Grow in Teaching Adult Bible Studies
Teach the Word
A free e-newsletter that provides tips, resources, and encouragements for those teaching adult Bible studies.
Featured Article:
A Different Approach to BIC for College Students
September 2024, Volume 9.9The idea is simple: Build something, and people will come. Host a Bible study, and people will join. When I began my ministry, the standard model for a Bible information class (BIC) was to set a specific day and time and then invite people interested in learning more about the Bible.
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Adult Education: Additum ▾
| 11-2023 | Teaching Like Jesus | Donald W. Patterson |
| 08-2023 | Avoid Frustrating Your Class Members | |
| 05-2023 | 24 Expectations of Adult Learners | |
| 09-2022 | Breaking Down Resistance Have you ever stood in front of a Bible information class and looked out to see some adult learners who were just not into being there at all? You can see it in their body language. It's easy to assume that apparent resistance to your teaching stems from a resistance to the message you're sharing. But Bible teachers need to be careful about such assumptions. It may very well be that they're not a fan of your message. But there are other factors that may contribute to adult learners' apparent uninterest. Consider that they may be:
As we look at the above list, we see things that we can control and adjust that might ease their discomfort and give them a situation more conducive to their learning. | |
| 08-2022 | A word on "experience" Perhaps you remember the SETPI principles of adult education. Adult learners are:
To focus on the second one, it’s good to point out that experience doesn’t just include the things of career or home life. The experience of adults also includes insights of self-knowledge. Adults have learned about the way they learn. Their experience has informed them regarding how they think about things, the mental frameworks that they bring to the classroom along with them. Spiritually, they’ve had decades to wrestle with the temptations that are unique to them, their particular struggles and doubts, and their experience with God’s gracious providence shown and promises kept. On the one hand, the fact that adults bring years of self-knowledge to our classrooms reminds us to vary our methods of inputting info and getting them to share what they know. At the same time, the learners’ experience might call for some “unlearning”— learning activities that challenge the frameworks of thinking that are ingrained in adults. For example, collaborative activities can introduce us to others’ points of view. Critical thinking activities might also spur additional thought as to the “why” of one’s position on a particular topic. | |
| 07-2022 | What Is Collaboration? | |
| 05-2022 | Begin With a Visible Agenda | Joanne Ricevuto |
| 04-2022 | Tips for Teaching Adults | Brooks Doherty |
| 03-2022 | More Resources | |
| 02-2022 | Good Teaching? | Dr. Katie Novak |
| 01-2022 | UDL vs. Differentiated Instruction | Dr. Katie Novak |
| 11-2021 | In Defense of Lecture | Professor Thomas Kock |
| 09-2021 | Student Recruitment | |
| 08-2021 | How To Write Measurable Learning Objectives | |
| 07-2021 | 15 active learning activities to energize your next college class | Tricia Whenham |
| 06-2021 | 8 Quick Checks for Understanding | Jay McTighe |
| 04-2021 | Are You Teaching With One Eye? | Journal of Adult Theological Education, 12 (2), 106-120 |
| 03-2021 | Pedagogy or Andragogy? | |
| 02-2021 | How to 'Read' Students During Remote Learning | Nina Portugal |
| 12-2020 | St. Augustine Taught the Catechumens and So Do We | Pastor Daniel Habben |
| 10-2020 | Connections: A Fresh Approach To Teaching Jesus | Stephen Koelpin, Brian Schmidt, Peter Zaferos |
| 09-2020 | Flipped Classroom for Bible Study | |
| 08-2020 | Implementing Active Learning in Your Classroom | |
| 07-2020 | Watch and Learn: Study Shows How Brain Gains Knowledge Through Observation | |
| 06-2020 | Christ on Screen: The Benefits and Drawbacks of Christian-Based Visual Media in Evangelism and Entertainment | Tyler Swiderski |
| 02-2020 | 8 Habits of the Excellent Bible Teacher | Andrew Hess |
| 01-2020 | Intergenerational Education in the Church: Parental Benefits of Learning Alongside Children | Joshua J. Jensen |
| 12-2019 | Increase Student Learning in Only 3 Seconds | Jennifer Sullivan |
| 11-2019 | In Defense of Lecturing | Mary Burgan |
| 10-2019 | The Big List of Class Discussion Strategies | Jennifer Gonzalez |
| 09-2019 | Ministering to Millennials | |
| 08-2019 | 6 Myths About Introverts | Carolyn Gregoire |
| 07-2019 | Bible Class Attendance | Aaron J. Platzer |
| 06-2019 | Helping Students Memorize: Tips from Cognitive Science | Michelle Miller, PhD |
| 05-2019 | Building the Body of Christ | Charles Westra |
| 04-2019 | What Does This Mean - The Connection Between Debriefing and Spiritual Growth | Justin W. Heise |
| 03-2019 | Questions that Evoke Wonder | Rebecca Zambrano |
| 02-2019 | Leading Small Group Discussions? | Andrew S. Mason |
| 01-2019 | 12 Tools for Building Review Activities | Richard Byrne |
| 12-2018 | Emotions and Learning | Reinhard Pekrun |
| 11-2018 | The Unique Task of Teaching Adults | Roberta Hestenes |
| 10-2018 | Strengthen Your Scores With Excercise | |
| 09-2018 | Spaced Repetition: The Most Effective Way to Learn | Josette Akresh-Gonzales |
| 08-2018 | Chunking in Your Course Design | Connie Malamed |
| 07-2018 | Dialogue Learning's Impact on Teaching - Dialogue Learning pt.5 | |
| 06-2018 | Dialogue Learning's Impact on Teaching - Dialogue Learning pt.4 | |
| 05-2018 | Dialogue Learning - Dialogue Learning pt.3 | |
| 04-2018 | Dialogue Learning - Dialogue Learning pt.2 | |
| 03-2018 | 6 Core Principles for Adult Learning | |
| 02-2018 | Polish Your Communication Skills | |
| 01-2018 | Avoid Nominalizations | |
| 12-2017 | How to Electrify Your Writing with Verbs: A Songwriting Lesson | Pat Pattison |
| 11-2017 | Designing Developmentally: Simple Strategies to Get Students Thinking | Maryellen Weimer, PhD |
| 10-2017 | Three Reasons to Ditch Technology in Your Flipped Classroom | Barbi Honeycutt, PhD |
| 10-2017 | Ready to Flip: Three Ways to Hold Students Accountable for Pre-Class Work | Barbi Honeycutt, PhD |
| 09-2017 | Backward Design, Forward Progress | Pete Burkholder, PhD |
| 06-2017 | How Do Students Learn from Participation in Class Discussion? | Elise J. Dallimore, PhD, Julie H. Hertenstein, DBA, and Marjorie B. Platt, PhD |
| 04-2017 | How Storytelling Can Enhance Any Learning Experience | Saga Briggs |
| 03-2017 | 25 Question Stems Framed Around Bloom’s Taxonomy | TeachThought Staff |
| 02-2017 | Ever Wonder…How do I get my audience involved and get them to ask questions? | Alaina Frederick |
| 01-2017 | Does Discussion Make a Difference? | Maryellen Weimer, PhD |
| 12-2016 | Connections: A Fresh Approach To Teaching Jesus | Stephen Koelpin, Brian Schmidt, Peter Zaferos |
| 11-2016 | Tips to Help the Bible Come Alive for Bible Study Groups | Mary Jane Oliveri |
| 10-2016 | The Unique Task of Teaching Adults | Roberta Hestenes |
| 09-2016 | Benefits of Using Biblical Narratives to Teach | Brian J. Roloff |
| 08-2016 | Making the Most of ‘Reporting Out’ after Group Work | Bridget Arend PhD |
| 07-2016 | Millennials and the Gospel: Ministering to a Discontinuously Different Generation | James M. Hein |
| 06-2016 | How the Brain Learns | David A. Sousa |
| 05-2016 | Case Study-Based Learning | Mind Tools Editorial Team |
| 04-2016 | Nine Ways to Improve Class Discussions | Maryellen Weimer |
| 03-2016 | Inclusion Means ALL | Jane Vella |
| 02-2016 | Goldilocks and the 'Just Right' Strategy for Helping Students Acquire New Content | Karen S. Buchanan |
| 01-2016 | Teaching Like Jesus | Donald Patterson |
| 12-2015 | New Research on the State of Discipleship | Barna Group |
| 11-2015 | LNRA - Learning Needs and Resources Assessment | Global Learning Parters |
| 10-2015 | 35 Ways to Choose Breakout Group Leaders | Ed Jones Training Services |
| 09-2015 | Sample of No Fishing Questions | Thomas Zock |
| 08-2015 | 5 Top Tips to Get Into Your Creative Groove | Training Zone |
| 07-2015 | Five Factors Changing Women's Relationship with Churches | Barna Group |
| 06-2015 | 24 Expectations of Adult Learners | Ed Jones Training Services |
| 05-2015 | Takeout Learning: 4 Tips to Encourage Learning Transfer | Assoc. for Talent Develop. |
| 05-2015 | Is Learning Increasingly Self-Directed in the Digital Era? | Huffington Post |
Curriculum Connection ▾
Teaching Toolbox ▾
| 10-2024 | Active retrieval is one of the teaching strategies most consistently supported by educational research. It builds automaticity and thereby frees up space in the learner's working memory for comprehension and application. Would spending time on active retrieval at the beginning of catechism class serve your learners well? It can be low pressure and low stakes. "Write down everything you remember from last time." But it can also be more specific, directing learners to recall important terms, memory work, or concepts from previous lessons. Combining active retrieval with spaced practice doubles the educational value. I often think of how, when I was growing up, the Saxon math books would start each practice set with review concepts, perhaps even dedicating a majority of the problems to review. Concepts that we'd learned months ago were mixed in with others that we learned last month and also some that we learned last week. The concept of spaced practice for catechism would implement review questions, terms, and concepts at regular intervals. That eliminates the need for last-minute cramming for tests and facilitates the learner's transfer of information from long-term back to working memory. | Professor Paul Waldschmidt, Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary |
| 08-2024 | Last month's article by Pastor Kurt Wetzel continued the discussion of intergenerational teaching opportunities by highlighting the importance of learning activities in such a context. Learning activities have the most impact when they ask learners to do one (or more) of the 4 Cs:
Wetzel mentioned a couple of ideas: “One time when we were studying the Lord’s Prayer, we had every participant write down a particular thing they wanted to say to God (or have an adult write it for them if they couldn’t write yet). One person reviewed and compiled those petitions and prayers of thanks and then read them as our closing prayer. Another time, participants wrote their key takeaways from a lesson onto sticky notes and stuck them to the glass at the back of the church. We allowed for some longer transition time so they could read what others had written. Students can vote on a certain item (like which of the supplied promises from Jesus is especially meaningful to them right now) and meet in groups with others who voted for the same one to compare their reasons and report back to the group.” You’ll notice that Pastor Wetzel’s first example has his learners CREATING something new by COMMUNICATING what they wish to express to God in prayer. One could also see a COLLABORATING aspect as learners' prayers were compiled and used later in the class. Wetzel’s second example highlighted CRITICAL THINKING as learners were asked to decide on their key takeaway. They CREATED something with the collage of ideas at the back of the church. Then they COLLABORATED and COMMUNICATED with people who answered the same way to dig deeper into the reasons for their answers. If you’ve done a learning activity in adult Bible study lately, ask yourself which of the 4 Cs the activity appealed to. One way to grow might be looking for ways to include more than one of the 4 Cs as Pastor Wetzel ably demonstrated. | Professor Paul Waldschmidt, Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary |
| 06-2024 | Last month's article by Pastor Kurt Wetzel explained some potential benefits of intergenerational Sunday school. Pastor Wetzel mentioned that while it might be better suited for certain situations, any church can effectively employ intergenerational study at times. Intergenerational Christian Formation: Bringing the Whole Church Together in Ministry, Community, and Worship (Allen, Lawton, Seibel, 2nd Edition, 2023) offers a compelling case for intergenerational ministry and, equally as important, offers numerous practical examples of the intergenerational study of the Scriptures. Here are just a few from this book:
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| 04-2024 | From Make It Stick by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A. McDaniel. In Make It Stick, the authors offer accessible, research-backed advice to help us better retain and retrieve the things we learn about. Here are three of the strategies they mention:
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| 02-2024 | Answering questions in the planning process helps us ensure that our course's content aligns with the learners in the class. It shows that we have been mindful of the learners in our planning. In the 8 Steps of Planning, Global Learning Partners has codified a process to help course leaders consider the many aspects of preparing for a course. This resource is available here. More information on the benefits of thorough planning, along with practical examples, can be found in Jane Vella's book Taking Learning to Task: Creative Strategies for Teaching Adults. | |
| 11-2023 | Oxygen; Glucose; Movement | |
| 08-2023 | Ten Good Question Strategies | |
| 05-2023 | 6 Common Questioning Errors | |
| 02-2023 | Spaced Practice | |
| 11-2022 | Fun formative assessment: 12 easy, no-tech ideas you can use tomorrow | |
| 09-2022 | 7 Smart, Fast Ways to Do Formative Assessment | Laura Thomas |
| 08-2022 | Memo to myself In their book The Learning Cycle: Insights for Faithful Teaching from Neuroscience and the Social Sciences, Muriel and Duane Elmer suggest a learning activity called “Memo to Myself.” It encourages rehearsal and elaboration (putting a concept into your own words), which in turn helps move information into working memory. We ask them to choose one meaningful thought or idea and express that in their own words. Then they are to write about why it has meaning for them and “to what end or how this impacts their behavior” (Elmer & Elmer, 31). Try “Memo to Myself” as your closer activity to give students on opportunity to reflect upon what they’ve learned. | |
| 07-2022 | If you’re looking for ideas on how to implement both open and closed collaborative activities, check out this infographic from Neil Jarrett of edtech4beginners.com. | |
| 05-2022 | THINK, then pair and share When you have a learning activity that asks adults to collaborate with their table partners, don’t forget to give them a moment to think on their own before they share. Talk learners may be able to come to their greater understanding through the conversation process itself (the pairing and sharing). But others need silent time to wrestle with the question and structure their response before the conversation starts. In fact, for those learners, the conversation is actually a detriment to them in organizing their own thoughts. The perspective of others indeed contributes to all learners gaining a fuller understanding of the topic. So go ahead and have them “think-pair-share.” Just make sure that you allow everybody to think quietly for a moment first. | |
| 04-2022 | Nearpod | |
| 03-2022 | Choice Boards | |
| 02-2022 | WELS Education Conference | |
| 01-2022 | Book Creator | |
| 11-2021 | Genially | |
| 09-2021 | Slidesmania | |
| 08-2021 | 4Ms of Learning Objectives | |
| 07-2021 | Andragogy Quick Sheet | |
| 06-2021 | Check for Understanding | |
| 04-2021 | SETPI Principles | |
| 03-2021 | Formative Assessment With Poll Anywhere | |
| 02-2021 | JiTT (Just-in-Time Teaching) | Cynthia Brame |
| 12-2020 | Ten Tips for Hosting an Online Bible Study | David Walker |
| 10-2020 | Facilitation for Real Ownership | Jeanette Romkema |
| 09-2020 | Google Updates and Simplifies Finding Creative Commons Licensed Images | Richard Byrne |
| 08-2020 | 10 Steps to Getting Started With Active Learning | |
| 07-2020 | 25 Ways for Teaching Without Talking: Presenting Students With New Material in Theory Lessons | Geoff Petty |
| 06-2020 | Ideas to Make Your Synchronous Online Classes More Fun | Siva priya Santhanam, PhD |
| 02-2020 | Making Learning Relevant With Case Studies | |
| 01-2020 | Tips for Entering and Staying With Tough Dialogue | Jeanette Romkema |
| 12-2019 | 10 Practical Approaches to Teaching | Scott Rios |
| 11-2019 | Let’s Make Better Slideshows | Jennifer Gonzalez |
| 10-2019 | A Think-Pair-Share on Think-Pair-Share | David Ginsburg |
| 09-2019 | Questions That Bring Contemporary Context to Past Personalities | Perry Shaw, EdD |
| 08-2019 | 17 Tips to Motivate Adult Learners | Christopher Pappas |
| 07-2019 | Meaningful and Measurable Outcomes | Vicki Caruana PhD |
| 06-2019 | Training Small Group Leaders | Judy Washburn |
| 05-2019 | Communal Reading of Scripture | |
| 04-2019 | Avoiding Filler Words like "Um" | Whitson Gordon |
| 03-2019 | 12 Tips for Teaching Adult Learners | |
| 02-2019 | Catechism Options | |
| 01-2019 | 10 Ways to Get People Talking | |
| 12-2018 | Successful Teachers Never Stop Learning | |
| 11-2018 | Asking Meaningful Questions | |
| 10-2018 | Oxygen; Glucose; Movement | |
| 09-2018 | Incorporating Repetition Into Your Classes | |
| 08-2018 | Interactive Faith | |
| 07-2018 | Interactive Faith | |
| 06-2018 | Web Meetings as a Bible Study Option | |
| 05-2018 | Heirs Together: Revised Bible Study | |
| 04-2018 | Learning Tasks Are Worth the Effort | |
| 03-2018 | Taking Learning to Task | |
| 02-2018 | Women's Bible Studies | |
| 01-2018 | Nouns that Kill | |
| 12-2017 | False Starts | |
| 11-2017 | The Flipped Classroom Can Work Very Well | |
| 10-2017 | Putting the Flipped Classroom to Work | |
| 10-2017 | The Flipped Classroom | |
| 09-2017 | Women's Bible Studies | |
| 06-2017 | Confirming Learning | |
| 04-2017 | Volume 2 of Teach the Word | Daniel Schroeder |
| 04-2017 | Questions that Elevate the Discussion | |
| 03-2017 | Reformation Encouragement: Study the Word | |
| 02-2017 | Real-World Benefits | |
| 01-2017 | If Discussion Fosters Learning, Then Extend the Discussion | |
| 12-2016 | Responding to Questions | |
| 11-2016 | 10 Good Question Strategies | |
| 10-2016 | 6 Common Questioning Errors | |
| 09-2016 | 8 Tips for Balancing Dialogue With Content | Jeanette Romkema, Kathy Hickman, Elaine Wiersma |
| 08-2016 | Open Questions | Global Learning Partners |
| 07-2016 | 25 Things Successful Teachers Do Differently | Julie DuNeen |
| 06-2016 | Think-Pair-Share | Jennifer Gonzalez |
| 05-2016 | 66 Alternatives to Lecture | |
| 04-2016 | Volume 1 of Teach the Word | Daniel Schroeder |
| 03-2016 | 8 Tips for Handling Questions | Daniel Schroeder |
| 02-2016 | 6 Tips for Using PowerPoint to Engage People in Dialogue | Christine Little |
| 01-2016 | Kahoot (Create multiple choice web-based games for review, quiz, and discussion) | |
| 12-2015 | The GeaCron Project (View and create historical maps and timelines) | |
| 11-2015 | Wheel Decide (Customize a spinning virtual wheel) | |
| 10-2015 | 35 Ways to Choose Breakout Group Leaders | Ed Jones Training Services |
| 10-2015 | Bloom's Taxonomy Action Verbs | Fresno State University |
| 07-2015 | What Type of Learner Are You? | Gallatin College - Montana State Univ. |
| 05-2015 | Course Evaluation Sheet | Daniel Schroeder |
Archive ▾
Video Extras ▾
Teaching Tips ▾
| 10-2024 | This image, from Kate Jones' book, Retrieval Practice: Research and Resources for Every Classroom, is an example of a challenge grid. With modification, this concept would lend itself well to active retrieval in a catechism class. To get you started, click here for a free downloadable template, a slideshow file with two editable slides. Whether we’re talking about catechism or adult Bible study, not every student thinks fast enough to be able to participate in Q & A. We can make sure we include these learners by asking a question (usually a deeper thought question printed on a handout) and then giving the learners one to two minutes to think before continuing the conversation. Giving them time to think could result in more students participating and in better answers to the questions we ask. A little extra time might also be beneficial in typical classroom Q & A. It’s good for us as teachers to learn to wait for answers. If we jump in and answer the question ourselves too quickly, 1) we don't force students to grapple with the question and do the hard work of formulating an answer, 2) we fail to learn what they know and what they don't, and 3) they learn to wait us out, knowing that we'll jump in and answer. | |
| 08-2024 | (Content based on Jamie Clark's "one-pager" on student attention. Clark has a collection of one-pagers due to be released in August 2024. His website, jamieleeclark.com, has more information.) If you cold-call on students in catechism class, a gentler invitation into the discussion might help dispel student anxiety and encourage participation. “Sam, I’d love to hear what you think about this problem.” “Alicia, what do you think you might do in this situation?” When we do this, we need to be sure to establish an appropriate wait time to give the learner the opportunity to think. On a related note, perhaps using cold calling primarily when asking open-ended questions could help put students at greater ease. | |
| 06-2024 | One way to develop a culture of thinking—and rethinking, restating, and growing—in your classroom is to give your students a mulligan. It's the same thing that golfers do, allowing a player to replay an errant stroke without penalty. Rebecca Stobaugh in Fifty Strategies to Boost Cognitive Engagement (2019) suggests offering a mulligan to students who go the wrong way initially with their answer. This indicates to them, in a hopefully winsome way, that they should perhaps reconsider their approach and try it again. Stobaugh additionally points out that teachers calling a mulligan on their own answers can send a message that everyone is a learner, can make mistakes, and grow—even the person in front of the classroom. | |
| 04-2024 | "Can you think of a time when . . .?” Asking adult learners to call on their life experience is a great way to introduce a lesson. It's interactive, and it recognizes that adults have decades of life experience and often enjoy talking about them. You can make this kind of introduction even more effective by asking them about a time in their life that affected strong emotions in them (e.g., "Think of a time in your life when you felt totally alone." "Think of a time in your life when you were surprised and joyful about the way something worked out."). Finally, you can build a stronger bond with your students by matching their emotions when they share—that is to say, sharing an example from your own life. | |
| 02-2024 | One way to incorporate more relevant Communicate Activities into your lessons is to anticipate the hard questions that might Pastor Wetzel emphasized the importance of illustrations that are both numerous and practical. Where do you find good illustrations? It starts with constantly being on the lookout for them. In his classic Christian Education text, Christian Nurture Methods, David Kuske provided a rundown of places for a teacher to mine lesson illustrations: Bible examples. Many biblical truths are exemplified in the people who appear on the pages of Scripture. For example, David's words prior to fighting Goliath are a wonderful example of trust in God in the face of danger. David's sin with Bathsheba is a stern warning to us about the power of the sinful desires that rise in our hearts. Examples from contemporary life. Newspaper and television reports, magazine articles, and items available online provide countless examples of true-to-life incidents that illustrate biblical truths. Examples of blind unbelief, great generosity, sinful prejudice, loving care, self-sacrifice, etc. abound. Personal examples. Examples taken from one's own life or the lives of the members of one's family can be very effective because of the personal touch they bring to a lesson. However, doing this repeatedly can easily lead a class to grow tired of the teacher talking constantly about himself. Also, the person who often talks about his own sins or his personal triumphs of faith can lead people to wonder why he talks about his own sins so freely or enjoys talking to those weaker in faith about how great a faith the Lord has given him. Similes from the plant and animal world. Jesus used this kind of illustration from time to time. Growing seeds, trees, vine branches, the care of a mother hen for her little chicks, etc. provided illustrations of biblical truths for Jesus' hearers. A look around us at things that people see in nature in our day can be a fruitful source of illustrations for us also. A contrast. Instead of using a simile to clarify a passage or to touch the heart with the point of an application, sometimes a total constrast (along with a simile?) is the most effective way of getting the point across. When Jesus wanted to make clear what he meant by serving one another in love, he told his hearers not to be like those who desire the top spots in government and business so that they can boss other people around. Instead, he pointed to the household servant and slave who did nothing for himself but everything for others (Mk 10:42). | |
| 11-2023 | One way to incorporate more relevant Communicate Activities into your lessons is to anticipate the hard questions that might come out of the passages or the topic you're studying during your lesson prep. Ask your adult learners to share their thoughts on how to answer those hard questions as a specific Communicate Learning Activity. This technique turns an "I talk, you listen" into a collaboration where "they talk, you listen/comment/correct/syn-thesize." It takes the pressure off of you as the sage on the stage while also honoring the experience and thoughts of your adult learners. | |
| 08-2023 | Adjust your teaching speed to meet the needs of the older learner. . . be conscious of the rate at which material is presented. Be aware of offering too much information too fast; regulate the flow of information accordingly. | Deborah Davis in The Adult Learner's Companion: A Guide for the Adult College Student, 2nd ed. |
| 05-2023 | Think-Pair-Share is always a good standby for engaging students. Take it a step further with Think-Pair-Share-Square in which two groups then have to reach agreement with the other groups. - Ken Alford in "What Works and What Doesn't When Teaching Large Classes?" | |
| 02-2023 | Open questions are essential to getting adult learners to express their perspectives and share their experiences. Remember that the term open question in this context does not mean theologically open. As always, the teacher will want to correct any doctrinally incorrect opinions shared while also leading learners ultimately to the correct biblical truth. In this context open question means that the teacher doesn’t know exactly what the learner is going to say before he or she says it. It’s open-ended, whereas a closed question has an immediate, correct answer without much additional discussion needed. Dr. Joye Norris in her book From Teaching to Telling: A Dialogue Approach to Adult Learning (page 40) shares a list of open question examples that can be adapted for use in your studies.
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| 11-2022 | The 10-plus-2 strategy provides a framework that still allows direct instruction while also providing regular opportunities for active learning. The idea is that for every learning block in a lesson, the instructor inputs information for ten minutes and then gives the learners an opportunity to show what they know for two minutes. Some educators might even suggest that that “ten-minute number” should be something more akin to seven or eight minutes and that more time be given to the active learning side of things. Regardless of where you fall on the issue, the point is the same. Schedule a learning activity of some sort in regular intervals throughout your class period. It gives you the opportunity you need to formatively assess, and it gives learners an opportunity to approach the content from a new-to-them perspective. | |
| 09-2022 | Catechism teachers, do you ever have parents ask you for tips to help their children learn memory work? Perhaps consider sharing with them The Mind Palace method of memorizing that’s described in this video. (Full disclosure: there’s a short product pitch from the content producer, but it’s not until the last 20 seconds). A word of caution is probably appropriate about getting too silly with mind pictures when it comes to the words of Scripture. But at the same time, this technique could be a great asset to children who are struggling. And in the end the result is not about remembering a series of mental pictures, but about having a new memory treasure committed to the mind and heart. | |
| 08-2022 | As educators we have a solemn responsibility to create learning tasks that help our learners think hard about what might stop them from practicing the right and good and to help them consider how to deal with those barriers. | Elmer & Elmer, The Learning Cycle, 112 |
| 07-2022 | In the feature article, we referred to moving away from a simple “discuss!” and toward more specific directions with group work. That might entail giving learners specific goals to shoot for (“find 4 things…”) or it might mean narrowing the focus (“what you really need to answer is this…”). But don’t forget that using Bloom’s taxonomy can help you be more specific. | Patricia Armstrong |
| 05-2022 | Many presenters include everything under the sun in their slides “just in case” or to show they are “serious people.” It is common to create slides with lots of text, detailed charts, and so on because the slides will serve as a leave-behind document. This is a big mistake. To be different and effective, use a well-written, detailed document for your handout and well-designed, simple, intelligent graphics for your visuals. | Garr Reynolds in his book Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery |
| 04-2022 | Effortful retrieval makes for stronger learning and retention. We’re easily seduced into believing that learning is better when it’s easier, but the research shows the opposite: When the mind has to work, learning sticks better. | Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, Mark A. McDaniel in their book Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning |
| 03-2022 | If information is important, provide it for your learners. Why make them guess? Instead, ask them open questions about the information you give them so they can make personal meaning of it. Why spend valuable time undoing guesses when learners could be doing something more meaningful? | Dr. Joye Norris from her book "Telling to Teaching: A Dialogue Approach to Adult Learning" |
| 02-2022 | Formative Assessment expert Dylan William says that educators need less table tennis and more basketball in their classrooms. By “table tennis” he means the back and forth that exists between teacher and students. The teacher initiates by asking the question, a student responds, the teacher evaluates the answer (I-R-E). Can you see how “basketball” teaching might be different? The teacher passes the question to one student and then the conversation is passed to another student who builds off that answer and then the conversation is passed to still another student who builds off that answer. “I’ll ask you a question. Then I’ll ask (another student) what you think of his answer. Then I’ll go to (another student) for an explanation.” William refers to the teaching strategy as Pose (ask the question), Pause (wait for a bit), Pounce (call on one student), Bounce (send the conversation to another student). It’s a way to encourage student voice and to curb the temptation for the teacher to jump in too quickly and explain everything. This short video shows William explaining the strategy and others that can help remedy I-R-E. | |
| 01-2022 | When universally designing a [math] lesson, a teacher would ensure there were numerous options and choices to support learners, including access to a calculator, math reference sheets, opportunities to collaborate, a word bank, “done problems” to use as models, and opportunities to work with the teacher in small groups. Additionally, the teacher would ensure there are more challenging problems, opportunities to apply mathematics, and enrichment opportunities. All of these supports, scaffolds, and challenges would be provided as options for all learners. Think of them as a buffet of resources. | Pastor Donald W. Patterson, Teaching Like Jesus WLS Symposium, 2005 |
| 11-2021 | What does that mean for our teaching? It means that we must live with our people. If our contact with the families in our congregations is only in the sanctuary, fellowship hall, or classroom, then we have diminished our ability to teach them. "Whoever gives the time gets the heart." So here are some suggestions for living with your people. Go to some of the games the children of your congregation play at the local soccer fields on Saturday. Comment on their performance. Praise only, please. Be sad with them when they lose. Jump up and down and hug them when they win. Other thoughts: bring cookies to school for other staff members. Play golf and go fishing even if it is not your thing. Visit your members at their work for lunch. Phone them on their birthdays. Stop by their homes for no reason at all. | Katie Novak, UDL and Blended Learning |
| 09-2021 | Those who engage with a new concept only once or twice typically won't recall it at a later time, while those who engage with it three or more times typically will. You might therefore assume that if you simply repeat an idea three times it is bound to stick. Unfortunately, this isn't the case. Just think of the hundreds of radio commercials that repeat a phone number three times in quick succession; I doubt you remember the details from very many. This means pure repetition is not enough. In order for the concept to be learned, each exposure must be deliberate and explicit. If people do not consciously think about and/or interact with information, they will never learn it. | Jared Cooney Horvath, Stop Talking Start Influencing |
| 08-2021 | One more simple (but oh so smart!) bit of advice from Doug Lemov on learning objectives: Once your objective is complete, POST IT in a visible location in your room—the same location every day—so everyone who walks into the room, your students as well as peers and administrators, can identify your purpose for teaching that day in as plain English as possible. | Doug Lemov, Teach Like a Champion |
| 07-2021 | One way to incorporate more relevant communicate activities into your lessons is to anticipate the hard questions that might come out of the passages or the topic you’re studying during your lesson prep. Ask your adult learners to share their thoughts on how to answer those hard questions as a specific communicate learning activity. This technique turns an “I talk, you listen” into a collaboration where “they talk, you listen/comment/ correct/synthesize.” It takes the pressure off of you as the sage on the stage while also honoring the experience and thoughts of your adult learners. | |
| 06-2021 | “In students’ eyes an important component of a successful learning is regarding the teacher as both an authority and an ally. As an authority, students want to know that their teachers have something useful and important to offer and that they know their stuff. As an ally, students want to know that their teachers are genuinely concerned with helping them learn and that classroom activities, grading rubrics, and homework assignments are all designed with that in mind . . . all of which is to say they want to feel that you're dealing with them honestly in an adult way.” | Stephen Brookfield from his book “The Skillful Teacher” |
| 04-2021 | "In his book When Students Have Power (1996), Ira Shor describes the Siberia zone that exists in every college classroom. This is the part of the classroom farthest away from the teacher’s body, usually the last row of the auditorium or the seat in class by the door at the back of the room. If the teacher’s body or desk represents Moscow, the center of party authority, then the seat by the door represents Siberia, the territorial area furthest from central authority. . . . Ira describes how he deals with Siberia by moving there and speaking from that zone. Simply walking to the back of a lecture theater and giving a lecture from that location is a dramatic, powerful gesture, one that breaks with the thousands of hours students have experienced listening to, or ignoring, the teacher standing or sitting at the front of the room by the chalkboard." | Stephen Brookfield from his book “The Skillful Teacher” |
| 03-2021 | Multi-level classes are hard and every class is multi-level. Students in every class have a range of ability. Structure the course to engage everyone, taking advantage of students’ differences rather than ignoring them. For an explicitly multi-level class, such as martial arts or ESL class with beginning through advanced students, you can start by having students work with others of the same level, and then switch to working with students of other levels for a while. You can even pair up advanced and beginning students for in-class tutoring. | Dan Spalding |
| 02-2021 | Whether they know it or not, students come to you because they’ve hit the limit of what they can learn in their comfort zone. This leads me to conclude that, in order to maximize student learning, teachers must make students uncomfortable. Your job is to create a thoughtful, supportive environment that invites (or forces) students to attempt new challenges and learn from them. . . . Get students into the discomfort zone as much as possible. That’s where learning lives. | Dan Spalding |
| 12-2020 | Your lessons should include visual, kinesthetic and auditory elements to make sure all types of learners are included. Handouts and graphs, in-depth classroom discussions, and role-playing should all form a part of your lesson planning in order to achieve this. Basically, you need to get adult students involved in the process of learning on as many levels as you can. | |
| 10-2020 | Adults, even more than children, need to be in an environment that is conducive to learning. That means good lighting, good line of sight for all students to the whiteboard or teacher, and appropriate use of technology. Even comfortable chairs will make a difference. | |
| 09-2020 | Regarding the flipped classroom: Reviewing materials beforehand and turning a lecture into an interactive working session yields statistically significant improvements in engagement, test scores, and overall long-term learning. | Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching |
| 08-2020 | As you begin to incorporate active learning practices, it’s a good idea to explain to your students why you’re doing so. Talking to your students about their learning not only helps build a supportive classroom environment, but can also help them develop their metacognitive skills (and thus their ability to become independent learners). | adapted from a quote by Cynthia J. Brame – Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching |
| 07-2020 | When beginning a new study or new topic, solicit feedback from learners to find out what they already know or need to know to understand what you want them to learn. Distribute a brief questionnaire about the upcoming topic, or ask for a show of hands or thumbs-up to gauge what’s already known. | |
| 06-2020 | To serve today’s students well, it is incumbent upon teachers to understand if, when, and how to incorporate technology into the classroom. While some measure of technology is not only beneficial but necessary for optimizing the education of today’s digital natives, it must be used with care, deliberation, and strategy if the reality is to live up to the promise. | Sam Bowman |
| 02-2020 | Stand when presenting new content, sit when facilitating dialogue. One should probably be sitting more than standing if this guideline is followed. Sit down with your students when possible and become a learner among learners. Although with large groups this may not be possible (as you need to be able to see everyone), the desired shift in power can still be communicated by inviting learners to engage with the learning rather than only the teacher, and encouraging dialogue with each other and themselves rather than only with you. | Jeanette Romkema and Dan Haase from Global Learning Partners |
| 01-2020 | Learners need to know when they will need to use the new content. If you can highlight that they will need it this week when they are at work, in their home, or out with their friends, engagement will be higher. You help this by: 1) always being specific about the time and place something can be used i.e. “This week when you are at work, you could…” 2) making final decisions at the end of a session specific to their day-to-day life. i.e. “Think of decision you need to make at the end of this week, …” | |
| 12-2019 | Remember what it is like to learn something for the first time. Give students time to process information and answer questions. Know that it is fine for students to make mistakes if they can learn from them. Realize that learning can be hard work, even for the most motivated students. | |
| 11-2019 | When the blahs strike, I try to look for a way to completely—albeit temporarily—abandon correctness, coverage, consistency, or control in favor of getting students engaged. Besides all the good learning that results, I feel a pedagogical rush when my students turn on their brains and produce new knowledge. We all get engaged, and we all move a bit closer to learning “happily ever after.” | E. Shelly Reid, Assoc. Prof. and Dir. of Composition George Mason University |
| 10-2019 | “Find out what your group knows about a topic before you begin a new lesson. Divide them into teams of four and present the topic. Ask them to brainstorm and list as many ideas or questions as they can come up with in a given amount of time.” | Catherine Rasmussen, Extension Professor University of Minnesota |
| 09-2019 | “To promote effective retrieval, at the end of class ask students to put their notes away and force themselves to remember what was covered.” | James Lang, Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence at Assumption College |
| 08-2019 | When advertising and promoting an upcoming Bible study, present specific benefits the learners will get through the course. Growing in faith and knowledge of the Word are obvious gains of a Bible study, but naming some blessings might help. For example, when promoting a study of 1 Corinthians, you might list what kind of problems can exist within a Christian congregation and note that the study will teach how God handles them. | |
| 07-2019 | Moving around the room in three-dimensional space is something that a flat image on a screen can never achieve. The enthusiasm and energy of a teacher who is moving around to be close to the students send a clear message: “This is great material that is worth learning.” | |
| 06-2019 | If you don’t have a suitable answer to a learner’s question, don’t try to stumble through an inaccurate response. Simply say, “I don’t know—let me get back to you.” Then, after class, you can take the time you need to determine the proper answer and return with it for the next study. Trying to fake that you know an answer when you truly do not causes your credibility to crumble, and you can end up making a big mess of things. Being honest about not knowing shows that you are human, and coming back with a solid answer shows that you care. | Modified from an article at Teaching for Learning at McGill University |
| 05-2019 | To tap into people’s experiences and to encourage them to more thoroughly explore a text and how it applies, ask questions that have multiple correct answers. For example, “Which verses from 1 Corinthians 15 give you the most encouragement?” will generate more discussion than “What does 1 Corinthians 15:58 say?” | |
| 04-2019 | In order to avoid becoming a stuck and stubborn teacher, a successful educator takes time to reflect on their methods, their delivery, and the way they connect with their students. Reflection is necessary to uncover those weaknesses that can be strengthened with a bit of resolve and understanding. | |
| 03-2019 | When teaching adults, youth, and older children, try to ask “open-ended” questions: questions that may not have a single answer. Stay away from “closed-ended” questions: questions that can be answered with a simple, regurgitated answer, or a “yes” or “no.” For example, instead of asking, ‘How many loaves of bread and how many fish did Jesus have when he fed the 5000’ (a closed question), ask, ‘Jesus had only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish when he fed the 5000. For what reasons might God have told us the exact amount of food he had at the beginning?’ (an open question). Be patient when waiting for answers. Count to five or ten slowly to yourself. If you answer your own question, then learners will learn to let you do so always! Give your learners time to think before they answer the question. | |
| 02-2019 | Make a list of favorite practices of your past teachers that helped you to learn. Make another list of your least favorite practices of your past teachers. Incorporate the former ideas and avoid the latter, unless it would help the teaching process to bring in some of the unpleasant practices. | |
| 01-2019 | Don’t fear silence! Learners will eventually talk. While we may think the silence is long, learners need time to process your questions and come up with answers. Give them a chance to think and they will eventually talk. In fact, you may want to silently count slowly to 10 or 15 to force yourself to wait long enough for students to think and respond. | |
| 12-2018 | One of the principles of learning is that immediate application improves learning. As soon as possible after you teach new content, have the students think about and verbalize how they can apply the new and relevant information to their lives. | |
| 11-2018 | Most adults have job and family responsibilities that keep their schedules full. Though you want the class to be comfortable and conversational, don’t waste a lot of time on small talk. Be prepared to move the class along so students won’t feel that you are wasting their time. | |
| 10-2018 | Many of the people you will teach may not have been in school for many years. They might be hesitant to ask questions. Experienced teachers have found that asking, “What questions do you have?” elicits many more questions than asking, “Do you have any questions?” That slight change in wording implies you are expecting questions. Then pause for seven seconds to give people the opportunity to construct their questions. | |
| 09-2018 | Take five minutes at the end of each class to ask students to summarize the ideas presented, to apply information to a new situation, or to write their reactions to the day's class. Doing so throughout the course can help you know what you can do to strengthen your teaching. | |
| 08-2018 | Consider using e-mail or text messages between class sessions to generate comments or questions for discussion. Out-of-class discussions can increase the interest level and class participation. | |
| 07-2018 | Take advantage of the pre-class lull by posting a thought-provoking question or statement for students to see as they're filing in. This helps get them ready to learn, so that when the class starts, you're off and running. | |
| 06-2018 | Many television series start each week's episode with a recap of what happened the previous week. It's a good strategy for faculty as well, and it can help refocus students' attention and get them ready to learn. | |
| 05-2018 | Be well organized. A lesson that flows logically will be easier to follow. Hand out a list of ideas for topics that you plan to cover so that students can see where you have been and where you are going. | |
| 04-2018 | Respect the fact that the members of your class will have differing learning styles. Learn about the various styles, and try to include questions and activities that will appeal to people with a variety of learning styles. | |
| 03-2018 | When you are concluding your presentation of a section of Scripture, ask real questions that guide the students to dig into the content of the section. Use "Does anyone have any questions?" only occasionally. | |
| 02-2018 | Consider using e-mail to encourage class participation. Send one question for class participants to consider during the week and to whet their appetites for the next session. | |
| 01-2018 | In class discussion, when no amount of rephrasing a question or waiting for a student response elicits any, say, "Help me understand what makes that a difficult question to answer." | |
| 11-2017 | Good teachers take time to learn. It not only broadens the pool of knowledge they can share and thus makes their classes more interesting, but it inspires enthusiasm for the topic. Enthusiasm tends to be contagious. | |
| 10-2017 | Shift your focus from "covering" to "uncovering" content. In the process, you'll get students engaged in analysis, application, and problem-solving. | |
| 10-2017 | About 75% of what we learn comes through the sense of sight. About 13% comes through the sense of hearing. When an instructor uses words alone, students will remember some facts. When the instructor uses pictures alone, students remember more than three times as much information. But if the instructor uses both words and pictures, students will retain more than six times as much information. | |
| 09-2017 | The article accessed in the Additum section discusses the development of lessons by looking first at your goals for the lesson. Today’s teaching tip is that you discuss your goal for each session with the class. Adults will be motivated to study a particular course if they understand how they will benefit from the study. For example: If your goal for a lesson on the Lord’s Supper is that the students will understand and be able to articulate the rationale for the doctrine of close Communion, express that goal. You might do that by giving an example of a time when that knowledge could be important to them. | |
| 06-2017 | Remembering Information. At the end of the class, ask class members to summarize key thoughts that you taught or discussed. This activity helps move class content into the long-term memory. | |
| 04-2017 | If the class material is weighty and detailed, adults will benefit if you "chunk" the information. Chunking refers to the approach of breaking long strings of information into chunks or smaller units so that the short-term memory is better able to assimilate the information. | |
| 03-2017 | To encourage class members to think about the Bible study throughout the week, consider giving a take-home assignment. It may simply be a thoughtful question that will serve as a hook to lead into the next lesson. It could be an assignment to look for applications to what they discussed in class in the news stories of the week. You might want to send the question/assignment home on a small note that participants could put up on their refrigerators. You may also take it one step further and use this as an impetus for spiritual discussion within the family. Ask the participants to discuss a question with a spouse, friend, or family member. To make this most effective, you may need to make it a regular practice so the class members get into the habit. | |
| 02-2017 | If the subject of your Bible class is rather complex or requires a lot of context, such as an explanation of the historical setting, avoid cognitive overload. If student pages contain long text sections, try to incorporate numbered or bulleted lists. Or, you may be able to break these sections into smaller units that students can process more easily. | |
| 01-2017 | At the end of your class, you might ask the participants to take five minutes to write a summary of what they learned or to write a reaction to the class. An alternative would be to present a hypothetical situation and ask them to apply what they learned to that situation. As they think through the class discussion and write their responses, they will be transferring what they heard into long-term memory. | |
| 12-2016 | Vary your daily presentation. One-way communication holds your audience's attention for about 20 minutes. Vary what you do (talk, listen, move about, use materials, etc.) and what your students are asked to do (talk, listen, move about, use materials, etc.). | From the U of Nebraska-Lincoln, Office of Graduate Studies |
| 11-2016 | Adjust your teaching speed to meet the needs of the older learner. . .be conscious of the rate at which material is presented. Be aware of offering too much information too fast; regulate the flow of information accordingly. | Deborah Davis in The Adult Learner's Companion: A Guide for the Adult College Student, 2nd ed. |
| 10-2016 | Think/pair/share is always a good standby for engaging students. Take it a step further with think/pair/share/square in which two groups then have to reach agreement with the other groups. | Ken Alford in What Works and What Doesn't When Teaching Large Classes |
| 09-2016 | In class discussion, when no amount of rephrasing a question or waiting for a student response elicits any, ask, "Help me understand what makes that a difficult question to answer?" | Linda Shadiow, Teaching Professor Conference Advisory Board |
| 08-2016 | Most television series start each week's episode with a recap of what happened the previous week. It's a good strategy for faculty as well, and it can help refocus students' attention and get them ready to learn. | Ike Shibley in 23 Practical Strategies to Help New Teachers Thrive? |
| 07-2016 | Take advantage of the pre-class lull by posting a thought-provoking question or statement for students to see as they're filing in. This helps get them ready to learn, so that when the class starts, you're off and running. | Tyler Griffin in What Works and What Doesn't When Teaching Large Classes? |
| 06-2016 | Lower-level questions need not be simple yes-no questions. For example, if the content describes a four-step process, rather than getting students to simply restate those steps, you can have them select which step is their favorite or state which they think is the most important and why. | Online Classroom |
| 05-2016 | Doing group work well requires planning, maintenance, closure, and reflection. It also requires problem-solving and conflict resolution skills. Research shows that it can be worth the effort, as it improves outcomes and satisfaction. | Claire Howell Major in Choosing and Using Group Work Activities in the College Classroom |
| 04-2016 | Shift your focus from "covering" to "uncovering" content. In the process, you'll get students engaged in analysis, application, and problem-solving. | Nicki Monahan in Taming the Monster: Rethinking the Role of Content |
| 03-2016 | Use your eyes to encourage more student interaction and engagement during discussions. When a student begins talking, if they are only looking at you while making their point, start with eye contact and nodding to them, but then start looking at other students. This has four benefits: (1) It cues them to consider other students as they talk. (2) You can see how well other students are tracking the discussion. (3) The student who's talking receives subtle feedback on when to stop. (4) It encourages other students to reply directly to their peer's comment. | Ray Cramer, IslandWood |
| 02-2016 | Allow chaos. Students should learn to tolerate some uncertainty and vagueness in the learning process. "Figuring it out" is part of the learning. | Berlin Fang in "How to Avoid Being a Helicopter Professor" |
| 01-2016 | When it comes to integrating technology into your teaching, don't use the most complex technology available, but rather use the simplest technology to accomplish what you need. | Tyler Griffin in "How Can I Use technology to Improve Learning?" |
| 10-2015 | Other Guidelines for Writing and Setting a Learning Task | Paul Nitz |
| 08-2015 | Group work in the classroom: types of small groups | Univ. of Waterloo |
| 08-2015 | 4 Tips for Working With Small Groups | Daniel Schroeder |
Miscellaneous ▾
| 05-2016 | Revelation 1-3, Lesson 7 | Stephen Geiger |
| 05-2016 | Revelation 1-3, Lesson 6 | Stephen Geiger |
| 04-2016 | Revelation 1-3, Lesson 5 | Stephen Geiger |
| 03-2016 | Revelation 1-3, Lesson 4 | Stephen Geiger |
| 02-2016 | Revelation 1-3, Lesson 3 | Stephen Geiger |
| 02-2016 | Revelation 1-3, Lesson 2 | Stephen Geiger |
| 01-2016 | Revelation 1-3, Lesson 1 | Stephen Geiger |
| 07-2015 | Same Sex Marriage Bible Study (1 Lesson) Student Lesson PDF / .doc - Leader's Guide PDF / .doc | William Monday |
| 04-2015 | Treasure in Jars of Clay: The Synergy Between the Instrumental and Ministerial Causes in God's Plan of Salvation | Jonathan Hein |