I, like many of you, just bid farewell to my first two-week District. I was hoping to compile here your reflections on your first two-week District. As much as we talked about it prior to the "continental shift", what were some lessons learned from your first group? What differences did you notice? What changes will need to be made?
I'll go ahead and start:
1) Things felt "messy" with this first group. Beit the new order of the Fundamentals, the increased utilization of the Zone Resources, a few "different" sort of days near the end, or whatever, things with the missionaries just seemed a bit off throughout most of their time here. This was reflected in the missionaries' conduct, their teaching, and certainly their planning/study. Fortunately, on their last Friday, things finally seemed to click for most (if not all) of the missionaries. While, I was grateful to see them able to finish strong, I was concerned that they weren't able to have more time "firing on all cylinders." The previous "training schedule" for 3-week missionaries prepared them to have an entire final week wherein their teaching, studying, and planning were all sound so they could leave confidently. We need to figure out how to enable this same sort of thing to happen for our 2-weekers.
2) Working with the Zone Resources/the increased importance of Zone Teaching definitely complicates things. Whereas in-classroom teachers are pretty good about adjusting lesson to specific needs and backgrounds of their missionaries, that can be much more difficult in a Zone Teaching setting. For the Zone Resources, it can be difficult (though possible) to focus in on specific missionaries if there are concerns. On the other hand, it can be difficult (though possible) for Zone Resources to give feedback to classroom teachers on specific missionaries. I feel like their is a greater need and responsibility for Zone Resources to become very familiar with the needs, backgrounds, etc. of ALL of the missionaries in the Zone so that they can: 1) adjust their zone activities accordingly and 2) so that they can more readily give specific feedback to classroom teachers.
3) There are a few classroom blocks, especially at the end of the missionaries' time at the MTC and more especially if the missionaries stay until Wednesday, that are different than before. I'll admit that I loved the idea of revisiting all the Fundamentals with the missionaries at the end of their time at the MTC but really struggled when it came time to actually help them to effectively do so. There is a need here for greater creativity and mastery of the curriculum such that we can facilitate revelation as the missionaries revisit some of the Fundamentals they have already covered earlier in their MTC stay.
There's probably a lot more that I could write here about my thoughts and feelings and reflections from my first two-week group, but I think I'll stop there. I hope that as so many of you are floating this week, you can take the time to add in your own thoughts. As we gather as a group and counsel together, I think we'll more readily begin to see common areas in which we can improve and, in addition to that, equip Lisanne to better help us help our missionaries during this transition.
I'll go ahead and start:
1) Things felt "messy" with this first group. Beit the new order of the Fundamentals, the increased utilization of the Zone Resources, a few "different" sort of days near the end, or whatever, things with the missionaries just seemed a bit off throughout most of their time here. This was reflected in the missionaries' conduct, their teaching, and certainly their planning/study. Fortunately, on their last Friday, things finally seemed to click for most (if not all) of the missionaries. While, I was grateful to see them able to finish strong, I was concerned that they weren't able to have more time "firing on all cylinders." The previous "training schedule" for 3-week missionaries prepared them to have an entire final week wherein their teaching, studying, and planning were all sound so they could leave confidently. We need to figure out how to enable this same sort of thing to happen for our 2-weekers.
2) Working with the Zone Resources/the increased importance of Zone Teaching definitely complicates things. Whereas in-classroom teachers are pretty good about adjusting lesson to specific needs and backgrounds of their missionaries, that can be much more difficult in a Zone Teaching setting. For the Zone Resources, it can be difficult (though possible) to focus in on specific missionaries if there are concerns. On the other hand, it can be difficult (though possible) for Zone Resources to give feedback to classroom teachers on specific missionaries. I feel like their is a greater need and responsibility for Zone Resources to become very familiar with the needs, backgrounds, etc. of ALL of the missionaries in the Zone so that they can: 1) adjust their zone activities accordingly and 2) so that they can more readily give specific feedback to classroom teachers.
3) There are a few classroom blocks, especially at the end of the missionaries' time at the MTC and more especially if the missionaries stay until Wednesday, that are different than before. I'll admit that I loved the idea of revisiting all the Fundamentals with the missionaries at the end of their time at the MTC but really struggled when it came time to actually help them to effectively do so. There is a need here for greater creativity and mastery of the curriculum such that we can facilitate revelation as the missionaries revisit some of the Fundamentals they have already covered earlier in their MTC stay.
There's probably a lot more that I could write here about my thoughts and feelings and reflections from my first two-week group, but I think I'll stop there. I hope that as so many of you are floating this week, you can take the time to add in your own thoughts. As we gather as a group and counsel together, I think we'll more readily begin to see common areas in which we can improve and, in addition to that, equip Lisanne to better help us help our missionaries during this transition.
Changes I saw:
ReplyDeleteI love the 2 week curriculum! There is a change in the Elders and Sisters that allow for them to excel in the 2 week program. I know it is because of Elder Holland's inspired promise that we will train missionaries better and faster.
Difficulties:
I did notice that it was harder to recover when a fundamental objective was not achieved.
There is not as much cushion with that and I felt myself struggling more with the higher vision of the fundamental. (As a sideplug, I love how we go over these in training together so we are all on the same page with the fundamental objectives!)
Lessons:
Kind of already visited, but really understanding the objectives of the fundamentals, learning how to manage time for multiple, and differing practices, and fulfilling Elder Holland's prophetic promise!
Thanks for your comments Jesse!
Differences I've noticed:
ReplyDelete1) I have definitely seen the need for us to be better in our teaching. I agree with Jesse that things felt a little "messy" for me with the first 2-week district. I felt like things were just so rushed for them that they didn't get the full opportunity to learn and practice and progress in the same way that the 3-week districts were able to. However, I have noticed as well that as I have become more comfortable with the new teaching schedule and its implications, things have become much better. I feel that much of the missionaries not getting it initially was due to my not fully getting it at first either.
2) With the new 2-week curriculum, it has been a little harder for me in PI, even though they teach more often. It just feels like there's not as much time for the missionaries to be able to progress with their investigator and help him come unto Christ. I have made some slight investigator adjustments that will hopefully help them to help my investigator progress as they would want him to.
3) It has felt a little bit more difficult to be able to really connect with each missionary individually since they are here for only 12-14 days. I think a greater emphasis needs to be placed on having regular progress meetings with all missionaries. I would like to be able to meet with two or three missionaries every shift I have, and if both teachers did that every missionary could have three or four progress meetings to help them meet their personal goals and expectations. I feel like those progress meetings really help a lot, so this is a greater emphasis I want to have.
The two week curriculum IS great!
ReplyDeleteLove:
-Although I do not get to see where all the missionaries are through PI, this forces me to focus on the missionaries during their practice times during the fundamentals!
-The missionaries cannot come to class unprepared. We have to help them have real experiences outside of class with the fundamentals. If this doesn't happen then I feel that the missionaries fall behind with each new fundamental and start to become discouraged. but when it does happen they come to class excited for more revelation!
Hard!:
-Zone resources are working with them, they are learning on their own, they have coaching from different teacher, workshops. All these different sources for great revelation, but it is difficult, especially with only 15 minutes of flex time, to make sure to tie what they are learning into the lessons and help them continue to understand all that they are receiving. However, i am learning more and more that we cannot rely on flex time as a time to teach to their needs, the whole lesson can and must be taught to their needs.