11 Tips to Use to Build Good Lectures

Written by Richard E. Dodge

Good preparation is the best foundation on which to build good lectures. In fact, the real hard work in using the lecture method really takes place before the session begins. Good planning and lesson development generally will make - or break - every lecture.

1. Get spiritually ready. No step in preparation is more important spiritual preparation.

2. Get materials together. Make sure you have everything you need to become familiar with the content. Different Bible translations, a concordance, a book on maps, a note pad, and your Leader and Learner Guides and appropriate resource kit are essential. 

3. Get a good, quiet place to study. Identify a location where you can get away to prepare. If you don’t have a quiet place, get some inexpensive ear plugs at a local hardware store that you can use to block out distracting sounds. Keep your materials there all the time except when using them when teaching.

4. Get material into the hands of learners in advance. In addition to Learner Guides, consider sending or emailing ideas, illustrations, or questions to learners to get them started thinking about the content before they arrive.

5. Get familiar with sources of illustrations and teaching aids (maps, music, and so forth). The Internet provides an incredible wealth of illustration materials for teachers, including newspaper and news magazine sites as well as EXTRA.

6. Get visual. Use appropriate audiovisuals to supplement the verbal presentation. Be sensitive to how some learners prefer to engage with the material. Visuals provide a mental link with the content, particularly with graphics that depict how the content relates to life.

7. Get ready for delivery. Outstanding lecturers know that practice is important for good delivery. Learn to use conversational lecture.

8. Get short. Group content first in order of presentation priority and then into segments that help learners most. Organize the material in such a way that you can cut segments as needed to assure starting and ending on time. Limit the number of topics you present.

9. Get connected with people. Make eye contact with learners. Speak to learners by name. Remove physical objects that create psychological barriers between you and learners.

10. Get alive. Move around and be active. Move close to learners while locking eyes with them. Get their attention better by moving to different locations in the room.

11. Get through. End the session on time. Once you start to conclude the session, get finished. Don’t start to conclude, and then do it again and again.

Accountability is a critical element in teaching, even in volunteer organizations such as the church. Each teacher is accountable to the church family and to learners to provide sound biblical teaching that leads to transformational learning, a building block for discipleship. Ultimately, though, our real accountability is to God, who one day will confront us about how well we contributed to helping Him develop disciples in our midst.

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