Teacher Development Skills
Help learners intentionally strive to be more like Jesus Christ.


“Help learners intentionally strive to be more like Jesus Christ,” Teacher Development Skills: Focus on Jesus Christ (2023)

“Help learners intentionally strive to be more like Jesus Christ,” Teacher Development Skills: Focus on Jesus Christ

Focus on Jesus Christ: Help Learners Come unto Jesus Christ

Help learners intentionally strive to be more like Jesus Christ.

Skill

Observe Christlike attributes in students and share what you’ve noticed in ways that inspire them to continue to be like Him.

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Christ comforting women

Define

Recognizing actions or attributes of Jesus Christ in others and sharing that recognition with them invites the Holy Ghost to witness of the Father and the Son and inspires us to continue to live like Them. During class, observe students and ask yourself, “What characteristics or attributes of Jesus Christ do I see in that individual?” Share what you discern in a way that helps them know that you see them striving to become more like Jesus Christ.

Model

  • After the teacher sees Julio hold the door open for students, she silently asks herself, “What characteristics or attributes of Jesus Christ do I see in that individual?” She then shares the following: “Julio, thank you for holding the door open for all those students. You reminded me of how the Savior looked for ways to serve and bless others.”

  • Kai receives news about a loss in his family, and the teacher watches Kalani comfort him. The teacher asks himself, “What characteristics or attributes of Jesus Christ do I see in Kalani?” The teacher then shares with her, “Kalani, as I saw you talking and helping Kai today, you reminded me of how Jesus Christ spent time with others one by one. Thank you for doing what He would do.”

Practice

  1. Pick a student in your class and ask, “What characteristics or attributes of Jesus Christ do I see in that individual?” Prepare what you will say to the student and then share the characteristic or attribute with him or her.

  2. Choose another student and ask, “What characteristics or attributes of Jesus Christ do I see in that individual?” Prepare what you will say to the student, and then share the characteristic or attribute with him or her.

Discuss or Ponder

  • How might observing Christlike attributes in students and sharing your thoughts with them invite students to continue to intentionally strive to be like Jesus Christ?

Incorporate

  • Start with selecting one or two students a day. Observe and share with them how you notice them becoming more Christlike. Continue this until it becomes natural.

Want More?

Skill

Invite students to look for ways to follow the example of Jesus Christ in their personal lives.

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student studying scriptures

Define

After identifying actions or attributes of Jesus Christ, you can help your students strive to follow His example in their personal lives. One way you can help your students is by having them consider the following three things:

  1. A person they could bless with a Christlike action or attribute.

  2. Something they could do to bless that person with the Christlike action or attribute.

  3. A time they could do it.

When your students consider these prompts, the Holy Ghost can help them more intentionally strive to follow the example of Jesus Christ and increase their desire to act.

The models and practices below are general examples. Training will be more effective if models and practice opportunities are connected to the next lessons that will be covered in the curriculum.

Model

After identifying and discussing the Christlike attribute of kindness, the teacher invites students to ponder and write their answer to the following questions:

  1. Who do you know that needs to experience the kindness of Jesus Christ?

  2. What can you do to help them feel the Savior’s kindness?

  3. When can you do it?

Click here to see a video of this model.

Practice

For each of the following Christlike attributes or actions, write a question you could ask your students that will invite them to follow the Savior’s example:

  • Love

  • When the Savior said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34)

  • An action or attribute of the Savior in an upcoming lesson

Discuss or Ponder

  • What did you learn as you practiced inviting students to look for ways to follow the example of Jesus Christ?

  • What will happen to your students as you consistently invite them to identify ways they can follow the Savior’s example?

Incorporate

  • Take time during the preparation of your next lessons to create questions that encourage students to follow the example of Jesus Christ whenever you identify one of His attributes or actions.

Want More?

  • Gerrit W. Gong, “Ministering,” Liahona, May 2023, 16–19