PODCAST · education
LDS Seminary Helper
by John Merrill Kirkman
Daily short episodes to help you become a better seminary teacher. Listen on your drive to seminary and become a better seminary teacher today.
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22 Scripture Study: Read, Mark, and Write Activity
Send me a message! Remember: You're Awesome!Just so you know — you're awesome — always have been. ✨🌟💫 -you're awz.meWatch a video explanation here: For more of my teaching resources, join my Skool page (always free)YouTube Channel for Lesson IdeasCheck out my Walking with the Savior Podcast. You are awesome! You are a hero! You got this!
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21 Pass and Write Activity
Send me a message! Remember: You're Awesome!You’re a game changer. 🙌😊❤️ -you're awz.meFor more of my teaching resources, join my Skool page (always free)YouTube Channel for Lesson IdeasCheck out my Walking with the Savior Podcast. You are awesome! You are a hero! You got this!
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20 Nine Class Management Strategies
Send me a message! Remember: You're Awesome!For more of my teaching resources, join my Skool page (always free)YouTube Channel for Lesson IdeasCheck out my Walking with the Savior Podcast. You are awesome! You are a hero! You got this!
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19 Why do I use scripture study pages?
Send me a message! Remember: You're Awesome!You’re proof that good people exist. ❤️🎉✨ -you're awz.me
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18 What's THE Most Important Scripture Study Tool
Send me a message! Remember: You're Awesome!Phrases you can use in your classes:Anyone need a ponder pen or ponder pencil?The pen is your ponder tool. Pick up your pen, power up your pondering. A pen turns reading into pondering. Your pen is the bridge between Scripture and Revelation. Don't just read, ponder with your pen. A pen in your hands, put the pondering in motion. The pen, the most powerful pondering tool. Read, ponder, and pray lead to revelation, and the pen leads to pondering which leads to more consistent revelation.The wandering mind is the disconnected mind.
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17 Ting Listening: The Key to Great Conversations in Class
Send me a message! Remember: You're Awesome!More on Ting Listening.For more of my teaching resources, join my Skool page (always free)YouTube Channel for Lesson IdeasCheck out my Walking with the Savior Podcast. You are awesome! You are a hero! You got this!
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16. The Most Important Rule in Seminary
Send me a message! Remember: You're Awesome!Send me a message! Remember: You're Awesome!Find more of my seminary teaching resources on Skool. Always free!Cree L. Koffard's Talk
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15. The Power of Positive Emotion
Send me a message! Remember: You're Awesome!Just a random reminder that you're an absolute legend. Seriously, your vibe is everything and you always bring the main character energy. ❤️🎉✨ -you're awz.meIntro/thesis — Based on Spencer Kagan's Brain-Friendly Teaching: eliciting positive emotion is one of the easiest, most powerful research-based tools for a brain-friendly classroom (~300 studies support it).Why it matters — Positive emotion broadens students' attention and improves thinking, problem-solving, learning, creativity, and test performance.Music — Use uplifting music/music videos (e.g., "Made By God," "Peace in Christ," LDS youth videos, Christian music/lyric videos).Happy recall — Have students recall a happy/proud/successful memory before tests or tasks to boost performance.Video clips — Share uplifting, inspiring videos (LDS youth videos, "On the Road with Steve Hartman" kindness stories) to spark discussion, including tying kindness to Christ. Sample: Count your blessings — Simple exercise: have students name blessings to a neighbor.Three wishes for others — Twist the classic genie question to focus wishes on friends rather than themselves.Recalling helping — Have students share a time they helped someone and felt good.Power posing — Have students stand and strike a superhero pose for 10–20 seconds to generate laughter and positive energy.Praise — Use positivity statements and peer praise (e.g., high-fives) to make positive emotion contagious in class.
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14. The Power of Positive Attention
Send me a message! Remember: You're Awesome! Low-key you're awesome — and that's on period. ✨🌟💫 -you're awz.me The Power of Positive Attention (Spencer Kagan):Positive attention shapes behavior. Publicly praising a group/team that's on task (without giving points, just naming specific behaviors) redirects the whole class more effectively than quiet signals or correction.Kagan's classroom story: A teacher had all the technical jigsaw elements right but the room was chaotic (scolding, misbehavior). Simply drawing attention to the best-behaving group and stating specifically what was good about it turned the class around within one period.Effect is temporary but renewable — praise boosts on-task behavior for about 10 minutes; repeating it on a new group sustains and extends the improvement.Positive attention sets classroom norms — it tells students clearly what behaviors are valued, which creates security and clarity, especially in new routines like small-group work.Small groups aren't inherently chaotic — the difference is structure plus positive reinforcement of what's working, not just assigning group work and hoping for the best.Practical application (scripture study/reading activities): Model the activity, then reinforce visible positive work ("I love this work, look at the highlights"), then have students point out something positive in a teammate's work — takes under 30 seconds but has outsized impact.Takeaway: Consistently and specifically praising good behavior/work — rather than only correcting bad behavior — is a simple, high-leverage classroom management tool.
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13. Heather Johns Part 2: Micro Trainings. Don't complain! Train!
Send me a message! Remember: You're Awesome!Low-key you're awesome — and that's on period. ✨🌟💫 -you're awz.me
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12 First Day of School - Setting up Boundaries - Heather Johns
Send me a message! Remember: You're Awesome!Low-key you're awesome — and that's on period. ✨🌟💫 -you're awz.me
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11. Teacher Share: Ellie from Mountain Crest High
Send me a message! Remember: You're Awesome!Ellie, a seminary teacher from Mountain Crest in Hyrum, Utah, talks about classroom strategies she’s found successful. Ellie describes using scripture study pages to get students off phones and physically engaged through writing, highlighting, and doodling, emphasizing the value of variety so it doesn’t feel like repetitive worksheets. She highlights a “pass and doodle” study page on Moses and the brass serpent, saying quick, verse-by-verse doodling and passing deepens observation, encourages discussion, and keeps learning fun. The host shares that a region director observed study pages and called it “deep learning.” Ellie also explains using humorous, “cringey” compliments and get-to-know-you interactions to build community, help shy students participate, and create a positive atmosphere where laughter supports reverence and spiritual learning.
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10. Teacher Share Nicole Aaron: Changing the Class Culture when no one will talk
Send me a message! Remember: You're Awesome!Not to be dramatic but you're awesome — for real for real. ✨🌟💫 -you're awz.meWatch on youtube: https://youtu.be/TnGP65saojEStrategies discussed:Compliments and High Fives.Adopting unusual strategiesKindness VideosSpeed Dating IdeasPass the paper ideas.Study Pages.Using Different Translations
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9. SeatingPlan.com
Send me a message! Remember: You're Awesome!https://www.seatingplan.com?referral_code=118108126208585704812This episode explains SeedingPlan.com and why it's so powerful in a seminary class. email: [email protected] leave a rating and review and share with all your fellow seminary teachers.
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7. The Power of Seating Charts
Send me a message! Remember: You're Awesome!Please check out my other podcast, "Walking with the Savior," for daily inspiration on your walk with the Savior. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2414656/episodes/19150246email: [email protected] leave a rating and review and share with all your fellow seminary teachers.
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8. Strategic Seating for Class Team Building
Send me a message! Remember: You're Awesome!Please check out my other podcast, "Walking with the Savior," for daily inspiration on your walk with the Savior. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2414656/episodes/19150246email: [email protected] leave a rating and review and share with all your fellow seminary teachers.
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6. Do You Know Your Neighbor? Game
Send me a message! Remember: You're Awesome!Please check out my other podcast, "Walking with the Savior," for daily inspiration on your walk with the Savior. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2414656/episodes/19150246email: [email protected] leave a rating and review and share with all your fellow seminary teachers.
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5. Multiplying High-Five Power: Classroom Transformation Technique
Send me a message! Remember: You're Awesome!Please check out my other podcast, "Walking with the Savior," for daily inspiration on your walk with the Savior. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2414656/episodes/19150246email: [email protected] leave a rating and review and share with all your fellow seminary teachers.
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4. The Power of a High Five!
Send me a message! Remember: You're Awesome!Please check out my other podcast, "Walking with the Savior," for daily inspiration on your walk with the Savior. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2414656/episodes/19150246email: [email protected] leave a rating and review and share with all your fellow seminary teachers.
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3. One Percent Improvements, Big Results
Send me a message! Remember: You're Awesome!Please check out my other podcast, "Walking with the Savior," for daily inspiration on your walk with the Savior. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2414656/episodes/19150246email: [email protected] leave a rating and review and share with all your fellow seminary teachers.
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2. Don't Count Days! Make each day count!
Send me a message! Remember: You're Awesome!email: [email protected] leave a rating and review and share with all your fellow seminary teachers.
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1. LDS Seminary Teacher Helper Podcast Overview
Send me a message! Remember: You're Awesome!Welcome to LDS Seminary Teacher Helper. This episode introduces you to me and my efforts to teach the gospel through seminary and to help teachers. Hopefully this channel is helpful to you. Let me know if you have any questions or comments. Please check out my other podcast, "Walking with the Savior," for daily inspiration on your walk with the Savior. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2414656/episodes/19150246email: [email protected] leave a rating and review and share with all your fellow seminary teachers. Your coordinator is always there to help you with your specific needs. Not to be dramatic but you're awesome — for real for real. ✨🌟💫 -you're awz.me
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