One thing almost synonymous with the Savior and His teaching is the use of parables. He knew stories help the student both understand and connect to the principles being taught. To become a teacher who teaches in The Savior's way, we must find ways to use meaningful stories in our classes. Ideally, these will be personal examples from our own lives, which can help build the teaching bond while also explaining a principle. These real life examples can also be the spark to realizing similar experiences from the students own life. In addition, a simple story is one of the best ways to create a memory. A lesson with an incredible story can stay with a student for years, helping long after you stopped being their teacher.
One of the greatest story tellers in the church today is President Thomas B. Monson. Have you ever heard or read a talk from him that did not include a story? You can go to the following link to see every talk ever given by President Monson in General Conference:
Apostle Thomas S. Monson's General Conference talks
Click on any talk and see how a Master Teacher uses personal stories or other real life examples to connect, explain and help listeners “discover” truth for themselves.
To learn more about using stories and examples when teaching, go to the following page on the lds.org website and scroll down to the 4th video box on the page, under the heading of “He shared simple stories, parables and real life examples”:
Improve Quality of Our Teaching – Teach as the Savior Taught – Testimony Building, Not Information Sharing
In the news:
Elder Holland - "Introduction to Teacher Council Meetings"
Teacher Council Meetings - 2015
New Effort Aims to Promote “Teaching in the Savior's Way” - 03-MAY-2016
New effort aims to promote 'teaching in the Savior's way' - 02-MAY-2016