The TrainBibleTeachers.com site is about providing resource ideas for training Bible teachers to be more effective. Teachers must sometimes deal with issues that hinder effectiveness. You’ll find pages with resources on the following typical issues:
classroom discipline
discouragement
fears
lack of knowledge
time management
However, both you and I would be foolish to think these pages contain all the help teachers need. Though perhaps helpful in working through these issues, the ultimate resource cannot be found on the Internet, in a teacher training seminar, by reading a book or watching a video.
The ultimate source of help for teachers comes directly from God Himself.
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. (2 Pet. 1:3)
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. (2 Cor. 9:8)
Never forget to encourage teachers to look to God’s Word for guidance and to pray about the issues, trusting God for the power to make changes and the grace to cope with whatever they face.
When they look to God as their ultimate source of help, they will have a greater joy in teaching, confidence to continue on, a peace that even they can’t explain, and renewed purpose leading to true effectiveness.
Though not targeted specifically for Bible teachers, the Ministry Workers Devotional: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God could be beneficial to help teachers think about how what they truly need can be found in God.
I am the Sunday School Superintendent at our church. I was posed with an issue that I would like to resolve before the new year next fall. First of all I will start with explaining how we have our classes divided, Nursery(4 yrs) & Kindergarten, 1& 2 grades, 3 & 4 grades, 5 & 6 grades, 7 & 8 grades. Within each of these classes we have children that are extremely educated in the Word and some that are not. Our struggle is how do you teach the ones that don’t know so much without losing the ones that are educated and visa versa?
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Donna
This is a tough situation but not all that uncommon. It sounds like the age gaps for your classes are close enough that you at least shouldn’t be dealing with too many physical age developmental differences. Teaching those who don’t know so much of the Bible without losing ones that do requires structuring your lessons so there are opportunities for some to go deeper. One way to do that is to present the overall truth or Bible story to the whole group, and then break into small groups, that you assign, to discuss the lesson further. You would use more in-depth questions or activities for those who already know the Word. If your curriculum does not already do this for you, it would involve some extra work but it would be worth it if you truly don’t want to lose either group of students. You would also need enough teachers/adult helpers per class to be able to break into smaller groups. Or you could teach to the higher level and have enough adult helpers on hand to work with those who need some assistance in understanding. You might also consider assigning the more Bible literate children as helpers or mentors to come alongside of the more illiterate ones. I hope you can figure out how to make some of these suggestions work for your situation. And of course, as this post suggests, make sure to invest plenty of prayer not just for this situation but constantly for all classes and all students because God is your teacher’s ultimate source of help. His Spirit is the One who needs to be at work to help students at any level of Bible knowledge to truly get the truth of His Word.
The lessons you people have is extra help and find for class prep..
I’m so glad you are finding this material beneficial, Kile. I pray God will guide you in applying it to your teaching ministry!
Wonderful practical truth indeed.