This section is intended to create student interest and prepare them for a revelatory experience in the word of God by helping establish relevance for what they will learn. This section of each lesson in the curriculum often includes a self-assessment that helps students see a need or gap to fill. It also often includes an invitation to seek revelation through the Holy Ghost to know how they can receive help from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ to close the gap or address their need. 

Note: Be careful about spending too much time in class on this section of the learning experience. It should generally take no longer than 3 to 5 minutes before students are in the scriptures.

Want additional examples and practice?

Training: Create student self-evaluations about a doctrine, truth, or principle. For a model of this skill, watch this video:

Training: Create a meaningful invitation connected to the lesson outcome to be used at the beginning of each lesson. For a model of how to practice this skill, watch this video:

This section usually begins by including context of a scripture block. It also includes scripture verses and/or statements from Church leaders that students will study to identify statements of truth. As truths are identified, it is important that they are clearly and simply stated. Writing identified truths on the board or inviting students to write or underline them in their scriptures, is one way to help make these truths clear in the minds of the students. Doing this allows students to refer to the truth throughout the remainder of the lesson. It also allows the Holy Ghost to testify of the truths that are identified.

As you help students identify the truths in the scriptures or words of church leaders consider how you can help students search for inspiration more than just for information. How can you make their experience in the scriptures identifying the truth meaningful, so they are searching, seeking, and knocking to be taught by the Holy Ghost?

Want additional examples or practice?

Training: Create open-ended search questions that help learners discover gospel doctrine and principles for themselves and do not lead students to a specific response. For a model of this skill, watch this video:

Training: Ask questions that help students identify and state converting principles. For a model of this skill, watch:

Training: Create search questions to help students identify roles, titles, symbols, attributes, and characteristics of Jesus Christ. For a model of this skill, watch this video:

After students identify the truth, we want to deepen their learning of the truth(s) identified as indicated by the lesson purpose. A learning experience that intends to help students know will have look very different than one that focuses on feel or do. A lesson that focuses on knowing will likely help students deepen learning by analyzing more content, or preparing to formulate a response to a question or scenario. A lesson that focuses on feeling the importance of a truth will likely deepen learning by helping students share experiences, examples, and testimony. A lesson that focuses on doing will spend time deepening learning by helping students take effective righteous action. This can be done by brainstorming a variety of ways to apply the truth or even anticipating obstacles students might face to applying the truth.

This section may include additional scriptures, quotes, discussions, or learning activities that help students to deepen their learning whether the purpose is to understand, feel the importance of, or live the truth they identified. 

Note: When pacing the learning experience, this section can expand or contract as needed, depending on how much time you have in class.

Want additional examples or practice?

Training: Ask questions that help students see the relevance of a gospel principle.

Training: Prepare invitations that help students connect truths found in the scriptures to what living prophets are saying. For a model of this skill, watch this video:

Training: Help students connect what they are learning with how Christ exemplifies the principle. For a model of this skill, watch:

Training: Ask questions that focus on connecting the Lord’s power, mercy, and influence to the truths being taught. For a model of this skill, watch this video:

This part of the learning experience is intended to help students recognize and acknowledge what they learned and how they have grown spiritually because of their experience in class. It is important to understand that these are observable behaviors. Some examples of these behaviors include writing, explaining, sharing, making a plan, practicing a skill, or creating something. Be careful to not assume that the lesson purpose was accomplished because of something you said as a teacher or something students read or heard. They need to do something.

Want additional examples or practice?

Training: Prepare invitations for students to share with each other what they are learning. For a model of this skill, watch this video:

Training: Create prompts that help students verbalize their feelings, experiences, and testimony. For a model of this skill, watch this video:

Training: Invite students to write insights in their study journal before they answer a question out loud. 

Training: Create application questions. 

Training: Plan to follow up on invitations given in a previous class and invite learners to share their experiences living what they learned. For a model of this skill, watch this video:

Training: Invite students to look for ways to follow the example of Jesus Christ in their personal lives. For a model of this skill, watch this video:

When considering the learning experience and your available time, carefully pace the activities so that you will help students accomplish the lesson purpose. Sometimes after pacing, you may find that what you have prepared requires more time than what is available. This will require additional adaptations to the learning experience. This may require simplifying portions of the lesson like the interesting and relevant beginning or how you help students deepen learning. This may also require revisiting principles of Christlike teaching to ensure that the learning experience still deepens students’ conversion to Jesus Christ and His gospel. 

Time is limited. It is important to use it carefully.

Sometimes, in an effort to make the learning experience more fun, we may inadvertently create a setting that is not in harmony with principles of Christlike teaching. Additionally, our adaptations may interpret scripture contrary to the way the inspired author intended. Moreover, many of the lessons are followed up on in doctrinal mastery practices or Assess Your Learning lessons. It is important to understand this relationship in order to make further adaptations if necessary to these future assessment experiences.

Questions to consider

• Is my adaptation in harmony with the promptings of the Holy Ghost and principles of Christlike teaching found in Teaching in the Savior’s Way?
• Does the adaptation reflect the intent of the inspired author?
• Do I understand how my adaptation can affect future lessons and assessment experiences for students?

Want additional examples or practice?

Training: Consider assessment questions to carefully choose media, personal stories, and object lessons. For a model of this skill, watch this video:

Training: Use the document “Improving as a Christlike Teacher—A Personal Evaluation” to invite the Holy Ghost to help you refine your preparations to teach. For a model of this skill, watch this video:

Now that you have organized the lesson go through it looking for where you see principles of Christlike teaching. How do the activities adopted and adapted from the curriculum help students:

• see how Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ play an active and personal role in their lives?
• come unto Christ?
• learn from the word of God (scriptures and words of Church leaders)?
• find relevance in the word of God (the scriptures and teachings of Church leaders)?
• understand the context and content of a scripture block and identify, understand, feel, or apply truths found in the word of God?
• consider personal needs and circumstances and how the Savior can help?
• act in the learning process?
• be taught by the Holy Ghost?
• seek, recognize, or act on personal revelation for their needs and circumstances?

Once you have analyzed the lesson to find ways it will help you incorporate principles of Christlike teaching, take time to assess which principles of Christlike teaching, if any, needs greater emphasis in the learning experience, and where. Make any changes or adaptations needed to incorporate these important elements of Christ-like teaching into your lesson. In particular, you may consider how you will:

• seek to understand your students’ needs and circumstances?
• create a safe environment where all are respected and know their contributions are valued?
• Find appropriate ways to express your love for your students?
• prepare yourself to be ready to respond to spiritual promptings?
• bear testimony often and help students share their feelings, experiences, and testimonies?

Para ver la versión en español de este artículo, haga clic aquí.

Want additional examples and practice?

Watch this video to see how the seminary teacher manual helps teachers implement principles of Christlike teaching:

For more on this see the article titled: The Seminary Teacher Manual Helps Teachers Accomplish the S&I Objective.