Teaching and holding the students accountable

Teaching:

The act of showing love by holding the student accountable for growth

What does it mean to hold someone accountable? Have you ever held someone accountable for what they want? Some years ago my son Stuart asked me to help him prepare for a mission. One of the things he asked me to help him with was cleanliness, or should I say, lack thereof.

During the initial weeks of his preparation, he heard a repeated question: “Stuart is your room up to missionary standards?” He never argued with me from that point on. Having a clean room was something he wanted. He gave me permission to hold him accountable for serving a mission and a clean room was a stepping-stone along the way.

Coming to earth and receiving a body was something we all wanted. We asked our Father in Heaven if He would hold us accountable during our mortal probation. We knew the road would be difficult and the potential for failure existed.

He taught us that depending on where we were be born, we would have constant reminders: prophets, scriptures, parents, teachers, leaders, and friends. Lest we became overly confident, He taught us that being given help along the way put us at a greater risk. More would be expected.

Our mission in life is to return to our Father in Heaven. “The Glory of God is intelligence…” which means He will hold us accountable to think and to learn. The exercise of our brain gives each of us greater freedom to become like Him. If we choose to atrophy our brain, I ask, “How is mediocrity and idleness godlike?”

Boredom is an enemy to God and our minds cannot pay attention to boring things. Remember the last boring class you endured? Why must church meetings be boring?

Have you ever sat through an exciting class where the topic, the teacher, and the discussion were so enjoyable time stood still? Only to discover that time was moving so fast, it was your presence of mind that seemed to stand still.

Your mind was racing so rapidly and asking so many questions that you didn’t want the class to end. This is God holding us accountable for what we want. This is His point of reference lesson.

This is an example of how scripture study should be. This is how church could be. This is how Seminary, Priesthood and Relief Society were designed to be.

The School of the Prophets was based upon a series of questions and then answers. The Quorum of the Twelve has a history of lively debate. To the outsider they are in perfect harmony, but behind closed doors they enjoy active dialogue and conflict of opinion.

Without the ability to articulate opinion when it comes to the doctrines of salvation, a member of the church is as a drone, idle and to be acted upon. We have been commanded to first obtain the word and then shall our tongues be loosed. (D&C 11:21)

The apostle Paul teaches us to have an answer for every question. How can we answer people not of our faith if we don’t practice the skill of answering questions with those of our faith?

We do not attend church to be entertained – outside in stimulation. Rather we attend church to grow – inside out stimulation.

The most effective means of learning the doctrine is to actively and openly discuss the meaning of the revealed word of God. A skillful teacher engages the students in a dialogue of asking each student to present his/her opinion and then to defend said position regardless of accuracy of opinion to the doctrine of Christ.

The term “Sunday School” answers is derived from poor teachers asking non-thinking questions. Rhetorical questions used as a means to lead are more harmful than not. It shuts the student’s mind off because the teacher has already decided the direction and the outcome.

How does asking leading question engage the spirit? How does the student grow when led to the answer? How does the student grow if not allowed to express and then defend his/her position?

A teacher strictly following an outline is living by the letter of the law. A teacher willing to ask questions and let the student’s interest and responses dictate the direction is more prone to the spirit’s presence.

Listen to the conversation of a four-year child. They are full of questions. Ask questions of a teenager and they will be reticent to answer. Why? Our children sojourn from great inquisitiveness around adults to utter silence.

I submit the answer is environmental. We have taught our children to be silent by telling them how to think. We have created a society of outside-in stimulus and an education system void of critical thinking.

Our church system is a mirror image of the school system. We are a lay people and don’t have any formal training. To further exacerbate the problem, we stand in judgment of anything outside our comfort zone.

Our doctrine teaches us to search for the mysteries of God, yet the very word sends shudders through the leadership for fear we might scare someone away from the church. So we bore the hell out of them and think we are getting them into heaven

When attending church, it is incumbent upon each member to prepare for class. As such, by attending, you indicate you are prepared to discuss the topic to the best of your ability and you are willing to express opinion and render thought for the discussion for the greater good.

I’ve heard it said that there are no bad questions. That’s hogwash. A leading question is a bad question. A judging question is bad question. Questions are powerful tools and when used properly, they invite the spirit of learning and love into the discussion. Leading questions and rhetorical questions are not conducive to a discussion.

As a member of the church we should be ready to express our opinion without fear of judgment. A skillful teacher will always be able to delegate thinking back to the student if more thought is necessary.

By delegating thought to the student, a teacher truly holds the student accountable for what he/she wants: the opportunity to think and discuss the gospel in the spirit of learning so we may come closer to ‘eternal life’ which is “to know God and His Son Jesus Christ.” (John 17:3)

Knowledge of God can only be attained through thinking, which requires good questions.