Seminary Graduation and The End of The Year

12 more days to teach Seminary this year (but who is counting???)
What traditions or ideas do you have for end of the year and Seminary graduation?
Although the focus is always Jesus Christ and His teachings, I feel it is important to end on a note that reminds the students of what we learned all year as well as congratulate them for all their hard work.
The reality is, my students are in class at 6am every school day, which means most of them are out the door long before most of their peers are even awake. This is, indeed, something to celebrate.
Early morning Seminary students make a huge sacrifice to attend Seminary and I know they are blessed for this effort. It is a large piece of their armor of God and I know Seminary protects them spiritually and physically.
With this in mind, I will share a few of my plans for winding up the year.
I am combining a tradition from our former area, Wellington Ward, and adding a few new ideas.

Stake Level:

• Last weekend, we had a Seminary Scripture Bowl, Fireside, Dinner, and Dance. It sounds like a lot was packed in to one night and it was, but it was a wonderful way to bring all the Seminary students together to celebrate a great year.
• This Sunday, our Stake is hosting a formal Seminary Graduation. The Seniors will receive their diplomas and one Senior from each Ward will speak.

On a Ward level:
1) Graduation Breakfast:

• Students, 8th graders, Parents and Leaders are invited. 
• In addition to tables for the invited guests, 
• 4 tables will be set up and decorated specifically for students.
• Simple graduation decorations will be used, with a little more detail given to the Seniors' table. I have some cute little graduation hats for the Seniors to wear.
• Students will sit by class (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior)
• As we finish eating, students will have the opportunity to express their feelings about the Seminary year, the scriptures, etc.
• I am preparing a slide show that will run while we are eating. It contains all the photos from our year together.
• At the end of breakfast, everyone will be advanced (graduated) to the next level. 8th graders are invited to sit at the Freshman table, Freshmen will move to the Sophomore table, etc. SENIORS are walked out the door and handed their set of scriptures, journals, and any other class supplies that are theirs. (Thank you to my boys' Seminary teacher, Kate Estey, for this idea-it was a fun tradition for many years in Wellington Seminary)

2) Seminary Sacrament Meeting:

• I have arranged with both Bishops in our building (my students come from the 2 wards that meet in our building) to have a Seminary Sacrament Meeting. My students will attend both wards on that day.
• Our class is  scheduled to sing "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" (we are practicing it in English and Spanish
• The Seniors (5 of them) are invited to speak. Their assigned topics are taken from Seminary Scripture Mastery scriptures
• All students will be recognized for their efforts in attendance and reading. Scriptorian and Master Scriptorian awards will be presented. ( I found plaques for Scriptorian and Master Scriptorian Awards-not as fancy as the ones I have been looking for, but these are nice)
• This will provide an opportunity for parents and ward members to hear and see the blessings of Seminary.
• On this day, I will also hold a brief Seminary Pre-registration meeting for parents. I will give an overview of what the Seminary year will be like and ask them to make sure their student has a set of scriptures to use for Seminary class next year. Since I did not start the year with this class, I never had the opportunity to set a few basics in motion, such as each student needs a set of their own scriptures (I know...basic, but it was hard to come in and set that in motion mid-year)

Please share any other ideas you have for end of year, graduation, summer preparation, etc. 

I am going to miss these kids and the beautiful spirit I have with me as I am immersed in the scriptures.

The 4:35am alarm...not so much.

Happy Teaching!

Parent-Student Seminary Orientation

It is here!!!!
Back To Class for School and Seminary!!!!
A Parent-Student Orientation meeting is key to a smooth start for your early morning Seminary year. Parents are making the sacrifice to drive their children to class each morning and when they know the class expectations and blessings that will come to their children (and family), they are able to be supportive-especially when the 4:45 alarm goes off.
My class is comprised of two Wards, so I held our meeting last Sunday at noon after the first Ward meetings were over and during Sunday School for our Ward. It was good to have everyone together so they could see who is involved in Seminary.
Every teacher and class situation is different, so adapt the following suggestions and make them work for you. Leave a comment to add your own suggestions.
Here are are my thoughts on planning and hosting this meeting (not in any particular order):

• Invite the Bishops and Ward Youth Leaders. (Leaders need to be reminded of the commitment and schedule early morning Seminary students have during the school year and be mindful of ending week-night activities on time. Ward and Stake Leaders need to be reminded that Saturday sleep is precious for students (and parents who drive their students), therefore, planning Saturday morning activities should be kept at a minimum. Parents and all Leaders need to be protective of Seminary students' time and be careful not to overload their schedules with extra activities, especially late nights and weekends.
• Obtain a list from Ward Clerks to determine who should be attending Seminary.
• Send out invitations at least a month in advance, or even announce it the last week of class in June as an FYI. (people are traveling in the summer and need to get this meeting on their calendars) 
• Have the details of the meeting printed in Ward bulletins and newsletters, announce in auxiliary meetings. 
• Be organized and have a specific agenda.
• Stay focused on the agenda and be prepared to answer questions, yet do not allow lengthy discussions-suggest you meet one-on-one with a parent or student who has a question that does not pertain to the group or is not easily answered.
• Be enthusiastic. Do not dwell on the 4:45 alarm, the dark and early start time, etc. 
• Emphasize that we are all in this together and will will support each other throughout the Seminary experience.
• Do not feel like you need to serve food, but it is a nice touch to serve muffins, juice, etc. Totally an extra and something you should not do if it is a burden.
• Introduce Self
• Have Parents and Students introduce selves to class
• List schools all students attend (we have 9 schools within our class) and suggest parents arrange carpools.
• Introduce Course of Study
• What is Seminary?
• Graduation requirements, Church School Seminary requirements, some countries are requiring proof of preparation ( Ministerial Training or Certification) for our missionaries to enter and teach in their countries-Seminary qualifies them. ( I just had this occur for one of my students who received a call to Brazil-our CES Supervisor had to verify his Seminary completion)
• Give overview of year.
• Show journals and explain the use of Seminary Journals.
• Class Expectations such as NO cell phones or electronic scriptures of any type. 
• Supplies
• Budget
• Start  and End time (discuss being on-time and attendance policies)
• Which room we meet in and which door to enter in the morning
• Days we meet (every day school is in session)
• Need for full set of LDS Scriptures and how we will use them
• Final Registration
• Have Parents and Students provide all contact information. Discuss how we communicate outside of class (Email, Text, our Class Facebook page)
• Distribute my contact information
• Introduce Scripture Mastery (Show Scripture Mastery Cards and give each student a set) Discuss Scripture Mastery Awards
• Reading requirements and Awards
•  Course Completion requirements
• Invite Parents and Leaders to join in Reading and Scripture Mastery
• Solicit Parent support
• Suggest that students receive a Back-To-School AND Back-To-Seminary blessing (remember to have the same for you, the teacher)
• Food in class policy
• Birthdays
• Twice per year parents and siblings are invited-Christmas and End-Of-Year
• Weekly room set up after Sunday meetings 
• All Award descriptions
• MOST IMPORTANT: Share your testimony of Seminary and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Express love and gratitude for students and parents. Acknowledge sacrifices made to attend Seminary and testify of the blessings that are poured on students and their families.

Have you hosted a Parent-Student Orientation meeting?

If so, what was helpful?

Please share.

Happy Back To Seminary!!!!

Seminary Awards

The entire class

 (minus 1 who was on vacation already)

 The Master Scriptorians...

This was my first year teaching Early Morning Seminary. I was called to teach this class in October after the year had already started.
The 24 students in my class were from the two wards that meet in our building.

Because I had been bringing my daughter to this Seminary class for a month before I was called, I knew that they did not have a smooth start to their Seminary year. I have had 3 sons graduate from Seminary and I know Seminary can be an amazing experience for the teacher and the students. From all observations, this was not looking like a positive experience for the teacher or the students.

As I began teaching, it was apparent that they had not had a consistently positive Seminary experience for several years. Eventually, I would learn that for my Seniors, they had four years of continuous changes in teachers, teachers who did not hold class regularly, and teachers who did not emphasize Scripture Mastery.
The fact that they continued to attend class speaks to the amazing youth that they are.

When I took over the class, they were about 1 month behind in the manual and not one Scripture Mastery verse had been introduced. As I worked with my class, it was clear that they had not received a solid introduction to the course of study, The New Testament, so I ended up going back to the beginning at some point during October. I realized I could not assume they had covered any material in the manual.
Incredibly, we got through the New Testament. We had to race through the last books and we did not get to study Revelation in any depth, but we accomplished far more than just getting  through a manual.

Both Bishops told me to be prepared for my class size to get smaller as the year progressed. They told me it is "normal" for the class to have about 20-25 students at the beginning of the year and to end with about 5-6.  To me, this is not "normal" and I was determined to see this change and I was willing to do the work.

With this in mind, I set some goals for this year (not necessarily in this order):

• Finish the year no matter how difficult it became
• Introduce and emphasize Scripture Mastery
• Require each student to have his/her own set of scriptures, to mark the Scripture Mastery verses, and to have their scriptures in class each day.
• Each student needed to learn how to use an actual set of scriptures (paper) No electronic scriptures, etc. No electronics during class at all. 
• Teach how to scripture chase.
• Create an environment that would encourage a love for the Savior, the Scriptures, and the Gospel
• Start on time-even if only 2 people were in their seats
• Make sure the tables and chairs are set up on Sunday for the week.
• Never have my students arrive to a harried teacher who is setting up tables and chairs just to get the day going. (I arrived between 5:40 and 5:45 every day)
• Have the hymns playing on a CD as the students arrive each day.
• Get to know each of my students and their parents (this was a challenge as half of them are in another ward and some of the parents do not speak much English) I would step out of our meetings to go find my students and their parents each week until I had met them all. Now they are dear friends.
• Prepare and teach in a manner that my students would know that I love them and the Savior, Jesus Christ.
• Raise the bar for daily class devotionals and require everyone to participate. If they were late, they gave a closing devotional. If they were absent, they gave their devotional the day they returned, even if there was another one, also.
• Use several different teaching methods every day. Keep them interested and guessing what may come next.
• Offer Awards that each student was capable of obtaining.
• Present these Awards at the end of the school year during a Seminary Sacrament Meeting. (Recognizing their efforts in front of their parents, peers, and ward members was a beautiful experience.) You can read more about our Seminary Sacrament Meeting by scrolling down a few posts.

Here are the Awards my students could earn:

Course Completion

Everyone received this, which was what I had hoped for. When we had the Seminary Sacrament Meeting-everyone received at least one award. It was so important for my students to taste and feel success in a gospel setting.

Reading 

• Read the entire New Testament (The Completion of The New Testament Award)
• Read the 4 Gospels (The 4 Gospels Award)
• Read for 10 minutes per day for at least 30 days in a row (Consecutive Days Reading Award)

Scripture Mastery

• Scripture Scholar- Explain the meaning of each Scripture Mastery verse to me any time during the year
• Scriptorian-Memorize all 25 Scripture Mastery verses and recite them to me as you memorize them during the year
• Master Scriptorian- Memorize all 25 Scriptures and recite them all in one sitting

Attendance:

• Excellent Attendance 90% or above
• Superior Attendance 95% or above
• Perfect Attendance 100%

(All of them received an Attendance Award of some type. Six of my students received perfect attendance)

The students may make up days that they miss for illness or school/family travel or days they miss due to no control of their own (car trouble, ride issues, etc). They may not make up days that they miss due to "just wanting to sleep"

I found some nice wood  award plaques at Deseret Book that fit a half page size award inside under the plexi-glass. I think they are made by Sounds of Zion and can be ordered on-line. They were $10.50 in the store at Deseret Book.

If you look at the photo of my students with the awards, you can see what they look like.

I printed the awards on parchment paper and put a gold notary seal on them.

I will tweak these awards for The upcoming Book of Mormon year once I have a solid plan. Right now, I am trying to enjoy summer, yet I am finding that I suffer from "Seminary Teacher's Brain"...it is nearly impossible to turn off Seminary thoughts completely. Not such a bad thing, but I do need to accomplish a few summer projects that are not Seminary related.

Do you suffer from "Seminary Teacher's Brain"?

What type of awards do your students earn?

Remarkable

It is nothing short of extraordinary to ponder the accomplishment of attending early morning Seminary.
This link is for an excellent article by Jason Wright that puts many of our experiences as teachers in perspective.
Click HERE.
I have loved teaching early morning Seminary this year. I marvel that I actually completed the year. It was one of the best experiences I have ever had in a Church calling. The most demanding is an understatement, but definitely the best.
Many of my students attend early morning Seminary at great sacrifice, not just of sleep and time. Many live in areas that are not safe. Dark, early mornings compound that concern. Some of them walk through neighborhoods and streets that are not safe as they meet their rides.
At the beginning of the year, one of my students would be outside waiting for me at 5:40 when I arrived. Soon, I would discover that he was waking up at 4:30 to start walking to the chapel so he could be on time for class. He walked through a business-industrial section of town that was deserted and not the best place to be on foot and alone at 4:30am. This changed and he ended up living with another family in the area for the balance of the school year. That way, he could be to Seminary and school safely and consistently. He is now graduated from High School and preparing his mission papers. He is also one of my Master Scriptorians.
I have a single, widower father who drives his 2 daughters and volunteered to go out of his way to pick up another girl in our class every day. They were consistently on time and in their seats ready to learn every morning regardless of the  early hour and the extra stop to pick up another student.
I started the year with 24 students and will end the year with 21 enrolled students. One is on a mission, two moved away (and still became Scriptorians).
All of my students have attendance records in the high 90% range, with 3 having 100% attendance. Those 3 with 100% attendance were physically in class every day-they did not complete extra assignments or make up work to accomplish this.
Six of my students are Master Scriptorians
Two of my students are Scriptorians (could be more than 2 after this evening)
I mention these statistics because these are students who set goals and push themselves. The majority  of them do not have a parent forcing them to attend Seminary or memorize scriptures. Many of them are the first generation in their family to live and be educated in the United States. English is the second language for the majority of my students, yet they speak, read, and memorize beautifully in English.
They love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They love learning. Many of them will enter full time missionary service soon. They are prepared. They are amazing.

How do you feel about teaching Seminary?
If you are like me, you are exhausted right now,  but it is a "good" tired.
How do you prepare over the summer?

Seminary In My Pocket

Seminary In My Pocket

This is my 7th week teaching Seminary at Six AM. I LOVE it! I have 24 amazing students. 

The first lesson, I gave each student a rock to keep in their pocket as a reminder of our lesson that day. Little did I know that "Seminary In My Pocket" had been born.

I shared a story with them about an experience I had when I visited the death camps in Poland and showed them a rough, rugged rock I found while I was there that had one shiny side and could be easily over looked. I compared it to people in our lives who may appear rough and rugged, yet if we will look at them the way Christ does, we will be able to find something "shiny" about them.

To remind them to look for the shiny side in everyone, I gave each of them a shiny rock to put in their pockets. I told them that each time they reached inside their pocket and felt that rock, to remember to view people as Christ does and always look for the good (the shiny) Seven weeks later, they are still showing me their rocks (a few have asked for replacements when they can't find theirs) Read on for more ideas...

You can use rocks with so many object lessons (Build upon my rock, solid testimony, etc)

 When we discussed Temptations of Christ and our own personal temptations, I gave each of them a rubber band to wear and told them to memorize something that they could keep in their minds that would push bad thoughts out (a Scripture, the Sacrament prayer, the Young Women Theme, a Hymn, etc. are some of the ideas we came up with for memorization) When they have a bad thought or are tempted to do something wrong, I told them to snap the rubber band and recite whatever they memorized to bring their mind and spirit back to Christ. (That was 4 weeks ago and they are still wearing them)

When we learned about the widow's mite and sacrifice, I gave them a penny for their pockets

 When we learned about choosing our words carefully and using uplifting language, I gave them a button. They were challenged to know when to keep their lips "buttoned" and when to open their mouths and share uplifting words of love and encouragement.

Last week, they received plastic spiders  as we discussed honesty and not getting caught in webs of deceit and lying. I challenged them to not weave their own personal webs like spiders do. We also did a fun group activity with yarn as we were standing in a circle and the yarn represented lying and dishonesty. We passed the yarn back and forth as we discussed lies and deceit until no one could move inside the circle due to all the lying and dishonesty. It was interesting to see the kids figure out that if they crawled down low, they could avoid the webs, yet it was awkward for them so I reminded them of how awkward it becomes when you have to constantly think of ways to avoid your own messes (webs)

 25 Scripture Mastery Scriptures= 1 Quarter with a red happy face painted on the back. I told them that there are 25 scriptures set apart from the others that they are to know inside and out this Seminary year. The other scriptures are valuable and for our benefit, but the 25 Scripture Mastery scriptures are to "stand out" in their hearts and minds. I used red nail polish to paint a simple happy face on the back of each quarter to make it "stand out" from the other quarters that they may have in their pockets that are also valuable.

Parable of the Sower. To represent the seeds, I gave them a popcorn kernel. I knew it would not sprout or break apart in their pockets as they year goes on. I really wanted to give them some beautiful black soil from Belle Glade, Florida (right next to where we live) but I was not sure how that would last through one school day, although I am still trying...

I dont have one specific day of the week I give them an item for their pockets, in fact, there will most likely be weeks that I don't give them anything. The items always go with a lesson and are designed to reinforce what we learn in Seminary. It is way for my students to carry a tangible reminder of Seminary throughout the day. At first, I thought they would throw the items away, but a day does not go by without a student showing me the items from their pockets. 

I have had the experience of  sitting in Sacrament Meeting and one of my students will catch my attention to show me they are wearing their rubber band. It has become "cool" to have all these little things that most teenagers would have lost or thrown away by now.

Most of my students are the only Latter day Saint in their schools. As they leave our class each day, it is my goal to send them armed with the spirit. I know these little reminders in their pockets are an effective way to re-inforce their experiences in Seminary class.

As I add more items to their pockets, I will share.

At the end of this week, I have a small drawstring fabric bag for each student who would like to keep their items in it. I know this will work better for some of them who don't have pockets or do not want to move their items from pocket to pocket each day. 

I ordered the bags from HERE . I wanted to make them, but this was a great price and the bags are the perfect size. I am going to write each students' name on their bag with a sharpie marker.

Please share any ideas you have for "Seminary In My Pocket" in the comment section below or

email me at shaunahh at gmail dot com

Scripture Mastery Cards

 As I previously wrote, there is a challenge with the printing of the 2013 Book of Mormon Scripture Mastery Cards. Below are photos of the former printing format side by side with the new format. Scripture Mastery Cards are a integral part of Seminary. My students carry them in their pockets, backpacks, car consoles, etc. for the purpose of learning and memorizing all 25 scriptures.  This is something they can do outside of class and is an effective way for them to keep the scriptures at the focus of their every day lives. I am certain this was key in so many of my students memorizing all or most of the 25 scripture mastery scriptures last year.

Originally, these cards come in a large sheet. Students separate them at the perforated lines, put them in order, hole punch the corner, and place a book ring through the holes. I have used yarn, ribbon, and rubber bands to hold the cards together but nothing works as well as the book rings. They are well worn at the end of the school year and you may have to use the small re-inforcement holes if the original holes become torn.

I will do my best to describe each photo:

On the cards at the top of the photo, you can see the printing format from previous years and on the bottom is a sample of the new printing. (New Testament-Book of Mormon)
Note:

• With the old cards (at top of photo), the scripture reference is printed on the top of the card with the full verse. 
• Note the new cards (at bottom of photo), the scripture is printed but no reference. This is awkward when using the cards for memorization and reading. 
• When the card is hole-punched, the words on the old cards (at top of photo) are not affected, 
• The words on the new cards are printed so high at the top of the card that, without exception, words are lost with every hole punched. Once again, very awkward, especially for those who are memorizing the scriptures word for word.

 By punching the hole at the bottom corner of the cards, losing words is avoided, however, this does not solve the issue of having the scripture reference printed at the top of the actual scripture.

Below are more photo examples of old and new printing format:

Old Format:

Reference and full verse on card

New Printing:

Verse only-no reference

 New Format:

Front of cards with Scripture reference, key words, doctrines, 

and historical settings has not changed.

I am sure with the change of the 25 scripture mastery verses for this year, that there was rush to get cards printed and distributed to Seminary classes all over the world. When another printing is planned, I am hoping these challenges are addressed and corrected.

The Sacrament

A few weeks ago, I taught a lesson on preparing for Sacrament Meeting and partaking of the Sacrament. I used an idea shared on the Facebook group for LDS Seminary Teachers to hold the lesson in the chapel. I adapted it for my class and it was one of our best classes of this entire Seminary year. (if you have not joined the LDS Seminary Facebook group administered by Jenny Smith -I highly recommend it. I have an entire support community of Seminary Teachers who "get" my life and share incredible ideas. It is, many times, the only reason I look at Facebook. This time of year, as I am dragging to the finish line, it is nice to associate with others who are in the same situation, other times, someone will post a lesson idea that I needed at that very moment)

I took my class in to the chapel and we met around the Sacrament table for the entire lesson. It was a beautiful experience. We used the cloths and trays as we discussed the sacredness of this ordinance and the symbolism.
I had the young men in my class who are Priests and Teachers prepare the table, sit in the seats they sit in to to bless, etc.

We discussed arriving early, starting the prelude music early, staying in your seat the entire meeting, grooming and dress, etc. Being in the chapel brought this lesson straight to their hearts and provided an opportunity to discuss personal preparations.

At the end of the lesson, we sang the Sacrament Hymn #181, Jesus of Nazareth (referenced in John Bytheway's message). In our chapel, our organ can be programed to play the hymns, so one of my students went right up to the organ and started the hymn as another led us in singing. It was a beautiful way to end a very effective lesson.

I gave this lesson on a Friday so that I could challenge my students to prepare for Sacrament Meeting and partaking of the Sacrament that coming Sunday. On Monday, I followed up with asking about their experiences and thoughts.

In addition to the Scriptures, the two best resources for this lesson were:
1) John Bytheway's presentation on Sacrament symbols taken from his message, "The Best Three Hours of the Week". Found HERE (there is a "glue-in" hand out from John Bytheway and one from Elder Oaks' message, reference below.
2) Elder Dallin H Oaks General Conference message , "Sacrament and Sacrament Meeting", found HERE (this is one of my all time favorite Elder Oaks' messages)

The Student's Role in Learning and Seminary In My Pocket

Using The Proper Tools
The first week of class, we discussed the each student's role as they attend/participate in class, read scriptures, and study the gospel.
The following activity illustrates the importance of using the proper tools of prayer, obedience, an open heart, an open mind, inviting the spirit to our lives,listening to the spirit, an application of the principles taught in the scriptures
When you use the correct tools, you will get the full blessing.
Just having the scriptures (the pudding) is not enough.
We need to open them, pray, invite the spirit, apply the principles, etc.


I asked the class if any one would like to have some pudding. They could even choose...chocolate or vanilla. After the enthusiastic hands went up to volunteer, I chose 3 students to come up front to eat the pudding.
I gave each student a container of pudding that was still sealed tight and told them to go ahead and start eating.
Make sure whatever food item you use is still closed and needs to be opened and eaten with a spoon in order to get it all out of the container.

The obvious was first: They need to open the pudding before they can eat (compare to opening their hearts and minds when they open the scriptures)
Once they were open, I told them to go ahead and eat.
The next observation: They need something to eat with. So I gave them some utensils (tools) that I brought from home and told them to go ahead and eat...

Of course I gave them utensils (tools) that were larger than the opening of the pudding cup and were nearly impossible to eat with.
Next I gave them utensils (tools) that were somewhat smaller but still awkward.
Finally, I gave them a small plastic spoon and they were able to eat all of the pudding.

At the end of the lesson, each student received their first
 *Seminary in My Pocket item for the new year...

Yes, plastic spoons (your local ice cream shop may give you a few of their small sample size spoons if you say please and buy a scoop of ice cream in the process)

*Seminary in My Pocket is back by popular demand. I had almost decided to NOT continue with this but how could I not when most of my students brought their pocket filled with items from last year on the first day of class. They were explaining each item to some of the new students. So, yes, it is back, and yes, it must have been effective.

End Of The Year Breakfast Celebration

We celebrated the end of a wonderful Seminary year with breakfast.

Parents, Leaders, Siblings, and incoming 8th graders were invited.

Click HERE to read how I moved the 8th graders to the Freshman table,

Freshmen to the Sophomore table, 

the Sophomores to the Junior table, 

Juniors to the Senior table, 

and the Seniors out the door with their scriptures and Seminary supplies. 

During breakfast, the Seniors were seated at a head table and we honored them.

All Scriptorians and Master Scriptorians were honored.

They will receive their plaques in Sacrament Meeting next week.

Each student received one of these candy scriptures

(Thank you, Pinterest)

We still have 2 Sacrament meetings to speak/sing in.

I will take better photos of the kids that day.

I missed several of the kids today when I had the camera out.

Time goes so quickly at 6am.

We had an on-going slide show in the background. 

It was a fun review of where we have been.

I framed the quote below for all students who memorized at least one scripture

(which was all of them)

The Master Scriptorians and Scriptorians received "upgraded" frames.

The tables were labelled by grade level and at each place setting, 

I placed the students' items from class, 

including the sticks with their names on them that I use for choosing prayers, devotionals, etc.

The Senior table

Graduation decorations for the Senior table.

Some of my amazing Seniors.

I will miss their leadership and energy.

The girls are twins

Some of the incoming Seniors

The two girls are twins

(Yes, I have 2 sets of twins in my class)

Sophomores soon to be Juniors

All Things Work Together For Good

This object lesson and activity can be adapted to teach many concepts.

It would be a great way to end the year by reviewing all of the doctrines and principles taught over the year. 

This reinforces working together, every one (ingredient) is important, follow the Lord's recipe, put on the whole armor of God (not just a few ingredients) etc. Just be careful to focus in on one concept and not go all over the place with too many abstracts. Otherwise, the lesson is lost in all the objects and comparisons.

Romans 8:28

All things work together for good...

As class started, we reviewed Romans 8:28 (All things work together for good) and the 13th Article of Faith
(We seek after these things...) We focused in on the word THINGS and named what those THINGS are that work together for the good and what things we seek after.
We listed specific commandments such as, Prayer, Good Thoughts, Clean Language, Love to others, Scripture Study, Seminary Attendance, Worthily partaking of the Sacrament, Dressing Modestly, etc.
I explained that one without the other is not as effective and that when you omit one of these things, you don't receive the full blessings available to all.
I explained that leaving out a commandment will weaken your spiritual armor.
Next:
I showed my students a recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies that I have used for many years.
As long as I follow the recipe, I get delicious cookies every time. The end result is sweet.
I told them about one time I tried to make substitutions and omissions from this recipe and that the results were not so delicious and sometimes not so sweet, in addition, time and ingredients are wasted when the recipe is not followed.
I told them that I was going to share these cookies with them.
We moved to the kitchen where I had a cookie sheet covered with a dish towel in the center of the counter island.
At that point, I uncovered the cookie sheet containing all the ingredients necessary for the cookies (see photo above)
I asked who would like a cookie.
Of course, they all said yes and so I began to hand each student an ingredient (i.e. a stick of butter or bag of oats) and told them here is a cookie, enjoy.
When they told me this is not a cookie, I explained that it was part of the recipe, it should be fine just to eat the flour, or egg, butter, etc.
I began to ask questions such as:
Why should we use all the ingredients (things)?
Why not just a few ingredients (things)?
Why should we mix these ingredients together?
What will happen if we only use a few of the ingredients?
Why should we keep all of the commandments (use all of the ingredients)

After this discussion, we mixed up the ingredients, following all the directions, and baked the cookies.
As we worked on mixing and placing the dough on cookie sheets, I continued to teach and reinforce the message of All things work together for good.

This was a fun lesson and we were able to complete it in the 45 minutes allowed, with little time to spare. I made sure I was very organized with the ingredients and supplies and that I stayed focused on the main thought of all the Lord's commandments will work together for our personal benefit.

Just a few more days of Seminary left. I will try to get caught up on sharing some of our lessons (maybe over the summer)
Happy Teaching!

Elder Holland's Witness

The first week of our Seminary year, I showed THIS video clip from Elder Holland.
I had my class read in Ether 12:37-38 just as Hyrum Smith read to the Prophet Joseph Smith right before they were martyred.
Just as Hyrum Smith did after he read that passage, I had my students fold down the corner of that page as a reminder of the sacrifices made so that we are blessed to have the Book of Mormon in our  day.
Once in awhile, I have referred to the "Ether 12" folded down page as we have discussed standing up for what we believe in, defending  and sharing our testimonies of the Book of Mormon and Jesus Christ, etc. I have seen my students turn to that page and noted that the corner of the page is still turned down.

As we are approaching the end of our Book of Mormon study, I am showing this as a follow up. We are spending a few minutes each day viewing various testimonies recorded on Mormon Messages as well as the testimonies of latter-day Prophets and Apostles.
This video from Elder Holland is one of the most powerful messages we have heard all year.

Our Seminary Book of Testimony

Each student wrote their testimony on a "plate of gold" and we compiled it in to our own 

"The Book of Palm Beach & West Palm Beach Seminary"

Most of their thoughts were based on the 

"I Know..... Because...." statements we have discussed.

We displayed this on the day of our Seminary Sacrament Meeting and

at our End of Year Breakfast.

End of Year Sacrament Meeting

 Seminary is over for this year!
We ended with a Sacrament Meeting in both Wards. My students attended both Wards in our building, the Seniors spoke and the entire class sang.
I recognized the students for their accomplishments such as Scriptorian, Master Scriptorian, Reading, and Attendance.
It was a wonderful way to end our year.
This is a AMAZING group of young women and men.

The entire class!

 The girls!

 The boys

 The Freshmen

 The Sophomores

 The Juniors

 The Seniors

 The MASTER SCRIPTORIANS!!!!

( I have a few students who will complete their Book of Mormon Scripture Mastery 

over the summer before class starts in August. These kids are incredible!

 The boys after the photo session. (They were good sports about all the picture taking)

 Two of my students after our big photo session.

I will miss the Seniors.

Enjoy summer and I will see you August 19!

Seminary Teacher Top Ten

Our Stake Seminary supervisor gave a wonderful "Top Ten" list presentation at our recent Inservice meeting.
She has taught Early Morning Seminary for the last 5 years and her list is excellent. 

These are the Top Ten items after:

• Praying for your students
• Daily reading
• Invite the spirit to your life by daily prayer, reading, and application of the gospel

TOP TEN:

1. Attend monthly Inservice Meetings -Learn from other teachers, CES Supervisor, Stake Supervisor, Feel the Spirit, Charge your spiritual and emotional battery
2. Bring Enthusiasm-even when you are tired, especially when your students are tired and dragging.
3. Set the tone and invite the spirit by creating a classroom atmosphere the students can feel the spirit in by:

• Arrive early to set up and straighten up
• Have reverent music playing as students arrive
• Greet each student with a smile and positive words
• Post a greeting on the board
• Display a picture of Christ

4. Don't sweat the small stuff

• Example: students are going to be late, just don't let that detract from you feeling the spirit
• Some days are going to be better than others. If you have an "off" day, shake it off and prepare for the next day

5. Have a class routine

• Start and end on time
• Assign devotionals, prayers, and hymns in advance
• Use student grade sheets for signing in and recording reading (Have a consistent method for recording daily attendance and reading)
• Have a clock by the sign in sheets so students can note their arrival time (late, on time, etc)
• Bins and Organization for supplies

6. Classroom Management

• Parent-Student Meeting the week before Seminary starts for explaining start times, course of study, behavior expectations, etc
• ELBA (Edified and Loved By All) This was their classroom motto. When a student was stepping over the line with behavior or comments, she would remind them "ELBA" She posted "ELBA" on the board as part of her classroom set up.
• If necessary, have assigned seats to minimize distractions
• Let students assist in deciding a few basic rules of respect and behavior. Post them for all to see.

7. Follow a Teaching Schedule-do not get behind

8. Use LDS.org website, CES Videos, Bible Videos, Mormon Messages. Always use counsel of Prophets and Apostles. Never your own opinion or outside materials.

9. Remember-Seminary is much more than a Sunday School Class. Use variety, student involvement, reinforcement games and activities. Always keep them guessing what you will do next

10. New teachers- receive a Setting Apart Blessing (if you are returning-ask for a blessing for the new year) Listen for guidance and counsel in the blessings you receive and follow them.

I know there are many other ideas to share, but these are truly the top 10 after Prayer, Study, and Application.

Please share some of your Top Ten advice for early morning Seminary Teachers.

Classroom Order and Storage

Each student in my class has a plastic storage box.

Order in the classroom brings the Spirit and these storage boxes have contributed to our classroom routine and order that welcomes the Spirit.
Each box is tall enough to hold any size quad scripture set. ( 10 1/16" x  13 15/16"  x  4")
The width and length are just the right size for holding regular size notebooks, folders, binders, etc.
I have looked on-line at the IRIS site but have not seen this specific size, which is the best.
The high quality and dimensions make these ideal for student's classroom supply storage

The Scrapbook/Hobby storage container section at Michaels in the store, not-on-line, is the best place to find these. I have not seen IRIS brand plastic boxes with these dimensions, on-line or any place other than Michaels. With coupons, I usually pay a little under $5 per box. Regular price, they are around $8. They are high quality and worth the price.

As students graduate, they leave their box and it is assigned to a new student for the next year, unless it is broken, which I have only had one fall apart and it was due some accidental stepping on the box. They are sturdy, which is important. I have seen others for less money but they were low quality. These boxes get a lot of rough and tumble use, which is a consideration for quality. I have seen, in the past, Rubbermaid brand boxes just like these but not lately.


Each student receives a large sticker (I use the large shipping stickers from Office Depot) to cover the original product description sticker.
If they want a new one each year, I give them one. It feels like a "fresh start" and gets them excited about a new year of study.
They decorate the stickers with their names, doodles, etc.
This year, many of my students are writing their Hebrew name on their sticker.

Our room stays set up all week and when everyone cleans up their seat area at the end of each class and we can leave the room orderly (see photos below), we generally don't have issues with people coming in and moving, touching, taking, breaking, etc. our "stuff".

On Fridays we store them all in a locked cabinet, however, many weeks they have been stored out in the open, unlocked, and no one as touched them. I don't like to keep them unlocked or out over the weekend as their scriptures and journals with personal writings in their boxes. I am aware of another Seminary class that stores theirs in the meetinghouse library on weekends and long breaks.

This would be an ideal consideration for those who share their room in a busy meetinghouse and must pack up their supplies every day. The clean up is quick and the kids take responsibility for their own supplies.