Teaching Teenagers 101, Part 3: Does This Lesson T.E.A.C.H.?

Last week, I shared some ideas to help create S.T.I.C.K.Y. lessons and learning environments for students. This week, I’d like to unpack a question I ask myself after virtually every lesson I create: “Does this lesson T.E.A.C.H.?” To answer that question, I ask five more:

Is This Lesson True?

• Have I used scripture/passages in proper context? Is the “whole” of scripture taken into account? Are opinions expresses biblically sound? Am I exaggerating stories etc.?

Is This Lesson Encouraging?

• Are hard truths presented with Love? Have provided some sugar to help the medicine go down? Have I motivated my audience toward some sort of change? Have I left them wanting more? Are they glad they came? Have I presented the gospel in a manner that it is truly Good News?

Is This Lesson Applicable?

• Does it reflect their “real world” experience? Have I provided tangible action steps? Does it help them become “Doers of the Word”?

Is This Lesson Clear?

• Is it short and simple to understand?  Have I kept the “main thing” the main thing?  Have I connected the dots well?  Have I eliminated unnecessary rabbit trails? Is the vocabulary and terminology I’m using age appropriate?

Is This Lesson Humorous?

• Will my audience crack a smile or chuckle at some point during the lesson? Remember, teenagers like to laugh! It doesn’t have to be drop-dead funny, but insert some humor.  When teenagers laugh, their defenses begin to drop.

Creating and delivering lessons to teenagers is tough stuff, and for most youth always will be. And while there’s nothing easy about it, creating S.T.I.C.K.Y. lessons that T.E.A.C.H. will certainly help!

– Kurt