MR. D'S NOTES ON TEACHING
Rev. Stanley L. Derickson Ph.D.
COPYRIGHT 2001

Chapter 6

SEVEN LAWS OF TEACHING - or maybe eight.

There are two books that I would recommend to everyone desiring to teach. Both are older books and may not be easy to find. They are "PRINCIPLES OF TEACHING FOR CHRISTIAN TEACHERS,” C. B. Eavey, Ph.D., 1940; Zondervan and SEVEN LAWS OF TEACHING by John Milton Gregory. The latter most likely is not available, but there is a redo of the seven laws which is also quite worthwhile - EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING WITH THE SEVEN LAWS a "contemporary abridgment of Dr. John Milton Gregory's SEVEN LAWS OF TEACHING by Carl Shafer, Ed.D., Editor.

The original laws were published in 1884 by Gregory.

Dr. Shafer mentions in an article in Christian Ed. Today summer 1988 ("The Seven Laws of Excellence in Sunday School Teaching") that he did not hear of these laws until AFTER he held a Doctorate in Education.

My own introduction to the laws was in 1988 several years after receiving my doctorate.

I have read all three of these books - much to the enjoyment of my students I am sure.

Dr. Gregory was first a lawyer, then became a Baptist minister. He later became superintendent of public instruction in Michigan (1859-1865). He was at one time president of Kalamazoo College and the first president of the University of Illinois.

THE SEVEN LAWS OF TEACHING

These laws are valid for all levels of teaching from children to university. They are laws that do not change.

Learn them!

Laws as listed in Gregory's book.

I. "The teacher must know that which he would teach."

II. "The learner must attend with interest to the material to be learned."

III. "The language used in teaching must be common to teacher and learner."

IV. "The truth to be taught must be learned through truth already known."

V. "Excite and direct the self-activities of the pupil, and as a rule tell him nothing that he can learn himself."

VI. "The pupil must reproduce in his own mind the truth to be learned."

VII. "The completion, test and confirmation of the work of teaching must be made by review and application."

Let us give some thought to these laws before us.

I. "The teacher must know that which he would teach."

The teacher must know what he is teaching otherwise there will be no teaching.

The reverse of this is normally true as well. What the teacher knows they will teach.

Poor or defective knowledge will result in poor or defective teaching.

The student will have confidence in a teacher that knows the subject well. There is a confidence that the teacher will exhibit when the knowledge is REALLY known. Mk 1:22 states, "And the were astonished at his doctrine; for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes."

How do we do this?

1. Prepare a new lesson or freshen old ones with new ideas and concepts.

Use reference materials to see what you can find that would help in your lesson. Research your topic properly.

2. Use illustrations that will move from the familiar to the new knowledge that you want to convey. Keep your illustrations fresh and up to date.

3. Prepare until the lesson flows with clearness of speech.

4. Organize the information in a logical sequence for the presentation.

5. Find practical application for the truth to be taught. This will require that you know your students. You should not under-prepare just because you think that you know enough to teach them already.

6. See to it that you understand the lesson fully.

7. Study in advance so that you have time to redo poor spots or add to weak spots.

8. Be sure that you have enough material to fill the time. Don't plan on filling with idle discussion or conversation. THAT IS NOT TEACHING - THAT IS WASTING TIME!

In the area of Bible and theology it is very dangerous to be under-prepared. If you do not know your subject and know what others know then you are in danger of being proven wrong with a verse or two that you hadn't found in your inefficient search for knowledge.

The proof of the law is in this illustration.

Can you teach a person to paint a beautiful picture with oil paints if you do not know how to paint with oil paints? No, of course not.

DON'T TRY TO TEACH THE WORD OF GOD UNTIL YOU KNOW YOUR LESSON.

II. "The learner must attend with interest to the material to be learned."

Gain and keep the attention and interest of your pupils. Do not try to teach without their attention. Disinterest may come from many things. Just not interested in the subject - fatigue - sickness - boyfriend or girlfriend sitting close by - etc.

1. Always look to see if the students are ready to receive information. In the computer world if a printer or disc drive is not connected, the computer will tell you "DEVICE NOT PRESENT.” There is little value in beginning if the devices are not present and ready to receive data.

2. If you can, stop when attention slips and wait for the devices to reconnect.

3. Don't overtax the attention span or physical endurance of the students.

4. Keep interest and attention high. What is the difference between these two terms? Interest is a desire to know more about this thing. Attention is being alert to what is going on. Attention may not be because they are interested in your study but they may be attentive because you have a neat accent or daughter.

5. Relate to the students and their interests as you teach. Draw them into what you are saying.

6. Try to determine the sources of distraction in a classroom. If it is a student turning around to talk to someone then a separation the next class hour would be of help.

7. Ask thought-provoking questions.

8. Use the resources you have to make the session as attractive and interest drawing as possible.

9. Use as many visuals and helps as you can locate and use.

10. When someone is talking to you pay careful attention to them. This may stimulate them to do the same for you.

Keep good eye contact with your students. Let them know you are talking to them.

The above are aimed at the teacher gaining and holding the attention of the learner.

Let us think for a moment about the learner's interest in the material at hand.

a. In the church situation you have in the children's departments the need to attract the students interest however in the adults there should be a built in desire to know more about the Lord.

b. This desire to know God will be a big help however only a person that is walking with the Lord will have this interest.

As I view disinterested parties in classes or congregations where I minister I usually will observe a very poor walk on the outside of the classroom or church walls. This is not always true however if you ever find yourself feeling that you really aren't interested in what is going on I would recommend that you seek out the Lord on a one to one basis for a while to see where you are spiritually.

III. "The language used in teaching must be common to teacher and learner."

Years ago a friend of mine had a Macintosh computer. I had a Commodore 64 (the commodore was one of the first home computers to come to the public - just some information for the younger generation). This is like a biplane of World War I having a dog fight with an F-15 fighter. If we were to hook the two computers together there would be absolutely no transfer of information because they use completely different language!

When you talk be sure your students can listen.

Why do people listen when E.F. Hutton speaks? They talk the language!

1. Learn the language of the student. Find what level they are on. Learn what wavelength they are on.

2. Learn how much the student knows about the subject. You may be able to give them the full vocabulary or you may have to limit yourself.

3. Be sure you communicate what you want to communicate and not something else.

In a theology class we were speaking of people that were under church discipline that had sued their churches. We were discussing the Bibles view on the people involved. I made mention of the suee's or those being sued and then I mentioned the suers (sewers) meaning the person doing the suing. Now that would lead people to think that I have bad feelings toward the person suing the church and that is not what I was trying to convey!

4. Use short terms and short sentences to convey the maximum information. The more verbiage and longer the sentences the more chance of misunderstanding there is.

5. If the student hasn't taken hold of the truth go over it again with more clarity or simpler terminology.

Use illustrations and visuals to help them know what you are talking about.

6. Help the student to increase his vocabulary by using words that are new to them however introduce the word by giving it's meaning and be sure that they understand it and then use the term from time to time so that they will become acquainted with it.

Since we are interested in a special vocabulary as believers, we need to be sure the students understand these words. They are outside of their normal realm and will be new to them. This is also why we must help them to expand their vocabulary.

As they learn more words, they will be able to learn more of what the pastor is saying in the worship service.

IV. "The truth to be taught must be learned through truth already known."

Begin with what is already well known to the pupil or information that has been experienced - and proceed to the new material by single, easy, and natural steps - letting the known explain the unknown.

For example in Sweden we know many need to know the Lord as Savior however many do not know who God is - in fact they do not know that God exists. They do not really comprehend the term God.

To witness to them if you begin to tell them who Jesus Christ is you will mention that He was God. Oh, what is God? You will not be able to share the gospel to them in an understanding way until you tell them about God and that He exists.

Teaching should be a series of steps leading from the simple to the complex. You show one thing and when that is learned you lay another block of information out for them to learn. It must relate to the first block.

1. Find out what they the student knows about the subject you desire to teach them. You may find out that they know more than you do.

When a pastor arrives at his new church how does he know what to teach?

Ask some of the Wednesday night people what has been taught in the past.

Give the church a test on Bible knowledge after a potluck. It will be fun and it will help you know where they are at in their Christian education.

2. After you find out what they know encourage them to talk about it to freshen it up. As you talk about a subject your mind will be jarred into remembering other things about the subject as well.

3. Tie each lesson into the lesson before it. Show how the two relate to one another.

V. "Excite and direct the self-activities of the pupil, and as a rule tell him nothing that he can learn himself."

Stir the pupil's mind to action. Encourage the pupils to think of themselves as discoverers.

1. Keep the teaching closely related to the characteristics of the age of the students.

2. Try to find lessons that will relate closely to the student and his interests.

3. Try to gain their interest with sharp questions or objects that are unknown to them. Anything to get to their curiosity.

Try to get them to think something is worth knowing and then they will see that it has value.

Suggest questions that they can seek answers for outside of class.

As they ask questions try asking them questions that will help them find the answer so that you do not have to give them the answer. Let them find it themselves and it will have more meaning to them.

VI. "The pupil must reproduce in his own mind the truth to be learned."

The learning process is all in the pupil’s corner. The teacher must help them learn however the teacher can only put out information. It is the learner that must pick it up and react to it and put it to work in their lives.

I can tell you how to make a computer print your name on the screen once or multiple times. That information just would thrill you right now wouldn't it? However if I sat you in front of a computer and allowed you to try what I taught, you would be fascinated that you were able to make that thing do that.

If I taught you to do it on the black board today I would guess that you would not remember it in two days. Yet if I taught you here and we went right over and let you do it you would remember it for weeks.

1. Try to bring the student to the point where they can relate to you in their own words what you have said.

Have you ever been introduced to someone and said hello and had to ask them what their name was again. You did not learn it the first time. If you immediately repeat a name of someone you have been introduced to and then use it again a time or two that day you will probably have the name for some time.

2. Try to create in the student the desire to research and question and seek information and knowledge on their own.

VII. "The completion, test and confirmation of the work of teaching must be made by review and application."

Review, review, review, reproducing the old, introducing new thoughts to deepen the impression it has made, adding fresh meaning, finding new applications, correcting any false ideas and completing the true.

Review is for the perfecting of knowledge, the confirming of knowledge, and the readying of knowledge for use.

Frequent reviews that are complete and interesting are very profitable to the student.

1. Review is always appropriate.

2. Review the lesson from last time at the beginning of the period and review the day’s lesson at the close of the session.

3. Periodically review the entire section of study.

4. Not only review on an official basis but also review by using new illustrations and questions to bring their minds back to what you've been talking about.

5. Final review should be very complete and interesting. All topics should be tied together and shown as a unit.

May I dare to add an eight law to the list?

VIII. "Spiritual truth should not be applied to the life of the student unless it is already resident in the life of the teacher." sld

There is little that the student can learn of truth unless he views that truth as coming from a valid source.

May the Holy Spirit teach us before we dare attempt to teach others.

THINK ABOUT THESE LAWS IN RELATION TO THE TEACHING OF THE LORD WHILE HE WAS HERE ON EARTH. If you would like to study teaching methods go to the Gospels. Christ was the master teacher - you will find that He was the example each of us should follow. "YOU CALL ME TEACHER AND LORD - YOU SAY WELL - SO I AM" Jo. 13:13