Comments on: To “Occupy the Time”? or to Teach and Bear Witness?

By: Chad Too

Chad Too — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 01:02:20 +0000

PeterLLC, please don’t take my advice as meaning that rambling is at all acceptable in a teaching situation. Writing a well-prepared presentation in a manner that is designed for the ear is pleasing and effective; logorrhea is not.

By: Gdub

Gdub — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 23:12:42 +0000

Yeah, I was a TFOT teacher for about a year, and it was fairly difficult, but very rewarding.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 22:51:18 +0000

The “Teachings for Our Times” teachers have to turn conference talks into lessons every month. We’ve been pretty lucky in our ward, most of the time, to have teachers who can teach the doctrine of a talk without merely cutting the talk into strips and asking “Okay, who’s got Number 7? Number 7? Would you read Number 7 to us now?”

Speakers don’t usually have the practice that a TFOT teacher gets, but the process would be much the same.

By: Gdub

Gdub — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 22:45:09 +0000

Amen David!

I’m so sick of those talks. As somebody who actually does his own study of them, it makes it really difficult to get anything out of their talk.

By: David B

David B — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 20:04:01 +0000

I don’t know how many regular readers of this blog are in positions where they assign sacrament meeting speaking slots, but i’d like to put in a plea for a bit more preparation from that side of things, too. This is especially the case given the ongoing trend of assigning a speaker an entire general conference address as their “topic”—i mean, you take someone without any training in rhetoric or public speaking or whatever with something like that as a text, you’re just setting ’em up for failure (or, perhaps worse, the specific failure of saying “This speaker said it better than i ever could, so i’m just going to read it to you”).

Seriously, if you’re going to assign topics, some better guidance for speakers would be useful. Please?

By: Gdub

Gdub — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 19:05:15 +0000

KLC,

I suppose that the real benefit of handouts for me is to have the quotes and lesson outline in front of the students so that they can read over them again. I’ve found it greatly enhances their comprehension, and I generally get much better feedback. Perhaps it’s because some are better visual than auditory learners.

As for them getting left in class or thrown away—I couldn’t care less about that. That’s the student’s choice, and everyone is different. I don’t see them as “precious”, and strive to keep them minimal so as to not be a distraction. They’re just a low-threshold tool to give class members an opportunity to be engaged in the lesson.

And, for what it’s worth, I love having those quotes used in lessons from other teachers. I love looking up the talks and finding more information about those topics that piqued my interest. For me, it helps the lesson carry over into my scripture study throughout the week.

By: Clark

Clark — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 16:39:34 +0000

I like the public speaking coach calling as an idea, but actually implementing it without hurting feelings might be difficult. And the high counselors who need it the most may figure a lowly ward member beneath their dignity to meet with. But I like the idea.

I’ve long thought that if I ran the circus, I’d require all high counselors to join the Toastmasters’ Club. After all, their most visible responsibility is public speaking.

By: KLC

KLC — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 15:58:13 +0000

Gdub, I can’t agree about handouts. I used to use them a lot when I taught, they made me feel good because they were a sign that I was a teacher who was not only prepared but engaged. But over the years I noticed two things. First, I never felt the same way about handouts I received in someone else’s class. They were just another piece of paper to stuff into my books or toss on the way out of class, I didn’t value them at all. Second, I noticed how many of my precious handouts were tossed in the trash or just left in the room as everyone exited. Now I save the trees and ditch the handouts. I don’t feel as good as a teacher but I’m positive that no one else has noticed.

By: Peter LLC

Peter LLC — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 12:45:17 +0000

Excellent advice, Ardis. Whenever I’m asked to teach I feel an obligation to at least try to make it worth the audience’s time. In practice I’m sure my particular approach doesn’t work for plenty of people, but I believe the attitude that the teacher owes the class something (rather than viewing acceptance of the call to teach as a favor to the bishop or whomever) is the key to generally better teaching.

I think Chad’s point is also well taken, though I would still prefer to listen to someone deliver a coherent text meant to be read than what seems to be the default setting of tangents interspersed with unrelated anecdotes.

By: Amy

Amy — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 04:57:46 +0000

My husband has often suggested a new calling of “public-speaking coach,” required to meet with all speakers at least once before they give a talk.