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        As a coordinator for S&I for the last 5 years, it has not been my style to be very controlling.  It has been my goal to give great tips and helps, but in the end, the teachers decide what works for them or not. 
        BUT… now I want to mandate something because it can be so VERY helpful to the teacher and the students.  With the teachers I coordinate, I want them to do “The Spot” each class. But I would think it would be very helpful for any teacher out there. 
         Let me explain what that is. At the beginning of class when the devotional is assigned and put together (Song, Opening prayer, Scriptural Thought…) I want also someone to be assigned “The Spot”. That student knows that at the end of class, they will be put on “the Spot” and will need to share what was the big lesson they learned that day in class.  So in other words, after you challenge your class and testify and close the lesson, they you say, “Billy, it looks like you were on the spot today. What was the big lesson you learned from class today?” And then Billy would share what he learned.  There is room for variety with this. One teacher had a big yellow mouse pad that she slaps on a student’s desk to let them know they will be on the spot today.  Fun idea.  
        “The spot” is also good because it shows you as the teacher if the big points came through. I’ve found this also makes other kids want to chime in.  It also helps review what they learned and keeps them on their toes.
        I am also attaching a devotional chart so it will make it easier for your class president to know what to write on the board.  Some of you teachers already use something like this, but here is something for the rest of you.  Naturally it is nice to have written up on the board what the opening hymn will be, and prayers, etc… But it is a pain to have to write all that up every day and then it cuts into your precious board space.  Here is a solution.   Have it on a paper (that is laminated with magnets on the back) that you can put up and take down easily.  This also gives your class president an outline of what he needs to put up on the board before starting class.  
Before I laminated it, I also added a piece of red or blue paper behind it to make it stand out a bit. Naturally, you can do "The Spot" without using this devotional chart. Click on the first graphic to download the PowerPoint file.  I put it in PowerPoint so you can adjust it to your own needs.

 
 
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        The summer time is a great time to plan how you want class to be.  Class Presidencies are a great way to help students learn to be leaders, and help relieve a huge burden on you at the same time.  What should class presidencies do, you ask?  Click on the picture to download a great handout for your potential class presidency.  This handout spells out what responsibilities you might want to give the.  I have attached it as a MS Word document, instead of a PDF so you can modify this to your own needs better.  When I appoint a new class presidency, I sit down with them and read over both these pages to help give them a vision of what wonderful things they can do as they magnify this responsibility.   
        You can even appoint a class presidency before school starts to help you as you try to contact and enroll more students.   Remember the policy manual says about class presidencies, that they, “may be appointed by the teacher after obtaining clearance from each student’s bishop. Teachers are encouraged to consider all worthy students for class officers including those who have disabilities. They should be announced in class, but not sustained or set apart.”

 
 
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        Some of you teachers already use something like this, but here is something for the rest of you.  Naturally it is nice to have written up on the board what the opening hymn will be, and prayers, etc… But it is a pain to have to write all that up every day and then it cuts into your precious board space.  Here is a solution.   Have it on a paper (that is laminated with magnets on the back) that you can put up and take down easily.  This also gives your class president an outline of what he needs to put up on the board before starting class.  
        I have attached it in the PowerPoint format so that you can modify it to your needs better.  I have it as a PDF here so you can just use that if you want. Before I laminated it, I also added a piece of red paper behind it to make it stand out a bit.
        If you are wondering what is “On The Spot”, here is the explanation.  Each day I like to have a student told at the beginning of class that they will be “On the Spot”. Then they know it is their job at the end of the lesson (before the prayer) to share what they thought was the big lesson that day in seminary.  This shows you as the teacher if the big points came through. I’ve found this also makes other kids want to chime in.  It also helps review what they learned and keeps them on their toes.