Improving Our Teaching Ability—By Making Key Points Stand Out
1 “You ought to be teachers,” Paul wrote to the Hebrews. (Heb. 5:12) That is no less true today as the great teaching assignment given by Jesus reaches its climax. One thing that will help us to be more effective teachers is discernment as to the overall meaning of the material we read and teach others. This applies to the entire publication being studied as well as to a particular chapter and individual paragraphs therein.
2 The title of a book presents the main theme that is developed. When teaching from that book, the teacher should learn to relate each chapter title to the book title. Help the student to see the relationship between the two. Usually the subject considered in a particular chapter qualifies or deals with a particular aspect of the overall subject. For example, the chapters “Getting Along With One Another in Love” and “Making a Success of Family Life” help the student to see what is required before you can live forever in Paradise on earth.
3 Subheadings throughout an article or a chapter are helpful in isolating the key points. Each paragraph in a chapter is related in some way to the chapter title. Learn to look for the specific point in each paragraph that is most closely related to the chapter theme. This will be the key point you will want to impress on your student when teaching. Note subheading in Live Forever book, page 120 and paragraphs 4 and 5 that follow.
4 When teaching from a publication with printed questions, you will usually find that the answer is to be found in one simple phrase, and sometimes in a single word. Teach your student to confine his underlining to that single word or phrase. This has several advantages. He can spot the answer quickly without having to reread much of the paragraph. Encourage him to phrase answers in his own words rather than reading from lengthy portions he may have underlined. By looking at the few underlined words, he can quickly formulate a mental outline of what the material is all about.
5 Of special value to the teacher and to the student is the use of italics, which highlight key words and phrases in a paragraph or key portions of Scripture texts. Be sure your student understands the application that is made of the italicized material. This will be helpful to him when explaining his beliefs to others.
6 These basic ideas dealing with key points are applicable whether one is teaching as the Watchtower Study conductor, as a Book Study conductor or on a home Bible study, as well as when teaching children. Jesus said we should ‘make disciples, teaching them.’ (Matt. 28:19, 20) Learning to make the key points stand out will help us to carry out that commission.