Well-Equipped Volunteer: Train & Grow Your Children's Ministry Volunteers

So far in this series on classroom management I have talked about consistency and routine.

Today I want to talk about using time wisely.

Teachers with solid classroom management skills use their time wisely and fill it with a variety of activities.

I recently volunteered at a French immersion nursery school where the teacher did this really well. First, she followed a routine with the kids. Second, she filled every minute with a variety of interesting activities. The class was from 9:30 – 11:30 and the kids were so busy doing interesting activities that I saw very few behavior issues and the teacher had to discipline a child once. They were given play time, circle time, different and interesting group activities, snack time, etc. The teacher kept them hopping! And the kids had a great time!

I was really impressed by this preschool teacher. She used the time she had wisely and filled it with a variety of activities that grabbed the kids attention and kept their interest.

Sunday School teachers have a similar situation. They have a limited time with the kids in the classroom.

First, use the time you have wisely.

Sunday School teachers have 45 min to an hour and a half. When you consider all the other ways kids spend their time during the week, that’s not a lot.

Make good use of every minute you have with the kids in your class. Plan activities for the time you have and then plan a few extras. Sometimes activities will not take as long as you think they will or the service may run over time. Always have something prepared to use with any extra time you have.

A well-managed classroom is one that engages a child as soon as they arrive with interesting activities that focus on the theme of the morning. When kids are engaged in a variety of interesting activities they have less time to misbehave.

Second, fill the time with a variety of interesting activities.

A variety is important. Not all children learn the same way. When you vary the way you teach and present a lesson and the types of activities you provide for the kids in your class, you are including all children no matter how they learn.

By providing a variety of interesting activities you are also showing an understanding of children’s attention spans. Children just can’t sit and listen to a lecture for an hour! They are developmentally not able. But when you offer a variety of activities you are keeping their interest and attention and again giving them less opportunity to misbehave.

Develop your skills in classroom management by using the time you have wisely and filling it with a variety of interesting activities. Look at the routine you have for your class. Does it use the time wisely? If not, you may want to consider changing the routine. Does it offer plenty of opportunities for the kids to be involved? If not, you may want to consider changing it.

These classroom elements are all connected. Find a routine that uses the time you have wisely and then stick to it. Be consistent in the classroom. Consistently fill your time with interesting activities.

This week, take a close look at how time is spent in your classroom. If there are empty spaces, fill them up with interesting activities!