Grow in Faith

Chapter 5

Methods for Good Teaching

Setting the Style of the Class

At the beginning of a training program, there is excitement and expectation. Students do not know exactly what to expect, but they hope to get help from the group.

The first meeting of the class may be different from the later meetings because introductions and explanations about the class are necessary. However, the first meeting will set the style for future meetings. For example, if someone does not talk in the first meeting, that person will expect to be silent in the future. If someone dominates the discussion, the group will expect future discussions to be dominated by the same person. If the meeting is disorderly, they will expect the same in the future. If the class has little student participation, they will expect the same pattern.

Some students may drop out after a few meetings because the class is not what they expected. The class cannot be designed to please everyone, but it should be designed to satisfy the students who want to learn. It is important to lead the class properly so that the students who were expecting the right things will not be disappointed.