5 Tips for Starting Well
It’s almost time for the fall quarter of Shine to begin! Here are 5 tips for starting well:
- Dive In
Take a deep dive into the curriculum materials! Familiarize yourself with the products in the teaching kit. Even if you won’t be teaching every week, review the Bible outline on the inside front cover of the teacher’s guide so you have the big picture of the quarter. Get to know the session plan by reviewing the descriptions on page 4 in the teacher’s guide. Explore other materials for your age level, such as The Peace Table: A Storybook Bible. Each session plan has an at-a-glance chart to summarize the supplies and preparations for that session so that’s a great place to start your preparations. Check out the Media Connections that are posted on Pinterest: Fall 2023 Pinterest Board. They are organized by session for ease of use. Browse through the “Extras” page so you know how to find things easily: www.ShineCurriculum.com/Extras. The more familiar you are with the available resources, the easier it will be for you to teach effectively.
Tips for Elementary teachers: If you are new to the “Follow the Story” Cards included in the Elementary Teaching Kit, watch this helpful video: “Follow the Story” Cards Tutorial . For an in-depth look at The Peace Table, which is the source of the Bible story, check out this video: The Peace Table Webinar.
- Set Up
Prepare the physical space. Start by thoroughly cleaning the room and getting rid of clutter. Organize supplies so that they are easily accessible by the children. Check out some of the DIY ideas on our Pinterest board: Classroom Setup/Organization. If possible, designate an open area in the room where the whole group can gather for the Bible story and active games. Lay out a blanket for everyone to sit on or set out individual carpet squares or other pieces of cloth as “seats” for each person. Set up a table with enough chairs for everyone. Display posters from the teaching kit and any other decorative posters, banners, or wall hangings to make the room warm and inviting. Be sure to read next week’s blog post for a more in-depth look at creating worshipful space.
- Connect
Before the year begins, take time to reach out to the children and families you will be working with this year. Gather contact information and ask for their preferred method of communication, such as text messages, email, social media posts, or phone calls. Find out if any children have physical, intellectual, or emotional challenges, allergies, dietary restrictions, or other needs that require accommodations or special support. Share a bit about yourself and your plans and hopes for your time with the children or youth.
- Reflect
Before you teach, take some time to reflect on the scripture. Read the Bible background essay included in the teacher’s guide and read the story from The Peace Table if you are an Elementary teacher. How does the scripture speak to you? What resonates with you? What do you want to say about this scripture to the children or youth you teach? Also, pause to notice how you are feeling as you enter the time with the children. Are you flustered? Stressed? Tired? Nervous? Attend to those feelings so that you can be fully present to the children. After you teach, take a few moments to reflect on the experience. What went well? What did you notice about individual children? About yourself? What could you do differently next time to help the session run more smoothly?
- Collaborate
Teaching Sunday school can sometimes be a lonely job! Ask around to find out if people would be willing to serve in a support capacity. Someone may be willing to provide snacks for your class, lead songs, prepare crafts, be an occasional helper in the class, or work one-on-one with a child as needed. Talk with other teachers about challenges you are facing and see if they have ideas to share. Join the Teachers Helping Teachers Shine Facebook group so you can ask questions and interact with other people using Shine curriculum. Know that you are not alone and that the work you are doing is so important!
Thank you for giving your time and energy to help form faith in children and youth. May God bless you with the wisdom, grace, inspiration, creativity, and joy you need for each moment! t
“A little munchkin gave this picture to me a few months ago. When I asked her to tell me about it, she said, ‘Bunnies love carrots and so does the alien. And God loves them both.’ I love that this kiddo understands two deep truths: That no matter how different we are, there are always things that connect us to the other. AND that God is so big that He ALWAYS loves the other: the ones that look different or vote differently or believe differently or are broken differently (even if the other is so different that they have three eyes and live in a whole other far away foreign world). God looks upon the person that we look on with disdain and He calls them His beloved. This picture now serves as my reminder whenever I am tempted to “other” another, that God doesn’t ever see the other. He just loves indiscriminately, fully, extravagantly. Every time. Everyone. Everywhere. When Jesus said that we have to become like children to enter the kingdom of heaven, I think this is what He was talking about. It’s why I go to church with a bunch of preschoolers and kindergarteners every Sunday.”
“The Shine lesson introduction of “mountain and valley” experiences of second grade students was a real connect. Most everyone wanted to share with their friends and hear from their teachers as well! Our frustration became not enough lesson time. Even with other great beginning theme ideas came the request for “mountain highs and valley lows” sharing each Sunday. The problem was having ten chattering cherubs! Actually, they learned to meld and be very sympathetic and caring!”
“It is always fascinating to hear children putting the stories of the Bible into their own words after a Sunday school Bible story. After I taught the story of Jesus’ baptism, one of the three-year-old children in the group told her grandma during Sunday lunch, ‘When Jesus was born, it was under a river in Holland!’ I don’t know where the Holland part came from, but we had talked about our Christmas celebrations and reviewed the story of Jesus’ birth before starting the story of Jesus’ baptism that day. When I told a friend about this child’s retelling of the baptism story, she said, ‘That’s why we tell the stories every year!’ I know this child knows more about Jesus’ baptism now. On another occasion when my son was a preschooler, before he could read, he sat down with a Bible after church one Sunday during Advent. He announced, ‘I will read the Bible!’ and he turned to pages full of words and “read” them, saying ‘Hope!’ ‘Hope!’ ‘Hope!’ ‘Hope!’ as he turned each page.”
