Response #7

1. What are some good topics or textual topics to focus on at the junior high age to avoid being redundant?

Well, in jr. high, there are many things the students struggle with. As a result of that, I think there are an endless amount of topics that you can talk about with them. Everything from sex to cheating is fair game. Not that it is bad for a teacher to talk about salvation and forgiveness of sins, but there is so much more involved in Christianity. One thing I personally would love to see taught more in today’s church to the younger students is the importance of outreach and reaching the poor. I feel as if this is a forgotten topic for young people because it is uncomfortable. I’m thankful that more and more this is become a topic of conversation among adults, but why not bring it to students as well? If we begin to instill in them the importance of taking care of our poor and “forgettable” then maybe we will see a complete turnaround in outreach in the future.

2. Should you always have a back-up plan for your lesson for a case such as a very small amount of students showing up?

While having a back-up plan would be a good thing, I think it is more important to just plan your lesson so that it can relate to any size of group that may show up. Plan your games so that they work with 2 people or 20 people. Now I know sometimes that isn’t possible, so in those cases, just create back up games that you can use in case no one shows up. But there is no need to totally change up your plan just because a few people didn’t show up. Just changing the game would be suitable. Always be prepared though. I learned that in Boy Scouts and it’s a good motto. Also, just trust that God will use the things you have prepared. Just be prepared.

Practicum Report #7 (Joel)

A. Time Spent This Week: 7 (Sunday school=1; morning service=2; band practice=1.5; evening service=2.5)

B. My Class This Week:

1. Before Class. Before class I spent some time hanging out with a kid named Caleb. He was the only boy there when I arrived a little before class started. He was playing basketball and so I shot with him and rebounded for him for a while. He seemed pretty shy but I tried to make some conversation with him.

2. Class Time. Another practicum student taught in my class this week. Apparently it was the first weekend of Spring Break for many local junior highers because attendance was at an all-time low since I've been there. My supervisor failed to inform the student teacher of this previous to class so she had to make some last minute adjustments to her games and lesson plan. We broke into small groups and I co-led a group with my supervisor. The boy from before class, Caleb, was in my group along with Gayle, Hannah, and Nick. We had some good discussion but the lesson seemed to strike these kids as somewhat redundant. It was somewhat of a salvation message dealing with the forgiveness of sin.

C. My Questions This Week

1. What are some good topics or textual topics to focus on at the junior high age to avoid being redundant?

2. Should you always have a back-up plan for your lesson for a case such as a very small amount of students showing up?

Response #5 (to Tyler's #7)-Joel

RE: What are the benefits and disadvantages of having multiple speakers? Having multiple speakers among a consistent congregation can make attendees feel somewhat spiritually schizophrenic. On the contrary, it helps getting different perspectives and teaching methods are great for changing things up and upping your chances of engaging with different kids in different ways each week. However, in the case of your Sunday school class specifically, it seems like it has been more harmful than helpful. I think this is because while there are multiple speakers, there is no planning for consistency within those speakers. They aren't working together. Team teaching can work great if the whole teaching team is on the same page and theme but if it's a different speaker on a different week with a different message, it's only going to confuse and frustrate listeners.

RE: Do you think it is better to have one solid speaker for a “season” or switch it around every week? Following up on this question with the previous, I think it really depends. Right now, in your case, it sounds like your class could really use a consistent speaker; someone who is not only consistent but who really cares about the students and teaching them and providing a very learning-friendly environment. In a different case, however, where a group of believers has had a very redundant and repeating experience with a teacher, switching teachers around can be just the opposite: very beneficial.

response to Joel's teaching report #6

1. a method i learned while i was in High school is something i like to use. I like to call it the prayer oreo sermon preparation. so basically whatever you do for preparation you pray before and after that thing. for example: begin to pray for help and guidance on what to speak on. Read the passage that you thing you could speak on. Pray again as to what you should bring from the passage. Reread the passage and find background information to make sure the context of what you are reading is accurate. then pray again. The idea is that you are trying to keep yourself the most susceptible to the holy Spirit's leading and guiding that there is not really a question of the impact it will make. I think preparing a story is always entertaining for the introduction as well. This could be made up, but it has to be relate able to the audience.

2. The spirits ease is the best relaxation method. Prayer and petition leads to humility and a confidence from God. Our weak feeble minds still like to revert to fear and questioning, so there are some practical things you could do. I personally like to be personal with the audience, it makes them ease up. If i give them something to judge me on, then i already know that they are judging and i wont have to wonder what they are thinking. another thing is confidence. If you message is from God, then have confidence that change will happen. Experience is a great method though. practice your message on someone else, perhaps and encouraging girl. Say through your head. Not necessarily in a memorizing fashion, but with an intent so you know the subject matter and stories well. you can also make the audience talk back. it doesn't leave them as this lifeless audience. IT makes them involved and gets them to think to spur you on.

Practicum Report #6 (Joel) - Teaching Report #1

Time Spent: 9 (Meetings=1.5; Teaching planning=3; Sunday school=2; Service=2.5)

A. My Lesson

This week I talked about faithful friendship and the miracle and power of Jesus' forgiveness of our sins.

Mark 2:1-12 – Jesus can forgive our sins
(also see Luke 5:17-26)

Week Memory Verse: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

9:00am
Hang out and play games with the kids as they come to class.

9:10am
Crazy Game: Crab Walk Relay (2 teams…guys vs. girls [if close to even] or just count off 1s and 2s)

9:20am
Have students break into small groups, 4-5 students per group or an amount to accommodate amount of adult or high school aged leaders—one leader per group.

9:21am
Ice Breakers (in small groups)
1. When was the last time you had to go to the ER? Have you ever had to?
2. What was the sickest you ever were?

9:26am
Allow time for hare “Ice Breakers” (those who want to) in front of whole class

9:29am
Read Scripture passage in small groups (Mark 2:1-12).

9:31am
Small group questions
1. Why do you think Jesus said to the paralytic “your sins are forgiven” instead of just healing him from being paralyzed?

2. Why do you think the teachers of the law got so upset with him?
Answer: Because only God has the power to forgive sins and they didn’t believe Jesus was God.

3. If you were one of the paralytic’s friends and saw the crowds what would you have done? (Give them some of these options…)

• Suggest we come back later
• Politely wait in line
• Make a hole in the roof
• Go along but make it clear it wasn’t my idea
  
  4. How would you feel if you were the paralytic when your friends decided to help you drop in on Jesus?
  Wary/Cautious/Suspicious
  Grateful
  Apprehensive/Worried/Nervous (about getting in trouble)
  Mixed feelings – “I don’t think this will work but I’ll trust you guys”
  Scared – afraid your friends would drop you through the hole!
  
  5. What quality do these four men have that impresses you the most?
  Faith (believing that their friend, the paralytic, would be healed)
  Ingenuity (taking the initiative to get their friend to Jesus)
  Concern (for their friend)
  Determination (they were set on getting their friend healed)
  Boldness (approaching Jesus in a peculiar way—through the roof!—without fear [Hebrews…? Boldly approach the Throne])
  
  6. What characteristic do you value most in a friend?
  Loyalty
  Good humor
  Compassion
  Honesty
  Understanding
  Strong faith
  Other
  
  7. Tell about a time a friend really helped you when you were in need.
  
  8. If you had friends who would take you to Jesus for healing today what kind of healing would you ask for?
  Physical
  Spiritual
  Emotional
  Relational
  
  9. What event in your life has brought you closest to God?
  When Jesus healed me when I was hurting
  When someone I was really close to got sick or died
  When I committed my life to Christ
  When some friends supported me in a difficult time
  I haven’t experienced this yet
  Other
  
  10. What is actually the miracle here? Healing or forgiveness?
  Forgiveness is a miracle too!
  
  9:45am
  Go over questions with whole group (allowing time for students to answer for the whole class after small group discussion).
  
  9:44am
  Lesson
  
  Read the passage again (Mark 2:1-12).
  
  “There are two lessons we can learn from this passage. The first, which we have already touched on, is the faith that the four men showed in bringing the paralytic to Jesus. The second is the miracle of forgiveness, the fact that only through Jesus do we have the forgiveness of our sins. One of Satan’s biggest strongholds in the lives of Christians is that he convinces us that our sins are too big for God to handle. How many of you have or have had sins in your life where you feel like they are so big or so bad that God couldn’t forgive you? (Pause for a moment for them to reflect on/respond to that.) I’ve sure felt that in my own life. There have been lots of times where Satan has convinced me that my sin is ‘too big’ or ‘too bad’ for God to deal with; surely God is big enough to handle it, but does he want to forgive someone who has done something as bad as me? Yes! He does! Satan also tries to convince us that no one else struggles with the same sins as us; that if we tell people about our sins we will only feel embarrassed and ashamed at what we are struggling with. How many of you have felt like that before? (Pause for a moment for them to reflect/respond.) That’s a lie from Satan! Sometimes we are too hard on ourselves too. We think that we need to keep asking forgiveness for a sin we committed—and we don’t! It is over and done with. Jesus finished it all on the Cross. Does anyone know what Jesus said right before he died? (Allow time for answer.) Yes! ‘It is finished!’ How cool is that? What is actually the miracle here? Healing or forgiveness: forgiveness is a miracle too not just the healing but that’s usually all we hear.
  
  Sometimes it’s hard to accept God’s forgiveness isn’t it? Can you guys all think of a time when you found it hard to do that? Why do you think it’s so hard for us to accept God’s forgiveness for us?
  
  Heart Questions (Large Group):

1. In what ways is sin like paralysis?
2. What freedoms has Jesus’ word of forgiveness given to you? Where do you need to hear that word again? (answer with accountability partners)
3. In the story do you identify more with the paralytic, his friends, or teachers and why.

Challenge: Commit to finding one person (guy-guy, girl-girl) to be your “accountability partner.” [Make sure everyone knows what an “accountability partner” is.] Share with them what sin you are really struggling with the most and commit to (1) praying for each other, (2) holding each other accountable to working on that sin issue throughout the week, and (3) reminding each other that Christ’s forgiveness conquers all! When we come back next week we’re going to share whether or not we held each other accountable. (This part is important! Make sure you hold them accountable the following week to finding an accountability partner and following up with them.)

9:50am
Break back into small groups.

How can this group pray for you? (Go around and answer. Have people volunteer to pray for one another.)

Take time to pray for each other.

9:57am
Final Prayer & Class Dismissal

B. Response

There were 18 kids present this week. All of them had been there before. They seemed to really enjoy the game and were pretty much involved in discussion the rest of the time which they seemed to enjoy but it was hard to judge how attentive they really were.

C. Supervising Teacher's Evaluation

My supervisor, Jeff Marsee, gave me a few good pointers of improvement but aside from that was very encouraging. He, and the other adult leaders, said that I was very engaging with the students as well as showing my heart and care for them. He commented on my preparedness and structure of my lesson plan.

As far as improvement goes, he reminded me that while I had them break into small groups, I need a backup plan in case the adult leaders don't all show up.

D. Things I did well.

1. Prepared
2. Connected with the students

E. Things I need to improve

1. Get more rest the night before!!
2. Be flexible
3. Discussion takes longer than you think

F. Question

1. What methods of preparation do you use?
2. What are some tips for feeling more comfortable? Is there anything besides just experience?

ode to the sixth report

Hours 1.5 worship service, 1.5 Sunday school, 2 hours church service

The setting

I walk into a iridescent lighted room. The tile floor of a kitchen grips my feet. the walls are pearly white, as most kitchens are. a few posters are strewn about the walls. Some of them speak about kitchen "esqe" things. A few in the corner say biblical type things. Which helps state what this room was remade into. two long tables have been set side by side to create a board room feel. Metal, paint chipped chairs are pushed in around the table as a church does need be organized.

Six of use sit at the corner of the newly made square. the chairs conducting a great amount of chill from the poorly insulated room. the benefit of the numbing effect is the wide awake feeling you get form shivering. the corner is the best to get close and still be able to look at each other to watch each others reactions to the beautiful literature that is about to be read.

The postures of the students are those of discomfort and listening intent. some start to slouch but feel the effect of cold steel in the back and without hesitation sit upright again. a low humming form the fridge continues to reverberate in our minds as we try to listen, but the white noise is like a call to mellowness. coffee is handed out as it is much appreciated for the warmth and caffeine that will soon surge through the body.

The lesson is given. People listen. People talk. people learn.

Questions:

1. Do you need an "appropriate room for Bible study?
2. what would an ideal environment be?

Reponse To Mike's #5

1. Does every bible study have to be planned and structured? Can you have a general idea and discuss?

I think it is good to have a planned lesson and some structure the majority of the time. But always be open to the Spirit’s guiding. It is our job to be responsible in preparation so as to not have mass confusion and chaos. But it is also our job to be open to what the Spirit wants to do with our preparation. Sometimes he will use what we have prepared and sometimes he won’t. Either way, if you feel the Spirit leading you to totally disregard what you have prepared for, let him move. But I would say that the majority of the time, God gives us a message to preach and he works within that message. There are different occurrences (like the one you experienced) where this is not the case. But it is more the exception than the rule. It’s always an amazing experience when God takes over like that. Someone needed it.

2. How do implement the idea that when peopled are engaged things run smoother? In other words, how do emphasize the need for participation?

Ask questions. I think I mentioned it before, but I will mention it again. Questions are conversation starters. I should restate that, “Focused questions are conversation starters”. There is nothing more insulting than having a rhetorical question be asked of you. Like, “what color is the sky?”. Obviously that wouldn’t be asked in Sunday school, but insulting questions are asked all the time of high schoolers and adults. Ask focused and engaging questions. If no one is responding, pick someone. While they may not like it, they are forced to answer at this point and they might have something amazing to say. No matter what the answer, reaffirm them positively. That reaffirmation will be seen by the other students, and the fear of answering will disappear. And magically, we have participation.

Tyler's Report #7

A. Time Spent This Week: 4 (Sunday School, Worship)

B. My Class This Week:

I don’t know why this is, but every time I leave Sunday school, I am overloaded with ideas of ways this could be done better. I’m not sad that I have not had the greatest experience with Sunday school. I know that everything that I realize that I don’t want to do, I learn something. But it is kind of depressing to go every week and leave thinking, “Wow, that could have gone so much better”. Between the mixture of leaders, the dwindling numbers of students, and the loose schedule, there isn’t much good to see. That isn’t to say that there isn’t good, its just harder to see than usual. When I read about the good experiences Mike is having with his Sunday school, it is encouraging to know that Sunday school is going well somewhere.

Like I said, I am not disappointed in the fact that there are no so good things going on. My entire high school youth group career was noticing things that weren’t going right. I have learned from these things and am a better person because of it.

This week was not so different from previous weeks except in the person who was speaking. It was a pastor from “big” church. He talked about Easter and the historical and present meaning behind Easter. It was kind of interesting and I think a few people were listening. But there wasn’t that much of a response. Frankly, I don’t blame the students. There is never a constant leader giving the message. I don’t know the relationships between the students and these different leaders. But without consistency, there isn’t much respect. Not only that, but I haven’t seen my supervisor in about 6 weeks. So I have no idea what that is going to do to my grade. But it just proves my point. There is no consistency. Not even in the leader.

C. Questions?

1) What are the benefits and disadvantages of having multiple speakers?

2) Do you think it is better to have one solid speaker for a “season” or switch it around every week?

report number five for Monastic Mike

Report number 5

hours spent this week- 1.5 worship service, 1.5 Sunday school, 2 hours church service

Today was what i like to call the Spirit Moved day. We were supposed to start the book of Acts study, but something odd took over the teacher. apparently she hadn't finished her lesson from the week before and felt like she needed to talk about it. everyone's attention seemed to be at their peaks of listening. I was almost a little confused to see such chipper faces light up when she asked her opening question. It seemed like such a simple question too.

After she asked, "How do we avoid burnout," people faces scrunched and eyes squinted as their minds began to think. Answers poured out of everywhere. It seemed to be a topic on people's minds. Really the only Bible read was at the beginning. This scared me a little, but it was a much needed talk. This is why i call it the Spirit moved day. It was unexpected and rolled so smoothly.

The conversation lead to so many other great talks as well. there was a simple lesson attached to one of the conversations about the disciples going in twos. Paul didn't even go alone. A relief came over the students that i have only seen a few times. It was a little unorganized, but it went so well.

The talking girl didn't even do as much mouth motioning as she usually does. At one point, there was even a time where her boyfriend quieted her down and the teacher was taken a little back by it. It has been fun watching the chatty girl and the teachers reactions to it. This was another incidence of the Spirit's movement.

This leads me to my questions.

1. does every bible Study have to be planned and structured? Can you have a general idea and discuss?

2. How do implement the idea that when peopled are engaged things run smoother? in other words, how do emphasize the need for participation?

response to tyler #6

Response to Tyler Murphy's report six

question one
I think there is a line between leader and friend. It is more valuable to be a leader in that circumstance. Friends are very much needed but you are leading the class and sometimes what you say may not be friendly. I think there is also a difference between friendship and Christian friendships. In that case you need to be a Christian first. If someone is in sin then you should say something even if that ruins the friendship. It is more loving to help them in their state than just be friendly. You just have to hope that they will respond back in love, or eventually see that you are loving them. In the same way, a leader has to sometimes be a convicting person instead of a friend. I think Friendship eventually comes out of it, but a leader should be a leader first.

question two
I think respect is an interesting concept. There are some that demand it and receive it that way. Then there are others that sit back and wait. They relax, still giving what they know is right, but let it come naturally. in the second person, there has to patience on waiting for trust. There has to be understanding to people's lives. There also has to be honesty given. Respect can come naturally, but that is after people stop being afraid and open themselves up to you. So my advice to you is to wait and listen to the students. give them a chance to open up to you. It is hard with practicums, but strive to be intentional.

Response #5 (to Tyler's #6)-Joel

1. RE: How do we draw the line between friend and leader? Is there a line? Should there be line? There definitely needs to be some type of line but it is definitely a balance and a difficult one at that. On the one hand, if you are too much of a friend you have no respect and no authority to teach or lead. On the other hand, if you are too much of a leader you might have the respect you want in the sense that they "listen" or at least don't talk while you teach, but the impact of your teaching is going to be far less deep if they don't consider themselves close to you on some level - even if that's just a level established simply because of something simple you said that related to them.

2. RE: How do we get the students to respect us as a leader, and yet love us as a friend? It's really a balance to continually maintain. There are times to act strictly as a leader and other times to act as a friend. For example, you hanging out and joking around with this kid before class was a great act of friendship and a HUGE bridge-builder for your teaching credibility with him! However, talking and joking during another teacher's lesson might have made you a better friend with them but probably hurt you a bit on the leadership side. You can certainly gain this back by just being more attentive the next time and setting that example, but being a leader as opposed to being a friend rests largely on the circumstance. If you judge the circumstances right you will establish a great balance and your students will begin to feel close to you as well as continuing to respect you.

Tyler's Report #6

This was my first Sunday coming back from Spring Break. I drove all night in order to get home by Sunday. I really was excited to get back into the swing of things in the group. I showed up and there were only a few students there at the time. One of which was a student that I think works well with me. He and I have similar interests and we have similar humor. I kind of talked to him about his week and how I went to Florida. We talked about movies and different stuff related to culture. As we continued talking, I thought about the idea of me and this kid being good enough friends to hang out. But then they idea that I was supposed to be the leader came in. If I was to hang out with him, what would that say to the other students? Would the wall of “leader” be broken down and there would be no more respect? Does there have to be that wall? It just got me thinking.

Along the same lines, something happened during the lesson that got me thinking. It was a student teacher this weekend and he had some generic lesson out of some generic book. It was a good lesson, but he kind of lacked attention getting ideas. So, as a result of that, the students didn’t pay attention. I have to admit, I was guilty of the same thing. I was talking during the lesson and getting students to laugh. I was my own pet peve. But I had in the back of my mind this idea of, “If I get the students to like me, they will respect me”. But what happens when I go up to teach? Won’t they just demonstrate the same behavior I was demonstrating whenever someone else was up there? I don’t know, but we’ll see. Anyway, the teacher asked us a question, “How much do you want to learn?” He was frustrated no one was paying attention, so he asked that. And he had a good point. If we came to Sunday school, then we came to learn. But the question is, “how much?” It’s useless to show up to Sunday school and not learn anything. All you did was get up early for nothing. So, he really did convict me into asking myself that question.

Questions

1) How do we draw the line between friend and leader? Is there a line? Should there be line?

2) How do we get the students to respect us as a leader, and yet love us as a friend?

Response to Joel's #5

1) What are some ways we can welcome new kids better as a Sunday school class?

I feel like a lot of my responses are about things that we shouldn’t do rather than things that we can do. But I know for me personally, I learn through doing things that I shouldn’t do and realize it later. In this case, we shouldn’t point out new kids. I remember being a “new kid” in a youth group, and the youth pastor had us all stand up and be pointed out. Yeah, like that helped us feel welcome. I think one of the greatest things to make a new kid feel welcome is to treat him as if he wasn’t a new kid at all. Of course we need to acknowledge him. But make him feel welcome by welcoming him into the group as if he’d always been there. That is how I would want it.

2) How do you encourage a kid – especially a new kid – like Ricky to be involved/get him involved in the discussion?

Ask questions directly to the kid. If you put someone on the spot, they will usually feel uncomfortable, but will answer. Why not put him on the spot and ask him a question. You might be surprised to find that he has some amazing insight to give. As much as I fear being called on in some classes, when I do get called on without raising my hand, I am forced to focus and respond. All of a sudden, I am participating. It’s against my will, but I am participating. J