Leadership Training Highlights

Today I went to the Worldwide Leadership Training Broadcast. It was incredible!!! I really felt like it was just for me. There were so many things that were said that I felt I needed to learn. One of the things that I loved was when Elder Holland was talking about students (particularly children and youth) who do not act interested or who are resenting that fact that you are trying to teach them. He said that when the kids are unresponsive, just love them. "You can love them today and they can learn tomorrow."

When Elder Holland stressed the importance of not trying to pack too much material into a lesson, I think he was talking to me. I feel like sometimes in my teaching I am trying to get in as much as I can and I sometimes feel like I am rushing. He said, "An unrushed atmosphere is absolutely essential for the Spirit to teach and the students to learn."

I also had a lot of my questions and concerns answered in their group discussion of what it means to teach by the spirit. I often wonder how much to prepare and how much not to prepare so that I will be receptive and open to the promptings of the Spirit. I feel like I understand the concept a whole lot better now and I feel like I now know how to prepare to speak in stake conference.

My absolute favorite part of the whole thing was when Elder Holland gave the #5 to the gift of teaching. It is to "testify of the truths we've taught". He told a story about a Sunday School teacher who taught the 15 year olds. He made a very big impression on his students and it was said of him that "we could have warmed our hands by the fire of his faith." Elder Holland said that we need to share with every student the fire of our faith and "never let our faith be difficult to detect." He also said that "you don't dazzle them with how brilliant you are, but dazzle them with the brilliance of the gospel." And then my very favorite line of the whole thing was...
"Teach them, but above all TESTIFY to them."