There are quite a few different strategies or formulas for writing lessons plans.
You can start with an anticipatory set to pique interest, you can read from a common piece of literature and analyze different components, or you could go inquiry-based.
And… I love them all!
To me, crafting a lesson plan is exactly that— a beautiful craft of mixing creativity and teaching concrete topics.
After my formal teaching training and degree, I finally had the first opportunity to teach a full lesson in church to a youth Sunday School class.
I jumped into “lesson planning” mode and crafted prompts and stories that were going to perfectly take these kids through the concept of “tender mercies”.
Sunday arrived, and I was so excited to teach the lesson.
I walked into the classroom, and within five minutes, I knew what I had prepared was not going to work.
These kids needed something different.
A common teaching mantra popped into my head:
“Teach the kids, not the lesson.”
I said a silent prayer and felt prompted to share a lengthy personal story with the kids— one that I would usually avoid because it involved me just talking for a long time, which isn’t always engaging.
I have no clue why I was prompted to share that story. No kid ever said anything to me afterwards, other than a customary “thanks for the lesson” as they walked out the door.
Maybe I was the only one who needed to learn the lesson that day.
Because I learned that the Spirit gives me words to say and to write.
That was the first time that I can remember having my formal plans being completely overthrown by a spiritual prompting.
But it’s happened time and time again since then.
I plan out a post to write, and as I start writing, I completely change direction.
I think of a testimony to bear, and while speaking, I share completely new thoughts.
But letting the Spirit guide me doesn’t mean throwing caution to the wind and relying on Him to do all the work.
I still prepare.
I still lesson plan and craft and create.
But it’s the calm feeling that I know I might follow my plans to a T, or I might throw them out the window.
And either way, it’s all good.
Amazing preparation + being filled with the Spirit = the best teaching possible.
Happy Studying!
-Cali Black
