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Revolutionary Teachers Capture Attention and Refuse to Let It Go!

January 5, 2007 by Darryl Wilson Leave a Comment

What good are your teaching efforts, if learners are not listening? How can they learn if their attention is on other things? They may be thinking about lunch, the fight on the way to church, the shopping list, the work project, or any of a million other mind-filling distractions.

How will you get their minds in the room? How will you focus their attention on the subject at hand? How will you launch the lesson? There are scores of possibilities. Most curriculum offers suggestions for beginning the lesson well, for creating interest in the lesson, for focusing the attention on the truth of God’s Word.

Larry Richards, Lawrence O. Richards, and Gary Bredfelt wrote a book entitled, Creative Bible Teaching. In the book, the part of the lesson which captures learners’ attention is called the hook. Hooks should be related to the lesson not just designed to get attention. Consider these hooks related to the lesson:

  • write a bold headline on the board
  • ask a pivotal question
  • ask a personal question
  • make a controversial statement
  • read a newspaper headline/story
  • share a testimony
  • tell a story
  • share an object lesson
  • read a poem
  • share why the lesson is so important
  • share how the truth can be applied
  • pair off to discuss a key issue
  • get into groups to debate sides of the issue
  • ask learners to write down why a verse is important

For a great article on icebreakers, read Questions:  Icebreakers and Beyond. What other hooks have you used? Press the comments button below to leave more examples. When you prepare your next lesson take time to plan a great hook. Get learners’ minds in the room. Get them thinking about God, His Word, His ways, and His will. Teach for life change. Be revolutionary!

Related posts:

Sunday School: Improving Attendance Faithfulness, Part 3
Elements of Sunday School Lesson Excellence, Part 3 Application
Disciple-Making Encounters: Revolutionary Sunday School
When Sunday School Teams Are Most Effective, Part 3

Filed Under: Teaching Tagged With: attention, hooks, icebreakers, interest, lesson, minds in the room, teacher

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