As Sense of Purpose As Teachers & Students

Last year I received helpful feedback from a survey I sent out to all institute students to see how the institute did in meeting the Objective of Seminaries & Institutes of Religion. One of the feedback statements was something like, "sometimes I feel like my instructor stalls some, he gives us too much time to do simple things, so it seems like he is stalling." Now I am not really sure if that student was speaking of me or someone else on the faculty, it really doesn't matter, but it impacted me as I pondered over it. Based on this pointed feedback, I decided to reassess my handling of my students' time in class.

My efforts to improve led me to the Gospel Teaching & Learning manual for Seminaries & Institutes of Religion (see https://www.lds.org/manual/gospel-teaching-and-learning-a-handbook-for-teachers-and-leaders-in-seminaries-and-institutes-of-religion?lang=eng), section 2.2.2: A Sense of Purpose. This particular statement is riveting: "As teachers and students approach the study of the scriptures with the expectation to learn through the Spirit and form one another, they cultivate an environment that invites revelation" (p.15). BLAMMO, there it is! "As teachers and students," "As teachers and students," "AS TEACHERS AND STUDENTS," do I need to emphasize that anymore? But "As teachers and students approach the study of the scriptures with [an] expectation to learn from the Spirit [of the Lord]" the right environment naturally follows and revelation flows into the classroom like the Jordan River brings life to Israel.

The Jordan River

To Learn from the Spirit and From One Another. I am concerned that far too  many of our students show up in class, plop their buns down in a chair, sing a song, say a prayer, and then look a the instructor and think something like, "Okay teacher, teach!" and then expect copious amounts of doctrines and principles to spew forth from the mouth of the teacher, mingled with some funny stories, hear the testimony of the teacher, have a closing prayer, and next week we will plan to do the same thing all over again. Such cannot be so! "As teachers and students approach the study of the scriptures with the expectation to learn through the Spirit and from one another..." As teachers and student come together, both having read the passages, then the Spirit of the Lord can teach all that might have been taught; opposed to things being taught from what only the teacher and a handful of students read prior to class, while the rest of the class sits there gaping at the cause of the few! (Gape, BTW, is defined on my Merriam-Webster Dictionary App as, "to gaze stupidly or in openmouthed surprise or wonder," thought you might like that definition insert, it made me smile to read it). Such cannot be so!

Suggestions. Teachers, are we enabling active learners or the facilitating the success of the gaper? Some solutions: 1. Do you tell your students what reading assignments are weekly? 2. Do you treat the students like you expect them to actually read for class? 3. Do you send them a reminder text or email after class to tell them what the readings are for the next class? 4. Here is the painful one, do you love and care enough for your students to do all of the three previous points listed above?

The Bottom Line. When teacher and student pay the price prior to class, by reading, pondering and praying over the readings for class, and fully expecting to come to class to edify and be edified, then naturally "they cultivate an environment that invites revelation." And that is precisely what they will get each and every time they enter the institute classroom; I promise and testify this principle is true!