Episcopal Diocese of Albany - Christian Education

Business Office: 68 South Swan Street - Albany, NY 12210 - (518) 465-4737
Christ the King Spiritual Life Center: 575 Burton Road - Greenwich, NY 12834 - (518) 692-9550

The Seven Laws of Teaching: Part Four

by Deacon Laurie Garramone-Rohr, Christian Ed Coordinator
Send e-mail

Rule Four: "The lesson to be learned must be explicable in the terms of truth already known by the learner-the unknown must be explained by means of the known."

This sounds so much more complicated than it is. What Gregory suggests is that we work with words and truths already discovered and that we build new information on this foundation. I remember, for example, talking to a priest about an ambitious Christian Ed program that covered history, bible knowledge and the Book of Common Prayer in the course of a few years. "That's great," he said, "but I've got people who don't even know who Jesus is." It would be meaningless to cover any of the material I suggested if someone didn't know who Jesus was, so the beginning of the journey in his class was to talk simply about who Jesus was, and then build Bible knowledge, and finally history, on that foundation.

Children learn the same way, by building foundations in their minds and putting items into categories and language. Mom, Dad, sister, brother - these fit into "family". Cow, dog, moose - these are "animals". And they will naturally learn first what is most useful to them and most frequently experienced. Most parents are charmed when children say "Dada!" or "Mama!" but this is usually closely followed by "No!" The hierarchy for learning and usefulness is clear.

If you talk about Bible passages, for example, be sure that all participants have bibles in their hands and that they can find the passages themselves. Encourage people to bring their own bibles to programs, but provide bibles for use when people don't bring them. Seeing the words in print on a page goes a long way to building a foundation of familiarity.

Ask simple questions: What's the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament? How many books are in the Bible? I remember one of the assignments in my first Disciple class was to simply hold the Bible and feel the weight of it. Even though I was pretty familiar with the contents, I was impressed by the simple knowledge of weight. "Weight" carries its own foundation and meaning - importance, heaviness, responsibility, and density.

Build a connection between Scripture and people's lives by asking how certain Bible stories remind them of their own lives. Or take a slice of common culture and ask how it reflects biblical truths. As soon as my kids and I left the movie Finding Nemo, for example, I immediately asked them what bible stories came to mind after watching the movie. Explain the parts of the Bible we read from each Sunday, and then flip to them. Give some background information about books of the bible before studying them - who wrote it and when? Put together a timeline in class to build a foundation of understanding of when things happened in the ministry of Jesus and let students put events on the timeline as they read about them.

Understand that it can take time to see the connections that are being made, and it is important to reinforce simple truths over and over. Have you completely mastered the concept of loving your neighbor as yourself? Me neither, so I have to relearn it almost every day in a slightly different way. I think that the autobiography of Helen Keller, who became both blind and deaf at an early age, helps us to understand the importance of both perseverance and foundational learning. Read an excerpt from her story in her own words:

"Some one was drawing water and my teacher placed my hand under the spout. As the cool stream gushed over one hand she spelled into the other the word water, first slowly, then rapidly. I stood still, my whole attention fixed upon the motions of her fingers.
Suddenly I felt a misty consciousness as of something forgotten--a thrill of returning thought; and somehow the mystery of language was revealed to me. I knew then that
"w-a-t-e-r" meant the wonderful cool something that was flowing over my hand. That living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free! There were barriers still, it is true, but barriers that could in time be swept away."
From The Story of My Life, by Helen Keller

Helen goes on to explain the new things that followed this discovery-an understanding of love, repentance and a light she had never experienced as people could enter into her world and she could share in theirs.

Quite often, people describe an event like this as an example of how they first experienced the love of Christ. A prayer, a word, a video, a chance meeting with a friend, and yes, maybe even a Sunday School teacher can all be vehicles that open the human heart to accept the teachings of Jesus Christ. Is it possible that you are being called to bring His light to someone else's life? Helen Keller also said: "There is no better way to thank God for your sight that by giving a helping hand to someone in the dark."

I picture the simple outstretched hand that connects one person to another--and another and another. Hmmm… and that reminds me of a familiar prayer in the Book of Common Prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and the love of you; for the honor of your Name." What else is there to say but "Amen"?

The "Seven Laws of Teaching" complied by John Milton Gregory is in a book by the same name. They were first published in 1884, but they clearly apply to all ages, and all sizes of groups.

Back

Disciples Making Disciples