Lead Student Lesson Plan L06: Decision Making & Goal Setting Objectives By the end of class, students will be able to: Discuss the importance of making decisions. Discuss effective decision-making skills. Write SMART goals. Student Preparation Students were asked to prepare for gathering by completing specific activities and/or pondering certain questions. Please refer to the gathering instructions in this week s unit or lesson in the course. Lesson Outline OPENING Announcements, Hymn, and Prayer (10 minutes) Opening Devotional (5 minutes) Announcements Opening Hymn: #237, Do What Is Right, Verse 3 Opening Prayer: By Invitation Choose one verse of scripture that has meaning to you or choose a verse you liked from the Scripture Study assignment in this week's lesson. Read it out loud to your classmates. Then, tell them why you chose that verse of scripture. GROUP ACTIVITIES Making decisions (5 minutes) Read the following quote from Elder Robert L. Backman, given in the October 1980 General Conference. The trouble with some of us is we are caught in monkey traps. In Africa, the natives have a unique, effective way to capture monkeys. They lop the top off a coconut, remove the meat, and leave a hole in the top of the
coconut large enough for the monkey to put his paw in. Then, they anchor the coconut to the ground with some peanuts in it. When the natives leave, the monkeys, smelling those delicious peanuts, approach the coconuts, see the peanuts in them, put their paws in to grasp the nuts, and attempt to remove the nuts, but find that the hole is too small for their doubled-up fists. The natives return with gunny sacks and pick up the monkeysclawing, biting, screaming, but they won't drop the peanuts to save their lives. Do you know anyone who is caught in a monkey trap, where the things that matter the most are at the mercy of those things that matter the least? Ask the students, What are some examples of things that matter most being at the mercy of things that matter least? This is why it is so important to ensure that your goals and decisions are in line with your priorities. (You will ponder and make a list of your priorities in the Application Activity due at the end of the week.) Making decisions listening practice (25 minutes) Two Groups and Partners You will read an article out loud to your classmates in two parts. The students will practice their listening skills by the following exercise. Practice reading out loud before coming to class. (You will need to print the material to take with you to class. See the reading below.) 1. Write on the board: Decisions. 2. Divide the class in half. One group will leave the room. 3. While they are outside the room, read the first part of the story to the group inside the room. 4. Bring in the students who were outside the classroom. Pair each student who was outside with a student who remained inside. 5. The students who heard what you read will tell the student who was outside the classroom what they heard in their own words. 6. After the students have finished relating the story, the students who had remained inside before will leave the classroom. 7. Read the second part of the article to the students inside. 8. Again, the students who were outside the classroom will come back in and pair up with a student who has remained. 9. Again, the students who have heard what you read will tell the students who were outside the classroom what they have heard in their own words. 10. Read the last part of the story to be told to the whole group. Share your feelings about the decision Errol Bennett made.
How to make a decision (10 minutes) Partners Pair the students. Partners will read the following quote located in the talk, Choices, by President Faust that you read earlier in this week's lesson material. How do we make correct choices? A choice involves making a conscious decision. To make an intelligent decision, we need to evaluate all available facts on both sides of an issue. But that isn't enough. Making correct decisions involves prayer and inspiration. The 9th section of the Doctrine and Covenants gives us the grand key. The Lord said to Oliver Cowdery: Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right. But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong. Discuss your thoughts on the following questions: Does this counsel apply to all decisions? Why or why not? SMART Goals (25 minutes) Small Groups Divide the students into groups of 3 4 students. In their groups, students will rewrite the goal, I want to be a great student, as a SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-Bound) goal. While this goal is honorable, it is not useful because it is too vague. Allow the groups some time to rewrite the goal so that it is specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound. Then ask various groups how they rewrote the goal to transform it into a SMART goal. (Optional: if a class member has a goal they would like to work toward, but are having a difficult time writing it in the form of a SMART goal, other class members can offer suggestions. Please note that all students must be respectful and supportive during the gathering, especially when discussing personal issues.) Discuss the following questions as an entire group: How does turning a simple goal into a SMART goal make it more achievable?
How does using the SMART goal method help you increase your effectiveness as you pursue your goals? How can we involve the Lord in these goals? Achieving your Goals (10 minutes) Discuss the following statement as a whole class and whether you believe the statement to be true or false: When you do not achieve all of your goals, you have failed. Students should try to include an example as they explain why they believe that statement is either true or false. Point out to students that sometimes we do not achieve our goals because we lose our focus, or, as we were taught by Elder Wirthlin earlier in this week's lesson, we take our focus off of them. Other times, we don't achieve a goal because the goal needs to be adjusted, or our priorities change. Discuss the following questions: What have you done to help you stay committed and focused when working toward a goal? What have you done to adjust a goal and make needed changes? CLOSING Conclusion (2 minutes) Prayer (2 minutes) Bear personal testimony of at least one of the concepts discussed at tonight's gathering. Closing Prayer: By Invitation Note Please download and print a copy of these instructions to use as a reference during Thursday s Pathway gathering.
Readings for Making Decisions Listening Practice First part of the story to read For Erroll Bennett, joining the Church could well mean the end of his successful career as the top soccer star in Tahiti. Are you crazy? Erroll Bennett's father raged when he heard of his son's intention to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Have you gone mad? You'll have to give up everything everything you've worked for. You can't possibly know what you're doing! If you do this, I don't want to know you. Take everything in this house that belongs to you and don't ever set foot across this door again. Besides making his father angry, he would probably not be able to continue playing soccer, the game he loved so much, because the games were held on Sunday. He was one of the most famous soccer players in Tahiti. At age 27, Erroll Bennett was captain of the premier team of the Tahitian Honours Division. Since sport in Tahiti is not professional, Erroll had been working during the day as a police officer. A friend at work had first introduced him to the Church. The friend was Lysis Terooatea, who invited the footballer and his wife over for a family home evening. Erroll and his wife had enjoyed the evening and returned several times because they were so touched. My wife and I both felt deeply the need to be baptized. Erroll Bennett's decision to become a Latter-day Saint would almost certainly mean the end of his soccer career. Erroll was already saying that if he was baptized he would no longer participate in Sunday games. The Church would come first even before his beloved soccer. Second part of the story to read Erroll's first action, though he still was not a member, was to seek out his friend, Brother Terooatea, for counsel. He recalls how his friend listened, then urged Erroll to make peace with his father, to put aside the question of baptism until he had made this attempt. He then explained the principle of priesthood blessings and how that could help him. That evening, Erroll received a priesthood blessing for the first time. The next day, Erroll again drove out to his father's home. As he approached the house, he could see his father standing by the gate to the front garden. There were tears in his eyes. I want you to forgive me, Erroll, he said. I couldn't sleep last night for thinking about it. If you hadn't come here first, I would have come to you. Then he continued: You know that thousands of people will be disappointed in you. It will mean the end of your career if you won't play on Sundays. You know that the entire football league schedule won't change. Still, this is your decision. All I ask is that you don't raise the subject again. It's closed.
Erroll said, I remember going up the side of the mountain near my home and pouring out my feelings to my Heavenly Father. After praying I made the decision to be baptized. On the day after his baptism, he went to talk to the league officials and withdraw from active soccer. However, when he went their reaction was a surprising one. The official said, Hold off for a few days. Wait until after the meeting of the league later this week. When Erroll heard the news a few days later, he could hardly believe it. The official had advised league officials that the Central club had decided not to play on Sundays. Mr. Spitz explained that playing on Sundays was preventing team players from being with their families, and that it was an unacceptable practice. Whatever other league teams wanted to do, Central would not play on Sundays. A vote was then called for, and the decision was unanimous. From now on, all Honours Division games would be played on weekday evenings. Read to the whole class together Erroll Bennett was the top scorer in Tahitian soccer for 10 years. Erroll Bennett says simply, I've been truly blessed.