Sunday, January 18, 2009
Asking For Advice
ATTENTION EVERYONE!!! We need your help! We have been given the opportunity to teach sunday school for the 15-16 year olds. Last year, we taught the 16-17 year old class, and they were absolutely AMAZING! Quiet, attentive, participated and respected Matt and I as their teachers. We have embarked on a completely new adventure now teaching the younger class. I know that they are at the age that they all want to talk and tell their exciting life stories all through class, but how do you get them to be quiet and listen to the lesson that we prepare!? Typically we give our class 10-15 minutes to get to class and share their excitement from the previous week. (Just to get it all out) But they just don't stop. Today, Matt was teaching the lesson, and they just wouldn't STOP! putting on makeup-talking about boys-hot teachers-texting-shoes-talk talk talk. We have 10-12 kids in our class, and only 3 that participate and stay quiet. Today was so overwhelming for me, I litterally cried after the class left. It makes me not even want to spend the time that I do prepairing the lesson, because they don't even give us the time of day to teach it! For me it is really hard to teach a lesson, and I spend A LOT of time on prepareing. It makes me so overwhelmed as it is. How am I supposed to keep a possitive attitude, and prepare a lesson if my class doesn't listen? Matt and I both remember when we were growing up, and being that age, and hating sunday school because our teachers were "rude" (trying to keep us quiet) And I don't want our class to think this. I don't want them to all leave and go to a friends house to ditch sunday school. I know what we are teaching them is important, and I don't want them to miss it because they don't like us as teachers, or the way we teach. Matt and I have come up with some ideas to help the class quiet down, and involve them more in the lessons more, but please if you could, give us some more tips. We are new at this, and would love some expert advise.
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8 comments:
There is really only one solution. You have to threaten to bring their moms in there with them. And then actually do it.
That was Spencer... I actually think that's a great idea! I think you should express your feelings to them. Tell them you care about them, you're there to help build their testimony in and knowledge of their Savior, and you prepare a lot during your week to help them accomplish that. At the end of saying all that, inform them (with a big smile) that if they don't start paying attention, their moms will be invited to sit in the class. I'd listen up if you were my teacher and said that. ;)
Jaydee and Matt, I love your blog! The problem you are facing is very normal for that age group. That is most likely the reason you are "team teaching." It really takes a lot of prayer to teach this group. There is a book called "Teaching, No Greater Call" that has great suggestions on how to keep the attention of that age group...different ideas on how to present the lesson material, etc. I highly recommend it. Also, maybe you could have them "check in their cell phones as they enter class by putting them in a basket." When they learn to be more attentive, they can earn the privilege of keeping their cell phone. Remember, that the lesson you teach will not be completed. Just try to get across the main point and listen for opportunities to invite the spirit. Sometimes, if you have a CD player going with reverent music as they enter the classroom, that helps. If need be, have them do "head, shoulders, knees, and toes" to "get the wiggles out" and then have them sit down to listen. You could even bribe them with treats. Since kids that age want to talk so much, you might gear a lesson solely on getting to know them, let them tell about who they are, what their goals and dreams are for life, etc. You could invite one at a time to give a small portion of the lesson. Just some ideas from your loving aunt Mel.
Okay, JayDee it is your Dad here. I don’t have all the answers but here are a few suggestions.
Without telling your kids, just invite one of their parents to join your class for a day. Then once in a while do this again. I think they will all feel a little more reverent with older adults in the class. You could also substitute that with asking the Bishop to come in one time.
Also, another suggestion is to explain that it is hard to teach with all the distractions and so you want to show them what it is like and ask two of them to get together and teach the lesson for the following Sunday. Explain that you will be the students and they can be the teachers. Then if they do it and it goes well you can follow up with having two more teach the next week, if it doesn’t go well, then after class is out take them aside and explain to them that the frustrations that they felt are felt by you when you teach and that you want them to do a special assignment and that is to work with the others to see if they can be a good influence on keeping the class calm.
Explain that it is a secret that you are asking them to do. Get them to commit to it and then tell them to recruit someone on their own the following week to join them in this effort. But not to let the rest of the class know. Soon you will have more recruits than distracters and the class will calm down. Remember to offer heart felt appreciation for the efforts of those that help. But only when they are away from the others.
I hope this helps.
Love Dad.
ps.. you need to change that background. it is hard to read the comments in the RED..
These are all great suggestions! Now you can see one of the reasons I decided not to teach school for a living.
Maybe have the class come up with some class rules and consequences of breaking them. They will feel more a part of this since they helped create the rules. If they break the rules, I like the ideas of the parents being invited to the class. Make sure to follow through with the consequences. This is very important or they will know they can get away with things.
It is important for the Spirit to be felt in the class because the Spirit is the great teacher. I've struggled with noisy girls in YW and also when I taught primary. Also, I've dealt with distracting and noisy adults in Gospel Doctrine class! If you are talking and one of the kids starts talking to another kid, stop what you are saying and stare at them. Tell them you have some wonderful things to share with them and you would love to share these things with the whole class but can't until everyone is quiet so the Spirit can be there.
Sometimes a little bribe here and there helps such as if they are quiet, listen and participate, you will bring them a treat next week. I wouldn't use that every time though. Just once in awhile it may be an incentive.
I was teaching the 11-12 year old boys in Primary for a while and had similar problems. It sounds like you've gotten some good advice but here's something different that worked great in my situation.
Using a basketball analogy, I came up with a "foul" system. Each week I'd bring a bag of something like mini candy bars. The kids who didn't foul out each got one at the end of class. During the lesson, if someone was being disruptive I'd make a mark next to their name on the chalkboard where everyone could see it. If someone got three marks they "fouled-out" that week and got no candy. Everyone else did. The best way I found to do it was not to scold or lecture or argue. I'd just make a mark and continue with the lesson. Three marks, no candy. I found that after making one or two marks everyone was quiet for the rest of the lesson.
It may not be as effective with an older class but probably would be with the boys. Some people don't like the bribery component but I looked at it as a reward. Before long the disruptions were a non-issue and it was easy to teach the lessons. Good luck. -Uncle Larry
Lots of great advice given!
Just a little saying that goes: "They won't care how much you KNOW until they know how much you CARE."
Good luck you two! :)
Good luck you guys! I have taught youth a couple of times, and as much as I loved every year and every class, some days it was rough. I don’t have any magic answers—but I can definitely empathize. I think there are a lot of good ideas in the comments here. I would echo that you have to love them. Pray over them individually. And don't be too hard on yourself. You will have some weeks that are better than others. One other thought is to sit down with them at the beginning of one of the classes and lay out some rules of respect. Be real with them. Help them remember why you are there and why they are there. Tell them you want to have fun and learn together but there has to be respect. I also really like the idea of identifying the “leaders” in the class and asking them to help you lead by example. If all else fails, two words…Ninja Stars.
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