural statements. Many teachers act simply as discussion monitors. When statements are made that are false, they nod their heads and go to the next comment. When that comment is the opposite of the one given previously, they again nod their heads and go on. It is not long before class members are saying, “Is there some conclusion to this?” While a teacher should not commit himself to a position unless he is sure, he can at least summarize the points made in the class and then admit that he will need more study before stating his own belief. However, a teacher’s goal should be to anticipate differing opinions so that he can research the subject thoroughly and better direct the class discussion. It is important for teachers to summarize the main points made in class and bring those points to a conclusion before moving on. By doing this, students will feel a sense of accomplishment.
- Don’t answer your own questions. As soon as a class learns that a teacher will answer his own questions, they will sit quietly and wait for his answer. Just as Jesus often did, good teachers are willing to ask a question and then wait. Don’t be afraid of the silence. Allow that it takes people time to think and formulate an answer before speaking. Be sensitive to the possibility that you did not state the question clearly and therefore need to repeat the question in different words. If the class still does not have an answer, point them in a direction that will allow them to find the answer. Never tell a class what a text means and then ask for comments. Why should they comment? You have already told the answer! Encourage self-discovery; it makes learning enjoyable.
Berry Kercheville