Those who are teachers can go a long way toward encouraging and cheering better gospel learning outside of the classroom through creating an environment of sharing.

Breaking the Pedestal of the Exalted Teacher

There is a schooling mentality that says that the teacher is at the helm of learning and their students should be engaged in single-minded consumption with occasional confirmations of attentiveness to the central figure instructing them. In short, teachers steer. The pinnacle of teaching in my own tradition is to become the rabbi, so full of knowledge and wisdom that everyone far and wide comes to them rapaciously for answers to every question, concern, and humble request for clarification.

Consider the motto of James Madison - “Veritas non verba magistri“ – “Truth, not the word of teachers.”

Educator tactics, such as asking “open-ended” questions and enlisting students or their family members (parents) as the teacher's practical assistants, have somewhat deflected accusations that teachers often establish egoist fiefdoms to which anticipated disciples are officiously corralled.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/2-tim/4?lang=eng&id=p3-p4#p3

Sharing Rather than Schooling

It has become more and more clear to me that the church “sunday school” time is not to be a situation where enthralled students curl up at the rabbi's feet (one can attract “itching ears” in non-church venues). This time is meant to be a setting where people share what they have learned in the gospel. It might be useful to eliminate the “sunday school” term completely and co-opt a somewhat mis-applied Primary organization phrase: sharing time.

I don't want to discount in any way the desire to help those with little gospel grounding, such as children from non-participating homes. I find myself amazed at the seemingly naive and their grasp of the simple truths of the gospel, certainly sufficient to engage in bringing discussion “back to basics”. We shed the elitist reputation of the intimidating “Gospel Doctrine” class years ago and our recent focus on sharing in the “second hour” of Sunday church meetings more naturally keeps our interactions more grounded in the understandable.

Continuing along this idea, resources such as the Gospel Principles manual and Book of Mormon storybooks and videos continue to be available for all ages to use, much of it specifically geared to both the young and inexperienced. Such resources can even be read aloud by the Gospel Library app if literacy is an issue, bringing even the most challenged of us to a place where we can participate fully in gospel discussions. “I listened to something I didn't know about the resurrection this week that I want to share.”

"... home-centered and church-supported ..."

One of the essential features of modern gospel learning is the concept of ”home-centered and church-supported” activities:

• Church members are to do the bulk of their gospel learning and spiritual development in more personal settings as families and individuals.
• The Church produces study resource materials, scriptures, and easy access to the words of apostles and prophets (especially current ones) in multiple media in order to inform each member's gospel self-instruction.

My opinion is that the past church “Sunday school” setting was becoming dominated by quasi-professionalized local “rabbi” sorts and a less-synagogue-like solution was needed. Entire classes and wards and stakes were enthroning non-gospel ideas and many were being led astray by surrendering their individual gospel understanding to seemingly church-sanctioned “experts”. There will always be scripture savants among us and some of these will want to promulgate their knowledge in convenient ways. To my eyes, the leadership response to such self-promotions was to gradually eliminate the idea of non-apostles being “church-sanctioned” in this way

I encourage efforts to disenfranchise gospel “authorities” beyond those in the leading counsels of the church. If I am doing this, I am in need of repentance.

Being something other than the teacher

I don't quite know what is a good descriptor for what Sunday school teachers are really meant to be doing now and what they should become. As I present several thoughts, I will name the role that might suit the each thought presented.

Dispeller of Falsehoods

A major function of the discussion leader(?) is to ensure that false doctrine is not promulgated during “church” time. It is important to know that expressed opinions on gospel subjects by lay members are usually fine to express at church. Most falsehoods are going to be introduced to damaging effect by those in positions of perceived authority, like a teacher or professor, which is one of the reasons we are getting away from such set-apart roles in church settings, such as “primary workers” rather than teachers.

Of course, it is a matter of individual decision on the part of any to advertise resources beyond those under the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint imprint. Such promotion must not be done during church meetings, through church channels, utilizing church member information, or with any recommendation of local or general church authorities, least anyone think that the Lord's Church endorses it. The Church produces more than sufficient gospel learning resources through its own distribution channels. One can promote one's own ideas under one's own efforts (I certainly do so), but not with implied or misused Church patronage.

Trustee against Domination

Another main purpose of the facilitator(?) (talking stick monitor?) is to make sure that a small handful of voices (including their own) do not dominate the time or direction of the gospel discussion. Efforts should be made to make certain that any questions and concerns expressed by class members are addressed by the group to satisfaction, given available time. Any prepared lesson brought by the teacher should not be used as a method to close down an “off-topic” discussion - such as “Let's get back to…”. The successful trustee is one that doesn't need to use lesson-plans as participants fill the time with discussion relevant to them.

I recommend that “teachers” refrain from comment on what has been said, as if giving an authority stamp. It is better to simply express thanks for a contribution “in the moment”. Additionally, it is likely unnecessary for the leader to bear testimony of what has been said but only to express thanks again for the sharing that was done and to encourage further discussion participation at the next gathering

Model of Gospel Study and Contribution

It is an important need that classrunners(?) model good gospel learning at home and good sharing at church. Parents are the prime gospel teachers in their homes and the sharing of examples of home learning can be vital in encouraging other families to improve their gospel study.

Youth discussions at church focus just as fully on participant expressions as adult classes should do. Youth often face different trails in their lives and many of them demand more “meat-y” discussions than the rote declarations that might dominate gatherings of more “schooled” oldsters. Young people trained up by our society know how to “flatter” their “teachers” and leaders for some church-y equivalent of empty grades and the appearance of a false devotion. Crafted topical lessons are ignored as readily as a public school health class with toothpick propping open dead eyes. As church leaders(?) liken scripture to themselves and share such “likening”, listeners (even younger ones) are more apt to feel the ideas being said.

Redefining the Way We "Share"

The wording about promulgating the gospel message in the world changed decades ago. We started “sharing” rather than “teaching”, which was meant to level ourselves with others, we all learn together. It is about time that our actual methods align better with the lofty words we have been using.