I love my calling as a gospel doctrine teacher. However, for some time I have been thinking about how difficult it is to teach effectively and feel that I am succeeding. I am humbled by the responsibility that I have as a gospel doctrine teacher. President David O. McKay once said, “No greater responsibility can rest upon any man [or woman], than to be a teacher of God’s children” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1998, 30–31; or Ensign, May 1998, 25). That statement scares me a bit. I am mindful of President McKay’s words as I prepare each week for the brief 35 minutes we are together in class.
Last week our lesson reviewed Jacob’s thoughts about magnifying our callings. We discussed how each of us has eternal roles, church callings, and personal responsibilities. We are encouraged to improve and magnify our callings as part of our earthly mission. I’m anxious to ‘magnify’ the effectiveness of our class time together.
It is always frustrating that we have insufficient time to cover the material in the lesson manual. One of my purposes in providing weekly handouts is to present class members with the key topics outlined in the manual along with quotes and illustrations to stimulate individual study. My hope is that by making this material available in advance of our Sunday school class we can expand our preparation.
I am concerned that because most of us have covered the same lesson topics many times over we become bored, distracted, or just disinterested. Some of us think we have nothing further to learn. Others find the thought of speaking out in class intimidating. We worry about no being scripturians. Some of us even prefer the ‘hallway’ class.
QUESTION:
- Besides reading the lesson, how can we get more out of Gospel Doctrine Class?
Filed under: General Tagged: | effective learning, Gospel Doctrine Class, participation
For me- thinking and pondering the questions and thoughts in the class study guide and in Brother Simpson’s handouts – and then putting those thoughts into words in my “journal”have helped me alot.
I have not done well the past few months at having this done before class. I have also missed alot of our Sunday School classes during this time. Having the handouts in my e-mail and my study guide, and also having established the pattern at the beginning of the year; because of Br. Simpson’s challenge to create and record in a Book of Mormon Journal; I am still getting alot from these lessons.
I feel almost as if I have my own internet home study course. I can check on-line to see which lesson I should be on, print out the handouts I have missed or am currently on and keep studying and recording with each lesson until I am caught up again. I know that I am not getting as much from the lessons as I would be if I were in the class. I also know that I would have skipped through these lessons if Brother Simpson didn’t have these resources available. I would still have read through the scripture books and chapters, but I would not have given them the thought, prayer and study that I have do now with these resources available to me.
Thanks so much for all you do, you are a wonderful teacher, I am thankful for all You and Sister Simpson do for our ward and I know Heavenly Father is too.
Very Sincerely and Thankfully
Thank you so much for posting your FABULOUS handouts. They have helped me so much and my class loves them! Are you going to be posting the up coming lessons soon? THANK YOU!
Crystal, I had some problems with the PDF file for D&C-Church History Lesson 24. I just posted it this evening. Other lessons will be posted in the next day or two. Thanks, Doug