Have you ever found it hard to get the attention of a room full of kids? It can be a loud place. 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.
Over the years, I’ve searched for all kinds of advice on how to teach effectively. There is one piece of advice I found to be the worst of them all.
Act cool, show little emotion and take yourself seriously. Don’t be a clown! This is church, after all!
This just doesn’t work for me. And I would dare say it won’t work for anyone who is teaching elementary age kids.
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 a 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. 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?
