Teacher Development Skills
Invite learners to prepare to learn.

“Invite learners to prepare to learn,” Teacher Development Skills: Invite Diligent Learning (2023)

“Invite learners to prepare to learn,” Teacher Development Skills: Invite Diligent Learning

Invite learners to prepare to learn.

Skill

Create invitations that help learners prepare for the next learning experience.

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woman preparing lesson

Define

After teaching some of His followers in the Americas, the Savior invited them to “prepare [their] minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again” (3 Nephi 17:3). Inviting students to prepare to learn is an essential part of helping them come to know truth for themselves (see Joseph Smith—History 1:20). These invitations provide an opportunity for students to have an experience with a scripture passage or truth before they come to class. Invitations to prepare come in many forms. They are often short, simple sentences that include:

  • The scripture passage or truth that will be discussed in the upcoming lesson.

  • A way for students to engage with the word of God. For example, students can study, apply, talk about, or ask and ponder questions about what they will be learning.

The Holy Ghost can inspire you both during lesson preparation and the learning experience with invitations that can best help students be ready to learn. The curriculum often has these types of invitations included in the lesson materials.

Model

  1. Sister Mendez wants to help her students feel hope as they study 2 Timothy. She creates the invitation: “As you study 2 Timothy this week, look for verses that give you hope through Jesus Christ and share something you learned with someone else.”

  2. Brother Bradshaw is preparing to teach about service using King Benjamin’s discourse. He prepares the invitation: “Find a way to serve someone this week and come ready to share as we study Mosiah 2–4.”

Practice

  1. You’ll be teaching about the Christlike attribute of patience in the next lesson. Create an invitation you can give in today’s class for students to come prepared next time.

  2. Choose a scripture passage or truth in an upcoming curriculum lesson and create an invitation that prepares students to learn.

Discuss or Ponder

  • What are you learning about creating invitations to help students learn?

  • In what ways have you seen a learner’s preparation contribute to a learning experience?

Incorporate

  • Extend an invitation in an upcoming lesson for students to do something outside of class to prepare for the next learning experience. Evaluate what you learned afterward. Seek feedback from your students to continually improve the invitations you give.

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