Practicum Report #2 Teaching Report

SUBSTITUTE ASSIGNMENT: Because I was taking my youth group to the camp I worked at this summer, I was not able to teach class in the usual setting. I did however, lead a couple devotions and help with a worship service as well as lead an hour or so long Bible study. All of the usual members of my Sunday school class were there as well as all the 5-12th grade youth. Many of the adults that I work with for lessons and other events were also present.

Kevin Aaron

Teaching Report 1

Time Spent: 47 Hours (1/2 devotion, 1 S.S., 2 1/2 worship, 3 servant work, 40 general time with youth)

A. The Lesson
The lesson I prepared for the youth was based on nature to an extent. Since we were spending the weekend camping and enjoying God’s creation, I did a devotion the first night about God’s creation and how when he made everything we see around us, he knew one day we would be there enjoying it. I also discussed the disciplines of rest and silence and how we need to step back and spend quiet time enjoying God’s creation. And so my study for the next night was about the mustard seed. At the end of this section is the sheet I typed up as the basic guidelines for how the study was to be run.
The first thing I did was opened with prayer. Then I split the group up into three different groups. We had six adults and five other college age youth present to help for the weekend, so I had them help with the groups. The adults formed a group of their own, while the college youth helped lead the two groups comprised of junior and senior high youth. Chelsea, Shandalyn and Rebecca lead the girls group while Caleb and Adam took charge of the guys group while I led.
After this I discussed with them that we would be examining the mustard seed and looking at the kingdom of God. I told them to remain open minded and ready to look at some different ideas.
And so the group’s split and read Mark 4:30-32. They then had a few questions to discuss in their respective groups about the passage. Once they had finished that, they went on to read a slightly different passage. They read Ezekiel 17:22-24. This passage is similar in concept, but uses a different plant then the mustard seed. The youth were then asked to compare the two and discuss the passages, separately and together.
The youth all came back together into one big group. The purpose of this was to read the passage as a group. Then we would discuss the questions and get different perspectives of the group.
This is where I took over. At this point, I began to discuss how hard it was for me to understand the mustard seed and why it would be chosen. We discussed what a mustard seed was and why it was used to describe the kingdom. Then I discussed with them the kingdom and how it is hard to know what the passage is really saying without knowing anything about the kingdom. And so I proceeded to discuss some possible ideas about what the kingdom is. The first option I offered was that the kingdom is seen in our own faith and that it starts as a tiny seed that grows and can spread to others around us just like the mustard seed. The other option was that maybe the kingdom is a physical place, like the New Jerusalem discussed in Revelations that gives us shelter and comfort. Then I offered the view that maybe the kingdom was heaven, a spiritual realm we do not understand or really know about until we die and experience it. The final thought I proposed to them was that maybe the kingdom was Jesus himself. That just like how a mustard seed needs to be crushed to get anything out of it, Jesus needed to be crushed and killed for us to gain salvation. I talked about how a mustard seed is tiny, and an annoying weed that comes up in unexpected places. Discussed how Jesus was a commoner and so were his disciples. They were not the king and warriors that Israel was looking for in a messiah.
After this, I sent them back into their groups for further discussion about what they each thought the kingdom was and how they can pull meaning from the passage. They discussed in their groups how the passage affects us today and what it means for us. After this, they prayed in their groups and got ready to sing songs.
Lesson Plan:
30Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. 32Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.”
22 " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will take a shoot from the very top of a cedar and plant it; I will break off a tender sprig from its topmost shoots and plant it on a high and lofty mountain. 23 On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches. 24 All the trees of the field will know that I the LORD bring down the tall tree and make the low tree grow tall. I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish.
" 'I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.' "

Opening Questions on Mark 4:30-32, Ezekiel 17:22-24

1. Read the passage in Mark first and discuss any general reactions.
2. What exactly is a mustard seed and what does it look like?
3. How does this give an illustration of the kingdom?
4. Read the passage in Ezekiel and discuss any general reactions.
5. What are your thoughts on comparing the two passages? Which one seems like a better description to you?
Final Questions
1. What do you think is the kingdom?
2. Why do you think Jesus used the mustard seed instead of the cedar?
3. How can we benefit from what this passage tells us?
4. How does this passage relate to us
5. What might be an example that relates to us today?

B. Response
I had 10 youth, 5 youth leaders, and 6 adults at the study with me. As previously mentioned, the youth leaders were Chelsea, Shandalyn, Rebecca, Adam and Caleb. The adults that helped were Peggy, Big Al, David and Karen Aaron, Roger and Cindy. The 10 youth included, Matt, Raleigh, Eric, Mike, Rachel, Kristin, Courtney, Jessica, Cassie, and Grace. Most of them had good response for me about the passages, except Matt. Matt seemed to take it as a joke and more or less ran all over poor Caleb in the group portion of the study. Matt got hung up on the yellow color of mustard seeds and tried to compare the kingdom to Chuckie Cheese. Raleigh tried his best to cover for Matt by saying that tickets turn into great prizes, just like the small seed turns into a plant. Cassie, however, gave me the example of the mustard seed representing faith. She discussed with us how our faith starts out so small, yet with the help of the Spirit, it grows and we learn to share it with others so they can find comfort in Jesus Christ. Overall, they paid attention throughout the whole lesson and did not give me any problems. Chelsea told me the girls answered the questions thoughtfully and did really well. How much they took from the study is debatable, but they were willing to listen and behaved. And that is a good sign in and of itself.

C. Supervisor’s Evaluation
Multiple different adults had some comments for me about my Bible study. My dad, David, enjoyed the topic and the things I had to say. Peggy had the most comments for me. She praised the set-up of my study. She particularly liked how I had times where the youth interacted as a whole group and others worked in small groups. She was glad I allowed time for songs at the end of the time. She did have some criticism for me about the finish of the study before the singing. She would have liked to see me do a full group prayer instead of prayer in small groups. Also she would have liked to see me bring the group back together and discuss the final round of questions to help wrap it up. Both ideas would have been good ideas to think about. In hindsight it might have given the whole study a better effect if I had given them a chance to discuss the last questions as a whole. The last person I talked to was Cindy. She thanked me for what I was doing and said she could tell I had put some time and effort into planning both the weekend and the study. The only real evaluation material she gave me was a desire to see activities incorporated to get the youth moving and involved.

D. Things I Did Well
1. I kept their interest well.
2. I used Biblical text and not just my own thoughts.
3. I allowed them the chance to say what they thought in a small group environment as well as with the whole group.
4. I provoked thought from both the adults and the youth.
5. I tied the general details of the story in with the theme of the rest of the weekend: God’s creation.

E. Things I need to improve
1. I need to do more prayer with the whole group instead of just as small groups.
2. I need to close the study better instead of leaving it to the small groups.
3. I need to find a way to tie it all together instead of having a few loose thoughts.
4. I need to do a better job of getting everyone involved in the discussion.

F. Questions
1. How do I get better participation from everyone?
2. Would the study go better and be more enjoyable if I had something such as food or fun activities tied into it?
3. Is it a good idea to have college age youth lead high school youth or should I use adults more in that setting?