Counseling with Teachers

Quorum and group leaders should meet with teachers (instructors) at least once every three months. If teachers do not contact their leaders at least once every three months, leaders should initiate a contact. In these contacts, teachers should feel free to share experiences, discuss the needs of individuals in the quorum or group, and seek help and counsel. These contacts are most effective in person, but if necessary they may be made by telephone, mail, or some other means.

As teachers strive to meet challenges, leaders can do much to personally support and assist them. In their efforts to help teachers, leaders should remember that they are teachers themselves. They should be receptive to the promptings of the Holy Ghost and look for opportunities to bear testimony, teach from the scriptures, and give appropriate counsel.

Leaders may feel uncomfortable or even inadequate as they consider their responsibility to counsel with teachers. They will receive insight and ability to carry out this important responsibility as they pray for guidance, study and live the gospel, and remember that they are called of the Lord. They can also receive valuable instruction as they study Teaching, No Greater Call and "Gospel Teaching and Leadership," section 16 of the Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 2: Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders (1998), attend teacher improvement meetings, and participate in the Teaching the Gospel course.

In counseling with teachers, leaders should allow the teachers’ needs and concerns to guide the direction of the discussion. To help teachers think about how they are doing and what they can do to improve, leaders may want to ask questions that prompt careful thought, such as those in the following list. Such questions can also help leaders discover specific ways to help.

• How are you feeling about your calling as a teacher?
• Are there some experiences you have had with your quorum or group that you would like to talk about?
• What have been your most successful teaching experiences?
• Will you share some examples of how members are responding to the lessons you teach?
• What are some specific needs of individual quorum or group members?
• What are some of your goals as a teacher?
• What can I do to help you accomplish your goals?
• What are some topics that you feel should be addressed in teacher improvement meetings?

Leaders should listen carefully to teachers’ responses and help them find answers to their questions and concerns. Leaders can encourage teachers by helping them see their strengths and the good things they are accomplishing. When they offer suggestions, they should do so with humility and love (see D&C 12:8). They should keep in mind the following statement by President Spencer W. Kimball:

"I find myself hungering and thirsting for just a word of appreciation or of honest evaluation from my superiors and my peers. I want no praise; I want no flattery; I am seeking only to know if what I gave was acceptable" (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 489).

Helping Teachers Plan for Improvement

As they counsel with teachers, leaders may invite teachers to use a chart like the one below to write their plans for continuing improvement.

How Am I Doing? What are my strengths? What are my weaknesses?

What Can I Do to Improve? What can I do now to improve as a teacher? What skills do I need to develop?

What Resources Will I Use? Who can help? What materials are available?

Leaders may want to suggest specific ideas to help teachers achieve their goals, such as enrolling in the Teaching the Gospel course and studying specific sections of Teaching, No Greater Call. In making suggestions, leaders should take care not to overwhelm teachers with too many ideas.

Helping Teachers Who Feel Inadequate

Leaders should give sincere encouragement to teachers who express feelings of inadequacy. They should help such teachers understand that the Lord has called them to serve in their positions and that He will bless them as they humbly seek His guidance.

Encouraging Quorum or Group Members to Support Their Teachers

Leaders can accomplish much good by openly supporting teachers. For example, they can introduce quorum or group members to a newly called teacher, expressing confidence in the teacher. Members of high priests group leaderships and elders quorum presidencies can set an example by participating appropriately in discussions. They can also read assigned material and encourage class members to do the same.

Expressing Appreciation for Teachers’ Efforts

Leaders should always look for ways to express appreciation to teachers. As they do so, they should follow this simple counsel from President Gordon B. Hinckley: "I believe we should thank people. I think that thanks should be genuine and sincere, as it well can be when there is honest effort and dedicated service" (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley [1997], 248).