When it comes to teaching the gospel effectively it is important to use a variety of methods to teach your lessons. No one learns the same way, and so it is important to present more than one method in each lesson, and to mix it up each week. Additionally these methods can be applied to the teaching you do at home as well. You can find more teaching methods in the Teaching No Greater Call book offered by the church.
One method that I like to use is asking questions. I believe that this allows the learner to really apply the knowledge to their lives and to internalize it. One of the keys to getting this method to be most effective is to move on from the basic comprehension or recall questions (such as what happened to Daniel when he was in the Lion’s Den?) to more application questions (How does Daniel’s example of faith help me to increase my faith? Or what are some situations that I will need to have the courage to stand up for what I believe in? And am I willing to face the consequences?).
Another great teaching method is sharing stories and personal experiences. These need to tie neatly into the principles that you are teaching, so you should pray and carefully consider the stories that you choose to share. You can also include class members when you do this, by asking them to prepare ahead of time a story about a certain principle. If you pray about who to ask, you will be prompted as to who might have a good story to share.
Another fun method is the object lesson. These are especially great when you are teaching children. It helps to illustrate the concept being taught. You can also make comparisons and parallels between the concepts being taught and the students’ lives. These things will help your students to really apply the material to their lives. Finally you should try to have class discussions, especially as your students get older.
Related Articles:
Teaching the Gospel: Creating a Learning Environment
Teaching the Gospel: Focusing on the Doctrine