5 Tips to Start Your Teaching Year Off Right

Happy New Year! Don’t you just love the beginning of a new Sunday School year and all it brings—meeting new kids, new parents, and of course, new crayons?

Sometimes though, all this newness can be a little scary. After all, you’ve gotten into such a good “groove” with the kids you’ve taught all year. They know your routine and you know theirs! It’s hard to let go.

But there’s hope! You’ll love these new kids just a much. And you can get your groove back! Try these few tips to make this year even better than the last!

1. Set a few simple ground rules with your kids.
   1. Remember the age development of your group. Three rules may be plenty to cover what you need.
      1. Respect (or don’t hurt) others.
      2. Respect (or don’t hurt) yourself.
      3. Respect (or don’t hurt) the church property.
   2. Let the kids help you decide on the rules. They often will come up with very similar rules and will take more ownership when they’ve helped make the rules.
2. Organize your classroom. Be sure that you have the resources you need before you need them! Stock your shelves with paper, crayons, markers, scissors, and other essential items. (Notice I said “stock,” not “hoard.”) Know where other specialty items are located in your church or know that you may need to make a quick run to the store sometime during the week for your next session.
3. Get to know your kids before they come!
   1. Send a handwritten note to each child on your roll introducing yourself.
   2. Make a phone call to the parents to introduce yourself and ask what you can do to make this a successful year for their child.
   3. Teach in VBS or other summer activities that include the children you’ll be teaching in the new year.
   4. Refresh your memory of the age level characteristics of the kids you’ll be teaching. (Even if you’ve taught forever!)
4. Don’t start the year with preconceived notions based on other teachers’ opinions of a child. You may have just the personality or teaching skills a child needs that will make a difference in his life. And if you don’t, your teaching partner does! God has put this child in your class for a reason!
5. Make a decision now to commit to be the best teacher you can be. I’m guilty myself of starting the new year great … studying my lesson during the week, planning ahead of time, purchasing fun items to enhance my lesson … then as the year progresses, I digress. I find myself waiting until Friday or Saturday to do my planning and realizing how much better my teaching could have been if I had just a little bit more time! Don’t let this happen to you. Commit now to make your teaching a priority. It’s better for you and for the kids. They’re worth it!

And before we go … one for you, personally. Do you know the phrase “physician heal thyself?” Let’s take a little liberty with that statement and change it to “teacher teach thyself.” Too often the excitement of a new year quickly fades because we don’t take the time to continue our own spiritual education. When this happens, we dry up, and have nothing to give. Be sure to study God’s Word and discover what He’s got in store for you this new year!

Now, go celebrate and make this the best year ever!

Klista Storts serves as an Editorial Ministry Specialist for Lifeway Kids. Before coming to Lifeway, she served as the Weekday and Preschool Specialist at the Tennessee Baptist Convention and as Director of Preschool Ministries at churches in Oklahoma and Tennessee. Klista has a passion for equipping leaders to share the love of Christ and lay foundations for conversion in the lives of kids.