Teacher Training | Christian Ministry Training Blog

Teacher Training: You Need a Plan

Posted on August 24, 2011 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — No Comments ↓

Teacher Training Plan I’ve worked full-time in a church as a Director of Christian Education. I know the many details to which someone in this position must attend. I served as a volunteer leader of Sunday School and have directed Vacation Bible School. I know what it is like to juggle work and family responsibilities with all there is to do in directing a Sunday School program or VBS.

Out of that background, of having served in the educational ministry of a church in both paid and volunteer positions, I have drawn this conclusion about teacher training: You need a plan!

Why You Need a Plan for Teacher Training

Both full-time staff and volunteer leaders are busy. Other week to week responsibilities can quickly consume your time, etching out a long-range effort of equipping teachers. Developing a plan will put teacher training on your schedule of important tasks not to be overlooked.

The people you recruit are at varying places in Bible knowledge, teaching experience, and skills that need to be honed. Because you are so busy, it is all too easy to settle for a one-size-fits all approach to teacher training. Developing a plan will increase the likelihood of providing training tailored to individual teachers.

The people you recruit are also busy. To include training into their hectic schedules, they need sufficiently advanced notice of these expectations and they need to feel it is worth their time. Developing a training plan will communicate the worth you place on equipping and will enable you to avoid last minute notifications. You will be able to share training opportunities when recruiting so people know what to expect.

Learn more at TrainBibleTeacher.com: Teacher Training Plan

More Help with Bible Teachers Training

Click on the links below to posts that address more Teacher Training Needs:

Also get help in this resource: Teacher Training Module (The module, which can be ordered separately, is part of the Christian Education Files resource.)

Classroom Discipline Must Get Beyond

Posted on May 11, 2011 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — No Comments ↓

Classroom discipline, as well as disciplining in the home, needs to get . . .

Classroom Discipline

beyond merely telling them what to do to solving the problem together
beyond merely stopping the misbehavior to helping them become who they should be
beyond merely dealing with symptoms to getting to the core of the issue
beyond merely confronting the individual to protecting him/her and others from harm (physical, social, psychological, emotional, etc.)

Acrostic to Help Understand What It Takes for Classroom Discipline to Get Beyond

To get beyond, we must have the right focus, purpose, and pursuit in disciplining. This acrostic will help you take discipline beyond mere crowd control to aligning more with God’s intent in disciplining as seen in how He disciplines us as His children (Heb. 12:5-11).

D – Dignity must be guarded by avoiding tactics that ridicule, demean, or put them down.

I – Involvement in establishing rules and consequences must be sought to bring a greater sense of ownership.

S – Spirit of God must be at work to provide motivation and enablement to do good.

C – Character development must be essential so they become who they should “be” in Christ, not just “do” the right things.

I – Intrinsic Motivation must be the long-range objective, not mere outward conformity.

P – Peer Relationships must be protected by dealing with most issues privately as social acceptance and belonging are important.

L – Learning must be the goal requiring a conducive environment and an instructive purpose in disciplining.

I – Importance of the individual must be stressed which can eliminate much attention-getting behavior.

N – Needs must be met which requires discerning the core issues as needs usually motivate behavior.

E – Expectations must be communicated leaving them without excuse in bearing responsibility for their choices.

Look at the way you discipline in light of the above. Ask God to help you get beyond.

Learn more in the Handbook on the Basics of Classroom Discipline.

3 More Important Lessons for Bible Teachers from the Master Teacher

Posted on October 18, 2010 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 1 Comment ↓

Lessons from Jesus, the Master Teacher In a previous post we looked at 3 important lessons from the Master Teacher:

His Power Source
His Character
His Methodology

As the Master Teacher, we will find in Jesus many more important lessons for us as Bible teachers. Let’s look at three more lessons.

3 Important Lessons for Bible Teachers from the Example of the Master Teacher, Jesus

1) Authority of the Master Teacher: Though God Himself, Jesus submitted to the Father. He spoke and acted as the Father directed (Jn. 5:19, 30; 10:18; 14:10). He let the Father set the parameters, not Himself. He yielded His will to the Father’s will, even when it meant a cruel and torturous death (Matt. 26:39; Phil. 2:5-8). He made sure others knew the Father was the standard and that they were not to believe Him unless He did what His Father did (Jn. 10:37).

Questions for Bible Teachers:

Do you seek to speak truth based on God’s Word and not your own opinions and not in accordance with this world’s system?
Do you seek to line up all your teaching with God, even when you don’t feel like it or it isn’t convenient?
Do you seek to make it clear that in and of yourself, though you are the teacher, you have no authority apart from God and His Word?

Help for Bible Teachers:

Worksheet: Biblical Authority versus the Authoritarian and Permissive Teachers

2) Approach of the Master Teacher: Though Jesus knew all things, He didn’t inundate people with everything He knew. He didn’t tell all the answers to their questions. He used an approach that made them think. He often threw it back on them in the form of a questions, sometimes answering a question with a question. (See: Matt. 16:13; 22:45-46; 23:17; Mk. 2:25-26; 3:4; 8:29; 10:3)

Questions for Bible Teachers:

Do you see your role as more of a teller, dispensing truth into the lives of your students, or as a guide, enabling students to think it through and discover truth on their own?
Do you use questions effectively?

Help for Bible Teachers:

Worksheet: Work Your Way Through the Lesson with Questions

3) Accommodation of the Master Teacher: Jesus knew how to connect with people, to meet them where they were. Though He was God, He refrained from using lofty language that would show His academic superiority. He spoke using words and concepts from their everyday life. Jesus was a master at using object lessons to teach truths in order to make a bridge from the known to the unknown (Matt. 18:1-6; 22:15-22).

Questions for Bible Teachers:

Are you connecting with your students using vocabulary and concepts they are able to understand?
Do you effectively use illustrations, whether that be word pictures, visuals, stories, or object lessons, that fit within their abilities, interests, and everyday lives?

Help for Bible Teachers:

Worksheet: Tips for Using Object Lessons

3 Important Lessons for Bible Teachers from the Master Teacher

Posted on September 2, 2010 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 6 Comments ↓

Jesus Teaching - The Master Teacher
Jesus’ teaching ministry provides many valuable lessons for Bible teachers today.

What Bible Teachers Can Learn from Jesus, the Master Teacher

Here are just three of the many lessons we can learn about teaching God’s Word from the Master Teacher:

His Power Source: submission to God as seen in His prayer life

Jesus enveloped what He did with prayer. He prayed before, during, and after. “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Lk. 5:16). He made prayer a priority. He had purpose in praying. His disciples learned the value of prayer from His example. “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray'” (Lk. 11:1).

Question for Bible Teachers: Are your students learning from your example of submission and dependence on the Father?

Help for Bible Teachers: Praying Like You Truly Believe HE is the Source of All You Need

His Character: servanthood as seen in His selfless acts of love for others

Jesus laid aside His heavenly glory, “taking the very nature of a servant” (Phil. 2:7). “For even the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mk. 10:45). “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (Jn. 15:13). Jesus invested into the lives of His students. He did not merely teach lessons.

Question for Bible Teachers: Are you truly there to serve students and not merely teach a lesson?

Help for Bible Teachers: DISCIPLESHIP: Isn’t teaching a lesson enough?

His Methodology: storytelling as seen in His constant use of parables

While Jesus used a variety of methods, His primary means of reaching the masses was through parables (stories) as seen in Matthew 13:34-35 and Mark 4:33-34. Jesus used familiar objects and situations from their culture in stories to make connections. People were able to identify with the characters or situations which challenged them to want to understand more (Mk. 4:10) or make up their minds about what they would do with the Truth (Matt. 21:45-46).

Question for Bible Teachers: Are you effectively using stories to connect with your students?

Help for Bible Teachers: Keys to Visualizing the Story Without Visual Aids

More Lessons: 3 More Important Lessons for Bible Teachers from the Master Teacher

The Role of Curriculum in Teaching the Bible

Posted on May 21, 2010 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 6 Comments ↓

The Christian Education ministry of a church spent a lot of time researching which curriculum to choose, resulting in a choice they believed would fit their church. With this curriculum, over the course of time, people would potentially receive a well-rounded Bible education.

Teacher Reactions to the Chosen Curriculum

As they observed their teachers, they noted polar reactions to the role of the curriculum:

Some teachers wouldn’t leave home without it.

These were teachers who were overly reliant on the curriculum. They followed it to the letter, exercising little creative thought, making curriculum their all in all. Some even taught with the teacher’s manual in hand, reading word for word. If teaching didn’t go well, then they blamed the curriculum.

Other teachers would rather leave it at home.

These were teachers who used the curriculum begrudgingly, viewing curriculum as a noose around their necks. They would rather completely do their own thing but since the curriculum was required, they did just enough to make it appear like they were using the curriculum. If teaching didn’t go well, then they blamed it on being confined by the curriculum.

Training Needed about the Role of the Curriculum and How to Use It

What the Christian Education ministry skipped in the process, was training teachers on how to use the curriculum.

First, they needed to communicate why curriculum was necessary. It was a means of keeping students on track to potentially receive a well-rounded Biblical education. If teaching was not coordinated through the use of curriculum, it was possible content could be duplicated or overlapped within a short period of time and some important truths missed altogether. Curriculum was not a substitute for the Bible but rather a tool to teach the Bible.

Second, they needed to present the curriculum as a a guide. While it was important to use the curriculum, it was not expected that teachers had to teach it word for word. At the same time, it did serve to keep everyone on track and so it was important to use it.

Third, they needed to emphasize that teachers held a critical part in making sure the lesson went well. They couldn’t always blame the curriculum when teaching didn’t go well. They needed to make any adjustments necessary to insure that the lesson plan fit their students.

Hidden Messages in Disciplining

Posted on April 22, 2010 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 4 Comments ↓

If the message we, as parents or teachers, want children to receive when we discipline doesn’t get through, perhaps it’s because we’re sending hidden messages in disciplining.

Reasons for Hidden Messages in Disciplining

Sometimes the message we intend to send when disciplining is not received that way because our words don’t match our actions or the way they’re presented.

Words and actions do not match: Inconsistency
We say one thing and do another.

Words and demeanor do not match: Mixed message
We say one thing but our tone of voice or body language say another.

Words and intent do not match: Empty threats
We say one thing but mean another.

If this is the cases, don’t be surprised when behavior doesn’t change.

Sometimes our words do match our actions, demeanor, and intent but don’t align with what we teach. The parent or teacher feels frustration, anger, apathy, or disrespect and it’s coming through. Even then, we could think we are merely communicating our feelings about their behavior but they might be receiving a different message like:

The parent/teacher doesn’t really care about me. — It’s all about the parent/teacher, not the student.

The parent/teacher thinks I’m stupid or hopeless. — It’s about putting children in their place, not helping them do better.

If this is the cases, don’t be surprised when behavior doesn’t change.

Guard Against Discipline Messages That Do Little to Change Behavior

When you discipline, think before you speak. Examine your heart. Line up with God’s intent and focus in disciplining. Choose your words carefully. And then follow that proverbial wisdom to “say what you mean and mean what you say.”

Help for Bible Teachers: