Helping Sunday Teachers

[Doctrine 612]

Question: so yesterday the Sunday school president told everyone that is sending the Sunday school teacher lesson supported materials to stop. 

Because the SS teacher is the one to receive revelation for the class preparation, not the students.

Is this weird or a normal thing in the church?

[rpn]

It is not at all unusual for people in the church to think they know better at something than a teacher.   It is pretty strange that a teacher makes the statement you described instead of just deleting the emails and filtering out future ones.   And your description is hilarious anyway.   Maybe the Holy Ghost tried to inspire the teacher to get the material, and when the teacher arrogantly refused to consider it,  sent it to him indirectly.   Wouldn't be the first time a know it all forced those trying to do the work to do it differently than they do it with humble people.

Of course a more charitable assumption might be that the teacher already feels inadequate or so squeezed for time that he can't think straight, and getting the emails makes things harder for him in a way that has made him seek relief.

I suspect that when we get input we don't want or need, we'll get further in life if we at least consider whether it would be useful to our enterprise, and if not then ignore it without shaming or judging the person who sent it. 

[Doctrine 612]

When I taught SS I loved it when I got emails from members of the ward.

Some times they were questions, and sometimes they were good insightful answers.

and others not so insightful.

I would use them in my preparations.

[SouthernMo]

1 hour ago, Doctrine 612 said:

Question: so yesterday the Sunday school president told everyone that is sending the Sunday school teacher lesson supported materials to stop. 

Because the SS teacher is the one to receive revelation for the class preparation, not the students.

Is this weird or a normal thing in the church?

Seems more like an insecure teacher...

[RevTestament]

1 hour ago, Doctrine 612 said:

Question: so yesterday the Sunday school president told everyone that is sending the Sunday school teacher lesson supported materials to stop. 

Because the SS teacher is the one to receive revelation for the class preparation, not the students.

Is this weird or a normal thing in the church?

Frankly, this sounds like the type of teaching we left from 5-10 years ago - only leaders can have inspiration, not students - ugh. I thought we got away from going to class to memorize everything the leader had to say - which was already in the manual... Whatever happened to the admonition that we believe in the truth from whatever source it is found? I would love class participation. Perhaps this teacher is scared of it.

[juliann]

3 hours ago, Doctrine 612 said:

Question: so yesterday the Sunday school president told everyone that is sending the Sunday school teacher lesson supported materials to stop. 

Because the SS teacher is the one to receive revelation for the class preparation, not the students.

Is this weird or a normal thing in the church?

Obviously, it was becoming burdensome or annoying to the teacher for her to go to the SS President. So....

How many people were sending unsolicited material? 

How often was it happening?

What was the source of the material? Don't you think that is a tad important? Was it the BYU Studies supplements quality or something sketchy?

Without that there is no way to know if it was weird or normal.

 

[Doctrine 612]

17 minutes ago, juliann said:

Obviously, it was becoming burdensome or annoying to the teacher for her to go to the SS President. So....

How many people were sending unsolicited material? 

How often was it happening?

What was the source of the material? Don't you think that is a tad important? Was it the BYU Studies supplements quality or something sketchy?

Without that there is no way to know if it was weird or normal.

 

I asked the same question, and the SS President sent me the emails and they were very good.

one lady talked about how she likes the jst version of Matthew 25:12 in how they did not know Jesus. 

 

Another email talked about Luke 18.

in how many times the Pharisee used “I” 5 times in his prayer.

Nothing crazy, just useful information.

 

[mnn727]

5 hours ago, SouthernMo said:

Seems more like an insecure teacher...

It was the SS PRESIDENT  not the teacher. If people are sending broadcast emails to many people, I agree.

[Doctrine 612]

5 minutes ago, mnn727 said:

It was the SS PRESIDENT  not the teacher. If people are sending broadcast emails to many people, I agree.

She told him, to tell people to stop.

[Jane_Doe]

7 hours ago, Doctrine 612 said:

Question: so yesterday the Sunday school president told everyone that is sending the Sunday school teacher lesson supported materials to stop. 

Because the SS teacher is the one to receive revelation for the class preparation, not the students.

Is this weird or a normal thing in the church?

Never heard of that at all.

I'm guessing that this specific advice was geared toward a specific individual whom was being overly helpful (aka completely backseat driving) to a timid teacher.  So the SS presents stepped in a put this out their to tell the specific individual to cut it out.  

[SouthernMo]

1 hour ago, mnn727 said:

It was the SS PRESIDENT  not the teacher. If people are sending broadcast emails to many people, I agree.

I had assumed perhaps it was the teacher who asked the Sunday school president to address the issue. Maybe I’m wrong.  Thanks for capitalizing and bolding the word “president.”  It made your message much clearer. 

[The Nehor]

When I taught a lesson about the Spirit World I said we know little about the mechanics and lifestyles of those there. Out of a misguided sense of compassion for my ignorance I was gifted a copy of “Embraced by the Light”.