Continuing on with our discussion of creative ways to present your lessons, how about a GAME SHOW approach? Kids love the personal involvement, and a little competition never hurts! Think of some of the different game shows you used to watch growing up and do a spin-off of one of those- Price is Right, Family Feud, $100,000 Pyramid, Jeopardy, Weakest Link, and Deal or No Deal are just a few. This is a great way to incorporate a fun review of the lesson as well. Invest your time in creating a reusable gameboard to be used over and over again. Plan a game time every so often. Kids will really look forward to this time!
Keep in mind-
1)Along with the games can come poor winners/losers. This can be a great time to encourage positive team building and the practice of being a graceful non-winner (it sounds better than loser, doesn't it?). If you have a group who cannot handle the competitition aspect, just make it a fun, easy-going activity.
2)Sound effects and simple props can adds loads of fun and "authenticity" to your show. A microphone, buzzers, sparkly spinners, and prizes can add great appeal. A little dressing up as a game show host never hurts either!
3)Have the kids challenge you! There's nothing more fun than the teacher getting involved in the action. For some kids, the thought of trying to outwit, outplay, and outlast the teacher is a great motivator! I used to have a standing challenge with my 4th grade students with multiplication flashcards and the game 'Around the World.' If they could stop me from going 'Around the classroom' by beating me to the answer they would get some M&M's (I had an M&M candy machine in my classroom). This opportunity was all some of them needed to really want to practice those boring old flashcards!
There are so many ways to make your lessons come alive for the students. Think about the things that excited you as a learner. Think back to your school days. What things did your teachers do that you really enjoyed? What kinds of activities kept you engaged in the classroom? What classes did you look forward to each day? Take a minute to reflect on your own school experience and use that to improve your own teaching!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Teaching the Bible creatively part 2
Wow! I didn't mean to go so long between posts. But now that some of the busyness that goes along with Christmas is slowing down, things are starting to get back to normal.
I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday and got to enjoy time with family and friends. May you have been able to reflect upon the precious birth of our Savior during all of the hustle and bustle. How were you able to share the real meaning of Christmas with your children or church children? One of the things I did with my 9 year old was share the true story of St. Nicholas. We have never pushed the idea of Santa Clausat our house, however we never outright told the kids he is not real. Many families have differing ideas on how to handle Santa Claus, and I am not here to debate that. One thing that I did want my son to know was that St. Nicholas was a real person- a good man who gave of himself to help others. If you have not shared the true story of St. Nicholas with your child or maybe you don't know the story yourself, then go to the Christian bookstore for a book or gather some information online. Here are a few links...
http://www.amazon.com/Legend-Saint-Nicholas-Demi/dp/0689846819/ref=pd_cp_b_3
http://www.amazon.com/Saint-Nicholas-Story-ChristmasLegend/dp/0758613415/ref=pd_cp_b_1
http://www.history.com/content/christmas/history-of-santa/the-legend-of-st.-nicholas
Last post I was sharing some ways for teaching the Bible creatively. I'll give you a few more ideas today.
Another fun way is to be a ONE MAN SHOW. If you have a lesson with a few main characters, become each character. Have a coat rack nearby and put a few props to stand for each person involved. Change your voice or dialect to match each character. It is important to BECOME the character and not just narrate about the characters. If you are telling about David defeating Goliath, use a child's cap for David, a spear for Goliath, and a robe or crown for King Saul. Don't be afraid to embrace your "silliness." We may feel "dumb" acting as each individual in the story, but the kids love it! Find props that are easy to take off and put on. Don't worry if you don't have exactly the right prop. Be creative! You'd be amazed at the treasure of props you have around your house and garage.
VISUAL PROPS are so important to utilize as you teach. Having that visual "hook"- something to get them thinking in the right direction- draws their attention right to you! How about some chocolate covered grasshoppers to introduce the account of John the Baptist? How about a broken ruler to emphasize the sin in the garden?
Another effective use of props is the element of SURPRISE! Keep your props hidden until the appropriate time in the story to reveal them. How about a treasure chest sitting in front of you? Perhaps set up a table at the front of the room with your covered props. Uncover them as you get to their part in the story. Or maybe you can pack your props in a suitcase and unpack it as you tell the story. Props provide a concrete connection from the telling of the story to the remembering of the story. These props are also valuable for review purposes at the end of your time together.
I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday and got to enjoy time with family and friends. May you have been able to reflect upon the precious birth of our Savior during all of the hustle and bustle. How were you able to share the real meaning of Christmas with your children or church children? One of the things I did with my 9 year old was share the true story of St. Nicholas. We have never pushed the idea of Santa Clausat our house, however we never outright told the kids he is not real. Many families have differing ideas on how to handle Santa Claus, and I am not here to debate that. One thing that I did want my son to know was that St. Nicholas was a real person- a good man who gave of himself to help others. If you have not shared the true story of St. Nicholas with your child or maybe you don't know the story yourself, then go to the Christian bookstore for a book or gather some information online. Here are a few links...
http://www.amazon.com/Legend-Saint-Nicholas-Demi/dp/0689846819/ref=pd_cp_b_3
http://www.amazon.com/Saint-Nicholas-Story-ChristmasLegend/dp/0758613415/ref=pd_cp_b_1
http://www.history.com/content/christmas/history-of-santa/the-legend-of-st.-nicholas
Last post I was sharing some ways for teaching the Bible creatively. I'll give you a few more ideas today.
Another fun way is to be a ONE MAN SHOW. If you have a lesson with a few main characters, become each character. Have a coat rack nearby and put a few props to stand for each person involved. Change your voice or dialect to match each character. It is important to BECOME the character and not just narrate about the characters. If you are telling about David defeating Goliath, use a child's cap for David, a spear for Goliath, and a robe or crown for King Saul. Don't be afraid to embrace your "silliness." We may feel "dumb" acting as each individual in the story, but the kids love it! Find props that are easy to take off and put on. Don't worry if you don't have exactly the right prop. Be creative! You'd be amazed at the treasure of props you have around your house and garage.
VISUAL PROPS are so important to utilize as you teach. Having that visual "hook"- something to get them thinking in the right direction- draws their attention right to you! How about some chocolate covered grasshoppers to introduce the account of John the Baptist? How about a broken ruler to emphasize the sin in the garden?
Another effective use of props is the element of SURPRISE! Keep your props hidden until the appropriate time in the story to reveal them. How about a treasure chest sitting in front of you? Perhaps set up a table at the front of the room with your covered props. Uncover them as you get to their part in the story. Or maybe you can pack your props in a suitcase and unpack it as you tell the story. Props provide a concrete connection from the telling of the story to the remembering of the story. These props are also valuable for review purposes at the end of your time together.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
teaching the Bible creatively- part 1
This past summer I read a great book that all teachers and children's workers could benefit from. It is entitled The Fabulous Reinvention of Sunday School written by Aaron Reynolds.
http://www.amazon.com/Fabulous-Reinvention-Sunday-School-Transformational/dp/0310274338/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260497995&sr=1-1
It is full of great ideas to bring your lessons to life and keep the kids engaged. We have a tough job sometimes keeping the students' attention. In our media-driven world, they have become accustomed to having action at their fingertips at all times with their cell phones, ipods, computers, powerpoints, laptops, PS3's, etc. That being said, we need to reach the students with the important message that we have to share. And we have to find the best ways to get that job accomplished.
So over the next week or so I am planning to share some of Aaron's tried and true methods. He is a former teacher and children's ministry director of Promiseland Children's ministry at Willow Creek Community Church. He now is an author and children's ministry consultant.
1) Audience Participation- It's no secret- kids like to be involved. When you ask for a volunteer, hands fly up begging to help, often before they even know what they are volunteering for! If you analyze your lessons, you can always find ways to let your audience be a part of it all. Here are a couple of methods-
http://www.amazon.com/Fabulous-Reinvention-Sunday-School-Transformational/dp/0310274338/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260497995&sr=1-1
It is full of great ideas to bring your lessons to life and keep the kids engaged. We have a tough job sometimes keeping the students' attention. In our media-driven world, they have become accustomed to having action at their fingertips at all times with their cell phones, ipods, computers, powerpoints, laptops, PS3's, etc. That being said, we need to reach the students with the important message that we have to share. And we have to find the best ways to get that job accomplished.
So over the next week or so I am planning to share some of Aaron's tried and true methods. He is a former teacher and children's ministry director of Promiseland Children's ministry at Willow Creek Community Church. He now is an author and children's ministry consultant.
1) Audience Participation- It's no secret- kids like to be involved. When you ask for a volunteer, hands fly up begging to help, often before they even know what they are volunteering for! If you analyze your lessons, you can always find ways to let your audience be a part of it all. Here are a couple of methods-
- hand-pick participants to help you tell the Bible story. If you're relating the story of David and Goliath, pick a David, Goliath, and some Philistines. Give them some simple props and let them act out the story as you tell it. If you're relating the Last Supper, set up a table and choose students to be the disciples. When telling the account of Noah, have students be the animals and load into the ark. Find ways to involve your audience.
A couple of things to note when hand-picking your helpers- 1) Keep the instructions easy. You shouldn't have a long detailed list of things for them to do or say. This will take too much time for instructions and take away from the flow of your lesson. You should be able to describe their task in just a sentence or two. In the example of the disciples at the Last Supper, they may not even have to say anything. Just their presence alone makes the picture you're trying to portray come alive. 2) Stay in control. You are the storyteller. Your volunteers should be enhancing the point you're trying to get across, not inhibit it. Preparation on your part can solve many problems before they start. Is the volunteer part more suited for an older student or a younger one? A boy or a girl? A more outgoing child or a quiet one? Is an energetic 4th grade boy really the wisest choice for giving the Philistine Jedi sword to? 3) Bring the children up during their parts and dismiss them as soon as they are finished so as not to be a distraction when they are not involved.
- have the whole room be involved. This may be everyone doing the same thing or dividing the group into parts. Half of the room will act as the Israelites and half of the room will be the Philistines. The whole group is the crowd that Jesus is teaching. Having the students be in charge of sound effects is also a fun way to get them on task with you. When telling of Jesus calming the storm, they are the storm! When hearing the Philistine army coming, they are the troops drawing nearer! Find a way to help them tell the story from their seats. Once again, be sure the instructions are simple and easy to explain and complete.
To understand the necessity of involving your students in the lesson process, I want to remind you of some research that has been done:
Notice how these percentages jump as the students get personally involved in the learning? Think about this as you plan your next lesson.Engineering Education magazine found that students
retain only 10% of what they read, 26% of what they hear, 30% of what they see, 50% of what they see and hear, 70% of what they say, and 90% of what they say as they do something.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Christmas ideas
With only 3 Sundays left before Christmas I thought I would share over the next week or two some great links and sites that you might find useful in your class or in your home. With so much focus on shopping, list making, baking, programs, wrapping, decorating, and materialism, we need to use this precious time we have with our kids to remind them that although many of the things above are fun, Christmas is so much more than that- the birth of our dear Saviour- who by coming to earth as a baby, provided a way for our salvation.
Try to spend some time in the next three Sundays reflecting on the beauty of this holiday. There are loads of puzzles, crafts, skits, scripts, stories, and object lessons that could be great additions to your lessons. Be sure to let us know if you used one of the ideas!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
