Learn, Do, Teach!

“Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.”

James 3:1 (NIV)

James says that I should not presume to be a teacher. Not many people will be. And that I should be careful what and how I teach because I will be judged strictly for what I teach.

At the same time, Paul told Timothy “the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:2, NIV) God expects me to be a reliable man who teaches others. Knowing that I will be judged more strictly caused me to prayerfully consider the best way to teach others.

And then I memorized Ezra 7:10.

I memorized it in the King James Version, “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.” The NIV translates it “For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.”

I knew I had found the teaching process I would use. Learn, Do, Teach. OR Study, Observe, Teach, if you prefer.

Learn, Do, Teach

LEARN. I can learn from personal exploration of the Word of God. I can learn from other men who have mentored me. I can learn from men and women through their writings in books, articles, and web sites. ;-)

DO. Doing is a critical step. This step gets skipped more often than it should. Most of the time because people don't know how to “do” what they have been learning That is why I started this web site. I figure about 80 percent of the learning comes from the doing. I have a lot of head knowledge. I need to try to apply that head knowledge to real life. That is how I figure out what works for me and what doesn't.

Here are some practical discipleship tips for applying the Word of God

TEACH. Now I can teach with authority. I have the scriptural basis from the learning stage. I have experience from the doing stage. Now, I am ready to teach.

I can usually tell when a teacher is teaching from academic understanding or from practical experience. I will take practical experience most every time. Since I will take practical experience, I will give teaching from practical experience, as well.

I bet you will, too!

IOC Method of Teaching

I was trained to use the IOC method of teaching. Instruct, Observe, Critique.

INSTRUCT. Instruction should come first. I like to use illustrations to visualize a point. I have drawn hundreds of illustrations on overhead transparencies, white boards, black boards, pads of paper, pieces of paper, backs of placemats and even napkins.

Some illustrations I learned from others like:

The Wheel Illustration

The Word Hand Illustration

The Prayer Hand Illustration

Some illustrations I created myself like:

The Right Hand of Fellowship Illustration

The Evangelism Foot Illustration

There are dozens and dozens more. Many of which will eventually show up on this web site. I have seen the power of a visual illustrations to get a point across. I love illustrations! I create new ones all the time. The good ones I keep. The bad ones I try to replace. I am always looking for better illustrations to explain Biblical principles.

Do you have any you want to share with me?

OBSERVE. Once I have instructed some one, I need to observe them in action. Sometimes it requires interaction with another person like with evangelism or fellowship. I can usually be with them and watch and pray. Sometimes it requires interaction with God like with prayer or quiet time. Then I can have them practice by teaching me how they do it. Or we can do it together with them taking the lead. I can observe how he does it.

CRITIQUE. Most anyone can be critical. I think we are born that way. But to provide a valuable critique is a skill.

1. I start by asking the individual to tell me their assessment of how they think they did.

2. Then I tell the person all the things I observed that they did well. Minimum of at least three things. No matter how bad it was, at least three things they did well. Usually I can come up with half a dozen or ten things they did well.

3. Then I tell the person some things they can improve on. Usually one or two. No more than three. No matter how bad it was. I pick the most important things they can improve on. I have observed over the years, that if I tell them too many things they need to improve on they will become discouraged.

The more experienced and mature the person is, the better they can handle my input. I try to tailor my input to the experience and maturity level of the person I am teaching.

Here is how it has worked for me in the past.

I want to teach a man how to share the good news of Jesus Christ with someone. We decide to use the Four Spiritual Laws booklet published by Campus Crusade for Christ.

First, I show them how I do it by going through the booklet with them. I explain what I am doing and why I am doing it as I go. They ask any questions they have as I go.

Second, we pray and go out to find someone that I can share the gospel with using the booklet. I share the gospel. My friend watches and prays. When we are all done, I ask my friend what he observed by watching me. I am training my friend to critique others while he is learning to share the gospel. After my friend tells me his observations, I share my observations of the event.

Third, my friend practices sharing the Four Spiritual Laws booklet with me. I pretend to be the one in need of the gospel. I ask some questions a non-believer might ask. The questions I have heard most frequently over the years.

I ask him for his assessment of how he thinks he did. Then I share my critique as outlined above. As many good things as I can. A couple of things that he can improve on.

Fourth, we pray and go out to find someone that he can share the gospel with using the booklet. He shares the gospel. I watch and pray. When we are all done, we go through the critique process. I ask him for his assessment of how he thinks he did. Then I share as many good things as I can. And a couple of things that he can improve on.

The process may be done over a couple of days. Or it might take months. If we think it would be helpful, we repeat the fourth step again.

It works with evangelism. It works with teaching. It works with most any action where he interacts with people.

If he is interacting with God, the process may be simpler.

For instance, I want to teach a man how to memorize scripture.

First, we decide we are going to use The Navigators Topical Memory System.

Second, we memorize the first verse together. Once he gets it down, I ask him to memorize the second verse before we meet again.

Third, the next time we meet I ask him to quote both verses. He does it from memory. If he does not get it word perfect, I coach him on the value of getting it exactly right each time. If he does get it word perfect, I compliment him. My critique is based on observing whether he memorized the next verses or not. On whether he followed the Topical Memory System suggestions correctly or not.

Fourth, I ask him to memorize the next two verses before we meet again.

Fifth, the next time we meet I ask him to quote all four verses. And again, my critique is based on what I observe.

Repeat the fourth and fifth steps until he takes ownership of choosing to memorize new verses. Then I only need to repeat the fifth step.

Write a list of a few things you do well. Things God has entrusted you with.

Now think of someone who you could teach one of these things to.

Go and give it a try!

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