"We teach for transformation, not just information."

--Scottie May, Christian education consultant

Scottie spoke these words in a seminar at my church many years ago and they have been with me ever since. For many years I had posted them on my bulletin board. They became a touchstone for me as a teacher and lesson writer. All Christian lessons must have a transformational component to them. Or, to put it another way, they need the Gospel in them. It's just news -if it doesn't have the Good News.

A touchstone is a certain type of flint-like rock gold prospectors would carry to scratch their gold against to make sure it was real gold. In our lesson writing for any age, if there is no life application, no revealing of God's character, no word that touches the soul, no call to change, and no form of expression, then that lesson isn't the real thing.

And yet transformation is the single most common thing I see left out of lessons, especially those written by volunteers. And when they are included the transformational elements are often an after-thought.

Part of the problem for many lesson writers is that they were raised in traditions (mine included) which emphasized information over transformation. It was assumed that being raised in the church and learning "about" the Bible was enough. But without transformation elements in our lesson plans, the information is merely recreational at best, - ice cream social religion with about the same nutritional value. The effects are now well known over the past 40 years of informational Sunday School, even CREATIVE informational Sunday School. The effects have been devastating.

There is no faith without the facts. But look at the facts --these stories are meant to tell us something. In the Rotation Model we emphasize retelling the story again and again so that the story lodged in their memory. But that memory isn't just there to take up space. We teach the story again and again so that the story can unfold its meanings as they grow up with it. But part of our storytelling process through all our different media MUST BE to highlight the transformational aspect of the story. After all, that's what the story is told for --to touch us and leave us different people after it's telling.

For example, part of the meaning of the Prodigal Son story is the moment when we discover that Jesus means for US to be one of the two brothers in the presence of God the father. Jesus told the story so that his listeners would discover themselves in it and be faced with a transforming reflection. If your lesson plan doesn't emphasize this important point (who are you in the story) then you have taught your students the facts of the story but not given them the key to unlocking the story's true meaning.

Some lesson writers often assume the transformational elements of the lesson will be "injected" somehow by the teachers. That's leaving it to chance. Others automatically assume that a good question and discussion is what transformation is all about. But in good multiple intelligence theory teaching, we understand that Q & A isn't the only avenue for transformational understanding. Images can move our emotions, as can music, writing, drama and art.

"Reflection" and "transformation" are nearly synonymous. But often reflection is left to the end of the lesson. In my experience, reflection happens throughout a well designed lesson plan. The Open, Dig, Reflect super-structure of a lesson plan is filled with many opportunities for reflection throughout the lesson, not just at the end. This realization is one of the reasons I strongly urge teachers to sit with their students AT the computer and go THROUGH the software with their kids. Teachable moments pop-up all along the way. If you wait til the end of the lesson plan when it says "reflect"...you are missing many possible points of transformation.

Reflection is often stunted by improper use of media. Drama lessons that are heavily scripted and place the emphasis on correct performance allow no room for reflection until the drama is over. Teachers who don't use the PAUSE button on the VCR also fall into the same trap. There may be a dozen great points for reflection during the video, but they wait til the videotape ends before mining them.

The same problem can occur with Art projects. The materials don't allow for expression or require so much of the teacher's time that the teacher doesn't have time to teach DURING the creation of the project. An art teacher's job is to work WITH students to improve their grasp and expression of the material. If the material gets in the way, change the material.

What is transformation?

Transformation begins at the point a student begins to understand and identify with one of the characters in the story. It can be the point where the student realizes a character is speaking to the student's life situation. It is identifying yourself as the Prodigal Son, or the older brother. It is the feeling of empathy you have toward Ruth because you too know what it feels like to be an outsider. Transformation can begins when the story begins to tell YOU something about yourself. It is when you realize that God is talking to you through the story.

Transformation isn't just a life application statement of "go and do." A lot of "life application" lesson add-ons seem to think that the point of a lesson is to give kids something they can do after class. "Doing" IS a good thing, but it isn't necessarily the Good News. The Good News can be as sublte as a change in attitude, a student walking out of class feeling accepted and comforted by God even though they must ride home with parents who aren't getting along.

It is important to know where your students are developmentally with regard to the transformational aspects of the story. Some curriculum, such as Augsburg's Firelight curriculum, does a good job of describing where different age groups will plug into the story. As we write our own lessons, "age appropriate notes" are important, especially because in Rotation, our teacher see a wide age range of students.

Lesson Examples The following are not an exhaustive set of recommendations, they are examples of the difference between information and transformational lesson plan writing. From Psalm 23... "...you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies." Traditional "Information Only" approach: God gives us good things. Let's draw a picture of this scene. Transformation: First, what are the good things you have going in your life right now you can thank God for? Second, name the "enemies" in your life that God would prepare a table for you to sit down with them and share his feast. Draw four place settings and label each plate with the name of someone you don't get along with. Draw several platters of "food" on the table and label them with the things you can do to put your relationship right with them. Challenge: This week approach someone you're not getting along with and sit with them in the cafeteria, or offer them something to eat. From Easter... Traditional "Information Only" approach: Christ is risen. We should tell the world. Transformation: What Good News has Jesus risen to tell you. What is he calling you to do or change? Share these two answers with your class and/or teacher. On a flatten cotton ball, write one word to describe the good news. Place the cotton ball under your toes in your left shoe. On a piece of paper write a sentence about what Jesus wants changed in your life, stick it under your toes in your right shoe. One comforts, one calls, both remind as you walk around on it today. Art Project vs Craft Project... Traditional "Information Only" approach: Recreate the Prodigal Son farm with all the characters -or- retell the story using popsicle stick puppets. Transformation: Form the father, son, and older brother characters out of bendable wire (3 long wires stapled to one wood base). Pose them to represent their attitudes in the story toward each other. Share your poses and attitudes they represent. Now pose the two son figures to represent you and someone in your life you aren't getting along with. Pose the father wire figure as the God figure in the parable showing how God feels about YOU. Computer Lab Lesson... Traditional "Information Only" approach: View the Priest's video in the Good Sam the Samaritan CD then view the video of the Samaritan woman. Contrast the two. Transformation: View the Priest's video in Good Sam CD and answer the question that appears. Answer the interviewer's last question in the Priest's video (how can someone who loves God not help someone loved by God?") Teacher talking point: Share a time when you remember acting like the Priest. Ask students to describe a time and their reasons at the time for not helping someone in need. What could the Priest and YOU have done to get over your reasons?

So what should we do?

We need to look at every lesson we write, print or buy and ask "how is this lesson transformational and not just informational." Many good lesson ideas and plans don't come with this built in. Some merely need this aspects enhanced.

1. Create or modify learning activities that focus not only on reinforcing the story, but reinforce the key transformational idea of the story, ie, "what is it saying to me, where am I in the story." And don't be afraid of parenthetically EXPLAINING to your teachers in writing WHY you do an activity "just so." In the Prodigal Son Art Lesson, for example, put a note for your teacher emphasizing the second step of having the student now pose themselves in the story before the father/God figure.

2. Write extra "notes" ...what I call "Teacher Talking Points" to help your teachers prepare and focus on the transformational aspects -the Good News- of the story. These notes should reflect thoughts on how younger or older children may relate to the story. Write them into your lesson plans in bold letters, and have the teacher write them out for the entire class to see at the BEGINNING of the lesson. Why wait til the end of the lesson to tell them what you hope they'll discover? Is that anyway to look for treasure?

Thoughts? Suggestions?

<>< Neil MacQueen, sundaysoft@ee.net

Lynette Greco from Chico California read the above article and sent in this excellent observation and suggestion: Neil, I wanted to share that one of the elements we do in our teacher trainings is sit down with our teachers, review the next months lesson individually with the teachers and go through it together as curriculum writers and volunteer teachers and ask the teachers: What do you see as key points to this lesson? and... Where do you see 'teachable moments' within this lesson or project? These questions often stump our teachers because they are so used to just reading a lesson and doing it without really thinking about it. After some discussion with them, we then go over where the writers see teachable /transformational aspects to the lesson and compare what they see as key points and then what the writers see as key points - it is a great way to get the teachers to think about the lesson and key points prior to the writers spoon feeding the key elements to the lesson to the teachers....we have found that it has helped our teachers really 'dig' into the lessons. Because they have really thought about the lesson- the kids then get a better experience within the classroom.

Copyright 2001. This article may be used fornon-commercial training purposes only.