Maximize Your Sunday School Class by Stacy Wallace and Noel Hall
Do you want to make the most of your Sunday School class each week? These four concepts will help any teacher improve his or her teaching. Make the Most of Your Room Each Sunday School room has its own pluses and minuses. But with creativity and thought you can make the best of any classroom. First, is your room clean and kid-friendly? Check your room and adjust as needed to make it clean and well-lit. Make sure the chairs and tables and wall art are at the child’s height. Second, ask yourself, “If my table fills the room, would floor pillows and lap desks be better for the children?” Third, consider how your room affects your lessons. Can you set up all activities before class? Or will you need to set up activities as you go? How can you modify activities for a small room? Manage Interpersonal Dynamics Interpersonal dynamics affect each class session. A class with three quiet children has a different dynamic than a class with eight highenergy children. The personalities and moods of adults in the room also impact the class dynamics. First, set a consistent class schedule. Routine helps children feel secure, no matter how much the class dynamics vary from week to week. Second, for each lesson, prepare options for both quiet and high-energy classes. Page 6 of this teacher guide offers other lesson helps. Third, plan ahead for discipline challenges. Be prepared for hyperactive children, arguments, and shy children. Dealing with all of these challenges is a normal and natural part of Sunday School teaching. Kindergarten Teacher Guide
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Maximize Your Teaching Style Are you a strong disciplinarian who wants every child doing the same thing quietly? Or do you think noise and movement is the normal state of a children’s classroom? Knowing your teaching style will cause you to be aware of your strengths and weaknesses. If you are a strong disciplinarian, you may need to let students have more freedom and more choices. You may need to ignore some wiggles and squirms and chattering. If you are really relaxed, set boundaries and limits. Create three to five simple rules such as “Raise your hand before you talk,” “Use only kind words,” and “Keep your hands and feet to yourself.” Then help each child obey those rules. Be Prepared Preparation will make any class less hectic. If your lesson plan is ready, your supplies are set up, and you are waiting when the first child arrives, your class is off to a good start. First, make sure your class has all the basic supplies: crayons, markers, scissors, glue, etc. Second, locate additional supplies. Each lesson in this book has a list of supplies on page 1 of the lesson. If you need help with supplies, make a list a couple of weeks in advance. Give the list to parents or other church members so they can help. Third, make sure your lesson plan is available to all your teaching team. Page 7 of this book provides a single-page lesson plan. Finally, the most important thing you can do is to study the Bible story for the week and pray for the children, yourself, and your teachers/helpers. God hears and answers prayer.
