Chapter 9 of Bruce Wilkinson’s book The Seven Laws of the Learner, contains a section titled “Step 3: Stimulate Felt Need” where the author asserts that best place to begin teaching is to surface the needs of the student. Wilkinson explains that by creating a starting point that aligns with the students felt needs, the teacher arouses curiosity and desire for understanding the lesson. I personally agree with the author’s comment that the surfacing the needs is the “best starting place.” While I do believe it is not always possible due to unforeseen situations or limited time, I do agree if the teacher can capitalize on what the student preexisting interests are the ability to teach is greatly enhanced. Additionally, the teacher must begin from …show more content…
The student’s interest will superseded the interest of the teacher. The teacher must accommodate for this and find an alignment between the lesson and the student. It is the teacher’s responsibility to address these needs in a gentle and sensitive way.
Jesus’s teachings are an excellent example of how a teacher can create the desire to learn based on their needs. Wilkinson uses the story of Jesus’s interaction with the woman of Samaria in John 4:5-30. However, there are several other examples where Jesus created a curiosity to learn from His students. In the book of Mark, the rich young man who desired to have eternal life confronts Jesus. Jesus had obviously initiated a desire for the answer through his teaching since the man called Him “Good Teacher.” Nicodemus called Jesus a rabbi and came to Him for questions. Jesus recognized immediately the need that Nicodemus had was his desire to understand how to enter into heaven. Jesus created curiosity with a conversation about being born again that held captive Nicodemus. Jesus explained that those who have faith in the Son of Man will be the only ones to enter heaven. Matthew 9 contains the story of the paralyzed man. In this story, Jesus is teaching about forgiveness but He also uses