Going off on a tangent. Chasing rabbit trails. Veering off course. Whatever the terminology, all teachers are familiar with the reality that discussions often get off topic. What's a teacher to do when that happens? Go with the flow, ignore the off-topic comments, force the conversation back to the main topic, or something else entirely? Knowing how to deal with tangents is a skill that is acquired with experience.

Sometimes, tangents take the conversation in a more serious or personal direction, such as when a youth group begins to open up and share personal stories and raw emotions. When that happens, the wise teacher may, if time allows, set aside the planned conversation in favor of the more pressing need. At other times, tangents are clearly superfluous, and a good leader will recognize that and redirect the conversation.

But often, teachers may have a valid reason for wanting to keep a group on topic in order to keep discussions from becoming frivolous or argumentative. In addition, tangents can take a discussion in a direction for which a teacher has not had adequate time to prepare, such as when someone brings up a question about a biblical passage or topic that the teacher has not studied.