So you want to be more creative in the classroom, huh? Your Bible study curriculum recommends a particular learning activity, and for a moment your heart races and your blood pressure rises as you picture yourself leading your Bible study group through a recommended learning exercise. For you and your group, it’s a little outside the box. But almost as quickly as you got excited about trying something creative, an inner voice tells you, “What a dumb idea! I can’t believe you think the people in the group will enjoy this!”  You decide not to try the activity and stick to what works – the same things you’ve done for weeks on end. You reason that your group members would never like the newer, more creative activity you almost chose. Your inner voice wins out, and you go with what you know.

The next time your inner voice tells you that a different, out-of-the-box, creative teaching procedure won’t work, silence that inner critic. Ignore that negative inner voice and give “different” a try. I believe you’ll be glad you did.