[Seminary-Notes] ==================================== FOR YOUR INFORMATION... ====================================
Elder Craig A. Cardon described a fun and easy object lesson that you can use in class to help your students better understand some of the concepts in Doctrine and Covenants 121:46 --
The verse concludes with a beautifully instructive reference to a distilling process. To better understand the application of these principles in the refinement of our personal lives, consider two glasses of water, each with the same outward appearance, placed in a room with high humidity. After a period of time, water begins to condense on one of the glasses because it is at a different temperature, occasioned by prior preparation not obvious initially, while the other glass remains dry and unaffected. Without compulsory means, the humidity is able to “flow unto” the one glass while the other receives nothing.
In a similar way, qualities that greatly enlarge the soul; charity toward others, especially our families; and thoughts garnished with virtue adjust our spiritual temperatures to allow the doctrine of the priesthood to distil upon our souls.
A well-timed and appropriate handout can add to a gospel lesson and provide students with something to help trigger feelings and thoughts after the class has ended. But they should be used sparingly.
I recently attended a training meeting in which the speaker absolutely buried us with handouts.
It became quite humorous as the instructor tried to communicate with us which of the myriad handouts he wanted us to find and read with him. Most of us left the meeting feeling confused.
Elder Dallin H. Oaks shared his thoughts regarding handouts in the April 2001 General Conference (Ensign, May 2001, p. 82):
"Teachers can download bales of information on any subject. When highly focused, a handout can enrich. But a bale of handouts can detract from our attempt to teach gospel principles with clarity and testimony. Stacks of supplementary material can impoverish rather than enrich, because they can blur students’ focus on the assigned principles and draw them away from prayerfully seeking to apply those principles in their own lives."
Please note Elder Oaks' use of the phrase "highly focused."
Handouts are like rubbing blush on cheeks -- best when used sparingly.
Most lessons, more or less, go according to the lesson plan that you have prepared before class began.
Some days, though, your students will be better served if you set your lesson plan aside and let them dig deeper into a specific scripture phrase, verse, or scripture block.
The Holy Ghost can let you know when it's the right thing to do.
In the October 2006 General Conference, Elder M. Russell Ballard (Ensign, November 2006, p. 19) said:
"We must always motivate through love and sincere appreciation, not by creating guilt. I like the thought 'Catch others doing something right.'"
As a February "Valentine's" activity, you may wish to encourage your students to look for ways to:
CATCH OTHERS DOING SOMETHING RIGHT
Encourage students to look for these opportunities at home, at church, at school, and, in fact, everywhere!
You can do this activity with students all month, all week, or just on Valentine's Day, as you desire.
You may to give them small cards or notes (or let them make themselves during a Seminary activity day) that they can give to persons whom they "catch."
[To possibly save you some preparation time, please note that a "You Got Caught... doing something nice!" cards are available on page 61 of the Volume 2 Doctrine and Covenants Seminary Scripture Mastery Resource packet. It's ready to be copied and given to students.]
