Creating a Live B.I.G. Classroom

It's fall, the beginning of a new church year. You’re probably facing new students and new Live B.I.G. material. You want your classroom to reflect the changes. But where do you start?

You can start by removing any old materials that are out of date. Once the old stuff is removed, take a good look at your room. This would be the time to make any major changes. For instance, does your room need painting? Do it now. Are you bored with your room arrangement? Change it. Are you tired of your same old tables, chairs, and filing cabinets? Grab a can of spray paint, and make them look however you want them to look. Don't be afraid of color. Your kids love it.

Once any major changes are out of the way, you can focus on making your classroom a place where your kids are free to Live B.I.G.

Dress up any posters you have by mounting each one in the center of a colorful piece of posterboard. If you're grouping several posters, instead of lining them up in even rows, don't be afraid to turn them at an angle or to overlap the corners. You'll be surprised how different it looks. Arrange them first on the floor so that you don't have to mount and remount to get them just right. And remember, mount them at the eye level of the kids you are teaching.

Cut shapes out of construction paper, and write each child's name on a separate shape. Post these shapes around the room. Use hearts, circles, or whatever shape you like. (See our clip art link on the website for some art that you can download.)

No matter what your age level, you'll want to have space for the kids to move. This is an active curriculum, so don't expect your kids to be sitting down for long, especially when the DVD is playing. If possible, position your television so that the kids can copy the dance movements they're watching on the DVD.

Crafts can get messy, so if you can, choose an uncarpeted area of your classroom for your crafts area. If that's not an option, keep old sheets or paint tarps on hand to put down in this area. Home improvement stores sell large rolls of clear adhesive tape that painters use to protect the floor; they will work well for you too.

Following are some decorating tips specific to the age level of the kids you are teaching:

Preschool (Ages 3–4 and Ages 5–6): Have lots of fun with this group. If you or someone you know paints murals, go with an outdoor theme. Paint something from God's world all over your wall—trees, sky, clouds, hills, even animals. Bring in silk trees and plants, and place them in your classroom. If you've got a silk tree big enough, hide Bongo the Bible Bird in the top branches. Set up your storytelling corner to feel like a clubhouse—define the space with blankets and rugs, and add lots of comfy pillows. Make a big, colorful sign that says "Backyard Time" and post it on the wall.

Elementary (Ages 7–8 and Ages 9–10) and One Big Room: Most of the DVD is centered around The Station, an afterschool art station and hangout. So make your room colorful. If you have time the first week, let your kids help decorate. They can hang posters or paint designs or symbols on the walls. Swirls, hearts, tic-tac-toe shapes, and lightning bars will turn a plain wall into a fun wall. If you can't paint directly on your walls, let the children make the designs out of construction paper and tape them to the walls. Make a large, bright sign that says "The Station" and post it in a prominent place.

Tween: Whatever you do, make sure that your tweens' classroom looks like a room for tweens, not kids. This age group is drawn to the things that make them look and feel older. Since much of the DVD takes place in a coffee shop, why not set up a place for drinks and pastries? Keep it simple—just a table for what you need—and a sign overhead that says "Common Ground Cafe." Make it self-serve. If you don't want to offer coffee to your tweens (check with parents first), have hot chocolate and tea on hand. Or offer juices and soft drinks. Pastries could probably be picked up on the way to church. Or serve croissants, bagels, or even cookies. Do you have space in your classroom for a sofa or two? If not, how about some rugs, blankets, and beanbag chairs? Give your main seating area a living room feeling, instead of a classroom feeling.

Encourage your children and tweens to tell you how they're Living B.I.G. by giving them places around the room to post their experiences. Place self-adhesive notes (or index cards) directly on the wall for the kids to write on. For the younger children, write the notes for them. If you like, let the kids place their own notes on the wall. Ask your children questions such as: "Did you help someone this past week? Did you follow the rules? Did you do something special for someone? Then you've been Living B.I.G., and we want to know all about it." (Collect the notes and pass the stories along to us so that we can pass them along to others who are trying to Live B.I.G.)

Whatever you choose to do with your classroom, keep it safe, especially for the younger children. Keep it organized and clutter-free. Have a place for everything, and make cleanup a part of your kids' routine.

Make your classroom feel welcome and inviting for the kids whom you are leading. Greet them with a smile, and let them know you're glad they are there. That's what they need most of all.


                                                                        

You can open yourself to the excitement that comes from joyful teaching and creatively sharing our faith in age-level--appropriate ways. Together, let's look at possibilities to assist you as you prepare for a very special journey in faith through the eyes of children.

Identify Your Prospective Class Members

You may have been given a list of class members. Sometimes this is complete. Sometimes, even in smaller churches, it is not. Children may have been dropped from your list for a variety of reasons. There are some ways to make sure you are reaching all your potential class members:

• Update previous class roles.
• Look for church school dropouts.
• Reach out to church visitors.
• Follow up on special-event participants, such as VBS.
• Reach out to children who may be connected to your church through grandparents, neighbors, or friends.

Discover the names of your class members and create a new listing with addresses, phone numbers, and parents’ names.

Reach Out and Introduce Yourself

Send postcards and colorful notes, make phone calls, and personally visit in homes to introduce yourself to the children. If you choose to send postcards, the Live B.I.G. website will have several from which you can choose.

Children enjoy receiving mail and phone calls. Even if you’ve known the child for many years, this is a new relationship of teaching and learning together. And if you don’t know the child, this is a great way to begin.

Pray for Your Class

As individuals and as a class unit, begin to pray before your first meeting. If you have a large class, group the children and pray for three or four each week.

Take Time to Explore Your Resources

Discover the overall focus of the unit for the entire quarter. Look at the goals for each week in the quarter. Make notes as you read through the material of activities you might use, stories you remember, and supplies you might need. The Live B.I.G. website has a list of basic classroom supplies, as well as a list of any extra supplies for the age level you are teaching.

Be Present

Recently I asked a group of teachers with children, “If the soccer game begins at four-thirty, what time does your child need to be at the field?” In unison I heard, “At four o’clock!” I prodded, “Why four o’clock? The game is not going to begin until four-thirty!” I was quickly reminded of the need for preparation, the need to warm up, the need to feel part of the team effort, the need to be supportive of one another, and the need to hear the coach’s game plan.

I then said, “If Sunday school begins at nine-forty-five, what time do you need to be present?”

Like the sports coaches and team members, we have preparation to do before the session begins. Our timing is a visible, unspoken witness of the priority of this session for our budding Christians. We have heard, “Actions speak louder than words!” In order to be ready, we must be present in both mind and body before the first child arrives.

Take Time to Evaluate

Informal evaluation is an ongoing process as you observe the way children interact with presented ideas. This informal evaluation causes us to move to “plan B” if one idea is not meeting the needs of the group.

Another form of evaluation is also needed. After the children have left, reflect on the overall session. Ask yourself, “What went well? What would I do again? What flopped?” Adjust your plans for the next session based on your newly acquired information and insights.

Congratulate Yourself

You are not alone! For nearly two thousand years, teachers through the ages have done what you are doing. Venturing out in faith, persons have shared themselves so that our Christian heritage might be passed from one generation to another. You are joining a long parade of teachers! And God is with you!

Adapted from "Especially for First-Time Teachers," an article by Elaine Alling Lilliston, in Teaching Tips for Terrified Teachers, copyright © Abingdon Press. Elaine A. Lilliston is a diaconal minister and a certified lab leader.

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Summer 2010

It’s summertime! Who has time for fancy bulletin boards? Here are some eye-catching ideas that won’t cost you too much time to create. Adapt them as you wish to fit the age level of your kids and the needs of your classroom.

Title: Just Hanging Out

String a clothesline rope across your bulletin board. Cut T-shirt shapes from colored construction paper. Write each child’s name on a T-shirt, and use clothespins to pin the shirts to the clothesline.

Title: We’re Growing in God’s Love

On the first day of class, take a photo of each child. Fit each child’s face in the center of a sunflower that you cut from construction paper. Add stems. If you can find a sunflower garland (check discount stores), it will make a nice border for this bulletin board.

Title: Sail Into Summer

Cover the bottom of your bulletin board with blue paper. Along the horizontal line, add several boats. If you like, add different kinds of sea life below the horizontal line.

Title: Take a Bite Out of Summer

Have the children cut out a green half-oval. Have them cut out a slightly smaller red half-oval. Glue the red half-oval over the green one. Enjoy a snack of watermelon with the children. Save and wash the seeds. Have the children glue the seeds onto the watermelon halves on the bulletin board. Throughout the summer, encourage the children to write their summer activities on the watermelon.

Title: Our Future’s So Bright, We’ve Gotta Wear Shades

Buy each child in your class a cheap pair of sunglasses (try a dollar store). Take a separate photo of each child wearing his or her sunglasses. Cover your bulletin board with light blue paper. Tack on a big yellow sun. Add the photos of the children wearing their shades.

Title: Launch Into Summer

Let the children paint coffee filters with watercolor paints. Cover your bulletin board with black paper. Place the planets on the bulletin board. Add a rocket ship cut from construction paper. If you like, include the stars with the children’s names on them.

Stress-Free Bulletin Boards

Are you a bulletin board person? Are your displays the talk of the church? Or do you feel like your work is done if you wipe the dust off your bulletin board at least once a quarter?

Whether you fit into one of these categories, or you're somewhere in the middle, keep reading. These tips can be just what you need to feel good about your bulletin board all year long.

Backgrounds

For your background, you can't go wrong with colored bulletin board paper. But don't limit yourself. Other easy background paper includes wallpaper, wrapping paper, newspaper, felt, fabric, or a tablecloth. For backgrounds that take a little more time, think about postcards, calendar pages, pages from old books, or even paint.

Involve your kids by hanging a sheet outside (on a warm day) and letting them spray the sheet with water and tempera paint mixed together in a squirt bottle. Have a separate bottle for each color. Cut the sheet apart and cover your bulletin board with it. You'll love the effect, and your children will love knowing that they created it.

Borders

If you choose to add a border, wide ribbon or bulletin board border is the easiest route. Almost anything can be cut into strips and stapled along the edges—construction paper, comic strips, wallpaper, wrapping paper, or fabric. Place postcards or greeting cards around the edges. Or outline your bulletin board with puzzle pieces or old CDs.

If your bulletin board border is faded, paint it with a bright color, and it will be new again.

For Preschool Kids

Whatever you do for your preschoolers' bulletin board, try to include Bongo the Bible Bird. If you make a tree, have Bongo sitting in the top or peeking around the edge. If you post photos of your kids, include a photo of Bongo that you have downloaded from the website.

For Elementary Kids

Make a bulletin board that features their artwork. Post their creations on the board, making sure that their names are on each piece. If you have space, divide your board into as many spaces as you have kids, and give each kid his or her own space.

For Tweens

It doesn't get any easier than this simple, but thought-provoking, idea. Each week, cover the board with plain paper. In large letters, write a question across the board. As your tweens arrive, give each one a marker, and encourage the tween to write his answer on the board. The questions could relate directly to that week's lesson, or it could be a general question, such as: “What do you love about our town? What are your plans for the future? If you could ask the president one question, what would it be?" Change the question each week.

For All Ages

Here's another simple idea: Take pictures in class each week, and post the best ones on your bulletin board. Keep adding to the pictures until the end of the month, the end of the quarter, or until the board is filled. Let the kids take home their favorite photos when you are finished with them.


                                                                            

 As teachers, you can be peacemakers in the classroom. Consider the following “peacemaking” tips:

• Be prepared! Often students misbehave out of boredom. Come prepared with lots of activities for the kids to engage in immediately. It is better to over-prepare than to not have enough activities to keep your kids busy.
• Give the children authentic choices. Let them choose between different activities. Let them choose their own art supplies, or their own way of completing a craft project.
• Redirect negative behavior. When students begin to misbehave, point them in a new direction. Get them interested in a new game or project. Engage in one-on-one activities with the students. Negative behavior is often a cry for attention.
• Finally, stay positive and maintain a Christ-like attitude. We want children to love coming to church and to know it is a safe place where they are loved.

Check out these books on conflict resolution:
We Can Work It Out: Conflict Resolution for Children, by Barbara Kay Polland, illustrated by Craig Deroy. (This is a book for children.)
Conflict Resolution for Kids: A Group Facilitator’s Guide, by Pamela S. Lane (This is a book for teachers.)

Spring is a time of new life, and what better time to plan a colorful, eye-catching bulletin board? Here are some ideas to get you started. Adapt them as you wish to fit the age level of your kids and the needs of your classroom.

It’s Raining Blessings

Title this bulletin board “Jesus’ Love Showers Us With Blessings.” Cut out and paste on the board a picture of a boy and a girl standing under an umbrella. All around the figures, let the children write down the things for which they are thankful. If you have younger children, write down the blessings for them.

April Showers

Cut footprints out of brown paper and big raindrops out of blue paper. Staple the raindrops all over the board. Staple the footprints along the bottom of the board. Staple a brown mud puddle in the bottom center of the board, with the line of footprints going through it. Title it: “April Showers Bring Mud Puddles!”

Easter

For an Easter bulletin board, using brown paint, paint a large cross on the board. Drape purple fabric from one arm of the cross to the other and staple it in place. Write “Jesus Has Risen!” at the top of the board. Add flowers at the bottom.

Easter Eggs

Here’s another Easter bulletin board: Take and print out a photo of each kid. Attach each one to the center of an egg-shaped piece of construction paper in bright colors. Staple the eggs to the board. Across the top of the board, write “Our Kids Are Eggsstraordinary!”

Lions and Lambs

For younger kids, give each child a paper plate. Let half of the class make lion faces by gluing yarn around the edges of their plates. Let the other half make lamb faces by gluing cotton balls all over their plates. Use a marker to add features. Staple the faces to the bulletin board. Across the top of the board, write “Will March Be Like a Lion or a Lamb?”

Clues of Spring

With a marker, divide a piece of white paper into six sections. Leave one section blank. In each of the other sections, draw the following items: a flower, a baby bird, the sun, a kid wearing shorts, and blades of grass. Photocopy the paper so that each child has one. Staple the pieces of paper on your bulletin board. Put a child’s name on each one. Title the board: “Spring Detectives.” Encourage your kids to look for signs of spring outside. When they find one, they can color in that block on their paper. The extra block is for them to draw in something they’ve seen that isn’t pictured.

Flying High

Bend three or four coat hangers into kite shapes. Let the children wrap tissue paper around the shapes and add other decorations to the kites with construction paper. Attach the kites to the board, which you have covered with a blue background. Add white clouds to the background, if you wish. Title the board: “We’re ReachingNewHeights!”

Background Idea

Cover your bulletin board with burlap. Add a few drops of paint to clear glue, and let your children paint on the burlap with the colored glue. Let the board dry. The glue will dry shiny.

                                                                

The Hot Sauce Queen and Other Heroes and Heroines

It is hard to anticipate who will be the heroes and heroines of today’s children. Many diverse factors influence their daily thinking, feeling, and deciding. Individuals who have gained fame, power, publicity, or wealth seem to be popular role models. Most children would like to possess at least one of these!

A hero is most popularly defined as “anyone admired for his or her qualities or achievements and regarded as an ideal or model.” But who does that include?

My vote is with the Hot Sauce Queen. Now in her eighties, retired from a successful career as a writer and editor of children’s curriculum materials, Jean Buchanan goes several times a week to a homeless shelter to help with meals. She is affectionately known by many as the Hot Sauce Queen, as she faithfully greets and serves people who are homeless. Poor health doesn’t stop Jean from being our heroine, though she would never define herself that way.

Or what about a great football player? On the last play of a close Bowl football game (score: 25 to 34 with Iowa down), an Iowa Hawkeye senior football player caught a 56-yard pass and raced for a touchdown—his first one in his college football career. A hero? I’ll say! Thousands of Iowa kids dream of growing up to be like him on the football field.

The question is, do parents and Sunday school teachers have any influence on their children’s heroes and heroines? According to research at the Southern Illinois School of Medicine, 10 percent of Americans develop an obsession with celebrities. Certainly this can lead to problems for our children and youth. Helping them to choose role models wisely is one of the challenges of both parents and Sunday school teachers.

• Help the children in your care to develop relationships with people who are living faithful Christian lives, helping others, taking part in church and civic responsibilities. Help them to know the firefighter and the police officer who keep them safe, the farmer who feeds them, the county or parish supervisors who make important decisions that immediately affect the lives of citizens. Help them to know the conservation officer, the street cleaner, the forester, the recycling worker who help to sustain a good environment. Perhaps they will realize that the important heroes are not movie actors or multi-million-dollar entertainers, but the people at the crossroads of daily life who serve a larger purpose.

• Encourage the children you work with to read widely, especially biographies and history. Read to them in class, often choosing stories or articles about real people and their adventures. There are exciting children’s books about Marco Polo, George Washington, Kate Shelley, Peter Cartwright, Harriett Tubman, Elizabeth Browning, Jonathan Pointer, and scores of others.

• Discuss the daily news with your children. Ask questions, offer opinions. Why do you endorse the sentiments of this senator? What would be a better way to solve this problem? Is this relationship positive for each person? Why or why not? How could the church help in the situation we read about in this week’s paper? Identify the people you admire.

• Suggest to your children that they avoid prime-time television programming that is rife with immoral sexual innuendo, incessant family quarreling, aggressive behavior and violence. When our culture glamorizes the least admirable of human qualities, we should not be surprised when our young people choose that type of hero or heroine as a model. Instead, encourage them to try the history channel. Click onto public television. Rent a movie. Take up birdwatching. Learn to skate. Rent a horse. Walk around a lake. Volunteer. Sing with a choir. Play an instrument. Try ballet.

• Children love to be around people of courage, tenacity, a sense of humor, a zest for living—people like the Hot Sauce Queen. Jean long ago patterned her life after Jesus, who “went about doing good.” The Hot Sauce Queen serves love, friendly smiles, and encouragement along with every spoonful of that spicy sauce.

We have a solemn responsibility to the children we teach to help them choose their heroes and heroines from among those who live such lives of significance.

By Myrtle Felkner. Copyright © Cokesbury.

                                                                                    

All About Butterflies

During this Easter season, you’ll be talking to your children about butterflies and other signs of new life. Here is some extra information about butterflies that you can use to make the Easter season more meaningful to yourself and to the children you teach.

Why the Butterfly?

The butterfly is a symbol of Jesus’ resurrection because of its transformation from caterpillar to chrysalis and then to butterfly. The chrysalis reminds us of the three days that Jesus spent buried in the tomb. The butterfly is a glorious reminder of Jesus leaving the tomb as the risen Christ.

The Life of a Butterfly

A butterfly goes through four distinct stages.

1. It begins as an egg, laid by an adult butterfly. An adult butterfly lays between 200 and 500 eggs.

2. When the egg hatches about five days later, a caterpillar emerges. The caterpillar eats an enormous amount of food and grows much larger. This stage lasts for several weeks.

3. Finding itself a sturdy branch, the caterpillar attaches itself and forms a hard outer shell. At this stage, it’s called a pupa or chrysalis. Inside the chrysalis, the caterpillar is still busy, getting ready for its final stage.

4. The butterfly emerges, building its strength as it breaks free from the chrysalis. This stage is the shortest in the butterfly’s life—only two weeks—but many people believe it’s the most beautiful.

Bring on the Butterflies!

If you have the outdoor space and the time, consider setting up a butterfly garden. Quite simply, a butterfly garden is a place that is attractive to butterflies because of the type of plants, the amount of sunlight, and the butterfly-friendly features you include.

Plants: Butterflies are fond of flowers that provide nectar, so include plenty of them. Because they’re nearsighted, large bunches of flowers are easier for butterflies to spot than single flowers. Caterpillars, on the other hand, are chewers, and they like leaves they can feed on. Check to see what plants in your region are attractive to butterflies, and include them in your garden.

Sunlight: Butterflies love the sun! Make sure your garden spot gets lots of sun, but also give them a shady spot they can visit when they need to cool off.

Features: The anatomy of a butterfly makes it easy for a butterfly to drink liquid, so provide a puddle in your garden area. For an easy puddle, fill a shallow pan almost to the rim with gravel, and pour in a liquid. Water is good, but butterflies will also be attracted to sweet drinks. Or just leave them a piece of fruit that has been allowed to overripen for a few days.

Follow these tips to set up your butterfly garden. The butterflies will love it, and your kids will love spotting them.

                                                                                                

Telling Stories With Flannelboard

Flannelboards and storytelling figures can create a dramatic story that will capture the attention and interest of the children in your class. All it takes is a little advance preparation and enthusiasm for telling the stories from the Bible.

First, you must have a flannelboard. There are several styles available to buy, but if you cannot find one or do not want to pay for one, you can easily make your own. Choose a wooden board or a large piece of cardboard that can become your flannelboard. Be sure that the board is neither too heavy nor too light. A heavy board is cumbersome and can be dangerous if it falls. A board that is too light will fall over easily, and it may warp. So choose your board for ease of use and stability. Now, simply stretch a piece of light blue felt over the board. Use strong tape or a staple gun to secure it in place on the back.

If possible, mount the flannelboard on the wall at a height where most children can reach it and where all can see it. If such a permanent placement is not possible, use an easel for display or prop the board on a table against a wall. With the tabletop method, use a brick or a heavy book to secure the board so that it does not fall over while you are telling the story.

Stories will flow more easily and will capture the attention of the children more completely if you tell them rather than read them. Telling a story will require a little preparation, though. Begin by putting the storytelling figures in the order you will need them to tell the story. Then rehearse by reading the story aloud to yourself several times. When you are comfortable with the story, put the written story down and use the figures as you tell the story in your own words. Don’t worry if you do not repeat the story exactly as it is written. Children will not be as critical as long as the story moves in an interesting way. They will simply enjoy seeing the figures go up and the scenes change as they hear what happened.

If you are not comfortable with telling the story in your own words, another possibility is to have someone help you tell the story. Ask another adult or perhaps a good reader from among your older students to help. Have that person tell or read the story as you put up the figures and move them around to show the action or the story. Rehearse together, if possible. Or if that’s not practical, be sure that each of you has practiced his or her own part separately before you begin. Smooth coordination is a part of any successful storytelling.

If you or someone else reads the story, practice to make the reading as natural as possible. Don’t be afraid to change the words from the written script to make them your own. And remember to read or speak slowly. Do not drag out the words, but speak slowly enough for children to understand each word. Pay attention to the way newscasters speak, and take your cue from their example. Pauses and brief silences can heighten suspense. However, have your notes and the storytelling figures laid out where you can easily see them and find each piece as you need it. Pauses while you fumble through a box spoil rather than heighten the dramatic mood.

Sometimes you may want to let each child be involved in the storytelling. Give each one a figure to put up as you read the story. Give the figures out in the order they will be used and it will be easy to keep up with who is next. The children will enjoy making a contribution to the storytelling. And they will become comfortable with using the figures to tell and to review the stories. Leave the flannelboard and the figures where the children can use them for themselves when there is an opportunity for them to choose that activity.

Be conscious of the special needs of the children in your class when you make decisions about using the flannelboard. If you ask a child to read or tell the story, be prepared to allow others an opportunity too—even if they do not have good reading skills. Sometimes it may be better not to have any child read if it will make others feel left out.

Remember, too, that you may have a child who has visual disabilities. If you do, let that child sit close to the flannelboard, if that will help. Then as you tell the story, describe each figure quickly as you put it up.

Using a flannelboard can create interest in the Bible for children who hear and tell the stories. Take advantage of this opportunity to help children enjoy learning and understanding.

Adapted from "One Room Sunday School, Teacher," copyright © Cokesbury.

                                                                

Talking With Parents

As you walk down the hall of a church, how do you hear teachers talking with parents?

Teachers of younger children greet parents as the children arrive, ask about the child, and find out any special concerns or needs. You might hear, "Christina looks so cute today" or "We missed Brett last Sunday." When the parents pick up the child, the teacher and parent may talk again—about how the time went, anything significant that happened in the class or to the child, or how the child seems to adjust and interact with others.

What kinds of talk would you hear between teachers and the parents of the older elementary children? It might be similar to what you hear at the younger level. Or perhaps no talk is taking place, since older elementary children usually do not want to be accompanied to their classroom door by a parent, and parents usually meet children elsewhere after class.

Why Talk to Parents?

Why should Sunday school leaders talk with parents? Parents can provide a wealth of information as you seek to help their children grow in faith, knowledge, attitudes, and skills. They can let you know what faith questions children are asking that you may want to talk about in class. They can help you understand special needs and interests of their child. All of these can help you as you seek to guide the child in learning about and growing in the Christian faith.

You are a resource for parents. You can help parents understand what the child is studying in class, so that parents and children may focus on these topics at home, if they wish.

Build a Team

Whether you teach preschool children, younger elementary, or older elementary children, strive to build a team by talking with the parents of your students. When teachers and parents are working toward common goals, the child's learnings and growth will increase.

Make contact early. If you don't know a parent, introduce yourself. A quick introduction as a parent drops a child off for class might be a beginning, but try to find time for a more significant early talk.

Learn the parents' names. A parent's last name might not be the same as the child's. Use the parent's name when you talk with him or her. When you know their names and use them, you show that your children’s families are important. It shows you care when you talk to both parents, rather than to the same one all the time.

Refer to the correct child when you talk with a parent. Don't tell Jessica's mother how wonderful Jennifer was today.

Be positive. Nothing makes a parent happier than to have another adult make a positive statement about his or her child: "Nikea sang so well with us today." "Bradley reminded us to pray for homeless children." One-sentence positive comments can lay a good foundation for good communication with parents.

Greet parents briefly and cheerfully if you see them before or after class. If you teach young children, you may need more time with the parents to discover particular needs of the child for that day or to give parents a report of how things went for their child that day. If you teach older elementary children, you may not see the parents. Whether you usually see parents or not, plan some unhurried time with your students.

When Talking With Parents

Talk to parents and ask some questions before problems can develop. "What are some things I should know about Meghan to help her have good experiences in our class?" An open-ended inquiry gives a parent a chance to tell you if Meghan needs help relating to others, if she has difficulty reading aloud and might be embarrassed if asked to do so, or if she has a medical condition that might affect her participation.

Always say something good about the child. Parents want to think you like their child and enjoy teaching him or her. Even with a disruptive child, you might make an honest statement admiring his or her tremendous energy, cleverness, smile, or some other positive trait.

Ask about the child. You can relate what you are teaching in class to the child's life if you know about the child's interests, the child's fears and concerns, the child's home life and religious practices, and what is happening in the child's life. Did the child's grandparent or pet recently die? What was the child's reaction? What questions has the child been asking that relate to God and faith?

When Trouble Happens

How do you talk to a parent when there are problems? If possible, talk to a parent after you have had a chance to think about the problem and consider what you should say.

Focus on behavior and skip labels. Say, "Today Katrina scratched Gretchen." Avoid saying, "Katrina was really bad today." Labels are judgmental and may seem to focus on a negative quality of the child. A description of behavior focuses on what happened in an objective, less judgmental way. It may help to keep parents from feeling they are being judged or attacked.

Ask parents to help you understand more about why a child may engage in certain behavior. You might ask, "Could you help me understand more about Katrina?" or "Dan seems to have a hard time sitting still and paying attention during class. What do you think I could do to help him get more out of our lessons?"

Seek solutions. Focus on "How can we handle or resolve this situation?" Talk in terms of the child's needs—for example, what a child needs to learn or to do. Instead of saying, "Robert constantly bothers the other children," try saying, "Robert needs to learn to keep his hands to himself during class. Can we think of some ways we might help him do that?"

Seeking to help the child develop appropriate behavior lets parents know you are trying to find positive ways to help the child develop to his or her greatest potential.

During and After Talking

Listen to the parent. Make notes to help you remember what a parent has said. It may seem enough to remember that the dog of one of the class members died this week. But Susie won't appreciate it when you forget that it was her dog and think it was Alex's.

Record contacts with parents. Use a notebook with a page or two for each student. Jot down the date you talked and significant information. As you gain information, you will learn more and more that can help you be a better teacher and friend to each child.

After you talk, follow up. If you say, "I'll let you know what happens," parents will expect to talk to you again. Do whatever you said you will do—or let parents know why you can't follow through.

Plan to talk with parents soon. You, your students, and the parents will be glad you did!

Adapted from "How to Talk With a Parent," by Cheryl W. Reames, from Children's Teacher; copyright Cokesbury.

                                                                                        

Cut, Paste, Paint, Sculpt—-Using the Visual Arts

With spring busting out all over, your children are surrounded by inspiration to create colorful art projects. The visual arts are a vital part of experiential learning. Art uses all the senses and, it touches more than just one learning style. The visual arts tap the individuality present in each child.

In choosing art experiences, keep these things in mind: The art project should be worthwhile, not just something to keep the children busy. The art project should teach important skills. The art project should directly relate to the theme of the lesson.

The visual arts are an effective teaching tool. Long ago, churches used visual arts—stained glass windows, paintings, and sculpture—-to communicate Bible stories to believers. These people were basically illiterate and unable to read the Bible for themselves. Most of our children can read, but as teachers we already have learned that children learn visually much faster than they do orally. Visual arts increase the impact of the Bible stories.

Art experiences involve all the senses. Not only are the children using their eyes, but they are also using their hands, their noses, and their ears. Some art projects even involve the sense of taste—-that is, if they can eat it. A child is a walking mass of perception. One of our tasks is to keep this perception open and growing.

Art experiences develop the individual creativity. We are created in God’s image. What a wonderful gift! Therefore, art experiences should celebrate our individuality. Being creative, however, does not automatically mean a child is a born artist or that this is the child’s preferred learning style. Make this one part of the total experience. Developing our God-given creativity means developing an awareness of ideas, feelings, experiences—-a special way of learning, thinking, and perceiving. Most children have the potential of being creative, provided they are given the opportunity to explore this gift.

Art experiences teach skills of community living, skills learned only through experiences. The Bible speaks of how wonderful it is for God’s people to live together in harmony. Art experiences help teach some of the skills necessary for this harmony—-patience, flexibility, willingness to share, conservation of resources, cooperation, and acceptance.

Adapted from an article by LeeDell Stickler in O Taste and See That the Lord Is Good. Copyright © Abingdon Press.