Learning from the Master Teacher: Timeless Strategies for Effective Teaching
- Student Ambassadors
- Apr 14
- 3 min read
Rachel O'Malley
McKay Student Ambassador
Elementary Education
One of the most impactful ways that I learn teaching strategies comes from watching other teachers. My favorite teacher example comes from Jesus Christ, the Master Teacher. Christ’s teaching focuses on creating meaningful, relevant, and loving learning experiences, which are the kinds of experiences I want to have in my classroom. Throughout my education classes at BYU, we spend time studying His strategies and discussing how we can use them in our own classrooms. Here are some my favorites learning stratgies I have gained from studying Jesus Christ.
Teaching through Stories
One powerful teaching method that Christ used was teaching with parables, and relatable stories to make the deeper truths stand out. Think about how much easier it is to remember a lesson when your professor shares a story instead of just reading off slides. When you add personal or relatable experiences to your lesson, it isn’t just something you hear but now something you feel and remember. I love telling stories to others and I have seen firsthand how they can change a student’s perspective and create an engaging learning experience. In my Teaching Literacy Grades K-2 class, we read a story each day and discussed how we could use it to teach our students. When we read Enemy Pie, by Derek Munson, I described how I could read this story in my class to teach my students the power of service and forgiveness and loving their "enemies".
Asking Meaningful Questions
Another powerful strategy we can learn from Christ when teaching is asking thought-provoking questions. In John 5:6, Jesus asks a man struggling with a lifelong infirmity at the pool of Bethesda, "Wilt thou be made whole?" By asking this meaningful question, Christ was addressing both physical healing and deeper spiritual, emotional, and mental restoration. This question challenges individuals to move past excuses, accept responsibility, and believe in His power to transform their lives. It also demands action and commitment to wholeness. When we are asked meaningful questions, we are forced to look deeper inside ourselves for the answer. In my Planning and Assessment class, we learned the importance of inquiry based instruction where we guide students to learn by asking meaningful questions that cause critical thinking. Instead of handing out answers, great teachers push students to think, reflect, and even wrestle with it in their minds. It turns a classroom into a space where ideas are explored, not just delivered.
Being a Christlike Example
Jesus Christ perfectly embodied love, service, faith, patience, humility, forgiveness, and kindness. His followers strive each day to become more like Him by observing His boundless charity and deep compassion for others, and then seeking to reflect those same qualities in their own lives. Modeling and demonstration also play a central role in teaching. Teaching isn’t limited to words alone but it is reinforced through our examples to our students. Students learn not only from what teachers say, but from what they do. In my Social Studies class, we’ve learned that if a teacher hopes to instill morality and Christlike virtues in their students, they must model those principles in their own actions. I am committed to teaching my students by example as I strive to follow Christ’s example and be full of charity, courage, open-mindedness, responsibility, respect, and compassion.
At the end of the day, the most memorable lessons aren’t just informative but they’re transformative. By using storytelling, asking meaningful questions, and setting an example, teachers can create an experience that goes far beyond the classroom and stays with their students. When patterning teaching strategies after the Savior, we can create more engaging lesson plans that touch our students hearts and change their lives for the better.
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