Break Into Small Groups

If your classroom is anything like mine, it can sometimes be too quiet. You might be waiting for a response to a question, and nobody is willing to answer. Let’s face it, not everyone coming into your classroom is fully awake and ready to interact (maybe that’s just me). If you end up answering your own questions very often, give this a try. Break into small groups. You can do this a couple of different ways depending on your class size. For the small class, ask your members to turn to a partner and share what they think. For a larger class, you can divide into groups of three or four. This causes your members to interact more with each other and not just rely on the few members that are willing to answer. I do not recommend doing this for every question but more frequently on questions where there is not such a cut-and-dried answer.

2018-12-07T10:00:32+00:00December 7th, 2018|Categories: Teacher Helps|Tags: , , , |0 Comments

A Prayer for Fellow Teachers

Lord, I pray today for my fellow Sunday school teachers. I thank you that our church has a team working together to train people how to live for Christ. I value their ministry, whether they are teachers of younger ages or a different class of adults. Thank you for the privilege of serving you with others.
I pray that my fellow teachers might be filled with wisdom and understanding as they direct their classes. Give them the creativity to teach their students so that every week the class is excited to learn about you.
Give my fellow teachers encouragement in their ministry. I know that they, like me, will have those days and weeks where busyness, troubles of various kinds, and interruptions tend to suck the energy and life from their spirit. Help them to persevere for you. Let them know that their work has eternal results and eternal rewards.
Help me to be an encouragement to my fellow teachers. May I never be a source of frustration or irritation. Instead, help me to be a great team player for the cause of Christ. I pray all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
2018-10-12T09:00:49+00:00October 12th, 2018|Categories: Teacher Helps|Tags: , , |0 Comments

What Influence Does the Sunday School Teacher Have?

"Henrietta Mears, an influential Christian educator and leader during the first half of the twentieth century, described her own personal pilgrimage, 'First I learned to love my teacher. Then I learned to love my teacher's God.'" (Haystead)
Have you seriously considered the important role you have in leading your students closer to Christ, due to the relationship they have with you in your class? While such a thought is understandably intimidating, it is worth reflection. If the teacher's relationship with his students is a key ingredient for their spiritual growth, how important is his study of God's Word in preparation for the lesson? At the same time, can the teacher fulfill her task of discipling her students by approaching the lesson only as an intellectual exercise?
How should you work at building relationships with your students this week in order to influence them for Christ?
Source: Haystead, Wes (2005). The 21st Century Sunday School: Strategies for Today and Tomorrow. Cincinnati, OH: The Standard Publishing Company. p.18.

2016-02-25T09:00:00+00:00February 25th, 2016|Categories: Teacher Helps|Tags: |0 Comments

Your Church's School

Arthur Flake asserts "The Sunday School is the 'school' of the church." (Toler, 1995, p. 2).
When you think of "school", what comes to your mind? Heavy textbooks, boring lectures, and an overwhelming sleepiness or new adventures, challenging discussions, and practical application?
Most probably agree that school is important, even though some may argue that the traditional classroom is not always the most effective method of training. We recognize our level of achievement will be greatly stunted if we do not receive some type of education.
Sunday school does not necessarily have the same respect. This is unfortunate as Sunday school plays an integral role in our discipleship. Such disdain may have been earned from years of enduring boring, trivial or unprepared classes. Your calling, Teacher, is to help make Sunday school an essential ministry of your local church.
When your students think "Sunday school", what comes to their mind?
References
Toler, Stan (1995). 101 ways to grow a healthy sunday school. Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press.

2016-02-06T09:00:00+00:00February 6th, 2016|Categories: Teacher Helps|Tags: , |0 Comments
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