How to Teach Middle-School Sunday School
According to a 2000 Gallup Youth Survey, kids are more religious during their early teen years than in early adulthood. As such, teaching Sunday school classes to middle-schoolers should be an easy process, but instead, it's often complicated by teenage "growing pains." Middle-schoolers can be socially insecure, feel peer pressure from others and be going through puberty. As a result, you may notice a lot of drama in your classroom. As a middle-school Sunday-school teacher, you have to engage your students during instruction more so than elementary or high school students. Don't be afraid to work with middle schoolers. Instead, embrace what they're going through and use their experiences, personalities, "likes" and "dislikes" to teach valuable lessons about religion.
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Instructions
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Play games and listen to music. Kids are impressionable at this age and are often into music and games. Make your lessons fun and engaging by incorporating any form of media in your instruction. You don't have to play a game of Monopoly or Scrabble, but you can create your own matching games using construction paper and markers. Your students will appreciate your creativity.
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Perform for your students during instruction. Don't be afraid to act silly or dress in costume. If you are overly strict, your students may tune you out and you may turn them off from learning. Joke around with the students and create a fun learning environment so your students will want to come back week after week to learn more about their religion.
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Use candy to stimulate students in your discussions. Often, middle-schoolers are shy or are afraid to speak in front of one another. Bribe kids with candy. Every time a student answers a question, reward him with a piece of candy, regardless if the answer is right or wrong. His peers will see the incentive to share and will often speak up so they're rewarded as well. The candy will help encourage discussion so you're not the only one talking.
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Match your teaching style to your students' personalities. For example, if your Sunday school classroom is full of active and sports-minded kids, you may want to play physical games to encourage communication. Consider moving the classroom outside where you can throw a football or softball to students to solicit responses. If your classroom is full of teens who like to socialize, form small groups or sit in a circle on top of the desks or on the floor and talk openly about religion and how God and Mary are like modern-day heart throbs.
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Take pictures of classroom activities using a digital camera. Many teenagers love to take pictures of themselves or have their own pictures taken. Hang the pictures on a bulletin board in the classroom.
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Take a break in the middle of instruction and serve a snack. You can bake your own cookies or brownies or buy them from the store. If you don't have the time or money, ask your students' parents to volunteer to bring in snacks each week.
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Tips & Warnings
Rewards: Sometime I use candy as a discussion stimulator. Any answer get a kid a piece of candy.
Warning: Using this information might lead to Christian Spiritual growth in both your students and you.
References
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