Tim Pollard, Author at Kids Ministry

August 26, 2019

4 Things Summer Taught Me About Classroom Management

Summer programming at your church may look totally different from your traditional Bible study or kids church setting. Typical VBS programs and other summer events are quick and come with their own unique challenges. This summer was one of my busiest. Having just joined a new church I got to volunteer in VBS and get introduced to many of the kids in the kids ministry but also many whom I did not know. This opportunity gave me an excellent way to practice my classroom management skills and see if they were truly valid. Ongoing Bible study classes had not been a problem, but what about a one week small group?

Here are a few techniques that worked for me that week and may work for you too.

Be prepared. One of the first things you need to do in any teaching environment is to be prepared. Classroom management starts before you ever meet together. Take time on the front end to make sure the classroom is set up for optimal learning and decide on the structure of your class time together. Providing structure with clear expectations will go a long way to creating an environment where managing your classroom will be much smoother.
Be consistent. The quickest way to lose control of any classroom situation is to be too flexible when it comes to the rules of the classroom. To maintain order, be consistent in enforcing the rules no matter what. If a child who usually is a great rule follower crosses the line and breaks the rules, being consistent with consequences shows everyone that the rules truly do apply to everyone.
Use non-verbal cues. When a child is being disruptive, using non-verbal communication like eye contact or a gentle touch on the shoulder to redirect attention will go a long way. If you have a group of kids sitting in the corner engaging in their own dialogue, simply walking in their direction and making eye contact will likely stop that undesirable behavior. Once you have their attention, engage them by using a name in conversation.
Praise positive behavior. Instead of focusing attention on the negative behavior, draw attention to the positive that is happening. I admit, I’ve never been good at doing this, but I made a conscious effort to focus on positives and it really did make a difference in the behaviors of the kids in my group. Most kids are looking for praise and when kids were not being rewarded by being mentioned for their negative behaviors, most of it stopped.

These are just a few techniques you can try. Many other management techniques exist but these are four that worked great for me and I hope they will work great for you too.

Tim Pollard is passionate about helping kids dig deep into Scripture, which he pursues through his daily work as leader of the Explore the Bible: Kids team. Tim lives with his wife and daughters in Mount Juliet, TN.

Kids Ministry, Leadership, Ministry

June 17, 2019

Helping Kids who Deal with Anxiety Issues

By Tim Pollard

Anxiety!! Sometimes even the word brings a flutter to our hearts. For anyone who has experienced an anxious child, you know that this is something that has become more pervasive in the past few years. Kids today have a lot more external stressors that bring anxiety. Social media influences and an increase in peer pressure are all piling up on kids. Anxiety can take many forms, and, all of us deal with anxiety in some form almost every day. How we handle our anxiety, and how we guide kids to handle their anxiety, may sometimes be different. As adults, we have coping mechanisms that are better developed, however, these same mechanisms may not be as developed in kids. Here are a few things to think about as you help kids deal with this issue.

Acknowledge that the anxiety is real. Many times kids seem to be anxious over things that we as adults view as “non-essential” or “no big deal.” If you are going to help a kid deal with his anxiety, you must acknowledge that he is genuinely anxious about something that is real to him.
Don’t avoid activities that might cause anxiety. Kids can learn that things that may make them anxious, most often, won’t actually harm them. By avoiding situations that may cause anxiety, you may inadvertently create a situation where a child will never learn to deal with her anxiety.
Communicate. When talking about anxiety, really listen, and really talk. Make sure you ask questions that will help the child think through what is causing the anxiety and suggest possible solutions respecting the child’s feelings. Ask open-ended questions that aren’t leading. Share experiences you may have had with the same kind of stressor and how you handled the experience.
Model appropriate responses. One of the best ways to help a child deal with anxiety is to model for them appropriate responses to stressors. By modeling calm responses, kids can copy your behavior when they discover their anxiousness might not really be a threat to their safety.
Pray with the child. Pray for God’s peace in the situation. Prayer is important and by letting kids hear you pray for them by name, sometimes the anxious feelings they have will lessen.

I recently chatted with a child whom I know struggles with anxiety and asked what advice she could offer to kids struggling with anxiety. The answer I received was, “Trust that God is in control. When I start thinking about things that cause me stress, I try to pray and ask God to help me know that most of what I stress about never even happens.” Taking this advice, let kids know that God is in control and kids (and adults) can always turn to Him when struggling with anxious feelings.

Bible Study, Kids Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Small Groups

April 29, 2019

What to do when your Small Group is a SMALL Group

By Tim Pollard

I have had a great opportunity to work in a variety of churches. Some churches were small, some churches were large, but no matter the size of the church, I love small group teaching. I love the cozy environment of a small group. I love the almost individualized training that can happen when sometimes you are one-on-one. What happens though when only one or two kids show up? What are you to do when your small group is a SMALL group? Here are a few ways to adapt when making your plans.

If you use a prepared curriculum, think about the possibility of a small group when you are planning. If an activity has you breaking into groups of six … and you only have one child … how will you still accomplish the goal with only one child? How can you adapt the plan so that one child succeeds?
Group games might still work. If your curriculum gives you instructions to play a group game, for instance, consider the goal of the game. Is there a team relay? Is there an over-under sort of game? Remember, you count too, so get in there and play that game if you have to. Adapt the game so it can be completed by a few even if each person participates multiple times.
Large group demonstrations could be difficult. What to do if your curriculum suggests having 12 participants each take one card and find someone else in the room with the same card? You can quickly turn this activity into a memory matching game for a small group to play at a table.
Involved craft activities. While most craft activities are fairly self-directed, you may run into an activity that requires the participation of more than one person. Use your skills and those of other leaders in your room to accent the activity so kids can experience success.

No matter what your situation, you can think through these suggestions beforehand and prepare for the eventual SMALL group of kids. The key, obviously, is to prepare. Be ready when you arrive to meet the needs of whatever group you have. Also, remember that you do count too. Kids love learning alongside adults and when you participate in an activity it engages parts of their brains that might not have been engaged with purely peer engagement. Never forget that God placed you where you are so you can guide boys and girls to know Him. You can do that no matter the size of the group you are teaching.

Bible Skills, Bible Study, Discipleship, Leadership

March 25, 2019

Teaching God’s Word to Impact Young Lives

By Tim Pollard

Hebrews 4:12 says that God’s Word is living and effective. When you hear these two words, what comes to mind? Do they seem foreign as they apply to an inanimate object like the Bible? When the writer of Hebrews called the Bible living what did he mean and how can we take the living Word and help it shape the lives of boys and girls?

Obviously, the writer’s intent is not to imply that the Bible itself breathes, thinks, or in our understanding of life, is alive, but the Bible indeed is living. The end of Hebrews 4:12 shows how life comes from the Bible when the author says that God’s Word “is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” When leading conferences I like to ask conferees why they continue to read the Bible. Why not just read it once and be done with it? The reason is clear—because God’s Word means something new to us each time we read it. The Spirit of God highlights for our souls what we need to hear from God as we read His living Word! Experiencing God’s Word in such a way should guide our teaching as we help kids allow the Bible to impact their lives. Here are a few ways you can help guide kids to understand and appreciate God’s living Word.

Teach kids that God’s Word is inspired. Help them understand what this means. God’s Word came by human pen through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. As such, God’s Word represents the actual words God intended for people to read. God inspired the words that kids can read as they open their Bibles.
Teach kids what a daily discipline of Bible study looks like. Encourage girls and boys to begin a simple daily time of Bible reading. Once kids understand the importance of daily Bible reading, challenge them to begin deeper study into God’s Word.
Teach kids the wonderful things that the Bible teaches about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and daily life. As you are excited to share the truths of the Bible, kids can learn to be excited to open God’s Word and dig deeper into its pages.
Provide resources that help kids know what God’s Word teaches. As a living Word, the Bible speaks to many issues or circumstances kids are faced with. Guide kids to find how God’s Word teaches about issues they are challenged by and help them remember how to use the Bible to guide them in their daily walk.

God’s Word is living and effective. As kids begin to understand how God’s living Word affects their lives they will desire deeper understanding and see the impact of the Bible on their lives. Take seriously the role you play in guiding girls and boys to cherish God’s Word.

Apologetics, Kids Ministry, Leadership

February 11, 2019

Introducing Explorations in Genesis

By Tim Pollard

The makers of Explore the Bible Kids resources value the time leaders will spend in helping preschoolers and kids understand God’s Word. The Bible is important and contains valuable stories that serve to build foundations for boys and girls understanding of God and Who He is. A new study that focuses on five foundational stories from the Book of Genesis will help ground kids in God’s plan for His creation.

Explorations in Genesis will explore God’s creation of the world. Central to all life is the fact that God intentionally created the earth and everything that is on the earth and in the heavens. God desires a relationship with His creation. God has a plan for each person and God will fulfill His plan. After sin entered the world, God sent a flood but rescued Noah and Noah’s family. This story of salvation gives glimpses of the gospel and God’s ultimate plan to rescue people from sin. God’s plan for people was announced to Abram, a man whom God chose to be the father of many nations. Through Abram’s offspring God one day would send Jesus Christ. God continued his plan by affirming His promise to Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Kids will study God’s plan for Jacob who fathered 12 men through whom would come the nation of Israel. Finally, kids will study the story of Joseph and how God used Joseph to save his family from starvation. Joseph’s life was not easy, but God used the hardships to help Joseph realize that God is always in control.

The Explorations in Genesis kit comes in a handy box that contains everything you need to teach these five sessions. This easy to use resource has a printed leader guide for both preschoolers and kids. Each of these guides contains two separate studies. Babies & Toddlers and Preschool suggestions will be found in the Preschool Leader Guide. Younger Kids and Older Kids suggestions will be found in the Kids Leader Guide. In your classroom, you can decide which age groups suggestions best fit the group of kids you are leading and even mix and match the suggestions to make the strongest teaching environment for your kids. Included with each kit will be discs where you can print additional teaching resources and five episodes of Explore the Bible On Location video are added for kids. Not only that, but all of the resources are available digitally through a unique code provided to you when you purchase. These five sessions can be used in any way you need for them to be used. Use them once a week for five weeks, once a month for five months, or use the suggestions to supplement your teaching as you guide girls and boys through the Book of Genesis.

We pray that God will use these studies to help you as you build foundations for faith from the Book of Genesis.

Family Ministry, Kids Ministry, Leadership

January 28, 2019

Keeping Everyone Engaged in a Multiaged Environment

By Tim Pollard

On a recent family vacation, we had an opportunity to spend some time in a community preserved from early America. As we explored the different buildings and homes in the community, I was struck by the one-room schoolhouse. As I thought more about the model of the one-room schoolhouse, I wondered if there was application for what we do by engaging in large group experiences. The principle is exactly the same. We have multiple ages in our one room, learning biblical truth, but at different levels of understanding and engagement. What can we learn from early schoolhouses that can help us keep everyone engaged in the learning?

First, plan with a purpose. If you use published curriculum most of those options come with a goal or end for each teaching session. If you keep the end in mind when you are doing your planning take care to phrase that end in a way that meets the needs of whatever ages are represented in your teaching environment.

Second, provide resources appropriate to the age of the child. When teaching with a specific goal in mind, multiple age classrooms need to provide the age-appropriate resources for engaging kids on their level of understanding and ability. If a child is engaged in this way, she will more likely engage with the teaching.

Third, provide choices. Providing choices will give the kids you teach the opportunity to learn in the way they like best. You might be surprised that preteens would choose to do an activity that might be more geared toward younger learners because deep down, those preteens might really not be ready for grown-up activity. Providing choices gives kids the experiences they need to remain engaged.

Finally, allow peer interaction. This is probably the most important as older kids can assist well in keeping younger peers engaged. Allow some discussion in a large group that allows older kids to mentor younger kids. Don’t feel that you have to answer all the questions. Let dynamic conversations happen and be available to assist if misunderstanding occurs.

The one-room schoolhouse model successfully raised generations of Americans, and we can learn by what they did, and implement that learning as we teach in a multi-age environment.

Tim Pollard is passionate about helping kids dig deep into Scripture, which he pursues through his daily work as team leader for the Explore the Bible: Kids team. Tim lives with his wife and daughters in Mount Juliet, TN.

Bible Skills, Bible Study, Leadership

December 19, 2018

Introducing the Bible Timeline for Kids

By Tim Pollard

The makers of Explore the Bible would like to introduce to you a brand new resource that will provide fun and exciting ways to help leaders guide boys and girls to engage with God’s Word. While this timeline comes from the makers of Explore the Bible it is not unique to just those users. We hear from leaders from time to time who ask us to provide help for kids who struggle with understanding how all of God’s Word fits together. We have always tried to help kids understand the different types of literature God’s Word is written in and give them a glimpse into each of these genres of Scripture. This resource will do just that and … you can purchase it today! The Bible Timeline for Kids will help guide your kids explorations and maybe answer questions they might have about people and places in Scripture.

The Bible Timeline for Kids is a useful resource that is filled with colorful, engaging visuals built across a timeline of history. Each pack contains 12 posters that, when hung side-by-side, display the full timeline of history. The top of the chart clearly labels the time period in history and each of the 66 books of the Bible are highlighted along the timeline so you can help kids see when the events they are studying actually happened. The events of each book can be compared to other events in history that kids could be familiar with. A leaders ability to highlight where a particular Scripture passage happened, and shift to another time period in subsequent weeks, will guide kids to be able to swiftly understand how God spoke to people through all of history.

If you have used this resource already, we would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment and let us know what you think!

Tim Pollard teaches 3rd graders at Tulip Grove Baptist Church. He’s passionate about helping kids dig deep into Scripture, which he pursues through his daily work as leader of the Explore the Bible: Kids team. Tim lives with his wife and daughters in Mount Juliet, TN.

Looking for a last minute gift for your Bible study teachers? The Bible Timeline for Kids would be an excellent choice!

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Leadership

October 24, 2018

Experiencing the fun and foods of Bible-times

By Tim Pollard

Many times as we teach, it is hard to get across that the people of Bible-times were real people just like you and me. Part of that is that the Bible sheds little light on what life was like for people during the time when Jesus lived. Help your kids experience the Bible by introducing them to some of the fun and foods of Bible-times.

Fun Times

What did kids do for fun during Bible-times? You might be surprised to know that many of the games boys and girls enjoy today had some of their roots in ancient times. As a matter of fact, some of these games had been popular for hundreds of years before Jesus was born. Hopscotch, jacks, and tops have all been around since before Jesus lived on the earth. It is possible that Jesus may have played catch with His brothers and sisters with a small leather seed filled ball about the size of a baseball. Many kids during Jesus’ day also played games with whistles, hoops, and rattles. While we don’t know specifics about some of these games, you can incorporate these items into games you play and let kids decide how they need to be used. If you have a checkerboard, you might want to let kids know that kids from Bible-times were playing a game very similar to what modern day checkers looks like.

Fun Foods

Not surprising, since games have changed very little since Jesus’ day it goes without saying that food is not different at all. Bible-times people have also eaten many of the foods that your kids love today. While ancient people did not have some of the candy confections we enjoy today they did have many of the common vegetables that we still eat. One thing your kids might enjoy knowing is that it was unclean for Jewish kids and their moms and dads, to not eat any pork products so … no ham, bacon, or pork chops. For fun, bring in some of the foods more commonly mentioned in Scripture and let your kids try some of those. Those foods include leeks, garlic, onions, bread, dates, dried fruit, fish, and even insects such as locust. While I wouldn’t recommend letting kids sample a locust it might be fun to show them a picture and let them imagine what that would have been like.

Enhance your teaching by introducing kids to the fun and food of Bible-times and help them see that people during Bible-times were not much different from today.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Leadership

July 30, 2018

I Don’t Want To: How to Deal with Obstinate Children

By Tim Pollard

We’ve probably all heard this statement whether from our own kids at home, or from the kids we teach in Bible study. As a third grade Bible study teacher this is a common statement I hear quite often. Kids this age sometimes just don’t feel like they are engaged in the learning and when we ask them to participate we often get the response, “I don’t want to.” Sometimes our inclination is to answer with a quick retort that likely won’t solve the situation and in reality might just make it worse. Here are a few things that you might consider the next time you are faced with an “I don’t want to” kind of day.

Offer choices. One thing we have learned to do in our classroom is to offer choices. Now that doesn’t mean that we are constantly offering choices because some of the activities we do have to be done by everyone. Our kids know that sometimes there is an opportunity to choose and sometimes there isn’t. I think that having them know that there are times they can choose helps them to navigate the times they don’t have a choice. Simple statements such as, “Now is the time we will all participate together. Later you will have a chance to choose something you like to do.”
Be consistent. Offering choices isn’t always going to work with a child who might not want to participate so to make the choices more effective you need to consistently enforce the rules. Consistent classroom management is always the easiest way to gain buy-in from the kids in your classroom. Consistency also gives kids a sense of belonging and security. If they know you aren’t going to waver then they are more apt to follow along.
Make sure the rules apply to everyone. This really goes hand in hand with the statement above, but evaluate your session each week and make sure that the rules you have in your classroom were applied across the board. If we overlook a discretion by one who typically doesn’t cause issues, the other kids notice this oversight and might tend to push back more.
Be flexible. Every now and then I run into an “I don’t want to” situation and an activity that just isn’t engaging anyone. If that happens, be flexible, and end the activity even if you have to fill that time with something else. There are always plenty of options so be aware of how your kids are engaging and if they aren’t learning shift to something that will get their attention.

Know the kids you teach and make sure you have consistent rules that apply to everyone. Having effective classroom techniques will go a long way to help you get out of the “I don’t want to” rut.

Kids Ministry, Leadership, Teaching Kids

June 25, 2018

4 Ways to Know You are Teaching a Verbal Learner

By Tim Pollard

A while ago I wrote a blog post about tips for recognizing a reflective learner in your group. You can read that post HERE. I figured it might be fun to give you tips for recognizing (and teaching) a verbal learner. Actually, recognizing a verbal learner might be quite easy but what most of us may struggle with are strategies for engaging a verbal learner.

My youngest daughter is without question a verbal learner. I tell people all the time that if I can get her to stop talking for five minutes she will be completely asleep, and for the most part that is true. The only exception we’ve found to that truth is if she is engaged in a game or watching TV. In those instances, she can keep quiet for about 10 minutes or so without falling asleep. Here are some ways you can identify verbal learners in your group.

A verbal learner loves to talk. This probably goes without saying, but verbal learners just really like to talk. Talking is one of the ways that a verbal learner will work out problems and create solutions. Talking isn’t bad but sometimes it can be used at not opportune times. When that happens, redirect the behavior by refocusing the child’s attention on your discussion and use his name if appropriate to draw him back into the discussion. Your verbal learner will also probably be the first hand in the air when you ask a question if she knows the answer or not.
A verbal learner will ask you lots of questions. Since verbal learners learn best by talking, it is easy to understand that they are going to ask you lots of questions to help figure out what you are talking about. If you have a verbal learner in your group you can head some of these questioning behaviors off by engaging your verbal learner with questions of your own. My verbal learner loves to ask questions so at home we turn those around and ask her questions to help her process and arrive at conclusions on her own.
A verbal learner will likely be the first to volunteer for group exercises. Putting a verbal learner in a group will be thrilling for them. They may not take the lead in group dynamics but they will relish being in a group and having the ability to express their opinions. Small group activities will help verbal learners engage peer to peer and have a voice in what is happening. Just make sure all your verbal learners aren’t in the same group and you should be good to go.
A verbal learner (mostly) loves to read. Most verbal learners are excellent readers and thoroughly enjoy reading. Some prefer the spoken word to the written word but those who engage with books well many times are your verbal learners. My daughter is a voracious reader and, even at her young age, can quickly read and comprehend a book that would take me considerably longer.

Teaching a verbal learner is always a great job, but can also be a bit of a challenge. God created everyone unique and special and we need to celebrate each child for who God created them to be. Identify those verbal learners and help them experience each lesson in a way that will keep them engaged and ready to learn.

4 Things Summer Taught Me About Classroom Management

Helping Kids who Deal with Anxiety Issues

What to do when your Small Group is a SMALL Group

Teaching God’s Word to Impact Young Lives

Introducing Explorations in Genesis

Keeping Everyone Engaged in a Multiaged Environment

Introducing the Bible Timeline for Kids

Experiencing the fun and foods of Bible-times

I Don’t Want To: How to Deal with Obstinate Children

4 Ways to Know You are Teaching a Verbal Learner

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