Weekly 4: Doctrines, Principles, and Applications
Gospel doctrines answer the question of "why?"
A gospel doctrine is a truth—a truth of salvation revealed by a loving Heavenly Father. Gospel doctrines are eternal, do not change, and pertain to the eternal progression and exaltation of Heavenly Father’s sons and daughters. Doctrines such as the nature of the Godhead, the plan of happiness, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ are foundational, fundamental, and comprehensive. The core doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ are relatively few in number.
Applications answer the question of “how.”
Applications are the actual behaviors, action steps, practices, or procedures by which gospel doctrines and principles are enacted in our lives. Whereas doctrines and principles do not change, applications appropriately can vary according to needs and circumstances. Many applications can grow out of and be associated with a single principle.
Principles answer the question of “what?”
A gospel principle is a doctrinally based guideline for the righteous exercise of moral agency. Principles are subsets or components of broader gospel truths. Principles provide direction. Correct principles always are based upon and arise from doctrines and do not change. Many principles can grow out of and be associated with a single doctrine . . . A principle is not a behavior or a specific action. Rather, principles provide basic guidelines for behavior and action. (pp. 1
Final Ideas
Weekly 2: How is the Savior the Master Teacher?
He only taught truths
He learned truths from his father and didn't stray from these important truths in his teachings.
“All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it.” (D&C 93:30.)
He taught by his example
His life can be emulated. He lived what he taught. He showed them a higher way to live.
"Learn of me and listen to my words, walk in the meekness of my spirit."
"Come, follow me"
He used parables and analogies
Subtopic
He taught on multiple levels through parable and analogies. Learners pulled what they could understand from his teachings.
Some learned nothing, some learned deep doctrines.
The prodigal son
The sower and the seed
He knew his students
He taught similar ideas in different ways, depending on what the student would understand.
He asked the rich young man to sell all he had and follow him. He knew he needed to face that decision.
With some, he taught by asking them a question, with others, he taught with a story. He knew what the students needed.
He spoke with authority without being condescending.
Teach in a way that your students will believe the truths you are presenting, but treat them with respect.
He treated all social classes with respect.
"The people were astonished at His doctrine for he taught them as one having authority."
"For he taught as one having authority, and not like the scribes"
He was willing to correct his students
He pointed out what they needed to change. Some accepted his correction, some didn't.
"O ye of little faith"
"Woe unto you, hypocrites"
"He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone."
He asked the students questions
His questions required them to probe their feelings.
"What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?"
They can each learn what they needed to learn by thinking about his question.
Learners were at different levels.
They had the answer within themselves
He really understood what he was teaching
He was a master scriptorian and He learned from His Father directly.
John 8:28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
He spoke with authority
He quoted scriptures often.
Communicating with parents of students
Parent Teacher conference
Email updates
Email for specific problems
Back to School nights
My classroom
How do I see my students?
Will I treat them all the same, even those who behave badly?
Can I show them respect when they aren't showing respect to me?
Do I see their potential?
Am I on their side?
Is it me against them?
Help them see patterns and lessons.
Lead discussions
Let students help present information
Expect a lot from them.
Assignments
Allow late assignments, but they lose points for each day it's late.
Presentations
Historical reenactments
Allow retests.
Respect the students. Expect them to treat me with respect.
Teacher Ethics
Since we'll be working with minors, unethical behavior will be less tolerated.
Should a teacher have a concealed weapon in class?
https://sde.idaho.gov/cert-psc/shared/ethics/Code-of-Ethics-for-Professional-Educators.pdf
Special programs
Have average students help special needs student
Advanced classes
Reading groups
Special education
Older kids help younger kids
Apex
Assignments are necessary in some cases.
Gives a sense of control for teacher
State standards
school success is not based on money spent
Teacher quality
Success influenced by smaller class sizes
Wealthy areas help with success
stable jobs for parents
parents can stay home or hire tutors
High quality teachers in stable schools
Success influenced by parental involvement
Funding schools
Have the funding follow the student. They choose where to spend it.
Levies
Cities have the voting power. they get more money.
Bonds that increase sales or property taxes
Alternatives to public schools
Summerhill
No lessons required, but lessons were offered
Let them play as long as they like.
fosters creativity
play naturally leads to work
Learning is a beautiful endevour
All ages of children.
We can't trust government and religion to teach our children
Let children be free.
Unless they interfere with the learning of others.
Montessori
Student focused learning
Hands on learning
Students go at their own pace
Private schools
Downside: limited to those with money to pay
Can teach religious ideas
Less government interference
Charter schools
competition for students creates a better school.
Homeschooling
Is it ok to specialize in subjects and leave others behind?
My questions about teaching
Do I have any concerns about teaching?
I might not be able to keep my biases out of my teaching very well. I didn't do a good job of that before.
Will I be too upset by misbehavior and disrespect from students?
Why did I choose to teach?
I've wanted to be a teacher since I was young. I liked learning in school, overall, and I want to help others enjoy their education. I have always been interested in history and my patriarchal blessing talks about getting an education in history. A great way to learn something well is to teach it. I've had experience teaching my kids and in a charter school and I enjoyed it.
Philosophical terms
Axiology
Values are absolute
Values are discovered via intuition
Order as a basic principle of values.
The study of the nature of value and valuation, and of the kinds of things that are valuable.
Epistemology
The search for truth
Intuition as a dimension of knowing
Inductive and deductive logic
The theory of knowledge, especially with regard to its methods, validity, and scope. Epistemology is the investigation of what distinguishes justified belief from opinion.
Ontology
The realness of something.
Philosophy
Thinking about big questions
Is there a God?
What is the world like?
The study of any subject
The love of wisdom
Metaphysics
Two divisions of reality--apparent and real
Nothing is real except for the idea in someone's mind
Universal truths present but latent in our mind
A traditional branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world that encompasses it, although the term is not easily defined.
Authors
Erasmus
We should study both broadly and narrowly.
Subjects connect with other subjects.
Kierkegaard
Teach students to not give in to peer pressure and political correctness.
A crowd leads to untruth
Dewey
Teachers are like prophets. They should teach morals.
Social training should be the focus more than memorization.
Freire
He felt oppressed by colonial school system in Brazil
Teachers make deposits into students heads and then withdraw them to see if they learned.
Teacher-centered
Perry
Public school should not just be about making things look right and behaving right.
Our students are not a number, they are individuals
Teach critical thinking skills
Individualize learning
Teachers take away freedom of creativity
Racial issues
Pestalozzi
A lot can be learned by experiencing nature
Plato
Philosophical discussions
Ask questions
Caves
Bednar
Make a personalized plan
Learning and teaching are personal responsibilities
Learning is about action or change
Applications
What does is look like?
Principles
More detailed- ties back to doctrines
Doctrines
Why we do things
Ravitch
Our schools are not what we expect them to be, but we shouldn't expect them to solve all of the issues in our society.
Jefferson
Merit based, but offered to all white boys
Plan for public schooling
James
Pragmatists turn away from abstraction.
Is what you're teaching worthwhile?
Anton
Public education is a privilege. How can I help my students to appreciate the opportunity they have been given?
Addams
An educator should try to free the power from each student and connect the student with his future.
Schoolwork should be meaningful and not just busy work.
Comenius
We should view our students as children of God and treat them with respect.
Teachers should teach morals.
Rousseau
A child should learn by experiencing life.
It is nearly impossible to succeed in educating a child.
Wolk
Students just being trained to be workers
Knowledge more than creativity taught in schools
Public schools are failing our students
Love of learning
Beecher
Student teacher relationships
switching teachers too often is detrimental
coeducation instead of single gender
What qualifies a teacher to teach?
teacher training
Women are better teachers
Gospel centered teaching
Discipline
Have consequences
Expect respect
Weekly 1 and 3: 7 essential questions
Picture: https://mormonhub.com/blog/faith/how-to-teach-like-jesus/
Upon what foundation are U.S. public schools built?
Mostly economic. We need literate people as workers. Getting an education is valued in our country and we have come to expect the government to provide it for us. The ideological foundation is becoming more and more focused on liberal/socialist ideas, unfortunately.
The Savior should be included in our public schooling. His teachings can apply to all subjects. Public schools used to teach God's truths and moral behavior and they should again.
Joseph Smith:
"If children are to be brought up in the way they should go, to be good citizens here and happy hereafter, they must be taught. It is idle to suppose that children will grow up good, while surrounded with wickedness, without cultivation. It is folly to suppose that they can become learned without education."
What is worth teaching?
Most of the subjects taught in our schools are worth teaching. Moral behavior is worth teaching. Some details in sexual education are not worth teaching. Things of God are of the most worth.
The Savior only taught things of great importance. He taught what we need to know for our salvation. He told us to learn about the world: the people, histories, cultures, nature, in universal laws in his revealed scriptures. All of these things are worth teaching.
“Teach ye diligently … of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms—that ye may be prepared in all things” (D&C 88:78–80).4
How do I view those I teach?
I see them as intelligent individuals who can benefit from the things I teach. I recognize that they sometimes have greater insights than I do in some ways. Sometimes, I see them as a challenge, if they don't want to engage or behave.
The Savior saw the value in each person he taught. He loved them and understood them. He had the added benefit of being able to know who they were spiritually. He taught them at their level in very individualized ways when one on one. He taught universal truths to groups of people.
“I have prayed for thee,” the Savior said to Peter, “that thy faith fail not” (Luke 22:32).
What is the role of school in society?
There is so much a child needs to know to be able to function and act intelligently. Schools prepare them for adulthood, college, jobs and more. Leaving them in ignorance has many negative affects on society. God wants us to gain intelligence and schools contribute to learning. We have gone away from including knowledge of God's truths, but religion once played a role in schools. Schools should teach moral behavior, but since they have moved away from that role, the society has become less moral.
The Savior values learning and he encourages each of us to study and learn. He would support schooling, as long as it teaches truths and the teachers have the spirit.
Brigham Young: “You should not teach even the alphabet or the multiplication tables without the Spirit of God."
How do I learn?
I learn in many ways. I prefer to learn visually, but I also learn by reading, listening and experiencing. My most important learning has been spiritually.
The Savior learned by studying scripture, through the spirit, from his parents and others in his community, and most likely through direct communication with his father. I can also learn by studying the scriptures, through the spirit, from my parents and others.
Luke 2:40- "And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him."
What is my work as learner and teacher?
I want to learn as much as I can so that I can be a more successful teacher to my children and students, to understand the world and things of eternity, and to be a better person. I want to pass on valuable ideas and make a difference in lives of those I teach.
The Savior's work is to bring about salvation. He learned what he needed to know from his heavenly Father and from his earthly parents and teachers. He was the master teacher. I can follow his example and learn all i can and then share my knowledge with others.
“In the home, the school, or the house of God, there is one teacher whose life overshadows all others. He taught of life and death, of duty and destiny. He lived not to be served, but to serve; not to receive, but to give; not to save his life, but to sacrifice it for others. He described a love more beautiful than lust, a poverty richer than treasure. It was said of this teacher that he taught with authority and not as did the scribes. I speak of the Master Teacher, even Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind.
“When dedicated teachers respond to his gentle invitation, ‘Come learn of me,’ they learn, but they also become partakers of his divine power.”
—President Thomas S. Monson
Who am I and what motivates me?
I'm a daughter of God, a wife, a mother, and an educator. I love to learn, travel and be with my family. I'm motivated by what I believe God expects of me. I'm also motivated by love, competition, responsibility, money, adventure and many other things. I want to teach to help those I teach gain insights, but I also want a career that is rewarding and provides a way for me to pay for weddings, missions and travel.
The Savior was the the son of God and he was motivated by love. I am a daughter of God and my motivation to teach should be the same as the Savior's.
Classroom techniques
Group work
Important skill to learn. They will work in groups in their lives.
Focus on thinking vs. memorization
Implementation, not just memorizing information
Why are we learning this?
Theories over calculation
Organizing ideas, not the form, should be the focus
Discussion styles
Horizontal
Everyone on same level
Lateral
Levels of conversation
Assessments
Where are they at in the process?
Find out strengths and weaknesses
Students assessing students
Only use in limited situations
Make sure the students are doing a good job in their assessments
No Child Left Behind
Every child is tested
Every child gets a highly trained teacher
Federal government getting more involved
15% of funding is federal, much to combat discrimination
Standards needed between states
States are in control of education
now "Every Student Succeeds"
Assignment vs. volunteering
Agency: How can I implement volunteering in the classroom?
Summerhill school in Europe: freedom to choose what you learn
Let them choose how they learn. Give options.
Let students choose as often as possible
Pace of study
Go at the same pace at a class
Let students go at their own pace
Competition
Individuals competing
Students often work harder
What about the child who feels defeated and gives up?
Inappropriate in many instances
Does grading on a curve serve a useful purpose?
If everyone did poorly
Teams
Teams/Individual
Team against unseen team from another classroom
individual against individual within a team
team against team
Teams, working together for grades
Advantages
People depending on you will help you get the work done
Leadership/cooperative skills
Learn from eachother
We work in teams at work and church, so even though it may unfairly affect a grade, it may be worth it to use them.
Is this fair for the student who would get a better grade on their own?
Education philosophy
Existentialism
Taylor education to the individual.
Be true to your essence.
Finding meaning and truth for each individual
Base word "exist"
Problems and possibiities
Teacher student relationship is personal
Education liberates individual from chaotic world
Focus on the needs of the individual
Pragmatism
Teacher encourages instead of dictates
Experimental learning
Allow student to plan his course of study
Discovering solutions to problems in present day terms
Truth is relative
Values arise from human responses to varying environmental situations
Moral relativity
Intelligence is the ability to define and solve problems
More positive, but similar to Realism?
Philosophy needs to be applied to solve human problems.
Idealism
Use classic teaching techniques
Teacher lectures when neccessary
Education is transformative. Ideas can change lives.
Do the restraints put on a public school make the ideal possible?
What is the ideal way to teach?
The world of the mind, ideas and reason are primary.
Progressivism
Let them go at their own pace and choose their topics
Pique their interest
Create an enriching environment in the school setting
Prepare a child to thrive in society
Moving away from old ideas and education styles
Child-centered focus.
Neo-Thomism
Learning by study and also by faith
God is a worthy source of knowledge
Religious and character education
Distinquish between education and school
Goodness follows reason
Human beings modeled after God.
Bridge between idealism and realism
Realism
Scientific method
Knowledge is obtainable through research and senses
Logical, systematic approach to the discovery of knowledge
Should I expect the minimum from my students or more?
Excepting lower standards?
The world of things is superior to the world of ideas.
Secularism
How can I help the students look for moral lessons from the subject matter without bringing up religion?
Can I teach in a public school where I'm not allowed to mention God?
Can a good education disregard religious truths?
