Teaching Tip of the Week

I heard someone say something very interesting on the radio some time back. A mentor had told the man speaking that burnout is never caused by overworking or a busy schedule. It’s caused by a lack of input. For a teacher, that would include most of all a daily walk with the Lord – in particular, a daily quiet time. But it would also necessitate continuing training.

Does your church offer ongoing teacher training? It should be given at least quarterly, some even do it weekly. Here is a sample schedule for an hour and a half session that can encourage and equip:

• 10 minutes – Devotional given by someone in leadership relating to teaching.

• 40 minutes – Teacher training seminar. This should be practical, something the teachers can use in the classroom next Sunday.

• 30 minutes – Lesson preparation. Let the teachers begin to actually prepare next week’s lesson in their departments (if they are all using the same curriculum) or in classroom teams. If classes are taught individually it might be good to do a preview of the upcoming lesson for the teachers. Note: If this is done later in the week, you may want to review the lesson for the next week. This is pretty much just a head’s up, not a replacement for the individual teacher’s complete preparation at home.

• 10 minutes (or more) – Prayer. Spend time as a group or small groups taking specific prayer requests and praying for each other.