You’re looking at the data from the Biblical perspective assessment you gave last week. The scores are OK, but not quite what you hoped they’d be. You think, “I thought this might happen. The students didn’t seem into it. I wonder why.”

You head for the workroom, where your see a colleague who tells you about something she heard a student say in the hall between 3rd and 4th periods: “Learning what the Bible teaches is boring. Well, Bible class isn’t boring, but the way teachers teach about the Bible in other classes is boring. Mostly lecture.”

Later, you think to yourself, “That’s why my students weren’t into it. Too much lecture. Not enough engaging instructional strategies.”

Here are 15 options you can use:

1. Asking questions
   
2. Brainstorming
   
3. Case studies
   
4. Cooperative learning
   
5. Discussion
   
6. Drawing pictures
   
7. Generating and testing hypotheses
   
8. Graphic organizers
   
9. Identifying similarities and differences
   
10. Role play
    
11. Journaling
    
12. Setting goals
    
13. Simulation
    
14. Storytelling
    
15. Using audio visuals

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Principals, to what extent does this describe your teachers’ thinking?

“Teaching what the Bible teaches is boring. I mostly lecture. That’s not fun for me or for my students. I want my students to experience engaging instructional strategies. Any ideas?”

If the above describes your teachers’ thinking, what are 5 engaging instructional strategies you could share with them today?

*For a set of discussion questions you can use to further reflect on this blog entry, click here.