Teaching kids -- Inspiring teachers
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Teaching kids -- Inspiring teachers |
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DON’T FORGET TO PLAY! The subject of play included as a part of Children’s Church or Sunday School is an interesting topic. We have the folks on one end of the spectrum that are so focused on play and being “liked” by the kids. These teachers want the kids to enjoy church so much that it is their #1 priority. It is more important, to them, that the kids enjoy church and really want to come back than it is that they leave with a take-away truth. The class is high powered energy from the moment the kids walk in until they are ushered into the arms of their waiting parents with hands full of candy and prizes. Budget money is weighted heavily on prizes and give-a-ways and even video game machines for the classroom. Someone desiring to volunteer that is teaching-oriented and heavy on Bible lesson and memory work would feel unwelcome in this setting. And, if they were allowed to volunteer, they would not feel a part of the team. And, while the kids had a blast at church, is their behavior at home and at school being impacted by what they learn on Sunday? At the extreme opposite end is the church class set up to drill the kids with Bible fact, story, character lesson and truth – no frills needed, unless it is a popsicle stick craft. These teachers have a deep desire and passion that the children learn to respect God’s house, His Word, and His people and the frivolous need for play can be dealt with in another setting. After all, kids mostly play all week, right? For the 60-90 minutes we have them in church needs to be maximized and focused so we can make the most of the opportunity. Where do you lie on the spectrum? With “10” being the extreme focus on fun, play, and enjoyment and “1” being the focus on teaching, training, extreme obedience and respect. What number are you? Be honest – otherwise what is the point? Rate yourself with brutal honesty, not on what you wish was true or how you wish you handled your classroom, but what you are actually experiencing right now. Many times, this rating will be affected by what is happening in your class right now. If you are currently experiencing serious discipline issues, (watch your e-mail box for a great new offer starting next month to help with discipline stuff) you may be focusing on training and respect more than usual. If you have had some months of extreme training, you may be focusing on play more than usual right now. But try to be honest with how you really handle your class on a regular basis. Of course, there are seasons that affect the kids’ attention-ability aren't there? Seriously! Seasons like Christmas, the end of the school year, Spring Break, Summer Vacation, the beginning of school … the list can go on and on! Keeping order and attention is a tough subject. As I travel, I hear Children’s workers nationwide asking for help in that department. You can look at the books offered for Children’s Ministry and see book after book on the subject of helpful hints at keeping their attention. And, while there are many suggestions we can offer to help with that issue, we can’t discuss them all in one e-mail … so let’s discuss “play.” Making sure that your service includes the right amount of play time can great enhance your ability to keep their attention during the other times, because they have played with you. It makes a world of difference. But if you play only, they will see you more like a big toy and not take you serious.
DON’T FORGET TO PLAY! But … don’t play ONLY. Kids have a lot of play in them. (No big news flash there!) That is how they are made. God gave the imagination, the sense of wonder, the youthful childlike exuberance. And, He even tells us to “come like a child.” For those who rated closer to the “10” side of the spectrum, perhaps you need to remember that while we need to “come like a child” we are also instruction to “train up a child.” And vice versa for those on the other end. It is just as damaging to train only as it is to play only. And sometimes teachers forget to play because of how frustrating the class is right now. But … I have a secret for you. Some play infused into the class could possibly take care of a large percentage of the frustration. HOWEVER … I will also tell you that if you play only, the kids may enjoy it for a while, and you may seem to be their hero, but if they are not being trained and grounded they will soon become impossible to manage and turn off their sense of wonder about the Word and their interest in listening to you talk about something serious even for a moment. Children’s Church should not be like a trip to Chuck E. Cheese’s nor should it be like a visit to a funeral home. Balance – as with most things in life – is the answer to the situation. A classroom without some play will not stimulate the children to want to learn. And the classroom without a strong lesson and a passion for instructing them in the way they should go is no different than taking them on an outing to the skating rink – having fun going round and round, but not accomplishing anything or growing at all. Here are some suggestions to creating a balanced atmosphere in your classroom:
NEWS FLASH: Getting good feedback and doing a thorough analysis is the ONLY way to grow and improve. Don’t be afraid of it, embrace it. Enjoy it. God will help you improve and correct things. He really will. But first you have to find out where you really are and how things are really going.
FIRST: Don’t do any play that doesn’t have a purpose. For instance, take away the games (you can bring them back now and then) and replace them with group games that build teamwork and character growth. Juice up the memory verse time and go nuts there. Add a review game to go crazy with. Then sandwich solid teaching in between. Build up the fun and then slide in the truths in between. Don’t water down the truth or rush though the teaching time, encourage the kids to enjoy learning as much as they enjoyed the play. Choose fun games that you can refer back to during the lesson time. If you have been tooooo focused on play, this is going to take some work on your part to get them used to sitting still and engaging in learning, but they will rise to the occasion. You can tell them “I have got the coolest review game to do … I hope you are paying attention so you can help your team win!” If you have been toooooo focused on teaching times, your kids may go nutso with the fun for a while, but they will calm back down. Tell them “Game time was great – you guys really did a great job. Let’s see how great you can learn this now. Then we can do the funnest review game ever!” NEWS FLASH: Not all review games are the “funnest review game ever” in the minds of the kids. But, even if some of the games are corny or silly, they will still enjoy them. Even if they try to act “too cool” for the game, they will probably tell their parents how fun it was later. Plus, if you are the right amount of playful, they will like being silly with you no matter the game. NEXT: Balance the fun with solid teaching. HOWEVER, the teaching in a kids’ room needs to be kid-appropriate. Check out your curriculum and make sure the lessons really are kid-friendly. It is okay to teach the Bible with a fun object lesson. Jesus taught major, life-changing truths using an example of seeds, or fish, or coins. Don’t be afraid to teach using play dough, or a slinky, or a flip flop! Then when you make the point, and lean in a little and lower your voice and tell them how unbelievably important this is for their life – they will listen. AND: Add in personal stories! Those of you that have had me visit your church this past year, sorry for the re-run. But, I cannot emphasize enough the value of sharing your personal stories with the kids. Once they know you and like you and laugh with you about something you did or said or thought – they are so much more willing to listen to you when you tell them that you were changed by the truth you are going to teach them today. IMPORTANT STEP: Increase your play-ability. Not everyone is a crazy, antic-filled person. Granted. However, you can grow in it. You don’t have to be the craziest person on your team, but you do need to make sure you have a strong sense of play when it is time for play. If your sense of play is weak and you are more interested in being serious and teaching, it may seem weird to you the first few times you try to lead a group game or be a bit looser. But I have a secret for you: YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE IT! You really are. Don’t go overboard because you will drive yourself crazy, just try to increase it a bit at a time. THE BALANCE OF THE LAST POINT: If your play-ability overshadows the importance of church and experiencing Christ together, you need to realize that you are not there to be their best bud (although that is fun), you are there to be their teacher. Teachers can be fun – lots of fun – but they still need to be teachers, too! Work on making your lessons poignant and strong and letting the kids know that fun-filled you is just as passionate about the Word of God as you are about having fun with the kids. Ok, that is enough for this article. I think I got a bit chatty! But this is a big subject for me. I rate myself as a “5.” I really do – but I worked at it very hard. I think every part of the service needs to be enjoyed, and I desperately want them to love coming and want to come back and invite friends. BUT, I want to see a rebellious child mellow with Christ’s love. I want to hear reports about a child who is mean to his/her siblings start being kind. I want to hear how a child listened to their parents the first time and almost gave their mom a heart-attack. I want to see a child pray for someone in trouble without being asked. Basically, I want it all – and I know you do, too. That is why we are here. That is why we do what we do! |
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