I find it interesting that Sunday School teachers are given very little training. They do get curriculum but it seems to me there is more to teaching children for an hour than just having the curriculum. Maybe I just don't have a lot of experience but I'm struggling with teaching my class. Mostly with presenting them with activities they are interested in as well as keeping them engaged for the 45 minutes. Right now I have a very shy 3 year old that won't participate much and an energetic, and pretty smart 5 year old. Quite the opposite. I will also have a girl who is almost 3. Both of the younger ones have never been in a school or daycare setting so attention span is short and understanding what a class is like isn't there.
Today I was able to engage them for the first part of the class through the story, until we got to the craft type activity. Then both of the children were only interested in playing elsewhere and the 5 year old thought sunday school was over.
Anyone have any tips? Or perhaps online resources of time filler ideas/games/activities etc.
I have exactly the same problem. Except these kids are 14 or so, and are just sullen teenagers who won't give me more than 3 words together in the whole hour.
ReplyDeleteWhich curriculum are you using? I know in the Sunday School curriculum I use, it occasionally mentions web addresses from the publisher to give bonus suggestions for activities, how to handle various things and other ideas. Have you got a set outline that you like to follow in your Sunday School time? Sometimes a predictable general routine helps them stick with you!
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