Classroom Management Tips

Tips for Leaders and Volunteers

* Welcome children at doorway. Have children leave jackets, books or anything distracting, in the hallway against the wall. Help them to enter quietly and sit in the circle if a Greeter is not available. Shoes maybe taken off before the story begins and put behind them.

* If a child is speaking during the story you will say, “I need you to save your words until the story is over.” If the child is invading other children’s space with their legs or hands, say to them softly, “I need you to get ready.” The parent volunteer/helper should sit behind the child, if they are having a hard time getting ready. If these approaches are not working, the parent volunteer/helper should say softly in the child’s ear, “I need you to come with me so we are not disturbing other children.” Remove child from circle and sit behind the circle with the child. Then say "This story is still for you but we need to sit here."

* During “work time” children are to work as independently as possible. Only assist them, if they ask you, or you see that you must help to “show them” how to use something. Stay back from them, so they learn to work without our attention. This is their time to respond to the story.

* When children are working, they may speak softly to others. They are to handle all work with “gentle hands.” If you see someone handling a work inappropriately, you remind them the first time of how we use this work with gentle hands. If you notice that they still are having a problem, you say “I see that you are not ready to work with this and you need to put this work away and choose something else.”

* If child is talking too loud, remind him of how we talk in a soft voice in our special place. You may also need to remind a child of how we walk in our special place, if you see them running, or stepping on someone else’s work.

* Children are to get their own work and put away their work. If they forget to put something away, gently remind them that they have left something out. Ask them to show you how to put something away. It helps to suggest that they only work with one story at a time.

* The helper(s) can assist any child who may need to go to the bathroom.
* Clean up time is signaled by turning the lights off and then on again.

* The class follows a basic four-fold pattern of worship:
1) Entering and “getting ready” to be with God;
2) hearing and responding to the Bible stories
3) sharing in thanksgiving through prayers and singing;
4) and leaving with a blessing of peace.

* Our special place to worship will help the children learn to use the language of faith in making meaning for her/his life. The wondering questions are used to enable reflection and deepen their knowledge of God and what God desires. This activity is the foundation on which theological thinking is built. Wondering produces thinking Christians who can share their experiences of God and together discover God’s calling for them.