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.
Can You Respect a Fun Teacher?
I understand those who want to emphasize a church or school is a place that needs to be treated with respect. However, it also needs to be a fun place. Respect doesn’t mean everyone must be bored to death.
An effective teacher or speaker knows there is little entertainment involved. Speaking in a monotone voice with no emotion will either send a classroom into a frenzy or cause all children without ADHD to sit there and daydream. Whether you have external evidence you’ve lost them or they are acting internally by daydreaming, you’ve still lost them.
So my advice to you is it’s okay to be a little goofy when you’re teaching.
- Have a little fun with it. If you’re having fun, they’re having fun too.
- Vary your speaking voice. Have some exciting, loud times, but also some quiet, somber times.
- Don’t be afraid to crack a few jokes. Even bad ones can keep attention.
- Don’t just lecture. You can get the kids involved too. Have them read for you. Have them participate in a game. Make it a fun experience.
What are some ways you’ve made your classroom or Sunday school class a fun place to learn? What would you say to the statement, “The worst advice I’ve ever heard about teaching in church is…?”
Editor’s Note: I originally published this blog on October 6, 2015. I revamped and updated it for timeliness and comprehensiveness.
