And how much of that distraction is really your fault, dear teacher?

If you want to improve the quality and effectiveness of your teaching -- so that you are teaching to change lives! -- then stop being a distraction or creating them. You can't stop every possible distraction in the room, but you can make sure YOU are not the distraction.

Let me give you two ways that you can be a huge distraction to your students.

First, get rid of anything that "amplifys" your nervous tics.

True story: One Sunday morning, I was really zinging this lesson out, totally "on," and full of zeal. My lesson points were sharp and the life application was perfect for this class.

It was c-o-o-l to see how God had brought all this together!

After I dismissed the class, one nice lady came up and complimented me on my car keys. I was horrified to learn that she and others had hardly heard what I said, because I had been playing with my keys in my pocket and distracting EVERYONE.

Take everything that makes noise out of your pockets before you teach. Keys, coins, pens, trinkets. And don't click ballpoint pens or pop on and off whiteboard marker caps, either. Give your students every reason to focus on the Word of God and you.

Second, don't make your students juggle. What am I talking about?

Many times our teaching environment gives a student a chair to sit on, and not much else. If they are trying to juggle your handout sheets, a Bible, maybe something to drink and eat, a pen or pencil, well -- it's a recipe for distraction.

(Now if your teaching situation includes a table, keep reading, because it's as much about juggling *attention* as it is physical items.)

You want the people in your class to be paying attention to the Word of God and the class discussion. So don't intentionally give them eight items to juggle. Keep the handout simple, and preferably one page. (Or skip the handout if you believe the class can go without it and still get the key points. After all, Jesus never used handouts :-)

Also, if you can work it out so that there is a little bit of space between chairs, that helps a lot, too! People don't learn well (at any age) when they're jammed together. Many Americans, in particular, have a deep dislike to be touched by others, even accidental shoulder brushing. So space the chairs out a little bit, and it will help them to keep their attention on the lesson.

Great Bible teachers pay attention to the learning environment. What's causing distractions in your class? See if you can cut them out, and watch the learning improve.