What's a reasonable expectation for prep time for teachers on an adult SS class (we call them ABF (Adult Bible Fellowships))?
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Situation:
Question:
- Suburban church
- Reasonably well-educated people (most with college degrees (Bachelors). Many with Masters or PhDs (Various disciplines))
- We use the Regular Baptist Press adult quarterlies for teachers
- Class sizes vary from as small as 15 to past 50 (my class averages near 30)
Question:
- What is a resonable expectation for adult teachers in terms of prep time and research material?
- From another angle: Is this reasonable?
- Be prepared to spend 5-8 hours in prep time prior to class
- Research beyond the quarterly (commentaries)
- Have prepared notes beyond the quarterly (I hate to see a guy stand up with the quarterly in hand!)
- Be prepared to spend 5-8 hours in prep time prior to class
I can only offer an insider opinion here. I teach RBP’s adult curriculum in my own church, and the guy who writes it has his office across the hall. And I have an unusual class, one that uses the student quarterlies throughout the week to study the next week’s lesson.
How long to prepare? Depends on how well you know the passage. Studying for the Minor Prophets took me a lot longer than the current study on 1 John. Right now I’d say it’s an average of 2 hours per week. But for someone without a theology degree? Probably longer.
Research beyond the teacher’s manual? Absolutely. The teacher should plan on borrowing/buying commentaries each quarter. If you don’t own them, check your church library or ask your pastor for some good suggestions. Every adult SS teacher should at least own a Ryrie Study Bible and the two-volume Bible Knowledge Commentary. Okay…that was just an opinion.
Having prepared notes? Absolutely—though I tend to write all of mine in the margin of the teacher’s manual, so I might be that guy you saw with the manual in his hand. When teaching, I tend to agree with the theme, desired student response, and exegesis that the teacher’s manual presents…but I often find myself changing the specific applications to better fit my class situation.
Using teaching methods that work for your group? Absolutely [Though you didn’t ask this!] I do not often use the teaching methods that the RBP quarterly suggests for each lesson…but these ideas often lead to other, more useful ideas that work for my class. Too many teachers default to the “lecture” method of teaching—a big mistake for most adult groups.
How long to prepare? Depends on how well you know the passage. Studying for the Minor Prophets took me a lot longer than the current study on 1 John. Right now I’d say it’s an average of 2 hours per week. But for someone without a theology degree? Probably longer.
Research beyond the teacher’s manual? Absolutely. The teacher should plan on borrowing/buying commentaries each quarter. If you don’t own them, check your church library or ask your pastor for some good suggestions. Every adult SS teacher should at least own a Ryrie Study Bible and the two-volume Bible Knowledge Commentary. Okay…that was just an opinion.
Having prepared notes? Absolutely—though I tend to write all of mine in the margin of the teacher’s manual, so I might be that guy you saw with the manual in his hand. When teaching, I tend to agree with the theme, desired student response, and exegesis that the teacher’s manual presents…but I often find myself changing the specific applications to better fit my class situation.
Using teaching methods that work for your group? Absolutely [Though you didn’t ask this!] I do not often use the teaching methods that the RBP quarterly suggests for each lesson…but these ideas often lead to other, more useful ideas that work for my class. Too many teachers default to the “lecture” method of teaching—a big mistake for most adult groups.
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