The real role of leadership in education is not and should not be command and control. The real role of leadership is climate control, creating a climate of possibility. And if you do that, people will rise to it and achieve things that you completely did not anticipate and couldn't have expected.--Ken Robinson, "How to escape Education's Death Valley"Death Valley is not dead...it's dormant, and neither is our school room at times. Let's bring it to life by creating the right kind of environment!
Several months ago my husband performed the baptism
of a dear friend. As I sat in the service, my mind and heart raced over
her years of preparation for that single event—the principles carefully
taught, constantly observed, and quietly accepted, the acknowledgment
of God’s hand in life events, the sweet confirmation of the Spirit as
difficult, but right, choices were made. My mind recalled the past and
rejoiced in the present, and I couldn’t help but anticipate the future. I
hoped with all my heart that this good woman would remain actively
connected to The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints for the rest of her life—that she would continue
to learn and live the gospel and experience the fulness of its
blessings.
This morning, as I remember those hopes, I think about the 375,469
1
others who were baptized last year. And then I think of the rest
of us, the roughly nine million who have stepped into the waters of
baptism sometime in the past. Though our stories are individual, each of
us came to that ordinance having been taught the true doctrines of the
kingdom, having felt the Spirit, having understood how the doctrines fit
into the context of our lives, and having demonstrated a willingness to
try always to live those truths.
It
seems too hard to think about the possibility, even the probability,
that not all of us will continue to “cling to the Church and live its
principles.”
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Many of us will leave and never return to this happy fellowship.
Some of us will leave for a time and find our way back with a
heightened sense of gratitude
for participation in the kingdom of God on earth. The reality of life
is that each of us is daily at risk for drifting or even marching into
inactivity.
There
are so many things in place to help us remain active. This morning I
would like to talk about just one of them. I would like to suggest that
the ordinary Church classroom is a powerful setting for steady and
continued growth in the gospel.
Sunday
School, priesthood, Relief Society, Young Women, Primary, seminary, and
institute classes may be held in dedicated buildings, under a tree, or
in a home. But each class is part of a plan for lifelong gospel
learning. We can have great expectations for the power of those learning
hours! Church classes provide a place where we can repeatedly
experience the very things that brought us into the waters of baptism,
where we learn doctrine and receive the ratifying witness of its truth,
where we come to understand how doctrine is applied in the reality of
our daily lives and accept the challenge to change our behavior
accordingly.
The fundamental curriculum for all classes in the Church is the scriptures
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—they contain the unchanging doctrines of the kingdom of God.
These truths are what brought us into the Church. If we fail to continue
learning them, we may not stay. “You shall teach one another the
doctrine of the kingdom … that ye may be prepared in all things.”
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Elder Boyd K. Packer said, “True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior.”
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How do we know which doctrine to teach each week? It is stated in the lesson objective. But how do we come to understand the doctrine in a way that it will change our attitudes and behavior?
In
order to really understand, we have to see the way doctrine is applied.
In the lesson manuals, the suggested stories, examples, activities, and
games are intended to help the learners understand doctrine in
real-life settings.
Because
the daily life of people varies so much in the 160 different countries
where we have organized classes, the stories and examples in the manuals
may sometimes confuse the learners. Teachers can prayerfully make
adaptations, always taking care that the learning activities chosen
truly reflect the doctrine.
A
teacher’s goal is greater than just delivering a lecture about truth.
It is to invite the Spirit and use techniques which will enhance the
possibility that the learner will discover the truth for herself and
then be motivated to apply it. Although some seem to be born teachers,
teaching skills can successfully be learned. Where can you go as a
teacher to enhance your skills? Could you watch and learn from others?
Perhaps approach an admired teacher, asking him to observe and offer
suggestions? What about your Primary presidency, if you are a Primary
teacher, or your Sunday School presidency, if you teach Sunday School?
Asking your ward teacher development coordinator for regular and
specific help would put you in touch with a multitude of resources.
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We don’t have to struggle alone in this Church. There is help
everywhere. We can prayerfully and courageously seek to learn and
practice new techniques.
I
had a conversation once with a young man I cannot forget. His story of
activity, complete inactivity, and a return to activity included the
description of two classrooms. He said: “When I was about 15, I started
to have a lot of questions about the Church. I thought maybe there would
be a chance to talk about my questions at church, but it didn’t happen.
In priesthood it seemed like most of the time everybody talked about
the game the night before. Sunday School was about the same—maybe a
little lesson thrown in during the last five minutes where the teacher
asked questions, and it was kind of
‘guess-the-right-answer-from-the-manual-time.’”
Well,
other things happened—late Saturday nights, a switch to an earlier
meeting schedule—and soon the young man’s attendance dropped to nothing.
Several years passed by until he found himself in church again. This
time his face lit up as he described his Sunday School class:
“The
teacher was this unimpressive-looking guy, but he was so excited about
what he was teaching. He didn’t waste a minute. He asked important
questions. Everyone had their scriptures. They looked up verses. Shared
ideas. They listened to each other. They talked about problems at school
and how they fit in with the lesson. You could tell that the people in
the class were all different, but they had one amazing thing in
common—they were all interested in learning the gospel. After five
minutes, I knew that this was a good place for me.”
What
a difference in those experiences! Can you imagine hundreds of
thousands of classrooms every Sunday, each with a teacher who
understands that “the learning has to be done by the pupil. Therefore it
is the pupil who has to be put into action. 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 that he
is interfering with the learning of the class members.”
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A
skilled teacher doesn’t think, “What shall I do in class today?” but
asks, “What will my students do in class today?”; not, “What will I
teach today?” but rather, “How will I help my students discover what
they need to know?”
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The skilled teacher does not want students who leave the class
talking about how magnificent and unusual the teacher is. This teacher
wants students who leave talking about how magnificent the gospel is!
Learning
occurs best in an atmosphere of trust and safety. This means that each
person’s questions and contributions are respected. When we feel safe
and included, we can ask questions that will help us to understand the
gospel. We can share insights and faith that might help someone else.
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We can stumble without embarrassment as we try to apply the
lessons taught. Conversely, when we feel that we must protect and defend
ourselves or seem more righteous than we are, our energy is used
counterproductively and our learning and the learning of others is
severely limited. Maintaining a climate of trust and safety is a
responsibility the teacher and the learners share.
I have heard Sister Janette Beckham, Young Women general president, talk simply about teaching a class. She says:
“It
is the teacher’s responsibility to introduce the lesson and help lay
the groundwork. The middle part belongs to the students where they
participate and work toward understanding and application. Then the
teacher must watch the time, because she owns the last few minutes of
class. She has a responsibility to clarify and summarize the doctrine
taught so that learners will not leave confused about the message. Then
she can bear personal testimony of the principle under discussion.”
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In
conclusion, will you come with me into a classroom of 12- and
13-year-old young women. Listen as you hear the learners discover
doctrine. Notice the experience the teacher provides for the learners so
that they can connect the doctrine to the reality of their lives. Feel
the accompanying witness of the Spirit:
Our
teacher moves her chair closer into the semicircle of five girls. “We
have a guest waiting outside,” she begins. “It is Sister Jonas. She has
agreed to show us her tiny baby and tell us how she feels about being a
new mother. As you watch this new little baby, would you also notice his
mother, how she treats the baby, what she does, what she says. We’ll
talk about her visit after she leaves.”
Sister
Jonas comes in, spends seven or eight minutes talking about her baby
and answering questions. The girls thank her, and she leaves the
classroom.
“The
baby was darling, wasn’t he?” our teacher responds to the delighted hum
of the class. “But what did you notice about the mother?”
A
minute of silence and then a response: “Well, she was happy.” Another:
“She kind of rocked back and forth the whole time she was holding him.” A
few more responses, and then Katie slowly begins, “She—ummm—she talked
really quietly.”
“Could you say more about that?” the teacher coaxes.
“Well,
her voice reminds me of my mother’s voice when she called from the
hospital to tell us we had a new baby sister last year.”
The teacher, turning to the other girls: “What do you think? Did anyone else notice her voice?”
The girls become more thoughtful and begin to reply with words like “reverence,” “heaven,” “love.”
The
teacher: “I think I understand. I believe those words come to our minds
because we are recognizing a great gift from our Heavenly Father. He
loves us and trusts us so much that He is willing to share His creative
powers with us. We feel such gratitude and reverence for this trust.
Motherhood is a divine role.”
After
this clear statement of doctrine and testimony, our teacher moves on to
an activity where the girls identify qualities their own mothers
exhibit that show an understanding of the divinity of motherhood. “Could
each of you prepare for motherhood right now by practicing one of these
very virtues—maybe being more patient, kinder, or more positive this
week?”
Each girl talks about her choice. Our teacher bears personal testimony. The closing prayer is offered.
A
simple class. No sensational stories. No scholarly class members. Just
ones who come prepared to participate. No extraordinarily gifted
teacher. Just one who prayerfully prepares and uses techniques that
allow her to help class members understand and apply true doctrine.
I
telephoned our newly baptized friend last week to ask how things were
going for her. Her response was enthusiastic: “My husband and I have
been called to teach the 15- and 16-year-olds, and I’m learning so
much!” I felt reassured and excited. What better place than a
classroom—for her and for each of us!
President
Hinckley encourages us: “We are all in it together, all of us, and we
have a great work to do. Every teacher can be a better teacher than he
or she is today.”
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I would add: Every learner can be a better learner than he or she is today. And every classroom can be a better classroom.
I pray that we will continue to hold on to one another through effective classroom learning. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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1.
Ensign, May 1996, 21.
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2. “Cling to the Church and live its
principles and I do not hesitate to promise you that your lives will be
happy, that your accomplishments will be significant, and that you will
have reason to get on your knees and thank the Lord for all He has done
for you in giving to you the marvelous and wonderful opportunities that
you have” (Gordon B. Hinckley, quoted in Church News, 3 Aug. 1996, 2).
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3.
Instructions for Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders on Curriculum (1994), 1.
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4.
D&C 88:77, 80.
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5. “True doctrine, understood,
changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel
will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve
behavior” (Ensign, Nov. 1986, 17).
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6. See Teaching—No Greater Call (1978); Instructions for Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders on Teacher Development (1993); Teach One Another (videocassette, 1990).
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7.
Teaching the Gospel: A Handbook for CES Teachers and Leaders (1994), 14.
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8.
Teaching the Gospel, 13.
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9. See Rom. 1:11–12.
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10. Unpublished talk.
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11. “We are all in it together, all
of us, and we have a great work to do. Every teacher can be a better
teacher than he or she is today. Every officer can be a better officer
than he or she is today. Every father can be a better father, every
mother can be a better mother, every husband can be a better husband,
every wife a better wife, every child a better child. We are on the road
that leads to immortality and eternal life and today is a part of it.
Let us never forget it” (Gordon B. Hinckley, quoted in Church News, 4 Nov. 1995, 2). Additional references: 1 Thes. 5:11; Jacob 1:19; Alma 1:26; Alma 29:8; D&C 42:12; D&C 43:8; D&C 50:22; D&C 88:122.
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