Category: teaching

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teaching

Testing those Props

A few years ago, I had a great lesson on testing those props before presenting a lesson. I mean, what could wrong with candy as props, right?

The monthly theme in my class had been about grace. The classroom has been decorated like a candy shop and the opening activities had used sweets as props. This was part of the curriculum at http://whatisorange.org/252basics/.

cartoon on testing those props. A mom says to a boy, "Something tells me you enjoyed this morning's class."

The lesson called for inviting kids to come up and “test” candy for the rest of the class. The samples included some pretzel M & M’s, gummy candy, and Pop Rocks candy.

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teaching

The worst advice I’ve ever heard about teaching in church

Cartoon of a boy talking to a guy dressed in a while outfit.

Over the years, I’ve searched for all kinds of advice on how to teach effectively. But the worst advice I’ve ever heard about teaching in church has actually been the most helpful for me.

Have you ever found it hard to get the attention of a room full of kids? It can be a loud place. However, if you have the class on a Sunday morning, it can also be a quiet place that would make a crypt sound like an ideal place for a party.

How do you keep the kids engaged, whether the kids are rowdy, or just waking up after a rowdy weekend night? One piece of advice I have heard over the years was actually the worst thing I could have tried. What is it?

Be formal, show little emotion and take yourself very seriously. Don’t be a clown! This is church, after all!

Did I hear those exact words? Not exactly. But it was something I believed. for some time. When I first got into children’s ministry. I tried it for a while with disastrous results!

This just doesn’t work for me. And I would dare say it won’t work for anyone who is teaching elementary-age kids.

Cartoon of a boy and a teacher. The student says, "You're goofy, Mr. Schmeltzer! I like that in a teacher."
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The Best-Laid Plans Never Go as Planned

Cartoon of two people waist deep in water. A woman says, "I've learned there is a fine line between potty training and preschooler vandalism."
Published in "K! Kidzmatter Magazine"

If the last two years have taught us anything, we have learned that the best-laid plans never go as planned. There are circumstances and surprises that come out of nowhere. In fact, we may be tempted to utter along with Curly, “I’m a victim of circumstance!“

Children and the Best-laid Plans

I thought I had life all figured out until I had children. Planning was easy when my wife and I started our lives together. For the most part, we were on the same page and had similar goals. But when we had kids, I discovered they didn’t always share the same goals like when was the proper bedtime, how to behave at restaurants, and when was the optimal time to begin potty training.

Cartoon of two people waist deep in water. A woman says, "I've learned there is a fine line between potty training and preschooler vandalism."
Published in Kidzmatter Magazine
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motivation Parenting Cartoons teaching

A Salute to the Sudden Homeschooling Parent

I know it must be rough. If you weren’t already a homeschooling parent, it had to be quite challenging to become one without much notice or preparation. I’ve heard more than one parent express admiration for their child’s school teacher. It has changed your relationship with your kids. You may be doing it while you are juggling your job duties. It is probably complicated by a tinge of cabin fever as we await stay-at-home orders to be lifted.

I give a salute to you! It can’t be an easy task. You can take some solace in knowing that you were your child’s first teacher. They have already learned much from you. They also notice how you are juggling so much during this crisis. They admire you much more than they will let on.

Go on and fill your kids with knowledge. Let them know you are with them, are for them, and as a family, you will get through this. When this is a memory one day, your kids will have fond memories of a time that today you are finding quite stressful.

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children's ministry cartoons K! Magazine Kidzmatter Magazine Magazine teaching

The Magic of Flannelgraphs

Cartoon of a teacher and a boy attached to a wall. The boy says, "You're right, Mrs. Slocum. Flannel graphs are fun when you are part of the story."
Published in "K! Kidzmatter Magazine."

One of the challenges of being away from children’s ministry for several weeks is missing the quirky things like flannelgraphs. This cartoon reminds me of the many Bible stories I heard as a child and the little paper illustrations that the teacher would place on the board as she told the story. As a visual person, those flannelgraph illustrations probably had as much of an impression on me as the story itself.

I remember wanting to be part of the story. So this cartoon was a natural one for me to come up with. Like the boy on the flannelgraph wall, I would have loved to be in the middle of Jesus, the disciples, a loaf of bread and a fish.

To all the parents and teachers that are trying to keep the kids entertained and educated, It may be the simple things like a flannelgraph that will keep a kid’s attention over the latest, wifi-powered technology.

Cartoon of a teacher and a boy attached to a wall. The boy says, "You're right, Mrs. Slocum. Flannel graphs are fun when you are part of the story."
Published in “K! Kidzmatter Magazine.”