Teacher Development Skills
Always be ready to respond to spiritual promptings about the needs of learners.

“Always be ready to respond to spiritual promptings about the needs of learners,” Teacher Development Skills: Teach by the Spirit (2023)

“Always be ready to respond to spiritual promptings about the needs of learners,” Teacher Development Skills: Teach by the Spirit

Always be ready to respond to spiritual promptings about the needs of learners.

Skill

Ask a question to assess learning before moving on in the lesson.

Image
man teaching students

Define

Teaching in the Savior’s Way invites us to ponder the following question: “Do those you teach know that you are more interested in their learning than in completing a lesson?” Teachers can show they are interested in students’ learning by asking clarifying questions before moving on to the next portion of a lesson. To do this, the teacher takes a minute after a principle, topic, or question is discussed to ask a question to clarify what students are understanding. Examples of these questions include:

  • What are you learning?

  • What questions do you still have about what we are learning?

  • Is there anything else you are wondering about?

  • Was any of this confusing or unclear?

These questions assess students’ learning and understanding and should not be asked in a way that might embarrass them. The responses to these questions invite the Holy Ghost to help a teacher discern how to respond to students’ needs.

Model

  • After a discussion on faith, Sister Robinson pauses and asks: “Before we move on to the next scripture block, is there anything else you are wondering about faith?”

  • After studying scriptures about the Second Coming, Brother Moon asks, “How would you describe what you are learning about the Second Coming?”

Practice

  1. What questions can you ask to assess students’ understanding after a discussion about revelation in Doctrine and Covenants 8:2–3?

  2. Look at an upcoming lesson in the curriculum. Write some questions you can ask to assess students’ understanding of a topic before moving on.

Discuss or Ponder

  • How might these types of questions help you to be ready to respond to spiritual promptings about the needs of your students?

Incorporate

  • In the next two weeks, try asking questions to assess students’ learning before moving to the next topic in the lesson. Pay attention to students’ responses and promptings of the Holy Ghost as you incorporate this skill into the classroom experience.

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