Primary Lesson Helps Link List

Many of you have had trouble downloading my lesson helps from the past due to a DropBox issue (my issue, not DropBox's issue). Below is a list of the lesson helps I have available on Google Drive. Some of these files are OLD, but I hope they help! I will update as I create more files. Thanks for your patience!

{Primary Lesson Helps}

Four Class Rules

Prayer Chart

Primary 2 Lesson 12

Primary 2 Lesson 13

Primary 2 Lesson 14

Primary 2 Lesson 15

Primary 2 Lesson 16

Primary 2 Lesson 18

Primary 2 Lesson 19

Primary 2 Lesson 20

Primary 2 Lesson 21

Primary 2 Lesson 22

Primary 2 Lesson 23

Primary 2 Lesson 24

Primary 2 Lesson 25

Primary 2 Lesson 26

Primary 2 Lesson 27

Primary 2 Lesson 28

Primary 2 Lesson 29

Primary 2 Lesson 30

Primary 2 Lesson 31

Primary 2 Lesson 45

Primary 3 Lesson 14

Primary 6 Lesson 01

Gratitude Tree

Hello!  It's actually going to be a busy week of posts for me here--I'm helping out with Young Women tomorrow night for an activity and I'm teaching Primary on Sunday!  Stay tuned for some lesson helps for Primary in a few days.

Today, though, I'd like to share with you the activity that I've planned for the Beehives (girls ages 12-13) since their leader just had a baby and they do not currently have a class president.  The girls had planned to do something about gratitude.  I like to coordinate my class activity ideas with Personal Progress goals and this one was kind of hard to fit in with one, but I think I got it!

So, we will be reading about gratitude in For the Strength of Youth and then starting goal #3 in Divine Nature.  Here's how it will work from start to finish:

1. Read about gratitude in For the Strength of Youth.  Discuss what gratitude is and things we should be grateful for.

2. Read goal #3 in Divine Nature.  Talk about things that our family members do for us that we should show gratitude for.  I will try to point out things that might not be as noticeable such as older siblings giving rides to Church activities, etc.

3. Have each girls decide which family member they will try to improve their relationship with.  Make sure they write down a few things that this person has done already that they could be grateful for.  Have them verbally express this gratitude when they get home.

4. Have each girl create 14 small note cards.  These will be used throughout the two weeks that this goal will take. My note cards are made from small 6" x 3" pieced of patterned paper and some punched shapes.  Encourage the girls to make each one different and to make them in their own style. I made sure to include patterns that were both feminine and masculine in case the girls chose a male family member.

5. Give each girl a Gratitude Tree handout and explain the rest of the two week process.  The instructions are included on the handout itself so that they don't forget what it's for. ;)

Another way you could  do the gratitude tree is to take branches, put them in a pot or vase, punch out hearts, and have the girls write the things their family member does for them on those hearts and put them on the tree.  Like THIS gratitude tree.  That way they could have a more concrete visual reminder of the things that their family member does for them.  Since this was spur of the moment, I don't have time to get all the things ready for this but if I had had the time, this would be the way we'd do the activity.

Please feel free to use my handout FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY.  For more printing policies and disclaimers, please see the tab up top.

I hope that this is helpful to someone else out there!  See you soon for some more free lesson helps! :)

Teaching Tykes: I Will Obey the Law

Wow.  I am so not ready for this week!  We just got back and I go back to work tomorrow, so this will be another short post--sorry!

Tip for teaching the gospel in the home this week: Understand how your children learn.  Each person on this earth is unique and therefore learns in a different way from others.  This is why the church has so many materials available for our use.  Take time to pray about each of your children so that you can understand how they individually learn so that you can teach them as individuals and be more effective.  This applies to our Primary children as well.  Our Father in Heaven knows each of His children perfectly and so He should be the very first person we talk to about any issues or concerns we have.  After we talk to Him, we may need to talk to the child's earthly parents as well, but I know that as I've prayed about my Primary children that I've come to understand how to help each one as individuals and we have a much happier class because of it!  Find the perfect answers from the perfect parent of all mankind.

Okay, this week's lesson is Primary 2: Lesson 31: I Will Obey the Law.  Notice how there's NO QUESTION in that title?  I found that interesting. Find the lesson helps HERE.

How I'd teach this lesson:

*I will take plastic farm animals that I have and let each child choose one, name it, and place it on the table.  I will encircle the animals with the plastic fence that came with the animal set when the time comes.

*I will let the children choose the laws that are in the lesson from a bag and we can discuss how they keep us safe.

*I will use the rules card from the helps to explain the rules and then display them so the children remember how to play the "Obeying the Law" game.

*For "just in case we have time" I will prepare Enrichment Activities 2 &3.

Hope this helps--have a restful Sabbath everyone! :)

Teaching Tykes: Obedience

My teaching the gospel in the home tip for this week is to create an atmosphere where the Spirit can be present.  Do this by keeping your surroundings clean, viewing and listening to uplifting media, and having pictures of the Savior, the temple, and other church media in your home.   I have found that a lot of gospel teaching moments can happen when a child asks about pictures that are up in the home.  Try having a frame in a special family area that you can change pictures from the Gospel Art Kit out easily in order to encourage gospel learning.

This will be quite quick as I am on "vacation" for a family wedding. ;)  This week's lesson will be Primary 2: Lesson 30: I Can Be Obedient.  Find my lesson helps HERE.

Short and sweet--how do we teach children obedience?  By obeying God.  Think about that this week as you prepare your lesson.

How I would teach the lesson:

*I would play a game about things Heavenly Father has asked us to do by having the children choose a picture from a bag.  The pictures are in the lesson helps. :)

*I would have the children color their own "I Can Obey" badges--found in the lesson helps.

*I would prepare Enrichment Activities 2, 3, and 5.

Sorry so short--hope to be back more fully next week! ;)  Have a wonderful day!!!

Teaching Tykes: I Can Be A Good Example PLUS A Tip on Gospel Teaching in the Home

Well, I will be gone for two weeks and therefore will not be teaching, but I will still post the helps, etc.! :)  I've also been asked by a reader to talk about some ways to make teaching the gospel a main focus in our homes and so I will be including one tip each week that will hopefully help you in your homes as well as a teacher.

We'll start with the tip (it goes along with this week's lesson, too)--ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING.  Scripture reference to go along with this teaching tip is from the Doctrine & Covenants.  In section 58 verse 27 we learn that, "...men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness..."  When you look up the foot not for anxiously, the word that is at the end of the list to look up is zeal.  When we are truly living the gospel, we have a zeal for it!  We are excited to live the gospel!  When our children see that gospel living makes us happy and that we want to do it, they will follow our examples.  On the other hand, if you are constantly overwhelmed and upset about the work that you have been given/chosen to do, this is how your children will act.  Now, if you need to talk to someone about the load you bear, your spouse is there.  But never complain in front of the children.  And YOU need to do what is right for your family.  If you are truly overwhelmed, tell your Father in Heaven and follow His guidance as to what to do about it.  Choices effect your attitude and ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING!  This is the first step to making gospel teaching the center of your home.

Let Your Light Shine!

Isn't this darling?!  Find it here or use the coloring page in the helps!

Now, onto the lesson!  It's Primary 2: Lesson 29: I Can Be a Good Example.  I'll just get straight to how I'd teach the lesson as I've already talked about what our example should be for those we teach above. ;)  Find the helps HERE.

*I would bring a real candle and a battery operated candle to show the children that even when the battery powered candle is on, you can't see it under the basket.

*Instead of paper candles, I would use birthday candles with the names on tags and a blank one for each child in my class.  I would put them into a pot with foam in it and have each child take out the two in front (with the names on them) first and tell the stories.  These candles would have a different colored tag than the blank tagged candles.  Then after the stories, I'd hand each one out of the pot--the one with their name on it--and keep the one with my name on it and have them read the names one by one.  I would have each child say one thing they could do to be a good example.

*The coloring page would be the candle image in my helps.

*I would do Enrichment Activities 2 & 4 if there was left over time.

I hope this post helps you!  Good luck, please email me if you have any questions and THANK YOU for all your kind comments and amazing feedback--you make my blogging so worthwhile and I LOVE it! :)

Teaching Tykes: Kindness Matters

Welcome to the first official week of Teaching Tykes! ;)  I hope that these posts will help you as you teach Primary each week--it's a really hard calling!

This week's lesson is Primary 2: Lesson 28: I Can Be Kind.  The purpose of this lesson is to teach the children in your class that they can be kind to others.

Here's an aside--have you noticed how many times Church publications say that people CAN do things?  I think that sometimes we think that somethings are too hard.  But guess what?!  YOU CAN!  Heavenly Father sent us here because He knows that we CAN return to Him!  Just a little motivational pep talk... :)

So, how do we, as teachers, show the importance of being kind to others?  Obviously you've all just said aloud or in your smart brains that it is by example!  I have a few tips that may help you in your quest to become more kind.

Ignore sad choices.  This is really hard.  Sometimes I think that we feel that we have to continually correct the children we teach.  May I offer an alternative?  Praise the GOOD/HAPPY choices!  If you find that your class is so out of control that you cannot even think straight, find the ONE thing that ONE of the children is doing correctly and be completely over the top with your praise.  Children are people pleasers.  They want to be praised.  Let me give you a personal example.

One week, our class was out of control (not completely, just fidgeting , not listening, etc.)  One child was sitting quietly.  Although I knew she wasn't technically listening to the lesson, she was sitting nicely (which is one of our class rules).  I stopped the lesson (nobody was listening, anyway) and immediately praised this little girl for her happy choice.  Here's how my praise went (name changed), "Oh, Lisa!!!  I am SOOOOOO happy that you are sitting quietly in our chair!  You are following the class rule so perfectly!  I am SOOOOOO grateful that you are trying to be a reverent example for your classmates!  Thank you SOOOOOO much, Lisa!  I just LOVE having you in my class--it's SOOOOO nice to have such a good example for all my friends to follow!" 

Over the top?  You betcha!  Did it make a difference?  Completely.  As I praised this little girl, each child realized what they were doing wrong and stopped.  As they did, I would say things such as, "Oh, and now Jack is sitting nicely, too!  Thank you Jack!  Oh, and look, Mary is following the rules now, too!  I am so glad the my friends all know how to make happy choices!  Now we'll be able to finish our wonderful lesson!"

I was kind.  I didn't FEEL kind inside--I was a bit upset and impatient in my brain.  What I WANTED to do was go on a rant about how we'd been repeating the class rules at the beginning of class for the past 4 months and that these children should know what was expected by now.  But, I chose to show kindness.  And it made all the difference in the world.

Be aware of your tone and volume of voice and the words you say.  Now, you can't always ignore sad choices.  When a child starts to hurt themself or others around them, correcting must be made--and quickly.  BUT, you will be much more successful with children if you use an even but firm tone of voice.  Shrieking at them or using an angry tone to tell them "NO!" will not help as much as taking the child aside (this is why I am such a HUGE advocate of team teaching) and calmly telling them what they SHOULD be doing before offering correction.  Here's an example that I've made up (although it's probably happened sometime during my work with children) that could help you.

Jason is angry.  He doesn't want to be at Primary and he is mad that you've "made him" come to class.  He has been acting out throughout the lesson and you've been doing your best to ignore him and praise the good you see in the other children.  Because he is not getting the attention he wants, Jason kicks Emily in the shin as hard as he can.  PAUSE.  Take a mental deep breath.  Take Jason out into the hall and explain that feet are for walking.  They can help us swim.  They can help us run quickly.  Feet are NOT for hurting our friends.  It is okay to be angry about things that we cannot change.  BUT, it is NOT okay for us to use that anger to hurt our friends or to make it hard for our friends to learn.  Give Jason a warning that the next time he kicks, he will have to go and spend time with a member of the Primary Presidency and that you might have to talk to his mom and dad about it if he makes another sad choice that hurts his friends.  Jason returns to class.  He is sullen for the rest of the lesson, but there are no more incidents of violence.

You may think this was a failure.  Jason was still mad and probably didn't get anything out of the lesson.  You may have weeks of this behavior.  But do you know something?  When you are consistent, the children realize it, know what to expect, and will rise to your expectations.  I promise that if you are consistent with your discipline in your classroom and that if you do so in a kind manner that you will see a change.  Eventually, Jason will become your greatest classroom helper and will LOVE you more than any other teacher he's had.  All because you showed kindness during disciplinary action.

And a tidbit on volume--if the kids get loud, you need to get soft.  YOU are the example of what is expected in your class.  If the children are so loud that you cannot teach and nobody is learning, take a break from teaching and play "If you can hear me."  This game goes a little like this (in a whisper tone), "If you can hear me, touch your nose.  Thank you, Kathy, for touching your nose!  If you can hear me, touch your ear.  Thank you, Julie!  You are listening!  If you can hear me, touch your toes.  Oh, Jason and Robert, thank you for joining us!" Continue this until all the children are showing that they are listening and then end by saying, "If you can hear me, fold your arms.  Thank you all for listening!  We are ready to finish our wonderful lesson!"  This especially works with younger children, but some of the older children may need something similar to help them be more reverent.

Be a team player.  This is hard for me.  I tend to want to just do things MY way because I know that they work and that I will maintain a reverent atmosphere if I just do things myself.  I'm working on it.  And it is HARD FOR ME.  You might be the exact opposite.  You might allow other adults to take care of all the issues that you have with the children in your class.  You and I need to find middle ground, friend!

Teamwork is important in the work of God.  We cannot do all things by ourselves. We need others.  We learn from them, gain different perspectives about things, and learn to get along with others.  All of these attitudes are important in the building of Zion.  When we show the children in our class that we want to be a team player and help those around us, they realize that kindness can persevere even in the wake of upheaval.  Because, let's face it.  There ARE those weeks.  And you know who needs more help working with children because they are unsure of themselves.  Always be willing to help.  And help WILLINGLY and KINDLY.  It's a work in process.  We don't get along with everyone.  BUT, we should always treat others kindly--especially when children are watching us.  And, believe me.  They ARE watching us.

So, that's my two cents for the week!  Hopefully these things help.  I did have a question--would videos on how to implement some of these things help?  Because I am a visual learner and need to see how things are done before I can really utilize them.  Let me know--I can look into trying to make some.

Let's get to the lesson helps!  Find the printable helps HERE.  And now I'll share how I'll be teaching this lesson:

*We didn't have time to color our picture this last week, and so I challenged the children to bring back a picture of them sharing in some way.  If any of the children do this, I will have them share it with us at the beginning of the lesson.

*Since I don't have cut-outs, I will use the ones that the church has--they're in my printable file. :)

*Since we have a large class and a small room, we won't be able to do the role play.  SO, we'll share a church video on the story and have a "pop quiz" about it by doing an activity on the board where we have the picture of the person on one side and what they did on the other.  I will have the children tell me where to draw the lines to.  These are in the printable helps.

*We will sing "Kindness Begins With Me" as our closing song.  This will help reinforce the point of the lesson.

*As a "just in case there is time" effort, I'll have pictures of different people (in the printable helps) and the children can choose one and tell how they can be kind to that person.

That's all for me this week!!! I hope that these things are helping you be more successful as a Primary teacher!  Have a restful Sabbath! :)

Sharing: A Happy Choice!

LOL...we talked about sharing last week in class.  It was so funny!  One little girl was CONVINCED that her brother playing with her toys was stealing!!!  Little kids crack me up...it's a good thing that a lesson on sharing is up this week so we can talk more about it!

 

This week's lesson is Primary 2: Lesson 27: I Can Help Others Be Happy By Sharing.  Just the title of this lesson is dear to my heart.  I'm not trying to toot my own horn, but I have always tried to share my talents with others in order to help them be happy.  That's the first thing that came to my mind!  If I taught teenagers, this lesson would be very different and I would focus on using our talents to serve others and to serve God, but we're talking to 4/5/6 year old children, so we'll stick with the main point!  Luckily, we do talk about sharing talents, etc., in  part of the lesson!

How can we as teachers be examples of sharing with those around us so that the children we teach will understand the importance of it?  I think one thing that we should do is point out HOW people share.  We talked about how the Primary chorister, the pianist, and the librarians help us the other week when we talked about gratitude.  It really made the kids think!

Because children are not always the most observant people (although couldn't that be said about ALL of us?) we need to point out things that people do for them.  Mention things that you know their parents do for them, things that others serving in Primary do for them, and don't forget to point out that you are sharing with them by helping them learn the lesson.  It's not pride--it's helping children recognize the good things they have in their lives!  YOU ARE SHARING your time with them each week.  You're sharing your testimony.  You are sharing your love!  People share with us ALL THE TIME and we fail to notice it!  Wow.  That really just made ME think!

So, what things do people share with YOU that you are unaware of?  Try to be more aware of these things as you prepare your lesson this week. :)

Now, onto how I'll teach the lesson--you can find the lesson helps for this week's lesson HERE!

*I won't be "real" items for my sharing bag.  I'll use the pictures that I have in the helps and put them in the gift bag that I always have in my bag for these occasions!

*We will be singing all the verses of "Give, Said the Little Stream" as it's my DH's favorite and we'll use pictures to illustrate the verses.

*I will make sure to contact all the parents in my class this week to see if it's okay if the children are given a treat and to make sure there are no food allergies in our class.  I've also decided that I'll record this information and keep it in my binder for future use.  And if I'm ever called as Primary President or a member of the presidency, we will do this for all the teachers.  That's mainly a note for me for future reference. ;)

*After giving the treats to the two children and having them share, I will make a point to tell the children that we are supposed to share with EVERYONE and that excluding someone--whether we like them or not--is not something that Jesus would have us do.  I will also be contacting the other teacher in our ward who will be teaching this lesson and see if she wants to "share" treats with us, too!  We can have both classes get together at the end of class and they can all eat and color their pictures together then!

*We already have a sharing rule in our class about the crayons we bring for the children to use.  Our rule is that they get one crayon at a time, but may come and exchange it for another color when they are done.  I will reiterate that we do this so that there is always enough for each person and that we do not NEED more than someone else--we can be happy with less than what we want!

*As a "just in case we have time" thing, I will make pictures of different people (missionaries, the Aaronic priesthood blessing the sacrament, etc.) and ask the children how each person is sharing.

Thanks for stopping by--I hope that these lesson helps are a blessing to you and that you have a restful Sabbath! :)

PS: I've UPDATED last week's lesson with an idea that we had to do impromptu but may help you if you ever find yourself having WAY too much time left during class!!!  Check it out HERE!!!

Class Rules Template

 

A sweet reader asked me if I had a template of my class rules for CTR 4 & 5.  Nope, I didn't!  BUT, I've made one that you are able to use, if you'd like it!  I hope it helps you!  Find the rules template HERE! AND, just in case you missed it, HERE are my Classroom Management tips complied using Church handbooks and materials.  Have a restful Sabbath! :)

HAPPY Choices!!!

For those of you who know me at all, you know that I dislike teaching children "good" and "bad" choices.  Why?  Good question!  We'll start this week's Primary lesson helps out with the answer to that question, because it will help you to understand better how you can get the purpose of the lesson across better to the children you teach. :)

Good and bad are relative terms.  They have too many meanings.  Bad to kids might mean something totally different than the message we're trying to convey.  And it has a really negative connotation.  I steer away from negativity when teaching children.  Okay, let me tell you a story that will illustrate exactly WHY I don't do "good" and "bad" choices anymore.

We did foster care for a year a while back.  Our last placement was 3 children ages 3 and under.  It was insane!  They had not been taught correctly as they had never had a permanent home in their lives.  So, I hunkered down and started to let the oldest one, aged 3, what choices were "good" and which ones were "bad."

Needless to say, he was making more "bad" choices than good at the beginning.  His fault?  NO.  But not acceptable.  He started to kind of catch on and I praised him each time he made a "good" choice.  But then came a set back day.  It was horrendous.  In the middle of all the craziness, he asked me with his innocent little eyes, "Mommy, why am I a bad boy?"

WOW.  Was he a "bad" boy?!  Heavens NO!  Was he making "bad" choices?  Yes.  But it wasn't registering the way I wanted it to.  And then I remembered something that I had learned at a stake conference a few years before.  Teaching our children the CONSEQUENCES of their choices instead of focusing on the choices themselves.  This is where happy and sad choices was born.

Each time my little 3 year old started to make a choice, I asked him how he would feel after he made it.  I'd say something like, "Will you be happy if you take that toy from your brother?" or "How do you think you'll feel if you don't eat your food?"  The change was unreal.  I praised him for all the HAPPY choices he made.  I made a happy/sad face for him to put on the fridge.  If he made a sad choice, he had to switch the face around.  It didn't happen that often!

I continue to use this method to this day.  It is SO SUPER EFFECTIVE!  And I've noticed this time around teaching Primary how this method has been taught throughout all the Primary lessons.  Have YOU noticed it?  They continually have us as teachers ask the kids how they'd FEEL.  Feelings are something kids can relate to!  We can ALL relate to it.  I even find myself contemplating how I'll feel before making a decision.

So, there you go!  I hope this helps you somehow.  You don't have to believe in it's effect, but if you try it, I promise you'll see a change in behavior for the positive! :)

Not, onto the lesson.  This week's lesson is Primary 2: Lesson 26: Choosing the Right Gives Me a Happy Feeling (SEE!).  With a disclaimer, "Note: Remember that children younger than eight years old are not yet accountable and do not need to repent of sin. Encourage the children to do what is right, but do not make them feel guilty for things they have done."

Here's how I'll be teaching the lesson~

*I will be using those gems that you put in vases for decorating purposes for the attention activity.

*I will be bringing some toy food to help illustrate the story of Angela.  We will use the happy/sad faces I made earlier (found in THESE lesson helps) instead of the papers from the previous lesson when talking about feelings in regards to this story and for any other times needed.

* The word strips this week will be repentance and prodigal.  2 in one week, whew!

* I will use the clip art pictures to help illustrate the story of the Prodigal Son.

*Instead of making pictures of the happy/sad face, we'll use the happy/sad sticks for this part of the lesson and I will give them a situation and have them show me what kind of a choice the child made.  The coloring page later will be a blank circle that they can make into a happy face. :)

*We most definitely will be singing the versions of "If You're Happy" for Enrichment Activity #2.

*If there is time, I will ask each child to come to the front of the room and tell about a time that they made a happy choice.  They only need to come up if they want to.  Since we've been doing a "sharing" time at the beginning of class, each child is okay with being in front of the class and speaking in front of us now! :)

***UPDATE***UPDATE***UPDATE***

 *This lesson was way too short...we ended up taking an impromptu "field trip" around the church.  I told the children that Jesus is our example about making choices.  We went around the building, looking at pictures of Jesus.  At each picture, I asked one of the children to tell me what Jesus was doing and what kind of a choice He was making.  When we got back to the room, we played the "happy/sad" game about the pictures.  I was so happy that 2 of my little guys said, "They were ALL happy choices!" as soon as we got into the room!!! :)

So, there you have it!  I hope this helps you!  For my file of helps, just click HERE!  Have a restful Sabbath, friends! :)

Rembering to Say "Thank You"

The above file is a freebie for ya--I made it and you can use it how you see fit!  For those of you who don't know what it is, it's a digital stamp sentiment and you can use it with photo editing software on digital artwork or print it out and use it on a paper crafting project as well!  It's a little thank you for coming to my blog today! :)

Well, I am afraid I should've looked ahead as some of my comments from last week's Primary helps are covered in this lesson as well! Oops!  Well, let's just start off with how I'll teach the lesson and maybe something new will pop into my head! :)

Primary 2: Lesson 25: Remember to Say Thank You

*Instead of playing the "telephone" game as an attention activity, we will play hangman on the board.  This will help me to see which children know their letters in a non-threatening way and will also help me know which children can read well.  I do know my good readers, etc., but this is another way to see if they can put letters into context to create words! :)  Yes.  I work in the public school system.  How'd you know?!

*I'll use my 10 figures from last week's helps to see who remembers the story of the 10 lepers by asking each child to come forward and hand me the right amount of figures that remembered to say thank you to Christ for His service.  We did this last week, so we'll see what they remember!

*I will use the simple drawings in my helps instead of drawing on the board...I've found that the children like pictures they can see up close better and this way I can use each picture at different times.  I won't have to erase them and hope they remember, either.  If we have time at the end of the lesson, I can see if they can retell the story, too!  Always be prepared for short lessons that don't take all the time!

*We will be making thank you cards for members of the ward that help our class.  Each child will make one, and we will use them to give out to those members.  Each child will sign each card and we will take them to some of the members if we have time!

*I will send home about 3-5 small slips of paper that say "Thank You!"  with each child and encourage them to use them during the week when someone does something nice for them.

*I will be using my helps for Enrichment Activity 5 as a just in case thing.

*I will be sending thank you cards to each of my kids this week...and missing you cards to those who aren't there.  I make my own cards, but I have also included THIS DIGITAL CARD FRONT that you can use and print out!

Find the lesson helps for this week HERE--I hope they can help you out!!!

Okay, so I decided to just expand on something that I wrote last week.  The topic of this week's "words of wisdom" will be "Giving Thanks for ALL Things."  It's basically a very personal experience that has taught me to be grateful for all I have.  So, if all you came for was the helps, feel free to stop reading! ;)

My husband and I married pretty young.  He had been off of his mission for less than a year and I was barely 20.  We had all sorts of fabulous hopes, plans, and dreams for the future.  One of these was to have a large family of 6 children or maybe more.  We decided to wait a year to start our family as we were both in school and he was almost done with his associates degree.  After a year was over, I stopped taking my birth control and we started to try to get pregnant.  I wasn't too concerned when it didn't happen.  I actually wasn't concerned that we weren't pregnant until my younger sister got pregnant with their first child.  This was three years into the trying.  I had always just felt that if it was right, it would happen!  I didn't questions why we weren't getting pregnant, but when my YOUNGER sister got pregnant, I was devastated.

I guess that I had been in the denial state of grief.  I had always had issues through my teenage years and was told that having children might be a problem for me.  But I had faith that Heavenly Father would grant my desires--they were righteous after all!  So, I was in denial for the first four years of our marriage.  And then, like I said my YOUNGER sister got pregnant.  Right on schedule for them.  How very nice...NOT.

I was incredibly angry with God.  It was off and on, but I was so angry.  For two years.  I continued to go to church and do the things that I was asked to do.  I served in my callings (during this time I had my FAVORITE all time calling--nursery leader!) and did my visiting teaching.  I did NOT, however, support other women through their pregnancies, go to baby showers, talk to people who were pregnant, associate with young families (except my nursery children), or go to lessons that I knew were about children in any way.  So much anger.  And so much ingratitude!

Wow.  This is very hard for me to write!  I didn't realize that I would be crying and so emotional!  Anyway, I was angry.  And as I said above, I was angry off and on for two years.  During those two years, we decided to do foster care.  NOT for us.  We prayed about adopting.  The answer was no.  I was SO MAD.  WHY was I childless when there were women who neglected, abused, and even discarded their own children?!  It was NOT fair.

During this time, I was continually looking for solace wherever I could find it.  I sought out friends who also didn't have children/didn't want children.  I focused on my relationship with my husband (this was the BEST thing that came out of this...but I'll tell you about that in a bit).  I read many articles on the Church's website about other couples who struggled with infertility.  The worst part, though, was that most of these couples either adopted or were able to have their own children.  Both options that my husband and I were being told would not be happening in the near future.  It wasn't until I read an article by Sis. Ardeth Kapp for the second time that I finally felt I had found the person who could understand me.  For those of you struggling with infertility, this article is something you HAVE to read.

Okay, so I read and re-read the article.  And read the scriptures.  And I prayed.  A lot.  And now you're wondering why I am telling you this and what it has to do with gratitude.  Well, this is what it has to do with gratitude--EVERYTHING.

While I had been sitting in my own little pity party, I had neglected (not all the time) to be grateful for what I HAD!  I had an eternal companion sealed to me forever.  He is faithful to me!  He LOVES me!  He would do ANYTHING for me!  I had the gospel--I knew who I was, why I was here, and where I was going to go if I endured to the end!  I had health (for the most part), a will and desire to work, talents that the Lord had given me, a house, food, clothing, a family who loved me, the scriptures, prayer, the promises of staying faithful to the covenants I had made, the Atonement.  The love of God and of my Savior.  I could go on!  It was during an especially dark time when I realized all this.

I had been crying and praying, asking Father in Heaven WHY.  WHY weren't we allowed to have children?  WHY did I have to go through this?!  I had been promised that I would have not only what I needed, but what I wanted so many times!!!

You know what my answer was?  It was a simple, strong feeling.  A calming voice in my head that said, "You will have everything that you WANT when your will is aligned with My will."  Oh.  Peace came to me immediately.  I knew that I needed to change--my attitude, my prayers, my life!  I realized that there is a reason for ALL trials--and, YES, this is true of all of them--the reason is to draw us near unto God.  ALWAYS.  Each trial is designed to draw us nearer to God IF we choose it.

And so, I have!  I know focus my prayers on the things that I am grateful for.  My husband and I still work and prepare for the family that we will have one day.  We work together as Primary teachers and strive to build a loving relationship that will not tarnish as time goes by.  I have started to associate more with the children in our ward.  I've befriended many young mothers and tried to help them in their struggles.  I have an amazing Primary class full of children that I love and that love me.  I work in the public school system with children who have special needs and special spirits.  I babysit for those who need me to.  I have sweet nieces and nephews that I get to mother.  I have friends and colleagues who need mothering, and I try to fill that role. Oh, and I re-read that article each time I feel like I need a sympathetic ear.

I  am NOT childless.  They are all around me!  I am so thankful to a Father in Heaven who knows what is best for ME.  Who gives me EVERYTHING--needs and wants.  Since this decision, things have really turned around for my husband and I.  I know that it is probably a matter of perspective, but today as I write, there are so many NEW things from this past week that I am thankful for!  We ALL have so much to be thankful for!  I hope that you take the time today to pray and give thanks to God--He gives us everything!  Have a restful Sabbath, friends! :)

Linking this post to: Tell Me A Story, Titus 2sdays, Women Living Well.
 

I Can Show Gratitude

Welcome to another week of Primary lesson helps and teaching tips! ;)  I hope that these weekly posts are helping someone out there--I really enjoy writing them up!  I also hope you take the time to watch this short video about gratitude from the Mormon Channel on YouTube.  It's fabulous!

This week's lesson is Primary 2: Lesson 24: I Can Show Gratitude.  It's fabulous because gratitude has been on my mind lately!  The purpose of this lesson is to help the children understand the importance of expressing gratitude to Heavenly Father.

I'm going to start with telling how I'll teach the lesson.  Find my helps HERE.

*Instead of using water, a spoon, and a jar, I'll take fuzz balls and a jar and each time they say something they are thankful for, they can put a fuzz ball in the jar.  Less mess.  More fun--fuzz balls rock!

*The word strip for the week is gratitude.  I would advise you to get actual word strips that teachers use and print the words out in proper formation.  Of course, this is the teacher in me talking, but why not teach them about reading and writing in a gospel context?  Their understanding is truly maximized by the spirit on all subjects!

*I will make cut outs of ten people to represent the ten lepers and we will separate them to show how many gave thanks and how many did not instead of using fingers.  Some of my kiddos have trouble holding fingers down still. :)

*Instead of singing "Children All Over the World," we will sing "Thanks to Our Father" because it tells specific things we can be thankful for.

*I will combine the first two Enrichment Activities and we will look at pictures of animals, plants, houses, our body, etc. and talk about each one and how we can take care of them in order to show gratitude to our Father in Heaven.

*I will bring a baby food jar for each child in our class.  When they are coloring their pictures, my DH and I will call two children up and help them write 5 things they are thankful for on small pieces of paper.  These will go in the jar and the children can decorate them with stickers.  They can keep them as a reminder to be thankful for these things and others. 

And now some ways that we as teachers can be examples of gratitude in our classroom.  Hopefully some of these tips will be useful to more than just primary teachers--they can be utilized in every aspect of our lives!

1. Be an example of gratitude during prayer.  Make sure that when you help the children in your class or when you are saying a prayer yourself that you always give thanks to Father in Heaven first.  I have noticed that there are a lot of people who know the order of prayer, but don't always follow it.  I've been guilty of it myself!  There is a reason that we are commanded to give thanks first.   Elder Richard G. Scott has told us, "An important aspect of prayer is gratitude. When we contemplate the incomparable gift of prayer and the limitless blessings that flow from it, honest appreciation fills our mind and heart to overflowing with thanksgiving."  President Ezra Taft Benson counseled us, "There’s a great tendency for us in our prayers—in our pleadings with the Lord—to ask for additional blessings. Sometimes I feel we need to devote more of our prayers to expressions of gratitude and thanksgiving for blessings already received. Of course we need the daily blessings of the Lord. But if we sin in the matter of prayer, I think it is in our lack of the expressions of thanksgiving for daily blessings."

2. Say thank you for EVERYTHING, big or small.  There are no small acts of service.  When you notice that a child in your class is quiet and sitting nicely, thank them! They are making your job of teaching much easier.  The children will see that you are grateful for them and will in turn be more grateful for you.  When we are thankful for the small things, we will be thankful for the larger things.  On the other hand, if we do not give thanks to those who serve us in small ways, how will we ever be grateful for the larger gifts and acts of service that come our way?  Our beloved prophet, Thomas S. Monson, then a counselor in the First Presidency, has counseled us with these words of wisdom, "We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues."  Our example of gratitude has the capacity to lift those we teach and everyone we come in contact with.  Say thank you!!!

3. Show gratitude in small acts of service.  Children love to receive letters and cards in the mail.  When a child in your class does something especially wonderful for you, reciprocate with a simple expression of gratitude.  Mail works, so does a small treat taken to their home during the week.  Even a hug can do wonders to show your gratitude, and children LOVE to be noticed for their good works!  We learn in the Doctrine & Covenants about the blessings that come from expressing gratitude.  Section 78 verse 19 says, "And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more."

4. Always be on the lookout for things to be thankful for.  If we are constantly seeking reasons to be grateful for our life and things that happen to us, we will be much happier!  A happy attitude begets more happy attitudes from those around us.  There are reasons to be thankful all around us--we just have to become more aware of them!  In the book of Alma in the Book of Mormon, Amulek tells us that one of his desires for his brethren (which includes us) is that, "ye live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which [God] doth bestow upon you." (Alma 34:38)

May we always be aware of the blessings of the Lord in our lives and show gratitude to our Father in Heaven and those around us is my prayer.  Have a blessed and restful Sabbath! :)

Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd

Welcome to another week of Primary lesson helps!  This week's lesson is found in the Primary 2 manual, Lesson 23: Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd.

As I read the purpose of the lesson, "To help each child understand that every person is important to Jesus Christ," I realized something.  I've already KNOWN this, but I needed the good reminder--if there is a purpose to each lesson, aren't I as the teacher supposed to be the example of each purpose?  Wow.  That is a huge deal!  How will the children in my class actually learn to apply this lesson if I don't show them HOW to?

 Jesus Said Love Everyone

Jesus said love ev’ryone;
Treat them kindly, too.
When your heart is filled with love,
Others will love you.

Words and music: Moiselle Renstrom, 1889–1956

I'm going to give you some suggestions of how we can show the children in our class and all those in our lives that each person is important to Jesus Christ.  I'm going to start by telling you a story...

When I first moved to Kansas with my parents a l-o-n-g time ago, I was only 11 years old.  We moved here the week that school started and I knew NOBODY.  I had gone to primary 1 time and had met a few girls my age, but I was basically friendless, in a new state, starting at a new school.  I was really scared.

It wasn't long before I had made some friends at school and at church and was feeling like part of the group.  There was one girl in our class at church that was a bit different and the other girls were not very nice to her.  I was unsure what to do, as my parents had taught me to treat everyone with kindness, but I really wanted to fit in.  I am ashamed to admit that I followed the crowd.  I have spent my life making up this mistake.

A few days after one such unkind incident as you can probably imagine, the girl's mother called my parents to let them know how her daughter had been treated.  I was called into my parents' room and they asked me if what they had heard was true.  I was immediately ashamed--the same feeling that I had had when the actual incident occurred.  I tried to defend myself, knowing all along that I was wrong.  I eventually confessed and told my parents that I would try very hard to fix the situation.

I soon became good friends with this girl.  She was still different and continued to be different for the rest of our school career.  She is still in my ward today.  I am proud to be her friend and I am grateful that Heavenly Father has also called me to be her visiting teacher because she does listen to me and take advice from me.  She trusts me and I am ever grateful to parents who called me out about my bad behavior instead of thinking that their child would NEVER do that.  Because of this experience, I was able to come to a greater knowledge and understanding of the worth of souls.

"Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God..." Doctrine & Covenants 18:10

Here are a few lessons that I learned from this experience:

1. Everyone is of eternal importance to our Father in Heaven.  No matter what we do, no matter what sins we commit, our Father in Heaven always loves us.  He wants all of us to repent and return to Him.  President Gordon B. Hinkley said, "Let us all recognize that each of us is a son or daughter of our Father in Heaven, who loves all of His children." We should treat each other like family members that we love and care for.  This is the same way that God cares for and treats each of us.

2. There is a great need to look past mortal difficulties and see eternal potential.  This is built upon the foundation that we are children of God.  We each come to earth to experience things that, when handled correctly, will lead us back to our Father in Heaven.  President Dieter F. Uchtdorf has taught us that, "God Himself said we are the reason He created the universe! His work and glory—the purpose for this magnificent universe—is to save and exalt mankind. In other words, the vast expanse of eternity, the glories and mysteries of infinite space and time are all built for the benefit of ordinary mortals like you and me. Our Heavenly Father created the universe that we might reach our potential as His sons and daughters."  As we come to realize our own potential, we will be able to see the eternal potentials that others have.  No matter what trials and weaknesses we have here in mortality, each of us has the potential to become like our Father in Heaven.  No matter what physical ailment or mental disability that may be present in the children you teach, these are only for a small moment and are not indicative of the amazing spirit within the mortal frame they have been given.

3. Patience really IS a virtue and forgiveness is as well.  Sometimes you will be called to work with someone that knows how to push your buttons.  This will happen for your entire life.  There is no way that you will be able to get along perfectly with each and every person you meet.  This is called being mortal.  As you learn to be patient with other personalities and to forgive things that others have done to you, you will find it easier to see the eternal importance of each soul you come in contact with.  Most of the time I feel that those who offend us really and truly meant no offense.  Even if the offense is meant, we have still been commanded to forgive and be patient with those who have given the offense.  "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven..." Luke 6:37.  Make allowances for people.  This doesn't mean that you make excuses for behavior, it means that you take into account all that life has thrown at the person and try to put yourself in that situation.  It makes it a lot easier to forgive and to have patience.  I know that I am grateful when people make allowances for me.

4. NEVER speak ill of those you come in contact with or anyone close to them. Or anyone, really.  If you want to create a basis of trust with those around you, the quickest way to do this is to find the good in them and those they are close to (family members, etc.).  The quickest way to lose trust is to speak ill of someone.  President Uchtdorf has counseled us to, "Stop it!  It’s that simple. We simply have to stop judging others and replace judgmental thoughts and feelings with a heart full of love for God and His children. God is our Father. We are His children. We are all brothers and sisters."  

I know that when we follow these basic principles of Christian living that we will be able to cultivate relationships of trust and caring and that our capacity to love and serve will grow and become more perfect each day.

Now, onto the lesson! ;)  Find the lesson helps HERE.  These are some ways that I will be altering the lesson to fit the needs of the kiddos in my class.  Feel free to use these ideas if you think they'd help your class as well!

*The "puzzle" will be created by just printing out a photo onto cardstock and cutting it into squares.  Making an actual puzzle would stress a few of my kiddos out.

*I will be placing the puzzle piece of the lamb underneath on of the children's chairs or under the table in our room.

*I will bring a towel for each child to put on their head to pretend to be a shepherd as they search for the piece of the puzzle.  Depending on how things go, we may go for a short "field trip" to find the puzzle piece near a picture of Christ outside the chapel.

*Our word strip for the week will say "fold" and we will talk about what the word means in relation to shepherding.

*We will glue cotton balls to our lambs for the children to take home.  I'm making 2 printouts--one smaller lamb with their name and a larger lamb on a whole sheet of paper for the cotton balls.

*I will have the children sign cards for the children in our class who aren't there and will deliver to those children through the rest of the week to let them know that they were missed. Since I make cards, I will just make up about 5 of them and use these.  I'll probably utilize the lamb image in the lesson helps. :)

That's all this week--hope any or all of this information can help you in some way!  Have a restful Sabbath! :)

Blessed Are the Peacemakers

 My DH and I will not be teaching the lesson this week.  We are going to his family's ward as we have a new nephew to be blessed!  We are so excited to meet little Hyrum!  Even though we won't be there, I have decided to make up the lesson helps anyway--you never know when you'll need them again! ;)

This week's lesson in the Primary 2 Manual is Lesson 22: Blessed Are the Peacemakers.  Before we being, I'd like to share some thoughts on practical application of this lesson for US as the Primary teacher.

I'm going to preface my remarks by saying: PRIMARY TEACHER/NURSERY LEADER is (in my opinion) one of the most important callings in the church.  YOU are teaching the future leaders of the church gospel principles.  You may think they're not really listening, but they are.  YOU have a great capacity to teach them what is true and of eternal importance.  Never think of yourself as "just a Primary teacher/Nursery leader." You are creating spiritual experiences that will last a lifetime and effect the eternities.

That said, let's just tell the truth about teaching primary.  It can be really hard!  You are teaching a group of kids that you may or may not know and that all have extremely different personalities.  I know that every week we have some type of problem arise.  It's not usually a catastrophe, just something that doesn't go as I've planned.  It also seems that the more important the lesson, the more Satan tries to drive the Spirit away.  He does this by maybe giving you a not so nice thought in your head as you wake up on Sunday morning.  Or creating the feeling that you just cannot go and teach those rowdy children one more week.  Or by making YOU feel out of control, which makes you feel that you have no control over your class.

These are all lies.  You were set apart to teach these children and "...with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)  You can set the tone in your class and have the capacity to do so in a Christlike manner, because that is what God expects and we know that God will NEVER give us a commandment, "save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." (1 Nephi 3:7)

So, how do you become a peacemaker in your classroom?  I believe that a peacemaker is simply a follower of Christ--peace was what He taught, and that is what we are called to teach.  I also believe that no matter your situation, being a teacher of the gospel in any capacity will be the most important calling you have.  I have a few tips that I have learned the *hard* way over my years in working with children and youth at church that may help you in your pursuit of becoming a better teacher.  Remember, these are MY opinions--I will try to back them up with scripture and prophetic council, but these are personal lessons that I have learned.  I'm sure that YOU will learn many other lessons through your experiences that benefit you personally, too!

1. Understand the importance of your calling.  Pres. J. Reuben Clark once said, "As teachers you stand upon the highest peak in education, for what teaching can compare in priceless value and in far-reaching effect with that which deals with man as he was in the eternity of yesterday, as he is in the mortality of today, and as he will be in the forever of tomorrow. Not only time but eternity is your field."  The things that we teach each week are of eternal importance.  Therefore, our calling is one of eternal importance.  Even as I write that, tears come to my eyes and I feel the truth of those statements.  These children may come from homes where the gospel is not truly taught.  We have the opportunity to teach them the importance of the gospel and that happiness can come from it.  Happiness.  For eternity.  THAT is what we will teach--what is more important than that?  NEVER feel that as a Primary teacher or Nursery leader that you are "not as important" as the Primary President or the Relief Society President.  All callings come from the Lord and are equally important.  So don't forget--YOU MATTER.  Your words each week have the ability to teach a future leader of the church--you may be teaching a future prophet.  Never forget that.

2. Prepare your lessons each week with the guidance of the Spirit.  No calling will be successful unless you prepare.  Preparation should start well before Sunday morning.  Before Saturday night, as well.  I begins by spiritually preparing yourself DAILY through personal and family prayer, scripture study, and staying worthy to receive promptings from the Holy Ghost.  Preparation for your actual lesson should start as far in advance as you feel you need to be successful.  For me, this means reading the lesson for the following week each Sunday (after I've taught the lesson that day--I get confused if I read too many lessons at once!), pondering it for the next few days, discussing it with my DH (teaching partner), praying to know how to teach the children in MY class the principles it contains, and finally preparing the lesson helps around the middle of the week.  When I receive more guidance about how the Lord would have me teach, I always change my lesson accordingly.  Sometimes this happens DURING the lesson.  And if you are prepared, this is okay!  Preparation also takes away any fears we may have about fulfilling our calling--no matter what calling we have! Doctrine & Covenants 38:30 promises us, "if ye are prepared ye shall not fear."  So, what is the key to overcoming fear?  All together now "PREPARATION!!!"

3. Focus on what you're good at and work on things you may not be as good at.  We all have talents--there is literally not one of us who has nothing to give.  You know the parable of the talents.  If we work on the talents we have, more can be given to us as we need them!  A short story from personal experience--I have never been one to think that I am "good" at anything.  I had wonderful youth leaders who realized my potential and, along with my parents, supported me.  When I graduated from high school, my Young Women president was called to be the Relief Society president in my home ward.  I was going to the local singles ward at the time and didn't really think anything of it.  When I got married a few short years later, I returned to my home ward.  I was given two callings--Ward & Primary music leader.  I loved it!  I was over the moon--I was going to school for music education and this really made me happy!  Until one day I was released from Primary.  And I had to go back to Relief Society.  I have always had a hard time going to Relief Society, and so this was really hard for me.  I was sullen many weeks and didn't want to participate.  Because the Lord had called my former YW president to be the RS president, she knew me and what I needed.  She gave me a visiting teaching route that included herself and one of her counselors.  I soon got to know them personally and came to love them, appreciate their service, and learned to love all the sisters in the RS of our ward.  Shortly after this, I was called to be the first counselor in the Relief Society and work with these two amazing women and to be in charge of the teaching in the RS.  I had only 1 teacher called, and had to teach the women (many years older and wiser than myself) each week.  I was paralyzed with fear when this was told to me.  But under the guidance of these two sisters (who I still to this day literally feel are sisters to me), I found that I had an aptitude for teaching the gospel.  Because of the love and care that they showed me, I gained confidence in my ability to do so.  These sisters will never truly know how this has effected my life because there is nothing I could do to repay the debt that I owe them.  Because of the righteous example of these sisters, my desire to work on my talents increased and my confidence in the Lord was strengthened.  Because of them, I have been able to serve in any calling that I have been giving with an ability beyond my own.  I will always be grateful to them and to the Lord for that experience.  President James E. Faust said, "The Lord has a great work for each of us to do. You may wonder how this can be. You may feel that there is nothing special or superior about you or your ability. . . .The Lord can do remarkable miracles with a person of ordinary ability who is humble, faithful, and diligent in serving the Lord and seeks to improve himself. This is because God is the ultimate source of power."  Amen to that.  If we truly humble ourselves and recognize that everything we have comes from God, He will be able to give us all that we need to accomplish what He has asked of us.

4. Love the people you serve.  This is so very important.  It is easy to find that you have "favorites."  I used to think this was just natural.  To this day I still have some children that I consider "favorites" but I have also found that as I truly get to know those I serve, I love each of them as children of God.  The prophet Joseph Smith once said, "Nothing is so much calculated to lead people to forsake sin as to take them by the hand, and watch over them with tenderness. When persons manifest the least kindness and love to me, O what
power it has over my mind, while the opposite course has a tendency to harrow up all the harsh feelings and depress the human mind."  You can never love someone that you do not show love towards.  Find other ways to serve those you teach outside of church.  When I was the Beehive counselor in Young Women, I would call my girls to see how they were doing, find out their interests and talk to them about them, and send little cards to them in the mail.  As a primary teacher, I have decided to take one or two of my children each week for about an hour and spend time with them.  We will make a craft and play and just talk about them.  I've also found it very helpful to talk to parents about their children.  They know what things help and/or are not effective when teaching their child.  Getting to know someone and understanding where they come from is a sure fire way to be able to look past behaviors and see eternal potentials.  Petty things will no longer matter once you truly get to know someone as a child of God.

5. Teach correct principles with the guidance of the Holy Ghost.  This is SO IMPORTANT in any calling or teaching capacity you will have in the church.  I have found that when teaching a lesson, the best way to invite the spirit of contention is to use opinions too much or to use non-church materials.  I have found that the best way to keep the Spirit in a lesson is to teach directly from the lesson and to support lesson material with other church approved material.  That poem by e.e. cummings might be nice and meaningful to you, but it's not exactly doctrine.  Make sure that you use church materials--I promise that there is more than enough out there to supplement your lessons with!  These will always invite the Holy Ghost--the true teacher of truth.  Elder Dallin H. Oaks has told us, "If we have the Spirit of the Lord to guide us, we can teach any person, no matter how well educated, any place in the world. The Lord knows more than any of us, and if we are his servants, acting under his Spirit, he can deliver his message of salvation to each and every soul."

6. Invite all that you teach to be involved in and responsible for their own learning.  This is quite hard to do with a group of 4 & 5 year olds who each learn differently.  Luckily for us, the church has given us many resources to use to help us when preparing our lessons.  I have found, too, that asking questions is the best way to make children responsible for their own learning.  If I notice that a child hasn't participated, I may ask them specifically how they feel about what we are talking about.  If they don't want to answer, I do not make them. Instead, I call on another child that may really want to answer.  95% of the time, the first child I asked will think it through while the second child is responding and will want to answer after the second child is done.  I don't usually do this with adults because I don't want to offend them, but when you work with children and have a loving basis with them, they generally don't feel threatened when you "call them out" in a loving way.  From Teaching, No Greater Call, "Each of us is responsible to learn the gospel through diligent effort. We are also privileged at various times to serve as teachers—to inspire and help others in their responsibility to learn the gospel. We render this important service by doing all we can to: 1. Awaken and hold the interest of those we teach. 2. Encourage their active participation in lessons. 3. Show them how to live according to the truths they learn. We are to do these things with love and by the power of the Spirit. This means that we should focus not so much on our performance as on how well we help others learn the gospel diligently and live it faithfully."

7. Do not become involved in family disputes.  This is the last one and most important lesson that I've learned as a teacher.  This one I learned while working with the youth.  Many youth want to use their leaders as allies against their parents.  I am here to tell you that NO GOOD will come of this.  PARENTS have the responsibility to raise their children, not leaders.  If a child or youth comes to you with a problem in general, ALWAYS encourage them to go and talk to the other person involved.  If it's with another youth at church, offer to be a non-side-taking referee, but never just believe what you have been told until you hear both sides of the story.  If the problem is with a parent or sibling, encourage them to talk to the person involved.  The only time I would ever intervene is if I suspect abuse, and in this case I would call SRS with my concerns and leave it at that.  Never think that you know better than a parent when it comes to raising a child.

Hopefully these tips help you.  They are all things I wish I'd known when I was first a Primary teacher!  If you want more information on helping with reverence in your class, see my previous post here.  Hopefully these tips can also help you be able to magnify your calling to the best of your abilities when you adapt them to your personal situation.

Now onto the lesson!  I've come up with some ways that I would teach this lesson for my class and, even though I'm not teaching this lesson, I will share them with you and maybe you can use them!

*I would use my happy/sad faces sticks (more info here) instead of the printout in the manual when singing the opening song.  Since they are always in my bag, this is just easier for me!

*I would use the pictures in my file of families doing enjoyable things, turn them over, and have the children take turns choosing them and telling me what kinds of a choice it was (happy or sad) using their happy/sad face stick.

*My DH likes to take "field trips" and so instead of showing the picture of the Sermon on the Mount, we would take the children to the large painting of it in the meetinghouse, sit on the floor in front of it, and discuss this portion of the lesson there.  My DH likes to do this so that the children realize they can be more aware of their surroundings and also so that they can share what they learned with their parents when they see that visual reminder in the church building.

*I would use the situation strips in my lesson helps and have the children take turns choosing one and telling me how they would resolve the situation.  I like to do a lot of things that utilize turn taking so that children can learn sportsmanship in a gospel environment and then carry it into their sports venues.

I hope these ideas help you out with your lesson! :)  If you'd like a copy of my lesson helps, download them by clicking here.  I hope you have a restful Sabbath!

I Can Be Reverent

It's Primary time again!  This week's lesson in the Primary 2 Manual is Lesson 21: I Can Be Reverent.

Now, I don't  know about YOU, but our little ones have quite a hard time being reverent at times!  Before I share some thoughts on the lesson, I thought I share some tips on how to help your class be more reverent.  I'm not an "expert," but I am the oldest of 9 children, have had 13 foster children, and work with children who have special needs as my job.  These tips are all things I utilize in my classroom and have found work at least 95% of the time.  If you have any additional tips, please leave them in the comments--they'll be greatly appreciated!  These tips will be mainly for class/lesson time, but they could be utilized at other times when appropriate, as well.

1. Set Rules.  Make sure that the rules are age appropriate and that there aren't too many for younger children to remember.  For my nursery class, I only had one rule: Make happy choices.  If a child didn't know what a happy choice was compared to a sad choice, I had a multitude of opportunities to help that child understand what they were and when they made them.  Currently, my DH and I teach the 4 &5 year olds.  We have 4 rules.  They are sit nicely, use a quiet voice, raise your hand if you want to speak, and wait to be called on before talking.  We have visuals for these rules and they are displayed during class time through the whole lesson.  We also occasionally use these during sharing/singing time as a visual reminder of what behavior is expected.

2. Ignore bad/incorrect behaviors and praise those who follow the rules.  For example, if little Jimmy blurts out answers continually, ignore the behavior and praise Lily for raising her hand and ask her to share her thoughts.  If Jimmy realizes his mistake and raises his hand while Lily is responding, make sure to thank him for raising his hand after Lily is done and ask if he would like to respond to the question as well.  If Jimmy continues to blurt out while others are trying to talk, remind him of the rule.  If his sad choices continue, have a presidency member come and take Jimmy for a walk to talk about classroom behavior.  Make sure to praise the children in your class after doing something spectacular, like having a good sharing/singing time or walking reverently down the hall to class.  NEVER point out poor behavior by singling out a specific child's actions to the class.  This only shows the child that you are not worried about their feelings and that they cannot trust you to love them no matter what.  With older children, ask to speak to them after class, take them into the hall if you have a team teacher, or pop by their home during the week after making an appointment with their parents so that you can all talk about the problem.  Show the child that THEY can be in control of their actions by you being in control of YOUR actions.  You're the example in your classroom.  Your behavior will be the behavior the children mirror during class time.  Be aware of your behavior in the hallway while at church and after church meetings are over.  If you expect the children in your class to be reverent in the hallway, your behavior must be consistent as well.  The "status" of the building doesn't change because classes are over.  It is still the house of the Lord.

3. Avoid taking children to their parents as much as possible.  Some of you might think this is "mean" or "impossible" for some of the children in your class.  I really feel that parents need to know that their children can learn to be away from them and trust other adults.  Each of us was called by the Lord to teach these children, and He is counting on us to help the child AND their parents in the callings they hold.  Utilize your Primary presidency members for severe behaviors.  Take the criers into the hall and explain that mommy and/or daddy have a job to do in their calling and that the child's job is to be in class.  Reassure them that mommy and/or daddy will come and get them as soon as the class is over.  Let the children in your class know you love them by praising the good you see in them.  Make sure when a child is picked up by their parents that you either say something positive about their behavior or else say nothing and tell the child that you will see them next week and that you're looking forward to seeing them again.  The children will see that you won't "tell on them" to their parents and will begin to trust you more, and their parents will appreciate the positivity you show!

4. Keep in mind that kids are kids.  Don't expect them to be adults!  If you get into class from sharing/singing time and the children are a bit out of control, sing a wiggle song.  My favorite is Roll Your Hands (CS #274) because it can be done while the children sit in their seats, but they still get to move around.  If singing isn't your strong suit, have a quick "stretch time" where you model a few simple stretches for the children to mimic.  Have a "sharing time" at the beginning of class where each child (if they choose to) can come to the front of the class and share something from their week.  Not only does this cut down on talking out and unrelated comments, but they are also practicing public speaking skills!

5. Utilize music in your lesson times.  The Church has given us amazing songs that will help teach the children in your class basic gospel principles.  When used appropriately, music can invite the spirit into your classroom even more than the spoken word.  Use the songs in your lessons.  Think about having an opening song.  Practice the Primary Program songs while the children color at the end of the lesson.  Never underestimate the power of music.  If you are uncomfortable singing, check out a CD player and the Children's Songs on CD from the library of download them from the Church's website and use them.  You may even want to have them playing softly in the background as you teach a lesson.  You will see a HUGE difference in the reverence that will come when you use music more in your classroom.

6. Speak softly.  Don't carry a large stick. ;)  When the children in your class start to get loud, you need to get quiet.  YOU are the example of the behavior that is appropriate in your classroom.  When our class gets too loud, I stop talking, wait about 15-20 second, and then say somethings quietly.  It's usually a direction such as, "If you can hear me, touch your nose."  I continue by saying things like, "If you can hear me, touch your head.  If you can hear me, turn your voice off.  If you can hear me, fold your arms."  Because of the verbal direction coupled with different physical acts, the children calm down quicker and are more willing to "do as I'm doing" because I'm talking to the group, not individual children.

7. Learn how to utilize what I call "strategic seating."  My DH and I realized about 5 minutes into our current calling that we had some children that should NEVER sit together. Rather than do "assigned seats," we decided to make name tags and put magnets on the back.  We have the children stand to the side while we place the names strategically on the chairs, telling them to pay attention so they can see where THEIR name is.  Not only does this cut down on the behavior issues, it helps the children to recognize their name.  It's worked so well in our class time that we now also use this during sharing/singing time.  The children have a choice when it's time to go to class. I can carry their name tag to class for them, or if they can show me they can do it reverently, they can carry their name tag down the hall.  This has cut down behaviors during the entire 2 hours that we have the children and makes things OH SO much more pleasant!

That's all for now.  Hopefully you've found this information helpful!  If I come up with more classroom management tips, I'll post them later!

Now, let's get to the actual lesson, shall we?  Primary 2: Lesson 21: I Can Be Reverent.

I've made a few modifications to the lesson based on the needs of the children in our class.  Here's a short list of what I'm planning:

*Instead of making the body parts on the print out in the lesson, I'm going to make popsicle sticks with the words of each body part on it, have the children take turns choosing one,  and ask them to show the class what they need to do with that body part.  It'll kind of be like a "do as I'm doing" game.

*I'll be using my happy/sad sticks with the children during the teacher presentation and giving examples of reverent and irreverent behavior.  They'll tell me whether it's a happy or sad choice by showing the correct side of the stick.  I'll use the big happy/sad stick while they use their small ones.  I keep these in my bag at all times and use the happy/sad choices game any time we have  a lot of time left at the end of the class.  I've included these in the file--just print the happy faces onto yellow paper and the sad faces onto blue paper to save your color ink. ;)

*I will be using Enrichment Activities #2 & #3.  For #2, I'll use the pictures in my file, lay them face down on our table, and have them take turns choosing one.  For #3, I'll use the strips from my file and have them choose one at a time and show the appropriate behavior.

I hope that you find my lesson helps, well, helpful!  You can download them by clicking here.  Have a restful Sabbath! :)