The Perfect Classroom?

What do you think of your current Sunday school room? It’s tempting to think we need to decorate it into something fabulous and engaging for our children (I know I am tempted) and then to feel disappointed when we can’t achieve what we’d like. In an engaging article by Jennifer Hooks, editor of the Children’s Ministry magazine I have mentioned previously, we encounter a different perspective. Jennifer seems to think that it has less to do with decorations and art and more to do with the following five attributes.

• Structure – Structure is the presence of an identifiable system or routine and a discipline policy that’s familiar to kids. Structure is vital. It provides kids with a sense of ownership, confidence, belonging and well-being because they can predict consequences and understand the overall function of the class. Kids recognise the beginning, middle and end of your class. They understand and have ownership of the procedures. Structure is about discipline and consistency – not legalism and rules.
  


• Problem-Solving – Adults tend to think of problems as troublesome issues in need of remedy. For kids though, developing problem-solving skills is really finding the solution to the puzzle, such as learning how to operate a toy for the first time. When kids get the opportunity to use their problem-solving skills, they’re acquiring self-esteem and resiliency. It might be as simple as asking children to think through Jonah’s predicament from his perspective or imagine what they might have done in Jesus’ position.
  


• Creativity – Kids who experience creative opportunities in your class come up with new ideas and look at situations from a new perspective. They are less likely to be fearful of new situations and more likely to express their opinions…Creative experiences are guided and related to your lesson. Creativity can be messy, so teach kids to clean up after their creative endeavours.
  


• Relationships – This is perhaps the most vital of all classroom experiences. Humans have a fundamental need for positive relationships with others, including peers and adults. And relationships really are the underlying theme of our efforts in children’s ministry because it’s that all-important relationship with Jesus that we’re trying to instil in our kids. Kids need to feel they belong, they should work together to achieve goals and be cared for genuinely by their teachers.
  


• Autonomy – Autonomy is critical to helping kids learn to believe in themselves because they get to make decisions and guide their own experiences. Autonomy results when kids feel capable and secure in their abilities; its cousin is self-esteem. Adults convey to children that they are capable, and children get opportunities to demonstrate this. Kids are allowed to run with their interested. They’re also held accountable.
  

Jennifer says ‘All these elements have something in common: They lead to positive self-esteem-building-experiences. If your goal is to make your class irresistible, focus on incorporating all of these concepts. You’ll be delighted – and kids will be excited – as each experience lights up their eyes and hearts.’

I know that I am certainly delighted to see that these elements are already present in your classrooms! I hope you are encouraged to keep working on them!

You can read more about how to further cultivate these 5 environments & why they are important in the current edition of the Children's Ministry Magazine. It’s well worth the read!