Dealing With GOOD SENSE Learners in SundaySabbath School Class

During my university days, several things used to occur regarding Sabbath/Sunday school group facilitation. Being truly a church institution, the coordinator would want that by Friday evening, everything had been put in place for the smooth running of the next day's Sabbath. However, it was not necessarily very successful, however much he tried. I recall those late Friday evenings when I was asked to facilitate the lesson the next morning Sabbath. Some people were also asked late in the week, either to sub for another teacher, or even to teach a class "impromptu" once the regular teacher failed to show up.

Taking college business into consideration we were always busy through the week and without enough preparation therefore, to handle an effective Sabbath school class. Subsequently, we had a significant difficult time to present a well-rounded Sabbath school, that is meant to foster the spiritual growth of class members. In this circumstance, what helped me out was good sense.

These circumstances remain there, hence the necessity for coordinators and facilitators to get equipped with enough material to accomplish enough within a tight timeframe. As usual, good sense learners are those who want to see how they are able to apply the information they must help them embrace contemporary Christian lifestyle with a postmodern mindset.

Since they curently have the facts in mind, the role of the facilitator to these learners is to provide them with opportunities to practice the information they already have, to greatly help them establish a personal relationship with God. Help them to answer fully the question, "How do i practice the information I have just learned?", sufficient reason for their interest in application, they will help other class members to make the transition from head-knowledge to heart knowledge.

Your lesson materials will include a variety of activities such as for example inductive questions, thought questions, life-application questions, role playing, discussion stories that illustrate how to use the information (e.g. witnessing stories), and object lessons. With the approaches stated below, you will achieve a reasonable lesson for the common sense learners in your class.

Stimulation

Learning does not take place the same way in all students. Most classes contain the imaginative, analytical and dynamic learners. Just the same, you can find fast learners and slow ones. To carry the attention of the slow group, the teacher will need to include a minumum of one activity that stimulates these bodily kinesthetic learners. For instance, when you are teaching concerning the story of the tower of Babel, you can collect assorted magazines and newspapers and distribute them to the class.

From the variety of pictures, ask your students to get objects that display people's arrogance and annoyance (homes, cars, money e.t.c). These objects are just like the tower of Babel, that was more, an object of pride and arrogance. Then, have each class member share a couple of objects from their file and how people use that particular object as a way to obtain pride.

Visiting

Visiting is another opportinity for active learning. Make rotational visitations for the members during the week to find out their personal problems. This method works best to reclaim the members who've backslid in their faith. The facilitator is really a shepherd, and should be certain that the pasture is evergreen for his flock.

Picture out-of-frame

This approach attracts the students imaginative, analytical and good sense skills, to help them interact personally making use of their Bible. Instead of asking students questions, which only restate what was already stated or failing to achieve the students interact fully with their Bible, this process puts the students on their toes.

Example: - "Browse the following verses and pick the verse that speaks to you about God's arrange for your life."

This enables students to think for themselves also to internalize the message. Also, students feel safer to answer questions once the teacher has removed worries of potentially being wrong.

Author info:

Tony Philip Oreso is a Nairobi-based freelance writer. He submits regularly to Christian publications, like the Adventist Review, Collegiate quarterly and the Cornerstone connections. He can be reached on E-mail: oresophiliptony@yahoo.com