Lesson 2: Teaching a Class

Full transcript and related links below

You've prepared and teaching day has arrived. Visuals and materials have been prepared and organized. The biblical truth is in your heart and you're ready to joyfully teach knowing that only God can cause your children to embrace the truth. 

We encourage you to meet with the other volunteers to pray before class begins. This unifies the team in humble dependence on the Holy Spirit and reminds you to remain prayerful throughout the class. 

When children arrive, engage them in conversation. Get to know their interests and share yours with them. Asking questions about something they've previously shared with you shows you care and helps build relationships over time. 

Before the lesson, review two or three behavioral expectations for students such as where they should sit and how they are allowed to communicate with you. Have a plan in place with your volunteers to quickly and calmly intervene when behavioral interruptions occur. 

Start the lesson time with a familiar lead-in such as a song or class prayer. Whatever you choose, it should have a calming effect on the children. 

Truth78's large group lessons incorporate an interactive teaching style. This serves to develop critical thinking and reasoning skills aimed at deeply understanding and applying the word of God. Most lessons begin with a review of previous concepts learned in the study or an illustration to engage students with the week's topic. These illustrations are intended to be brief. 

Every lesson includes scripture passages which are in bold italic print for reference [see more details on text formatting cues below]. Read scripture passages directly from your Bible to remind children that you are reading God's holy set apart Word. Students and other volunteers can also read them from their Bibles. 

The teacher leads students logically to discover the truth from the scripture passages through a series of statements and questions. We recognize the importance of both closed and open-ended questions. Closed-ended questions uncover details and provide clarification. Open-ended questions encourage deeper thought and conversation. The sequence of questions is designed to guide a child's mind to actively observe, interpret, and apply scriptural truth. 

Visuals are important to further clarify the main idea and support students in their comprehension. Some visuals are cut and assembled for a special demonstration. Lessons sometimes include demonstrations, role plays or other activities. These creative methods connect something familiar to an unfamiliar concept, building a bridge to understand the biblical truth. 

End the large group lesson with prayer and transition the students to small group application. 

The small group leader's job is to guide children into discovering for themselves how to practically apply the truth learned. These leaders should view the small group training video for more direction.

Find more training in the Core Training Series.

Text formatting cues in the lesson will guide you as you teach through the material:

• Visual Thumbnails and short text descriptions in the left margin provide a quick reference to what should be displayed at certain points in the lesson.

• Italicized text is suggested wording to make theological points accurately, convey a specific tone, or address the hearts of the students in a specific way.

• Regular text means you should convey the message in your own words. 

• Bold italics indicate actual portions of Scripture.

• (Parentheses) indicate teaching instructions and helpful information that should be read beforehand. 

See examples in the Understanding the Lesson Format document below.