Some Good Advice For Pre-School Sunday School Teachers

I haven't been a Sunday School teacher for very long, but in the short few months I've managed to teach my kids about David, Joseph and Zacchaeus, I've been blessed with a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It's probably because it's one of the most rewarding age groups to teach. We have the ability to start teaching children good habits from the moment they walk into the door. And they stick because they're young and untouched by the world.

We have a loosely-based routine in my class that begins with listening to our Sunday School music and making a huge (plastic) breakfast before we start story time. During our breakfast preparation we always say a cheer.

Me: Whose army are we in?
Kids: JESUS'!
Me: And who is our adversary? (Yeah, my 2-5 year-olds understand that adversary = bad guy.)
Kids: SATAN!

We say it a few times and they yell louder and louder with each cheer. Sometimes, we even abandon our entire lesson plan to make pipe cleaner swords and just talk about Jesus. Because I want my kids to know that they are called to be the light and salt of the earth. We talk about defeating the bad things of the world by doing good. We talk about loving people well starting with our parents and our siblings. And when I pull out the treasure box full of plastic bugs and bouncy balls, we talk about the treasures we need to build up in Heaven.

Honestly, sometimes I feel they're really the ones teaching me because their faith is pure and unbiased. They can tell me 26 different things about their Jesus as they color their coloring sheets. They can memorize scripture in less than two minutes. They can recall stories from several weeks ago and even act them out. I'm just amazed that the minds of these little ones can retain so much information. They're not bogged down by the worries of this world. And when they say their prayers, they're never complicated and always straight to the point.

Listen, I feel my faith is constantly inferior to theirs. But that's probably why I love being around them so much. They inspire me. They encourage me. They grow me up in the Lord. And they don't even try to. They're real and I hope that their realness never wears off. Because the world would be much less of a place if it does.

While I'm sitting in my classroom every Sunday morning being encouraged and laughing hysterically, I realize that there may be some Pre-School Teachers who aren't having the same experience I am. And maybe their experience is really terrible.

So, I decided to share some of my laid-back advice about teaching this age group.

Here's some good advice for you, Pre-School Sunday School Teachers:

1. When their bodies emit strange noises and smells, just laugh it off. Really. I watched one kid fall out of his chair onto the floor after his brother 'let one loose'. He laughed until tears ran down his cheeks. And instead of getting angry, I started laughing along because it was perfectly timed right at the most dramatic part of the story when that little boy emitted a large noise. These kids should never be yelled at or embarrassed when you're trying to teach them about bodily functions. It's just a weird topic. Even with a two year-old. So, after we got our giggles out, I simply asked, "Does anybody need to go to the bathroom?" The kids started laughing again. But once they calmed down, I gently explained that we save those noises and smells for the bathroom. We haven't had an incident since. Don't get angry; use their mess-ups as opportunities to share and mold.

2. When the unexpected happens, just roll with it. I had one kid who peed down his legs, into his sandals, and then onto the carpet. I grabbed a roll of paper towels, yanked 20 sheets off the roll, laid it on top of the wet zone and told the kids to stay out of the "Danger Zone" until I got back. We had the kid cleaned up in less than 2 minutes (sandals washed in the sink and drying on the window sill) and we moved forward. I don't let the unexpected happenings get to me. I'm not there to be a drill sergeant, I'm there to love them. And they're going to have accidents from time-to-time.

3. When they fall down, lift them up. One kid fell face down onto the carpet as he was walking to his seat. I rushed over, set him on his feet and said, "You fell pretty hard, but look how fast you got back up! You're so brave!" I had everybody give him a round of applause for getting back onto his feet so quickly. The kid walked a little taller to his seat and repeatedly told the other kids he was "really brave." Every moment is a teaching moment. He wanted to cry and carry on like he had the week before when he tripped and fell, so I decided we were going to lift him up instead. We were going to give him encouragement and we were going to love on him. Some of these kids don't get a whole lot of encouragement and love at home when they stumble, so I make it my mission every Sunday to build them up--not to get through everything on my list. Lesson plans can be altered; their confidence is of the utmost importance.

4. Remove the list of endless rules. We have one rule in our class: Obey Miss Jessi. That's it. They don't have to worry about breaking a rule so long as they listen and obey. Do you know what happens when you remove a list of dos and don'ts? You start resembling Jesus. God doesn't have a long list of dos and don'ts. The Ten Commandments can be summed up in the two greatest ones: love God and each other. If we are obedient to what God is asking of us, then He will keep us from trouble. My kids have the same rule. And my hope is that my one rule will teach them to obey God and let Him lead them where they need to go. Every moment is a teaching moment!

5. Have fun! Don't get bogged down with deadlines or a tight schedule. In the beginning, I was trying to do everything the other teachers were doing. Crafts. Verse memorization. Story time. Songs. Take home work. And a list of other things I can't remember. But after week two, I was burnt out. And to be honest with you, the other teachers are burnt out, too. So, I abandoned the work load and picked three things: story time, songs, and verses. We don't always get all 3 things done each week because I make sure we have play time where the kids can build friendships and learn to share with each other. But I try my hardest. The kids work best with a loose schedule--not a demanding one. As long as the kids are happy, that's all that matters to me. And when they ask me if they--instead of me--can pray before story time, I know I must be doing something right.

Happy Teaching!
Jessica