My Teaching Matters

Remember those times when your two year old wants to get herself dressed and  she does not want any help from you?  she gets to the point where she’s pulling the shirt over her head, but she’s stuck because she’s trying to push her head through the arm hole instead of the neck hole.  The harder she pulls the more frustrated she becomes until finally she cries  out “HELP!” In today’s episode, we are going to talk about our new theme, “God Wants to Help”.  God really does want to help us, but sometimes we are too stubborn or proud to ask for His help.  Once we can humble ourselves enough to ask for God’s help, we will be amazed at how the blessings flow. Join us today as we look at how we can learn for ourselves and teach our children that God does want to help. If you would like to receive the monthly theme and experiences, email us at Linsey@myteachingmatters.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/myteachingmatters/message

What causes a lesson to be engaging versus boring? In today’s episode, we talk about the four levels of questions and how we can use them to help elevate our lessons to be  more interactive and more meaningful for our families. Asking the right types of questions can create a framework that allows us to help our children learn without giving them the answer.  Kind of like teaching your child how to figure out what 9 X 8 is rather than just giving them the answer. Questions are a powerful tool for teaching. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/myteachingmatters/message

We all have heard of family feuds that have lasted for years or generations, even to  the point that no one remembers what the original grievance was about.  History records the stories of Romeo and Juliet’s families, the Capulets and the Montagues or the Hatfields and Mccoys. Even the bible tells stories of Jacob and Esau, Leah and Rachel, and Joseph being sold into Egypt by his brothers.  These stories all illustrate that jealousy can lead quickly  to many other unkind and hurtful choices. However, some people chose forgiveness and that forgiveness allowed healing and love to flow unrestrained. In a world filled with contempt and contention,  how can we teach our children to use the power of forgiveness to free them from the negative feelings of anger, frustration and contempt ? How can we choose to forgive more and be jealous less? Join us in today’s discussion as we look at how we can create experiences that will help teach our children not only WHY they should forgive, but also HOW they can forgive. Want to join us in our upcoming Children Who Know Challenge?  Be sure to get on our mailing list so you don’t miss this amazing experience. Email us at linsey@mytheachingmatters.com or join our Facebook group, Come Follow Me - Intentionally teaching our children and youth. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/myteachingmatters/message

What is happening right now in your family that is driving you crazy?  Maybe you have a child who has a problem not telling the truth, or maybe your kids aren’t getting their chores done in a timely manner, or getting them done at all.  Maybe you have children who are extremely concerned about everything being fair, (heaven forbid one child should get more fruit loops than another!), or maybe one of your children is afraid to try new things and it’s DRIVING YOU CRAZY! What if your scripture study time was also time spent teaching your children things like responsibility, courage, honesty, forgiveness or love?  How would your family life be better if your kids actually learned to LIVE some of these values? In today’s episode, Linsey and I look at how when we combine our physical challenges with spiritual principles, we can actually use the scriptures to help us combat things that are DRIVING US CRAZY today while at the same time, building a solid foundation of spiritual understanding for our children. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/myteachingmatters/message

Have any of you ever asked yourselves one of these questions?   How do I get my child to stop lying?  What can I do to help my child follow through on what he says he will do?  How can I teach my children to be more dependable and responsible?  Well, if you have….  You’re in good company.  I don’t know of a family yet who hasn’t had issues with one of these values. This next month  we are going to be focusing on how we can teach our children to keep their promises.  Whether it is keeping their word when they said they would clean their room, or a commitment to remember to put their clothes away, or a resolve to tell the truth, or most importantly a promise to obey God’s commandments when they are baptized. Whatever angle you want to address it, this month’s  theme and experience can help you, help your family .  Join Linsey and Dixie and myself as we discuss how we plan on using this theme to solve these typical problems in our own homes. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/myteachingmatters/message

The other day my husband made the comment that God didn’t real give us much help when it comes to raising children.  God taught us a lot of things, but parenting wasn’t one of them.  I told him I disagreed.  That the scriptures had all sorts of examples of how to parent.  Like what? Well today’s episode we answer that question , like what?  Today we share a sampling of some of the finest examples of how God interacts with His children and what we can learn from it. If you are a bit like my husband and wonder what advice God has for us as parents, stay tuned as we reveal some of God’s greatest parenting tools. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/myteachingmatters/message

Have you ever tried picking up half a stick?  No matter how hard you try, the other end always comes with it. So it is with our choices.  They all have a consequence.  Good, bad or indifferent. Every action has a reaction associated with it. In a world where victim mentality is so prevalent,  it is important we teach our children the power they have to choose. In today's podcast we talk about how we are going to focus on this theme of choices and consequences.   We share our ideas of how to introduce the theme to your family through a fun object lesson so that you can use it as a reference point for the rest of the month. (What good choices might look like versus yucky choices.) We also share ideas of how to use the stories from the scriptures to reinforce the idea,  and we give you great additional resource ideas of books and videos that you can use outside of the scriptures to help teach the principle of choices and consequences. To make it even better, we’ve put all the information that we talk about today in a free PDF that you are not going to want to miss.   We’ve  spent hours sorting through the best books and movies and put together a book list with YouTube read aloud links, scripture videos and interactive stories and even a full length movie.  We’ve done all the hard work so you don’t have to! To make sure you receive your free resource guide email us at linsey@myteachingmatters.com  and we’ll make sure you get this amazing free resource.   You’re going to LOVE today’s episode! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/myteachingmatters/message

Being a parent is hard.  Sometimes we second guess ourselves, are we doing it right?  Is there a better way?  Sometimes we straight up get told we are doing it wrong  (like in the story I share with you today), and sometimes, very infrequently, we get the confirmation that we are on the right track. In today’s episode I share a couple of stories about how I found confidence in my role of a mother and how you can do the same. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/myteachingmatters/message

The month of December can be a hectic time and keeping up with your family scripture study can often feel like one more thing on your checklist to get done. In today's episode, Dixie Christensen shares how she is simplifying her scripture study to accommodate both Christmas and CFM.  She shares some great ideas of how to use our December theme of “ I Believe” to help her family connect the birth of the Christ Child to the Jesus we talk about in the scriptures and the principles of the gospel we believe in that will be discussed in our Come Follow Me for the rest of the year. Dixie shares several easy ways to incorporate the Articles of Faith, Proclamation on the Family and the Living Christ into your daily Christmas time routines making your family scripture study, not only possible, but meaningful. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/myteachingmatters/message

Do you envision Christmas as a magical time with excitement and joy and love flowing through the air or do you think of Christmas as stressful, tiring, and hectic?   How can we make Christmas be more magical, where we actually experience the spirit of Christmas and not the stress and bustle of the holiday season with the present buying, and the party planning, and the house decorating? In todays episode Tiffany Hinkson shares with us her ideas of how to bring back the magic of Christmas by simplifying our holiday season. Download her FREE Simplified Christmas Planner here. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/myteachingmatters/message

There is a line in a primary song that says  - God gave us families to help us become what He wants us to be— Why would having a family help us become what God wants us to be?  I truly believe that having a family is a gift from God and that it is within the family unit that we practice the many things we need to learn to become like God.  Pes Nelson once said, "The home is the great laboratory of love. There the raw chemicals of selfishness and greed are melded in the crucible of cooperation to yield compassionate concern and love one for another." 1 Spending time with our loved ones is a great way to strengthen and reinforce that love for each other.  During the holiday season it is a great time to reconnect with our extended family and draw on the power of family.  In today’s episode, I share with you our family's plan for trying to create a Thanksgiving that is not only enjoyable, but meaningful as well. 1  “Our Sacred Duty to Honor Women,” CR April 1999, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1999/04/our-sacred-duty-to-honor-women?lang=eng, see also “The Canker of Contention,” CR April 1989, https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1989/04/the-canker-of-contention?lang=eng and “Salvation and Exaltation,” CR April 2008, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2008/04/salvation-and-exaltation?lang=eng --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/myteachingmatters/message

It's not enough just to teach our children the gospel, we also need to teach them how to teach others the gospel.  As a novice mother I made the mistake of thinking that just because my children had grown up going to church every week, having family scripture study every day and Family Home Evening every week, they would automatically know how to give a coherent ,well thought out lesson.  Oh how wrong I was.   Knowing how to be an effective teacher takes practice.  Allowing our kids to practice at home where the stakes are low is so important for preparing them to teach outside of the home.  Whether its a talk in sacrament meeting or a young men's/young women's lesson,  you can help your youth give the perfect lesson by teaching them to follow these four simple steps when preparing their lesson.  You can find the perfect lesson plan template at myteachingmatters.com/tools --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/myteachingmatters/message

What is driving you crazy in your family right now?  Is it that the kids are fighting all the time? Is it 6 year old Abi   who is afraid to try anything new and constantly needs your help to do simple tasks? Or Maybe it’s eight year old Max who loves to tease and harass the younger kids until they are crying and whining - causing constant contention. Or  possibly the fact that Alex has a propensity to embellish the truth to the point you can’t trust a thing she says. What is a parent to do ? Being a parent is hard.  It seems like there is always something or someone who is driving you crazy. What if I were to tell you there was a systematic way to overcome these sources of frustration and irritation? Today we share with you our system for dealing with unwanted issues that come up in every family.  A five step system that when used consistently, can create positive and sustainable change for your family. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/myteachingmatters/message

A few years back I was visiting with a non member friend of mine.  We had just finished conference weekend and I was showing her pictures of the apostles and prophet who had spoken.  In sincere curiosity, she asked me, “Why are they all so old?”  I laughed not quite knowing how to answer that question.  I have thought about that question over the years, and I would be better prepared to answer that question now.   I have come to understand that the wonderful wisdom and insights these men have is due in part to their many years of life experience.  There is something to be said about the wisdom that is shared from those who have gone through the refining fires of life. In today’s episode, I share with you my personal journey of coming to understand 3 critically important things when it comes to teaching.  Things I have learned by trial and error, Things I have learned through years of experimenting and things I have been guided to understand from the Heavens above. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/myteachingmatters/message

“By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.”(Alma 37:6) Our guest today is living proof of what the Lord can do with small and simple things. Angie Killian didn’t grow up thinking she would be a famous songwriter.  Her plans were to become a math teacher! But somewhere along the line, she listened as God presented another plan.  A plan that took her in a totally different direction.  A plan that allowed Him to take her Widow’s mite and make it something amazing. Angie’s music has now gone on to touch thousands of hearts all over the world.  A feat she attributes to a promise she made to God in a moment of despair. Join us today as Angie shares her miraculous journey of learning to partner with God to co-create music that inspires so many.  We also talk about how we can use a small thing like music to help teach the gospel to our families. To access some of the resources Angie talks about, visit her website at https://www.angiekillian.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/myteachingmatters/message

Henry B. Eyring stated, “To ask and to answer questions is at the heart of all learning and all teaching” (“The Lord Will Multiply the Harvest” [evening with a General Authority, Feb. 6, 1998], 5–6; emphasis added). What does it mean that asking and answering questions is at the heart of all learning and all teaching.   Well, this last week we hosted a council call with our “Teaching as a Fearless Mother of Faith” group, and we witnessed first hand how great learning and great teaching can be achieved by asking and answering questions. Join Linsey and me today as we share some amazing insights we had about the importance of asking the right questions to help personalize the scriptures to ourselves and to our families. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/myteachingmatters/message

Pres Nelson once said this about women…. “To help another human being reach one’s celestial potential is part of the divine mission of woman. As mother, teacher, or nurturing Saint, she molds living clay to the shape of her hopes. In partnership with God, her divine mission is to help spirits live and souls be lifted. This is the measure of her creation. It is ennobling, edifying, and exalting.” Russell M. Nelson, “Woman—Of Infinite Worth,” Ensign, Nov. 1989, 22. In our sacred responsibility of teaching our children, I love the fact that it is a partnership with God.  He does not expect us to do it alone.  He wants to help,  He yearns to help, He wants to be our partner and yet so often we feel overwhelmed, under qualified and totally inadequate for the task, because we have to do it alone. In today’s episode we talk about how we can partner with God more often and access His power when teaching the gospel to our children.  Join us today with Patti Rokus and Melia Rios-Lazo as we explore how we can Partner with God in this most important work. To learn more about Patti and Melia check out their websites at: www.RockArtCamp.com and www.tinytrunktales.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/myteachingmatters/message

Have you ever noticed how most of the scripture stories we tell are all about men?  Finding those femine role models within the scriptures is not easy. Today I’ve invited my friend Amber Corkin to share with us all about her new book ,”Dear Divine Daughter:  Inspiring Stories of Bible Women".  She and her twin sister Aubrey scoured the bible for stories of women.  They found so many they had to narrow it down to the best 34 inspirational stories they found.  Who knew there were that many stories about women? In today’s episode, Amber shares her amazing journey of this inspired book.  Nearly four years in the making, several rejection from publishers and finally a break that has placed her book on the shelves of some very prominent retail stores. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/myteachingmatters/message

Conference weekend is a time for revelation and inspiration.  As we prepare for conference this year, I want to replay our most popular episode of this program.  "How to Recognize the Holy Ghost" with Julie Ferguson.  Julie walks us through her experience of really learning all the different ways the Holy Ghost speaks to her.  You will be amazed at how many different ways she has been directed and taught by the Holy Ghost. As we prepare to receive direction and inspiration during General Conference this weekend, or any time for that matter, consider some of the ideas that Julie shares with us of ways we might not realize that the Holy Ghost can speak to us. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/myteachingmatters/message

“True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. “The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior. … That is why we stress so forcefully the study of the doctrines of the gospel” (Elder Boyd K Packer) In todays episode we share some examples of this inspired truth.  Listen to see how parents and individuals are using their gospel study, to change their behavior and the behavior of their children. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/myteachingmatters/message