Your Bible class teachers probably come from a variety of backgrounds. Some may be professional educators. Others may be stay at home parents, doctors or sales people. No matter their background and training though, you want your Bible class teachers to be the best they can possibly be.
Even experienced teachers can benefit from training. Teaching Bible classes for a ministry adds dynamics to teaching that secular classes don’t necessarily have. Unfortunately, many ministries don’t provide teacher training for volunteers.
Other ministries may find they struggle deciding which topics they should cover during a teacher training session. In general, the more practical and helpful your teacher training sessions are, the more willing volunteers may be to participate.
Here are some of the topics many Bible class teacher volunteers find helpful.
- Planning an effective Bible class. This session should cover topics like setting goals, learning objectives, guiding questions, creating a learning environment, curriculum guidance and using questioning to enhance learning.
- Effective Bible lessons. This session can include topics like story telling techniques, preparing to teach, use of scripture, adding culture and archaeological facts, scripture memorization and application principles.
- Classroom management. This session should cover how to manage student behavior -including appropriate and inappropriate methods of correction, creating a healthy learning environment and student and volunteer safety.
- Effective Bible class activities. This session should cover choosing and adapting activities to enhance learning.
- Specific activity workshops. You may want to provide workshops on various activities like drama, crafts, project based learning, games, service projects and field trips.
- Engaging parents and other adults in the spiritual education of young people. These sessions can cover topics like encouraging parents to teach their children the Bible at home, mentoring young people, developing meaningful Christian community for young people and more.
- Christian parenting. Bible class volunteers are often in a position to encourage the parents of their students. A workshop teaching them some important Christian parenting principles and skills can help them be better prepared.
Our website has lots of free volunteer training resources to print and use in your sessions. You can search past blog posts on a variety of topics for information you can use in training. Our founder Thereasa Winnett also has limited availability to come to your location and conduct teacher training workshops for you.
Let us know how we can help you train your volunteers. The young people served by your ministry need the most effective Bible classes you can provide and teacher training should be an important part of your ministry plan.