Ask Better Questions To Be A Better Teacher

Looking for a way to be a better Sunday school teacher? Ask better questions! Remember, there are basically four different types of questions:

Warm-up questions. These help students focus on the lesson theme. They identify feelings and situations in the students’ lives. (Example: "Why is it so hard for us to wait for answers to our prayers?")

Information questions. These are questions that ask for facts and information related to the lesson or subject being studied. (Example: "Why were the Pharisees in this passage upset with Jesus?")

Clarifying questions. These questions compare facts from the lesson with facts that the students should already know. (Example: "How does Judas’ behavior compare to Peter’s behavior after he denied Jesus?")

Application questions. These questions help students apply lesson information to their day-to-day lives. (Example: "What would you say to someone who doubted God as Thomas did?")

Another good thing to remember about asking questions: Always try to ask questions that require more than a "yes" or "no" answer.

(This article appeared in the "Winter, 1994-95" issue of "The Herald.")