January 1, 2011

Teaching with Punch

A teacher can ask the students, “What does Psalm 139 say about God’s love and plan for our lives?” The problem with that question is: (1) The teacher is only asking the student to restate what has already been stated, and (2) The question fails to get the students to truly interact with the meaning in the text. One approach that might engage students to interact personally with the Bible would be to say: “Read the Punch Lines and choose the verse that speaks to you personally about God’s plan for your life.” This enables the students to think for themselves and internalize the message. Also, students feel safer to answer a question when the teacher has removed the fear of potentially being wrong.