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The following pages include warm-up activities, participant skillbuilding ideas, lesson themes, how to teach storytelling & songs, practice debriefing ideas, and some really great activities. These tutor notes came from a Book 3, Teaching Children's Classes Grade 1, held summer 2004 in Euclid, Ohio, USA.  Tutors were Leah Farnsworth and Susanne Alexander.  They are provided as an assistance to other tutors of this book. The section themes were provided by Michelle Tashakor.

Book 3, Teaching Children's Classes Grade 1

Session 1, Warm-Up

1. Give Name
2. Say why you are participating in Book 3
3. State one quality that you admired in a teacher you once had

Some Qualities of Respected Teachers:

v     Showed trust in students

v     Was motivational

v     Saw the good in negative situations

v     Saw my intellectual qualities

v     Happy quietness

v     Serene

v     Instilled understanding and love for a subject

v     Provided experiential learning

v     Had listening skills

v     Showed love and understanding even when I made a mistake

v     Gave focused attention

v     Saw my capacity

v     Allowed for opportunities for me to develop my capacity

v     Wasn't patronizing

v     Guided

v     Was inclusive: appreciated all the students, not just the "good" ones

v     Gave quiet encouragement

 

What Is the Skillbuilding from Book 3? (aka If I'm not going to teach children's classes, why do I need to take this book anyway?!)

v     Planning

v     Storytelling

v     Teaching songs

v     Arts and crafts

v     How to set quotes/poems to songs/music

v     Memorization

v     How to make things fun

v     Leading games and activities

v     Discussing and learning from coloring pictures

v     Rounding up and focusing children

v     How to adapt and be flexible with children of different ages

v     How to be welcoming

v     Preparing age-appropriate devotions

v     Staying on task

v     Building a rapport with children and fellow teachers

v     How to consult with parents

v     How to understand and explain quotations

v     How to listen

v     How to pray for and receive guidance

v     Stronger relationship with children

v     Parenting and grandparenting skills

v     How to use props and gestures to enliven your speaking

v     How to identify character qualities in others

v     How to protect children's safety and wellbeing

v     How to adapt an environment/home for other uses

v     How to coordinate an activity with other adults

v     How to carry a theme throughout multiple activities

 

Themes from Book 3, Children's Classes

Lesson 1            Unity

Lesson 2            Purity of Heart

Lesson 3            Justice

Lesson 4            Love

Lesson 5            Service to Others

Lesson 6            Truthfulness

Lesson 7            Steadfastness

Lesson 8            Humility

Lesson 9            Golden Rule

Lesson 10            Honesty

Lesson 11            Generosity

Lesson 12            Friends with All People

Lesson 13            Obedience to God in Difficulties

Lesson 14            God's Love is a Protection

Lesson 15            Trust in God in All Circumstances

 

Going Through Quotations with Children

Purpose:  To engrave the words on the hearts and not just on the minds

Steps:

v     Read the quote twice to them

v     Identify key words and give concrete examples of them

v     Explain the quote as a whole

v     Read the quote together three times

Key Points to Think About:

v     Ask questions that lead them back to the quote

v     Keep your terminology age-appropriate

v     Depending on the age of the children, stimulate a guided discussion about the words and their meaning

v     Read the quote slowly, and feel the impact of it as you do

 

Teaching Storytelling

Purpose: To share the history and principles of the Faith with children/others

Steps:

v     Identify the main theme of the story (usually corresponds to the theme of the lesson)

v     Identify 2-3 other key messages in the story

v     Identify if there are any other points

v     Identify if there will be good points in the story to pause for drama, to ask the audience questions, or to make side comments

v     Gather any appropriate props to help with dramatizing the story

v     Create an environment that supports intent listening and/or the drama

v     Generate a list of questions the children might ask at the end and plan your answers

Key Points to Think About:

v     How to communicate the emotions of the story

v     Generate your love for the children listening

v     Create a sense of anticipation and drama

v     Include appropriate gestures

v     Be active and engaging

v     Stay on the children's level

v     Personalize the story with something from your life that relates to the story

Uses for Storytelling Other Than Children's Classes:

v     19-Day Feast

v     Holy Days

v     With work colleagues

v     At family meals

v     Toastmasters public speaking group

v     Bedtime stories with children

v     To occupy time, such as waiting in line, in traffic, etc.

 

Teaching Songs

Purpose: Uplifts the spirits and assists people to express their talents through the medium of music

Steps:

v     Know the song very well yourself first

v     Give an overview of the story and perhaps a background story about it

v     Read and repeat the words (without music)

v     Use actions and gestures to illustrate the words

v     Explain any unfamiliar words

v     Play the song for the children, perhaps singing along with it yourself

v     Re-play the song with everyone singing it at least twice

v     Try it with the music turned down and everyone singing

 

Debriefing from Children's Class Teaching Practices

v     Were you able to effectively welcome and connect with the children?

v     What did you learn?

v     What was easy?

v     What was difficult?

v     Where do you feel you need more skill practice?

v     How was it teaching as a team instead of just one teacher?

v     Were you able to effectively back each other up and assist one another?

v     What props did you use?  How? Were they effective?

v     What were your limitations? How did you compensate for them?

 

Some Specific Activities

Anytime Activity

True Education

Ahead of time, the tutor cuts out magazine photos of a wide variety of people, objects, scenery, etc. At the session, place them out on a table.  Ask the group to choose one that reminds them of some aspect of "true education".  When everyone has chosen a picture, one at a time they then share what they chose and why.

Gem Roll - Unit 1, Section 3

Quote:  "Regard man as a mine rich in gems...."

Instructions:

1. Start with a long length of crepe paper or cloth
2. Lay a craft-store "gem" on the end of the paper/cloth
3. Roll it up and roll more of the paper/cloth around it
4. Place another gem on it and roll it up

You will end up with a ball full of gems that are not visible to the participants. Hand the ball to the first person and ask them to unroll the paper/cloth until they find something. When they find the gem, ask them to share one of the strengths they believe they have as a teacher.

Alternative:  Alternate a gem and some other small object.  Whoever gets one of the other objects shares a key teaching skill he/she wants to develop.

Quality Circle - Unit 1, Sections 3-8 (or at any point during Book 3)

Each participant and tutor(s) holds a piece of paper.  At the top of it, you have put their name and the quote, "Regard man as amine rich in gems..."

Participants sit in a circle and they are instructed to hand their sheet of paper to the person on their right.  The person on the right then writes down (anonymously) a quality or qualities of the person named at the top of the sheet.  After a minute or so, the sheets are passed to the right again. Eventually, each person will have back their own sheet with everyone's comments on it.

Perfume, Fire, and Protection - Unit 1, Section 9

While someone reads the first quote, "The Tongue of My power...divine fragrance...perfume of a grace....", the tutor offer people either a whiff of or a drop of perfume.  You might use attar of roses, jasmine, etc. NOTE:  Check first if people have allergies to perfume!

While someone reads the second quote, "Let the flame of the love of God....", light a candle in the room.

While someone reads the third quote, "O Son of Being! My love is My stronghold....", the whole group joins hands with one person stepping into the middle to be protected.

Developing Spiritual Habits - Unit 1, Section 12

Gather a variety of art supplies, especially paper, markers, and scissors.  Each person decides which spiritual habit in their lives they would like to strengthen or be more consistent with. Each then creates some kind of visual reminder of the habit that they can keep where they will see it and be reminded of doing what they committed to do. Ask each to share what they created with the group. (Takes 30-45 minutes)

Heart Talent Guess - Unit 2, Section 4

After reading the quote "The art of music is divine...latent talents with which the hearts of these children are endowed....", generate a list of talents of the heart.  Some possibilities are:

v     Empathy

v     Patience

v     Compassion

v     Connecting with people

v     Love

v     Sensitivity

v     Expressiveness

v     Sincerity

v     Enthusiasm

v     Generosity

v     Kindness

v     Prayer

Musical Emotions

Sometimes in children's classes, you will choose music that is designed to evoke a particular feeling.  This activity will give you practice in choosing appropriate music and the tutor and participants practice in identifying what emotion comes up when listening to the music.  Pick 5-10 different songs and play 30 seconds of each for the group. After each song section is played, the group should guess what emotion it is designed to bring up.