Teaching to Change Lives: Seven Proven Ways to Make Your Teaching Come Alive

As we prepare to become a teacher, The Law of the Teacher principal, is critical to understand "If you stop growing today, you stop teaching tomorrow." A teacher should always ask themselves "How can I improve?" As we began a new day we must strive to never stop learning, for that is how we grow in our faith. Continually growing in faith as we become more mature as a Christian is where we need to strive. As we grown in faith than we can help others grow. Also, we must remember; Teacher's must be faithful, available, teachable, and a high level of confidence. Education is the way people learn determines how we teach. The teacher is primarily a stimulator and motivator.The success of your desire and calling as an effective teacher depends not on your knowledge of these principal laws, but on you as a person, and most strategically on your openness to God's power in your life. We need to focus on what God has called us to do. As you allow Him to transform and renew our minds, we will then be ready to fulfill His purpose for us. We must be willing to allow God to change us so we can truly make an impact on others. The willingness, the commitment is a big step toward becoming a successful teacher.In order to strengthen our faith we must make a commitment to change and develop as Jesus did. We need to grow in wisdom to increase intellectual development, grow in stature - physical development, seek favor with God to increase spiritual development, and find favor with others to increase social and emotional development.Motivated students do better in school. Not necessarily because they feel they have to be the best, but because they are trying their best. A motivated student is likely to choose tasks that are challenging, begin tasks without having to be prodded, shows serious effort and concentration, they have a positive attitude toward learning, and they stick with tasks until successful completion. A teacher has a large role to play in whether or not a child will be motivated to do their best. They can create an encouraging environment. The Law of Education principal is "How people learn determines how you teach."A teacher must have clear objectives in teaching. Expect the child to succeed and their chances for success improve greatly. Students are usually aware of how their teacher thinks of them and they often tailor their actions to those views. It is very important to have high expectations and communicate them to your students. It is equally important to base your expectations on a student as an individual who has strengths and weaknesses like all individuals. Speaking kindly but honestly with the student about where they think their interests and abilities are.The activity in which the learner is involved must be meaningful. Practice makes perfect, experience is the best teacher and we learn by doing. Learning may become drudgery to a student if he only see's it from a desk. When your class reads a book together, afterwards rent the video and watch it as a family. Expanding a student's point of view; by taking them to something that doesn't fit with their typical likes. This gives them a more freedom of learning something new. Hands on teaching is an excellent activity for students. The Law of Activity principal means "Maximum learning is always the result of maximum involvement." Activities need to provide direction, applies function and application, ones that have a planned purpose, activities that has the process as well as the product, and realistic activity that include problem solving situations.Communication is the reason for our existence as teachers. Building relationships through communication is essential. Communication skills for teachers are as important as their knowledge of a particular subject which they teach. It is only through communication skills that a teacher can introduce creative and effective solutions to the problems of the student. A teacher that has excellent communication skills can enhance the learning process. In preparing a subject to teach, preparation of the subject needs structure and needs to be able to reach all students. The Law of Communication principal is "To truly impart information requires the building of bridges" between teacher and student. The most effective communication has three key components: intellect - thought factor, emotion - feeling factor and volition - excitement element. If we are committed to the truth of the Word of God, then His word must be reflected in our values.A teacher needs a compassionate heart, so they can effectively address the student in a calm, fair and loving manner. Compassion means that the teacher must use loving judgment to discern how to handle a situation. Compassion is remembering that no one is perfect and is sympathizing with a situation. Students feel accepted when a teacher doesn't criticize them in the classroom. Compassion does not hold a grudge or expect perfection. Teachers need to be the best confidants and encouragers to their students. Students are impressionable, and a tenderhearted teacher can have a valuable impact on a student. The Law of the Heart principal means "Teaching that impacts is not head to head, but heart to heart."Encouragement works hand in hand with motivation. A teacher's journey is also a human one. We have to be in order to build a connection with the student. Students need encouragement and they want to build a connection. Encouragement is one of the greatest things a teacher can give. When we put our hearts into others, we lead them to achieve greater things. Encouragement boosts self esteem and shows a student we care. A teacher needs to be available in the hard times, teach students to believe in themselves, and show love as Jesus Christ loved us. The Law of Encouragement principal states "Teaching tends to be most effective when the learner is properly motivated."The key to creating the perfect teachers plan is to maintain an accurate balance of structure and creativity. In creating lesson plans that have a mixture of fun and creativity will make a lasting impression with the concepts you are teaching. The Law of Readiness principal is "The teaching-learning process will be most effective when both student and teacher are adequately prepared."This is what I learned from this book I would recommend this book to any one who is a teacher and would say that in its 150 pages is an easy yet very good read.

Dr. Hendricks has written an incredibly accessible and applicable book on teaching. This contribution to a wide-array of books on the topic is one of the most versatile I’ve encountered. The book has direct application for preaching from behind the pulpit, Sunday school settings, small group settings, youth, children, adult, and classroom audiences. If you are looking for a distinctly practical book with the latest method or approach, this is not it. This is not, at it’s core, a how-to for sermon writing, message structure, curriculum composition, or any other step-by-step guide (there is however, a useful application section to close out the book. Here Dr. Hendricks does a practical teaching of the principles found within the book). Rather than this sort of step-by-step approach, Dr. Hendricks gives a series of principles for what constitutes good teaching. This proves to be the more helpful approach, as the reader is then able to create their own, contextualized step-by-step approach based on these principles. This will prove to build a better teacher long-term, and create a better learning environment for students.This seems to be Dr. Hendrick’s overwhelming goal in the book. It could be summarized in stating that good teaching comes from a teacher who is a earnest disciple with a profound love for their students. Dr. Hendricks goes to great lengths to talk about the depth and character of the teacher themselves. This is clearly of utmost importance to “Prof.” He is concerned first with building great teachers as he is building great lessons. The quality of the teaching can only meet the quality of the teacher. This is not to speak to being a particularly gifted communicator, though Dr. Hendricks does not diminish that. But more importantly it has to do with the character and compassion within the teacher themselves. This is Dr. Hendrick’s first Law of Teaching, and really a current that runs throughout. For the reader looking to be convicted and encouraged to look within themselves and seek to grow and conform more into the Image of Christ, this book will no doubt stimulate you to labor well to be a person worthy of the calling to teach. Dr. Hendricks quickly dissolves any excuse that “I’m just not a good teacher” or any over confidence that “I’m just a great teacher” by pointing the reader to Christ and the Truth of His Word. He writes that people’s “screaming need is to see men and women who know the living Word of God, who are constant students of that Book, and who allow it to grip them so they grow to hate what God hates and love what God loves (36).” Most readers would nod in affirmation with that statement and not see it as particularly cutting-edge … but it is revolutionary, and should be the constant refrain and motivation for all teacher’s of Truth.Hendricks’ laws could also be summarized by possessing a genuine love for students. Dr. Hendricks, through compelling and at times humorous stories, as well as helpful application points, stresses the importance of the teacher/student relationship. If the teacher loves the students, he/she will seek to know how their students learn (The Law of Education), to see them not just know more, but to change how they actually live, think, and feel (The Law of Activity), to learn how to connect with them on a thinking, feeling, and doing level (The Law of Communication), to be genuine and authentic with them in order to develop deep trust (The Law of the Heart), and to capture their imagination and wonderment to learn (The Law of Encouragement). These steps cannot be faked or easily manufactured, it takes work on the part of the teacher to learn, study, and connect with students. Dr. Hendricks again convicts and encourages readers to ask honestly: “Do you love your students?” Again, not a cutting edge approach, but an approach that when practiced, will lead to heartfelt and captivating teaching.This formula does not simply produce polished sermons or lesson plans. It produces change. Change in the heart of the teacher and the learner. I would encourage readers to take a deep breath before reading this book. This is not filled with silver bullets. It is filled with the wisdom of a long and faithful teaching career. The type of soul-level wisdom that does not microwave teachers, but rather molds them. I would put it in the hands of a new or aspiring teacher and tell them to revisit these principles with great regularity throughout their career. It is a winsome reminder of the foundational and first things – those things that we are all too prone to drift from.If there is a knock on this book, it is that perhaps it is too dictated by the framework of the acrostic T-E-A-C-H-E-R that make up the names of the 7 laws. It is helpful for the memory of the laws and provides an effective framework. There may, however, be times that the reader thinks to themselves, “I feel that this point fit just as well under Law X three chapters earlier.” However, this in no way disrupts the flow or power of the writing. In fact, it is likely good to be reminded of the cohesiveness of the overall message of the book. Pick it up, be challenged, be encouraged, and be reminded of both the weight and privilege of the task to steward the Truth of God’s Word to others. As Dr. Hendricks writes, there is no greater thrill or fulfillment in realizing that God is using you as a vehicle for His truth to transform others. Add this book to your library and reference it often!