First and Second Graders

This month is my turn to teach the first and second graders. Which I have been teaching the preschool age only until the need arose and I volunteered to teacher the older kids as well. I had a lot of people tell me good luck when they found out I was teaching this age group. I had a hard time believing that it was going to be as bad as they made it out to be. I got my book work and was prepared for the first Sunday. I hate to say it but they where right in some ways. This was going to be a challenge. That following week after my first Sunday of teaching I began to really look at the book and the way they where teaching the class. I found that it was not working and that I personally believed that the kids would learn more from hands on more movement learning.

So my next lesson I ditched the book all together and made my own lesson plan. I decided to start with a classic. David and Goliath. I took my bible and read passages to the kids from the story. I followed it by placing a bowl of stone on the table in front of the kids. This of course brought on some interesting looks. I reminded them of what we just read and handed out small bags for each of them. I told them to please choose the same kinds of stones that David choose and the same amount. Once they began to dig in the bowl the realized that there where different kinds of stones to choose from and quickly chose the smooth ones (Five to be exact). Then I proceeded to take the children outside where I told them that they would face a Goliath and they would have to defeat him in the same manner that David did. Michael volunteered to be our Goliath and the children threw their stones at him(really bean bags) and try and hit him in the forehead like David did. I must say this had a better over all effect with the kids. they listened better to my story and I was able to review with them while the ate the snack I provided them.

I have continued to teach the children in this manner. But unfortunately I ran into an older lady who helps out with Sunday school who felt that I should be following the books the church provide instead of my own plan. I tried to explain that the children didn't remember the lesson as well when I followed the book plan as my own. For example last Sunday I assigned each child a disciple and asked them to find out what they could about them. From what their jobs where before they followed Jesus, what they did while they followed him and after. I was so overjoyed when they all came back the next Sunday and where able to share what they had learned. When proceeded to explore what the Lord's Supper means and answer questions they may have. I even brought bread and we did a craft with it after our lesson. (If you take food coloring in water and take a brush and brush the bread you can then toast the bread and the color stays on. I asked the children to show me what they feel the bread symbolizes to them and to please paint this on their bread. It was wonderful to see rainbows and the cross a tomb a flower and so on. Each child explaining why they chose to paint what they did.

I feel that I am teaching the children in the right way and have gotten positive feed back from parents so I am not too worried about what that one lady said. Plus the children seem to remember more and are more responsive in class. They are even excited and ask what we are learning next Sunday. I just feel right to go straight to the bible pick a lesson from there and then choose crafts and stuff to follow. I hope next Sunday's lesson is as good as this last one for them.