Bruce Wilkinson, 7 Laws of the Learner: law 5 b need maximisers

LAW 5:THE LAW OF NEED

METHOD & MAXIMISERS

Pages 307-342

Monday 15 November 2010

THE ESSENCE OF THE LAW OF NEED IS THESE THREE

WORDS:“BUILD THE NEED”THE TEACHER SHOULD

BUILD THE NEED BEFORE TEACHING THE CONTENT


Wilkinson continues to use the idea of bait and fishing for the student - now he asks that we trust him as a master fisher and guide, and he will show us how to fish using the Need method - so if you think your students never listen or are “stupid” put your ideas away and listen to this


Find need

Identify

Yearly

Focus need

Isolate

Regularly

Forecastneed

Imagine

Weekly

Need Method

Pre-Class


Fulfill need

Instruct

Weekly

Feel need

Inspire

Weekly

Class

Forecastneed

Imagine

Weekly

Pre-Class


Our primary responsibility is to meet students needs through a tailored presentation of content. So the first step is to find the needs of the students are, identify them, usually in a yearly way.

Most teachers do not know their students needs - at least 80% don’t. S how do you uncover student needs?

Step 1: Find the needs


Most people are “fine” or “ok” - we are used to pretending - so try these to uncover things:

1. Direct Questions - in a casual relaxed situation ask need seeking questions, ask for help to help you teach - make sure they are open ended questions

2. Low-key interviews - ask in general about class needs, “some of our class are out of it...seem pressurised...what do you think about...?”

1. Direct methods to find need


3. Anonymous questionnaire - is controlled and involves more people than you could talk with; 3 issues, will the results be private or published, is it really anonymous, questions need to be carefully constructed. E.g.

The biggest struggle I have at work is...

My biggest recent disappointment is...

The area of spiritual life I find hardest is...

The sin I find hardest to gain victory over is...


4. Interaction with family members - comments by the student about the family and vice versa - they might be vague but you have to read them rightly

5. Personal visits to the students home or work - understand what their life feels like - most people think the pastor lives in an isolated world not connected to their own

6. Personal observation - questions in class, body language, attendance, discussions, activities


Such information needs to be carefully evaluated as it is general in nature. Consider information about things that interest your class, and issues specific to their age group. Use;

Books - are there any trends in publishing? What are bestsellers - money, sex, business, health

Newspapers & Magazines - include the Q&A section

Research Studies & Polls

People who spend time with the public - doctors, dentists, hairdressers, police...

2. Indirect methods to find need


Organise information from questions 1 and 2 into a useable form summarized in order of priority. E.g.

Key need areas - fears, inadequacies, disappointments etc.

Time references - are they past, present or future?

Role we take - father, mother, employee, student, friend, teacher etc.

Life category - physical, emotional, intellectual, moral, spiritual etc.

Do this at least once a year!

3. Develop a need inventory for your class


Look at what has been discovered - then focus the need, isolate one to deal with in the lesson, do this regularly.

You will have uncovered many needs - they are not all equal - in careful thought and prayer focus on the most important one - this should be quick and straightforward now

Step 2: Focus the needFocus need

Isolate

Regularly


You have chosen the need - now you have to deal with your ability to use that choice - just because you have the right bait doesn’t mean you can catch a fish.

You have to forecast what would happen if the need was met

Use your imagination to see it from the students point of view - why do they want this need meeting - do this each week you teach

Step 3: Forecast the needForecast

need

Imagine

Weekly


Write a short list of the +ve and -ve consequences in the lives of the students if they enjoyed success or suffered failure.

E.g. If the need is “to obey your parents” what good could come from it and what bad from disobeying?

3 secrets to effective forecasting:

1. Survey your experience and imagination - find examples of the +ve / -ve consequences


2. Employ the principle of the extremes - what is the best of either extreme? This will give you good ideas. Intense desire comes from intense hope of pleasure, or fear of pain.

3. Picture the person who is most likely to do the extreme, follow through to see the consequences and then identify with the result of their choices


Stages 1-3 prepare for this climactic moment - this stage will affect if the students take the bait like the woman in John 4. The key is to inspire them emotionally as you build the need weekly.

Your skill determines the interest and attention of the students.

Bored / uninterested student = unskilled teacher.

Emotion not interest is the primary motivator here.

4. Feel the need


If the felt need is low how much learning takes place? Not much.

If students strongly identify with the need they are strongly motivated to learn.

In the maximisers we shall see 7 ways to help the students really feel the need.


This is the goal - help the students to implement the solution for their need - you fulfill the need and instruct them on the content as you teach them each week

Make sure you don’t overpromise - or underdeliver.

Overpromise = manipulation

Underdeliver = fail to deliver the goods.

Then make sure you link the lesson to this need which you have surfaced.

5. Fulfill the need

Fulfill need

Instruct

Weekly






NEED MAXIMISERS

7 ways you can build the need in any audience, any age group, anytime, at any stage of the class.

In time they will become second nature to you, if you use one each time you build a need


This is the Principle of Information; often presented through statistics, bulleted lists, quotes, descriptions or graphs

MAXIMISER 1: DESCRIBE THE NEED IN A FACTUAL PRESENTATION




The Principle of Identification: use a primary story to illustrate something at work - using a story close to a students life helps more - “That’s how I feel” etc.

Make up parables - Jesus did!

MAXIMISER 2: EXPRESS THE NEED THROUGH STORYTELLING


The Principle of Involvement: drama, monologue, interview, skit - people love them so act it out. The Bible is full of powerful characters and dramas - modernise them if you like - get the students involved acting and feeling the parts

MAXIMISER 3: SENSITISE TO THE NEED THROUGH DRAMA


The Principle of Intensity: how you say it can have more impact than what you say - body, voice, tone, pace, delivery etc. all build emotion.

MAXIMISER 4: INCREASE THE NEED THROUGH YOUR

DELIVERY


Any form of music can be used to raise the need for your message.

Good music prepares our hearts, touches our hearts, helps us to respond

MAXIMISER 5: RAISE THE NEED THROUGH MUSIC


The Principle of Imagination: date projector, white/black board, drawing - all are used commonly, and effectively to build a need

MAXIMISER 6: EXHIBIT THE NEED WITH A DIAGRAM


The Principle of Illustration: drawing, photograph, video - we use them regularly and effectively to raise need awareness, money, emotions - and frequently we are touched by them

MAXIMISER 7: SYMBOLISE THE NEED WITH A PICTURE











1. What are your classes top 10 needs? What do the class think they are? Why the difference?

2. What books are your students reading - what does it tell you about their needs?

3. What do you think are the 5 greatest needs in the church today?

4. What are your 5 greatest needs?

QUESTIONS


Documents

Bruce Wilkinson, 7 Laws of the Learner: law 5 b need maximisers