The Mark of the Teacher

DIDASKALOS MINISTRIES

DMTCHLAB

Introduction

We have spent a great deal of time in the class the last few weeks talking about the Gift of Teaching. Now it's time to put to practice that which you've learned. You may feel led to be a teacher, and I praise God that you do. But unless you can put what you've learned into practice, your training and calling are for naught.

The best way to determine the validity of your calling is by practical testing, something that I call a LAB. We will use three Labs to test your calling. Please bear in mind that these Labs are not intended to frighten nor dissuade you from your calling. If you are called to teach (and this is something that only you and the Lord can determine) the Labs will help you know this for a fact. If you are not called to teach the Labs will let you know that as well. Either way, it's better to know and be sure of your calling now. Once you take a class it will be embarrassing (as well as harmful to the students) if you discover you really weren't called to teach after all.

The three Labs will be:

Let's look at how we'll be doing each of these Labs.

Extemporaneous Teaching

There have been times in my life when I've been called on to teach and preach at a moment's notice. In the secular world this would be unheard of, but in the Christian sphere it's a reality. When you're called on to teach at a moment's notice you should be able to rely on the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit within you to do what has been asked.

John 14:26 "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

John 16:13-14 "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you."

The extemporaneous Lab will be held in our classroom. Each student will be allowed to draw a slip of paper from a box, and that slip of paper will have a Biblical Topic as well as several pertinent Scriptural verses. The student will have to speak, as the Spirit leads, on the topic for 10 minutes. That is, 10 minutes is the optimum target for the lesson, though the student teacher may vary from this target for up to 1 minute either way (9-11 minutes, with 11 minutes being the maximum time allowed). You may have the students read the various references, just as you would normally do in any classroom. Some example slips can be found here.
 

Real Time Classroom Teaching

The Real Time Classroom Teaching Lab will allow you to teach a Sunday School class while mentored by the regular classroom teacher. You will know at least one week in advance the class you will teach, and will be given all pertinent Sunday School literature.

The regular classroom teacher will be asked to grade your performance and share the grading with you after the class. The grading sheet can be found here. You should use this opportunity to highlight problem areas that you need to work on, and strive to be the best teacher you can possibly be.
 

Timed Teaching

During Timed Teaching the student teacher will be given a portion of the Baptist Faith and Message one week in advance of the lesson. He or she will then teach a 20 minute overview on that assignment during our Teacher's Training Course. How in depth the student teacher goes with this lesson is up to him/her. However, they will be expected to teach a coherent lesson within the 20 minute time frame, plus or minus 1 minute.

Each student should be given one part of the Baptist Faith and Message, which can be found here. Feel free to print out the BF&M on your computer system and cut out the sections for your student teachers. A lesson can be taught within a time frame, for Biblically:

1 Corinthians 14:32-33 "And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints."

God gives the believer the ability to control his/her spiritual Gift, as is necessary in the Body of Christ. During this Lab the student teacher will demonstrate that control, as God gives him/her the ability. God Bless you all!

Please feel free to E-mail me your questions, comments, and any difficulties you experienced accessing this study at DIDASKALOS Ministries

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