In a previous post I asked the question, “Are Crafts More than Time Fillers?“  Class time is short so what teachers include in the lesson needs to count.  If a craft effectively reinforces the truth then perhaps you should use it.  If not, stop and consider it’s value.

One of the determining factors is whether the craft is mere busywork or if it will actually help students learn.

Help your Bible teachers by guiding them to think through this question:

What makes something busywork?

1. Mindless Activity – Students don’t have to think about what they are doing.

   When lulled into passivity, students don’t learn much.

   Goal:  Get students thinking.

2. Mechanical Activity - Students don’t have freedom to take initiative, make choices, or be creative.

   When the process and/or end result is predetermined, students don’t learn as much as they could.

   Goal:  Let students express themselves.

3. Meaningless Activity – The project does little to enhance or reinforce learning.

   When the purpose for an activity isn’t clear, students’ learning tends to be hit or miss.

   Goal:  Take students to high levels through purposeful classroom activities.

The Bible Learning Activities for Children Teacher Training Resource includes a one page handout of training on using crafts as a Bible learning activity.  (This download also includes one page handouts on using books, dramatic play, games, manipulatives such as blocks and puzzles, media, music, and pictures.)

Share:

As I look at web site stats, I am surprised by how many people use keywords like bulletin board ideas, bulletin board supplies, bulletin boards for … (name of season, event, or holiday).  Is it that old habits are hard to break or can bulletin boards still be a viable teaching tool?  Perhaps the answer depends on:

Why they are used

Are they being used simply because they’ve always been a part of your teaching program?  Make sure teachers have a good purpose for using bulletin boards.  If not, there may be better uses for the time and resources put into the making of a bulletin board.

What they look like

Do materials look like they came from your grandparents’ Sunday School class or do they have a fresh and up-to-date, modern appearance?  Encourage teachers to think of today’s students and what would appeal to them and catch their attention.

As life changes, not everything has to go by the wayside.  Yet, in most cases adaptations need to be made to be effective.  Think of the billboards along the road.  They are still used but many have been changed to display digitally, using the same board for rotating advertisements to maximize their use.  The average classroom will not be able to employ this kind of technology with bulletin boards but the principle applies.

Bulletin Board Resources Page

Share:

Some students are good at putting up a front when hurting.  Other students show their feelings in ways you can’t miss.  And some simply might not seem quite like themselves yet appear to be pushing through whatever is going on inside of them.  Hurting people respond differently and so the way they react in the classroom could vary.

• They could be distracted, finding it hard to pay attention.
• They could build walls around them, finding it hard to open up.
• They could withdraw or become lethargic, finding it hard to participate.
• They could be depressive, finding it hard to enjoy learning activities and fellow class members.
• They could clown around in class, finding it hard to be real about their insecurities.
• They could be more talkative, finding it hard to keep from pulling others into their woes every opportunity they can.

Regardless of the way it is expressed, hurting hearts can hinder the individual’s ability to learn as well as affect the overall learning environment.

This teacher training worksheet will help Bible teachers think through their role in ministering to students with hurting hearts.  Click on the image to learn more.

Share:

The Bible is filled with commands from a Sovereign and Holy God.  However, if Bible teachers primarily emphasize the do’s and don’ts of Scripture, they risk the following:

1. Students might confuse salvation with works rather than it being grace because there is so much emphasis on what they are supposed to do to please God.
2. Students might approach the Christian life legalistically, as religion, rather than relationally, as life itself.
3. Students might be turned off by the wall of “no’s” and consequently the God whom they perceive to be nothing more than someone who polices their activity.

Are your Bible teachers communicating the purpose behind the commands? … to protect and provide for us to become more godly

Are your Bible teachers emphasizing what is most important to God? … the heart

Are your Bible teachers showing how the commands flow out of God’s character? … so it’s about lining up with Him and not just regulations

Are your Bible teachers working toward character development and not mere external conformity? … so doing flows out of being

Teacher Training Resource:  Tips for Teaching about Character Traits Worksheet

Share: