Every teacher has experienced the frustration of sensing that his or her learners didn’t get it. That is, they either failed to connect with the lesson at all, or they disconnected from the lesson sometime during the study. In either case, the caring teacher wonders, What happened? What went wrong? Why didn’t my learners get the lesson?

These are good questions. They need good answers.

Conventional wisdom might suggest that the fault lies with the teacher. Well sure, it may, partly. But perhaps it may lie with the learners as well. Or conditions outside the teacher and learner may hinder the teaching-learning process.

Reasons They Might Not Get It

1. Teacher Causes

Let’s face it—sometimes the teacher causes learner “non-connect” or disconnect. Perhaps the teacher under-prepared or over-prepared the lesson, leaving no opportunity for the learner to learn. Maybe the teacher prepared well an irrelevant lesson. In some cases the teacher’s attitude in class can turn learners off to even a highly pertinent study.

Sometimes poor teaching lies at the root of learners’ failure to learn. Teacher causes for failure in learning must be acknowledged.

2. Learner Causes

Sometimes it’s not the teacher but the learner who is the source of his or her own failure to learn. Perhaps the learner is distracted by emotional stress (e.g., anger, frustration, bewilderment, anxiety). This stress may be low grade and temporary or more serious and ongoing in nature.

In some circumstances the learner may be tired, needs a good cup of coffee, or is ill or suffering some other physical problem. Learner causes for failure to learn must be acknowledged.

3. Other Causes

It may be that the teacher and the learner are both attending with due diligence to their respective roles in the Bible study, but learning is still hampered or stilted. Perhaps the weather is affecting learning: is too hot or too cold. General noise from other classes or outside situations may interfere.

In some cases the facilities do not facilitate effective learning. The teacher cannot be heard or the visuals cannot be seen. Maybe there are just too many people in the class, or maybe the small “flock” has become a small herd! Outside causes for learning failure must be acknowledged.

So what can a teacher do?

In most cases, simply correcting, removing, or working on the causes will care for the problem. Sometimes learning will increase just because of better planning or a better attitude. Whatever the cause of a problem, learning is too important to ignore it. Learners need to connect and stay connected with the lesson.