"Look at this, Mommy!"

My little boy's voice sounded sharp and shrill in his excitement. We had been at the beach for the afternoon and apparently he'd found something in the sand.

Making my way over to him, I carefully took the object from his hand. It was a sea shell, chipped and broken...but oh so shiny on one side.

"How'd you find this, honey? It's pretty," I asked.

His little voice excitedly chattered on as he told me how it had "called" to him from the sand, because of its shiny-ness.

I smiled. And I thought of how much this can be like our seminary lessons.

Are Our Lessons “Shiny”?

Do our lessons "call" to our students, because of their "shiny" nature? For nothing can be worse, especially for early morning seminary students, to sit through a lesson while the teacher dully drones on. Even if that teacher is well-meaning, the dryness of the lesson can repel even the most intent of students.

Thus, how do we make our lessons "shiny" and attractive so that they "call" to our students and engage them?

My CES coordinator often uses the expression, "Be a guide on the side, not a sage on the stage." In other words, we as seminary teachers are to guide our students to exciting discoveries within the gospel of Jesus Christ, not just tell students about them. The reason being is that what makes discoveries exciting is personal and individual to each student. That is why we're not to be a sage (or wise one upon on the stage), but instead a simple and humble guide. With this approach, we truly can lead students to their own discoveries about "shiny" gospel principles. We do this through well-fashioned and engaging lessons.

Just as my son felt excited about being at the beach and being "called" to by something shiny, our students are also capable of exploring gospel shores. That is why we call to them, inviting them each day to explore all that awaits them in their scriptures. We do that by offering hands-on moments in our lessons within the scriptures.

We want our students to be engaged in seminary, not just sitting through the lessons. For example, my son could not have felt much of any kind of excitement simply by hearing me talk about finding a "shiny shell." No, instead, he needed to be there. He needed to be the one scooping up the sand, fistful by fistful. He needed to be the one looking for precious discoveries. In fact, it was the very moment that he found the shell and then pointed it out to me, that that discovery became his.

"Shiny" moments in the scriptures are when a principle comes to light and suddenly works itself into a student's understanding, both in their heart and in their mind.

As seminary teachers, we want our students to be able to understand the scriptures, to love the scriptures, and to feel comfortable sharing the principles found therein. Thus, during any point in a lesson, you may feel prompted as their teacher to incorporate a Reach and Teach moment, where the students reach for their scriptures and then teach what they found.

Here is an example of an easy hands-on Reach and Teach moment my own seminary teacher did years ago. I've varied it a bit. It's a great way to introduce each new book of study for each new seminary year (i.e. Old Testament for 2007-08; New Testament for 2008-09).

Bring several brown paper bags filled with a few mystery objects. Divide the kids into teams and give them each a bag. Their assignment is to find a scripture to symbolically match each item within the bag.

So for example, you might have placed a measuring tape, a pencil, a staple remover, and a mirror in one team's bag. The kids from that team will: 1) find a scripture to match each item, 2) present that scripture to the class, and 3) share how that scripture can help them in their lives.

If the topic of study for seminary for the year were the New Testament, the students would pull all their activity scriptures from the New Testament. Here's what one group might have come up with:

The team shares the final scripture and their thoughts with the class. When the class is finished as a whole, have each student take just a moment to record in their student journal a teaching that particularly impressed or helped them. This entire hands-on exercise incorporates three of the main principles involved in true learning: hearing, teaching, writing/journaling. Through these three main modes of learning, lessons can become permanent.

Life-Saving Scriptural Truths

We have hands-on activities with our students so that life-saving scriptural truths can "call" to them with their "shiny-ness", just like my son's experience at the beach. In a hands-on activity, the students get to practice sharing and applying scriptures. The goal, of course, is to allow the students actual time in their scriptures, so that they have those "shiny" moments - those times when a student discovers for him or herself the timeless "shine" of an eternal principle.

The hands-on activity above is just an example. But rather than just take and use this one verbatim, instead, look for the principles behind why these kinds of approaches work. Pray and ask the Lord for His inspiration, rather than just accept this sample as perfect.

Summary

Not only do hands-on activities get the students talking, sharing and testifying, but these kinds of immersive moments get the kids into the scriptures themselves. And by requiring that they find the scriptures from the targeted book of scripture for the year, they become more familiar with that book.

Hands-on activities (of many different kinds) help stimulate students' thinking regarding spiritually life-saving truths. Scriptural-based classroom activities get today's teens processing eternal truths, so that perhaps they, like my son, can make brilliant and "shiny" discoveries of their own.

The results of these student-sharing moments can be astonishing. Not only are our youth often wiser than we give them credit for, but when they stand before the class to teach their peers, they themselves are strengthened. The surprise in their eyes at their ability to handle the assignment can be fun to see. The growth in their hearts is even more joyous to behold.

There are many "shiny" moments waiting for our seminary students. My pre-schooler found his shiny moment on a sandy beach in Florida. Our seminary students can find theirs in the open pages of their scriptures. These are moments never to be forgotten. And we provide them for our students when we remember to be a "guide on the side, not a sage on the stage."

C.S. Bezas' new book is now in LDS bookstores and has been called perfect for youth leaders and parents of teens. Powerful Tips for Powerful Teachers: Helping Youth Find Their Spiritual Wings is also available by clicking here.