"I am only yelling at you because you yelled at me"
"It is okay to fool around after all we are engaged."
"Murder is wrong except when someone is breaking into your house"
"Lying may be wrong but what are you supposed to do about Sally's dress - hurt her feelings?"
"If I turned it in, it would sit in lost in found or they would just take it, so I am going to keep it"

Active and thoughtful learners are going to begin to think and learn conceptually.  Teachers must have excellent, durable truth available when faced with the "if-then" questions and logic.  Work related and technical teachers might wonder, "How does this article apply to me?"  After all, they teach technical not ethical truths - wrong.  They teach work ethics - or should - constantly to their people.  Work ethics are the how we do, with whom we do and why we do what we do.  Parents, spiritual leaders, educators, supervisors - all of us should be teaching ethical truths that change and improve the lives of people.

Moral teaching - whether work, home, spiritual - is beyond man and calls him to a higher, deeper, better, objective standard.  People are not horrible but, rather, nature selfish and desiring to "do their own thing".  Selflessness is one of the keys to great organizations, people and leaders.  Selflessness is also essential to teaching (and learning) truth.

 If people think a truth to be false, they have no need to follow it and therefore have no need to justify their actions that do not conform to that "truth".  However, if people know a truth to be truth, they are left to justify their actions that do not conform to that truth. 

"There is no excuse..."
"Just because Sally was doing it doesn't..."
"Everyone is doing it is not an explanation, would you...if everyone"
"It doesn't matter if no one was around, the money wasn't yours."
"It is not her fault that he...just because she was dressed..."

We all war against situational ethics in those that we teach.  Well at least at times....other times teachers are more interested and concerned about keeping their followers and avoiding conflict.  In times like these, some teachers find themselves afraid to simply state, teach and explain the truth because: 

• They don't want to make the students feel bad
• They don't want to be unpopular
• They are unwilling to say I don't know
• They can't teach the truth as absolute because they don't live by it.  

Truth gives people the ability to "do right" or "succeed" or "acheive results" when they apply that truth.   When teachers teach that "truth" changes based on the situation, they rob their students of life and direction.  There are things that vary based on situation but truth does not vary.  Truth is by definition absolute.

 Sometimes teachers teach situational ethics in order to support their "opinion" because their opinion can not stand in the face of absolute truth.  In this case, the student is not freed by situational ethics but bound to a standard that is developed by a teacher who has "adjusted truth" to the current situation or belief.

Do not teach that truth changes and do not teach changing truths.  Do not set people free or bind them by teaching them situational ethics or situational truths.  Even if it is uncomfortable, teach absolute truths.  Challenge your students to adjust their life to truth instead of adjusting truth to their life.  Teach them how to apply the truths that you teach instead of settling for "no thinking" situational adjustments.  Most importantly, before you give them all of this advice, accept and embrace it yourself.

I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father.”
John 8:38

 These are Jesus' words as he speaks of teaching truth.  While he was on earth, he spoke the things of heaven and did the things His Father instructed him to do.  What a model for all of us as teachers.

No matter how much you may be able to argue that your opinion is correct - if you can't prove it then it is only your opinion.  If you can show objective, clear and solid evidence that "your opinion" is long term truth then "your opinion" is not your opinion but rather "truth." 

History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.  
Eccl. 1:9

Teachers merely pass on truth.  Teachers do not create truth even if they discover a new application or new knowledge.  As we teach, we teach something that we have "learned" and if that "opinion" has been proven for enough years, it is no longer opinion but verifiable truth.  What do you want to teach someone if you only have one minute left?  If you have only five minutes left?  Hopefully you want to teach them truth - truths that will change their life.  Would you spend those few minutes on a opinion or on your words added to a truth that can stand on its own?

Why do teachers add so much to simple truth?  Is it to hear themselves speak?  Is it because they have thoughts?  The pupil does not need to become a replica of the teacher in method or opinion.  The pupil needs truth that can be applied objectively to change his life or work for the better.  Let's look at an an example:

 A teacher teaching pupils the truth  "do not use empty, vain or coarse words" can help the pupil better his life.  However, the truth is not simply "don't use" but "why don't."  The great teacher will teach the "why" along with the "do" so that their pupils can live better lives and have better work.  Pupils are naturally going to ask for examples but the wise teacher will not get sidetracked into making lists of words that are "an empty, vain or coarse word".  Why?  He will only be able to provide lists of words subjective to each culture, time and personal experience and will either teach forever or just "teach his cultural opinion."  If the student has a similar life situation, the "cultural specific" list might help for the moment but the student will starve in the long run.  Teaching without opinion is the better option. 

Wisdom knows though that language is and always will be cultural and situational. One word, in one situation, in one life might be fruitful while simultaneously unfruitful in another life, situation or culture.  If this teacher begins to identify words for his pupil, he will find himself speaking to every life, situation and culture. The teacher can should redirect the student, "I could give you a list or help you evaluate words but let's try something that you can use", and objectively : 1) define what an empty, vain and coarse word is by explaining the "why" a word becomes such;  and, 2) teach "why" it is not beneficial to use such words.  In this way the student learns a truth that can be transported and applied into many cultures and result in godliness in all of them. 

Opinion is like learning to pronounce words based on the dialects and accents of individuals across the country.  Truth is more like learning to pronounce words based on phonics.  If you learn phonics for Western English, you are able to pronounce most any word in that language as it was objectively developed.  If someone questions your pronunciation, you can point back to the objective truth.  If someone learns phonics from you, then they can speak any word.  If you only learn the pronunciation of certain words or with certain accents, you may not be able to inteligibly speak a word new to your vocabulary.

Opinion often leads to legalism, conflict and lists of do's and don'ts because it can not provide an objective, explainable standard.  Truth is truth no matter where it is applied.  Truth is not only provable but has been proven.  Truth is found in God's Word for Christians and in journals and lab results for trades.  Truth is replicable again and again.  Truth is Jesus.  Teach what you know and stop teaching the moment you say to your student, "I think...."

"Man, I love teaching youth," I blurted out while talking about ministry.
"Why?" Andy asked.
"Because they are simple.  They don't mind being taught if there is a good motive and they still believe that you know more than them even if they act otherwise"
"Also," I continued, "they want to be there.  You can make them stand on their head, play silly games and do crazy object lessons because they want to be there."
Andy quickly replied, "I never wanted to be at our youth group.  I was drug there."
"Good point.  I was thinking of camps, retreats and other stuff where they chose to be there."

The audience was the same.  The willingness was different.  It was not so much the envioronment or the  geographic location of Andy as a teen or me as a  teacher of teens.  It was simply a matter of willingness of the student.  It was a variation - or complication - of an audience.  There are several complicating factors that will affect the teaching environment, goals and methods across audience platforms.  For example, you could have an "adult audience" that should want to learn but that is there against their will (for example, sensitivity retraining in a large corporation).  Likewise, you could have a teen audience attending against its collective will.  You could teach an audience that has three audience types.

Knowing these complicating factors will help you reach and teach the audience to which you are assigned.  Here are a few of those complicating factors:

• Small vs. Large - The smaller the group - the more intimate your knowledge can be and the more pointed and directed your teaching to individuals.  The larger the group, the more structure you need and you need to be prepared to "not connect with individuals" but with a mass.  You will not be able to see the faces and read the crowd unless they become expressive.  In a small group, you can quickly alienate individuals by embarassment or putting them on the spot.  Generally, the larger the group, the more latitude you have to worry less about alienation and offense.  Really, large groups have highly varied audiences.
  
• Home vs. Away - In the away game, you and the audience do not have to "go home together" and you often can issue greater challenges more directly than to a home audience.  The exception is  core learners in a mature audience - these learners will learn more and grant more leeway than any away crowd because they are mature, committed and ready to grow.  Away audiences are easier but require a clear, short term, prepared strategy to be reached effectively.  The downfall to an away audience is that you have little opportunity to invest in life change or to ensure solid teaching after your departure.  You simply have little time and no time to teach lessons over many years.
  
• Voluntary vs. Involuntary Study - Ask yourself, "Did these people come here because they wanted to or because they have to?"  Our annual men's retreat is intense, challenging, and not designed for the lost.  Our goal is to pack as much teaching in as we possibly can over two and one-half days.  We actually go to a more expensive place and advertise the intensity to ensure that only the men that "want" to be there are there.  There are other events designed for broader audiences.  To be effective, you will have to encourage, engage, humor and manipulate the unwilling audience far more than those that chose to walk miles to hear you teach.
  
• Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous - As audience types increase in one audience, difficulty of communication and connection increase.  There is some theoretical maximum of how many ways you can tell a story to touch the types of people that make up your overall audience.  Be careful not to try to focus specifically on so many audience types that you reach none effectively.  At the same time, don't buy into the contemporary lie that audiences need to be segmented and that teachers need to focus on one "market group" to reach the world.  That is only true if you are simply trying to grow a church.  Be prepared to give an answer to all men for the hope that is within in you - how could we serve one and ignore his neighbor because he was different?  It is always more difficult and takes much thought and sensitivity to become a master at reaching multiple audience types.
  
• Wisdom vs. Knowledge - Some say, "Those who can do and those who can't teach." Clearly, there are many great, active doers who are also teachers but there remains a big difference between knowing and applying. Wisdom is knowledge applied to create real solutions and change.   When a knowledeable person speaks, his ideas, interpretations and what he knows shines through to teach truths and facts.  If applied these truths are incredible and improve the audience.   When a wise person speaks, his character and success shines through to teach not only facts but application.  The wise teacher teaches the audience how to handle truth and how to think as they apply knowledge.  Audiences are like these two teachers, some audiences know much that they have rarely applied or mastered.  The wise audience listens more and asks deeper questions than the knowledgeable audience which knows facts and will quickly debate a point.  The wise teacher will be prepared to learn as a wise audience engages and to spur the knowledgeable audience to wisdom by asking questions that require wisdom.

 What woud have happened if the pastor had not been in the class?  How would the answer have been found?  This situation is played out in meetings where the boss is all of the sudden present, in classes, in discussions and in symposiums around the world.  It is great to defer, to respect those who are Masters of the topic.  It would be foolish to ingnore the expereience, expertise and knowledge of a master teacher of a subject that you are teaching.  It is ridiculous to cheat your pupils from the wisdom of a master teacher.

However, many times, the teacher involves the master audience because they immediately feel inadequate, unprepared and insecure in what they are teaching.  Take this turn on the above example - does it sound familiar?  Have you done this?

 "Bob,  I was listening as you were teaching and I have a question."
"Well, go ahead, Tom," the teacher replied.
"Are you sure that sea monsters are really Biblical?  I mean, are there other examples of sea monsters in Biblical text?"
"I think that most sea monster references are found in 2 Giants and in the third book of Large Creatures.  Usually, sea monsters can be a metaphor for angry people who are drunk," said Bob.  Now having given the correct answer he looked at the pastor who was sitting in his class for the day, "Do you agree, Pastor?"

Likewise, uncomfortable is the situation of the immature or "not thinking" master teacher.  It goes like this:

"Bob,  I was listening as you were teaching and I have a question."
"Well, go ahead, Tom," the teacher replied.
"Are you sure that sea monsters are really Biblical?  I mean, are there other examples of sea monsters in Biblical text?"
"Um...that is an interesting question, Tom," started Bob.
"I think that most sea monster references are found in 2 Giants and in the third book of Large Creatures.  Usually, sea monsters can be a metaphor for angry people who are drunk," interrupted the pastor.  Now having given the correct answer he looked at the teacher, "Don't you agree, Bob?"

Master audiences should know better than to strip the teacher of his call and to disable all of the preparation and prayer that has gone into the lesson, seminar or meeting.  Master audiences should listen well and be audiences because they are not teachers and leaders in this environment. 

On the other hand, the master audience should be allowed to participate and add to the learning experience as a learner.  The less secure teacher often feels it necessary to "prove his worth" and counter, add to or modify everything that the master audience offers or inputs.  Have you seen this happen?

 "Bob,  I was listening as you were teaching and I have a question."
"Well, go ahead, Tom," the teacher replied.
"Are you sure that sea monsters are really Biblical?  I mean, are there other examples of sea monsters in Biblical text?"
"Um...that is an interesting question, Tom," started Bob. "It does talk about them in 2 Giants but I am not aware of anywhere else.  Anyone??"
"There are quite a few sea monster references found in the third book of Large Creatures.  Usually, sea monsters can be a metaphor for angry people who are drunk," responded the pastor after seeing if anyone was going to reply.
"Well, I think that you could say - and of course there are references in Large Creatures but I don't usually consider those as..."

It can be hard to teach when a master teacher or your master teacher is present in the room.  When you are younger, you simply get nervous and worry about giving the correct answer.  When you are older, you don't want to ignore the wisdom or cheat the rest of the audience of the knowledge but you want to work the master audience in carefully.  When the master teacher doesn't act mature, he can become the defacto teacher and everything God has prepared in you can go out the window.

The wise teacher can be prepared by:

• Recognizing that you are the teacher and not fighting the master audience to prove yourself.  Just be the teacher and let the master audience participate.  Be gracious if they err.  Be humble.  Be a great teacher and don't always have to be right or prove it.  If you are wrong and the master audience catches it, thank them.
  
• Recognizing that many master audience members may not be in the limelight any longer and may not have the opportunities to teach like the younger teacher.  It is understandable that they want to "chip in" at every opportunity.  This can be managed with grace by sticking with the lesson plan and maybe intentionally incorporating the less active master teacher as a planned part of the lesson.
• Recognizing that many of the master audience members are there because they want to learn, to participate and/or should be there.  Letting them be the "audience", giving them the day off and not putting demands on them is a great gift to the balance, humble master audience member.  Trust them to "chime in" if God moves them to participate as a learner.  The master teacher nor God wants people to be cheated of wisdom but there are many ways to wisdom other than the master audience.
• Recognizing that when you feel insecure, you are normal.  What young teacher or teacher who is teaching in the presence of someone he considers a "master audience", doesn't feel a bit dwarfed?  We should feel dwarfed, privileged and want to defer to greater wisdom.  Such humility may usher us one day to be the master audience.  So, great!  You feel a bit nervous.  Shake it off and do the job that you were put there to do.  Teach and teach and teach despite your nervousness.
  

The teacher who strips a master of honor, whether the master is right or wrong, will be viewed by the rest of the audience as a bad person and will lose credibility to teach.  I cannot encourage you enough to be a healthy teacher and enjoy the master audience.  As someone who knows, I tell you, they die much too quickly.  You will miss them when they are gone and regret handling them incorrectly or not utilizing their wisdom. 

There are times though that you will have to teach your peers who may or may not always be your friends. Teaching your peers takes humility because they are smart (you hope!) and learn at your same level.  Perhaps you are teaching an expertise that this peer group is still mastering or doesn't yet know.  You will face many questions and will rejoice in the fact that teachers showed up to learn (what an audience!). 

Perhaps you are teaching a varied audience, in an interactive way, that has a peer component.  You will face challenges, clarifications and questions about your potentially varying peer perspective.  Humility and sharing is critical with this component of the audience.  I say, "Let them teach from where they are."  What an opportunity for other audience members to learn from excellent teachers.  This is a great opportunity to watch the peers joust a bit and refine teaching for the rest of the audience.  Further, audiences love learning from audiences.  They often are more accepting of that which is taught by "one of their own", that is, someone sitting in the audience. The wise teacher in the varied audience will make sure that he or she manages the "peers" only to ensure that heady, too advanced discussions do not destroy, deter or bore the learning of others. 

Perhaps you find yourself in an audience containing "peers" that have distinctly different opinions and teachings.  Hearing new ideas is great but sometimes the peers almost seem to be getting agressive and pushing their own opinion rather than be participating in a learning experience.  Usually, people like this are not really "peers" but peer wanna-bes because, if they were peers, they would not push their thoughts at the cost of dividing followers.  Redirection is the best tool for the teacher of the "opposing peer".  You can specifically call on another person, refer to another peer or defer to a new point - in essence, move on.  Redirection is not to avoid answering valid questions.  Redirection is to spare other audiences from confusion or needless division.

Teaching in a non-interactive environment will certainly have less of the liabilities of the opposing peer or the potential "getting off of course" of the interactive environment.  However, the teacher in this environment should remember that his goal is to pass truth.  The standards demanded by peers do not drop just because there is no interaction.  The teacher of peers must present solid, refined and clear arguments when teaching peers regardless of environment.

A peer group that has gathered to learn learns together with little need for a teacher of the group.  Most of the challenge while teaching peers is found in the interactive and/or controversial environments.  Humility, a ready ear and redirection are the best tools for the teacher in this environment.