- This topic is empty.
-
Posts
-
Wow — two really interesting things happened on Sunday. As you know I have been leading the teacher’s council lately. I have been simply being myself, sharing what I know. Yesterday two people came up to me and told me they really want to improve as teachers. Both asked me for feedback after they teach. In the one situation, I didn’t even know the person. He attended one of our councils and gave some answers that showed he is a developing teacher. He’s professional and capable. I felt this overwhelming sense of spirituality as he humbly told me he wanted to learn to be a better teacher and could I teach him to do it better? I think it was the humility that did it.
So, I gave feedback to the one person (who I think is actually doing a pretty good job). And the latter person is coming to our Teachers Council to practice handling wrong or partly correct answers to questions in a way that promotes psychological safety in the class.
I also looked up and realized I’d just spent two hours crafting practice exercises for the class where they handle wrong answers in an affirming way. I also spent the time creating exercises where they craft questions that meet certain criteria of effectiveness. I haven’t willingly devoted myself to a calling in about five years, it seems. The calling seems to be working because I don’t have to be doctrinal — it’s process and skill-oriented.
I think it shows the importance of being Kilimanjaro when leaders ask you to do things about which you are not passionate. Some of you know I refused 5 callings before accepting this one. Sure, there will be times when you make sacrifices out of duty, but for people who are almost stone cold in the church, I feel that my strategy of guiding the Bishop to ask me to do something that actually interests me has been of value.
:clap: :thumbup: Good to hear SD! It won’t just be the teachers that benefit – all of the members will. In my calling I keep trying to help one of the teachers that is “read it out of the manual, quote a scripture, ask what people think about the scripture” type zzz lessons. Every time I have a lesson on teaching or an teacher come from another group to teach he skips out.
Glad to hear things are going better in your ward.
LookingHard wrote:Good to hear SD! It won’t just be the teachers that benefit – all of the members will.
In my calling I keep trying to help one of the teachers that is “read it out of the manual, quote a scripture, ask what people think about the scripture” type zzz lessons. Every time I have a lesson on teaching or an teacher come from another group to teach he skips out.
Glad to hear things are going better in your ward.
As I’ve kicked against free will too many times in my life, I’ve decided to simply not invest in people who have no desire. Don’t shun them, or exclude, them, but work with the ones who have a passion for it. I think you get more than if you try to turn people who aren’t interested into better teachers. I think there is far less frustration and far more joy in that approach.
I have one woman who openly tells me she is NOT coming to the Teachers’ Council. Years ago that would have really ticked me off. I would have seen it as a kind of affront, or a reflection on my weaknesses due to my high internal locus of control.
She is kind of flagrant about the fact that she is not coming, and seems standoffish when I see her in the hall or try to talk to her about non-teaching stuff. She does not even want any kind of a member to member relationship, it seems. After soul-searching, I can see nothing I did that warranted that kind of reaction.
So, I have never decided to approach her about teaching, the teacher’s council, or anything I may think I need from her in the future. This is not a grudge, just acknowledgement that trying to involve her will likely lead to frustration, brush-offs etcetera. There are too many people who have desire that I can serve, so I’ll do that first.
I think I will drink where there is water rather than trying to dig wells in the desert. Not until the desert opens up and gives me a strong hint there is water to be found…
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.