Teacher Tips

Imagine visiting another country and walking into a church service, already in progress and being conducted in a foreign language. You are unfamiliar with the style of worship and completely at a loss at what the words and songs being spoken might mean. Bewildered, you try to watch the actions of others around you to … Read more

One thing I hear a lot from new children’s ministry volunteers is, “I’m not that creative.” I used to argue with people who said this. Like a responsible children’s ministry leader, I’d tell them what I believed, that God made us all creative beings, that creativity can be expressed in infinite ways. I even took … Read more

Do you remember the first day of school? My last first day of school was 19 years ago and I still remember that knot in the pit of my stomach as I was walking into a new class. (It should also be noted that it was a seminary class and I was a grown adult). … Read more

Years ago I had a new volunteer named Hein. He was a young, married man without kids. He had never taught preschoolers, but he was willing to learn. His first week he was scheduled with a veteran teacher. But, that morning I got a call from the teacher. She had a sick kid and wasn’t … Read more

Whether a parent or pedagogy professor, anyone who works with teaching and children knows quite well that there are many types of learners. It is important not only to acknowledge this but to create lessons that reach these varied types of individuals and encompass a broad spectrum of activities and teaching methods. The same is … Read more

I once heard a children’s ministry leader say, “If you don’t put on a program for kids, they will put one on for you!” How true is that? After a few weeks in children’s ministry, I realized how true it was! For the best results, I had to have a good plan that included object … Read more

I remember being in my parents’ Sunday School class growing up and they would have us “practice” using our Bibles. They said “practice”, but there was no practice about it. We were digging into our Bibles and using them. It was a great lesson in using our Bibles. We teach children to read their Bible … Read more

Discipline plans often need tweaking but sometimes it’s not clear what changes we need to make. You have an incentive program. You even feature the Kid of the Week in your newsletter. Still little Wendy can’t stop shouting out during teaching time and Jason wants another snack–now! Don’t despair; you aren’t alone. Reworking your discipline … Read more

I recently noticed something interesting and revealing. While I was chatting in the sanctuary after service, we were interrupted by a pair of notoriously rambunctious brothers who sprinted down a pew in a round of “tag.” The Sunday school superintendent with whom I was conversing (who does not hide her frustration with these boys) scolded … Read more