Wednesday Night Lessons 101 - April 2

Here we are again....updating after a Wednesday night lesson. Last night, I once again taught about Respect....but this was the last one in a series of lessons on the subject. From here on in April, we're moving on to new things.

Here is my basic outline for the night:

1. Bible drills
2. Find Hidden Respect word/Game
3. Interview myself/ have snack
4. Do hand out interview sheets
5. Prayer and clean up

Here is what we actually did:

1. Bible drills

I put out our "bin" of Bibles once again, so they could take one as they come into class. I also put up this "Bible Calendar" to encourage us all to remember our Bibles every week this month. (The two girls in the older class actually decided to participate too, just for fun that night but my kids were pretty excited that they did!)

2. Find hidden Respect word
I had once again cut out the letter for Respect and hidden them around the room (with help pre-class). At this point, we looked high and low until we found them and then taped them up to our bulletin board.

3. Bulletin Board
I don't have pictures of this, but as an impromptu craft (while waiting for another student) we glued on pom-poms to flowers to put on the upstairs bulletin board for the adults. They enjoyed this!

4. Respect Game
For this game, I taped up pictures all over our wall of people in our congregation. I had the kids pick a starting point, and then I called out two names for them. They had to run to that picture and say "Hello So and So." Then I would call out two other names etc..... we were practicing greeting adults respectfully by saying hello and using their names.

5. Interview
I brought along "Matilda" who was writing an article about Respect. She had a list of questions for me, about how I show respect (if I show respect) etc. This was in preparation for the kids doing interviews of the adults upstairs. For this, I had a white paper with pictures of some grown ups (about 3-5 pictures) and "Define Respect" written at the top. Their assignment (after prayer and clean up) was to pick 1-3 people off that paper, and ask them to write down what respect means to them, and then bring the paper back to me. One student loved this...the other did not!

6. Prayer & Clean Up
We've started a prayer list on the downstairs blackboard (rather informal as you can see) on which we keep a list of requests and answers. The kids have been really enjoying using it. Tonight, the toddler class and teacher joined us for prayer time and snack.

After getting home last night, and re-thinknig the class and talking it over with my husband, I think we've pretty much covered Respect. It's time to move on. Sometimes, I get a little caught up in one thing, and over emphasize it or get discouraged when I'm not making enough sense to the kids....but I like that I can learn to trust God in everything....that HE is the one to cause the growth and understanding....I just need to keep giving Him my very best in teaching.

So.........any ideas for a new unit for elementary students?? :)