Not sure what to do about Sunday school and a kid that's not mine.

[NinJaBob]

Last week was my 1st week of teaching unassisted Sunday school. It was also the first week that this one particular kid and I were in class together. Let me preface by saying that I only get about 45 minutes with the children. The other 15 is spent out in the hall with all 3 age groups singing and dancing. Out of the 45 minutes that I have them sometimes we sit (prayer time, reading of the gospel,reading a story,or doing a craft) Sometimes we are moving around (pretending to be animals, dancing, playing games, stretching, acting out the gospel.)

The problem is that this one kid is a little fire cracker. When it's time to sit he is out of his chair jumping up and down and carrying on. Then the rest of the kids get revved up to. Then it's just pandemonium. I spent the entire time last weekend saying "please sit down" (sometimes nicely sometimes sternly.)

I told the administrator of the program what went wrong and she said that she will talk to the other Sunday school teachers and that if this persists that she would have the parents sit in on a class or take more drastic measures.

Now they are 3 year olds so I don't expect them to be enlightened being when they leave but there truly some kids who want to be there and do their best to pay attention. It's not fair to them. And I felt like I wasted my time.

I don't want the kid removed from the class but I don't want another week like last week. Any idea on how to handle this child in the future.

[Trina]

My first question was, "How old are they?" LOL! Three can be a challenging age, some kids more so than others. Do you have a curriculum or do you have to come up with activities yourself? It is just this one particular child who is antsy?

[NinJaBob]

Originally Posted by Trina

My first question was, "How old are they?" LOL! Three can be a challenging age, some kids more so than others. Do you have a curriculum or do you have to come up with activities yourself? It is just this one particular child who is antsy?

Ya 3 can be tough. We have a well formed outline that we are to stick too. It's up to me to bring an activity for when I am waiting for them all to get there and for while we are waiting for all of there parents to pick them up. It is one kid that starts the ruckus then a couple of the other kids join in. As long as the ring leader is calm the other kids are ok. He's only calm for about 1 minute usually less after I correct him then he 's back to jumping up and down and knocking stuff off of the table and whatnot. I can't get through a 4 line story about the gospel without correcting him 4 times as well as the other children who join in.

[mom2many]

The child may well be on his way to ADHD or he could just be a handfull, and isn't required to sit still for long. One thing the school's do for my 7 year old (they have for a few years know) is to put a pillow in his chair, for some reason this seems to really help him with his fidgetting (know he usues an exersize ball) and to make sure that he has time for breaks through-out the day, when he was in kinder, the teacher would give the kids 5 minutes of break (with an activity, like jumping jacks) and then it was back to work.
I have no clue if any of this would help, but remember they have to start somewhere when it comes to sitting still and minding, so have some patience and eventually you will see improvement.

[NinJaBob]

Originally Posted by mom2many

I have no clue if any of this would help, but remember they have to start somewhere when it comes to sitting still and minding, so have some patience and eventually you will see improvement.

I agree regular breaks with movement does help. After the singing and dancing in the hallway he was much more relaxed for the final story. He was still moving around but not as badly.

The outline is written with the 3 yr olds in mind so everything we do has their short attention span in mind. For example

1. We start in chairs for the the first few minutes. The children color while we are waiting for everybody to show up.

2. Then we stand for a short prayer.

3. Then we go to the carpet and stretch and wiggle to get the wiggles out.

4. Then it's back to the chairs for the gospel reading. (Short 6 or 7 sentence reading)

5. Then it's still in the chairs for an activity

6. Then it's over to the carpet for a story.

7. Then we stand up and act out things from the story.

8. Then it's another activity supporting the gospel.

9. Then it's out to the hall for music and dance

10. Then it's back to the chairs for a story or craft while we are waiting for their parents.

So you see they are on the move and not expected to stay in their chairs for an hour or anything.

[zeitgeist]

Originally Posted by PhilBilly

3. Then we go to the carpet and stretch and wiggle to get the wiggles out.

Ha!

[NinJaBob]

Originally Posted by zeitgeist

Ha!

You think that it's funny now. You should see me doing it. I'm a pretty big hairy tatooed dude. It's got to be a sight to see.

[mom2many]

Do you have to stick to that schedule or can you mix it up a little.

For example switch #5 and put it behind #7, or is #5's activity something that has to be in the chairs? If not I would get them moving for a second there.

And #1 instead of coloring and waiting for everyone to get there do something like the stretchin and touching there toes, until everyone shows up, so you start the class off with a movement but a claming movement, cause I think you said they come in from an activity in the hall, this might help them relax without sending them off to the tables, since they are pretty hyped up by the time they get to you . I hope that is making sence!

I don't know if that's any help, but play with your routine and see if you can help incorporate the little guy.

[NinJaBob]

I pretty much have to stick to the outline. It is pretty specific as to what to say and what to do for activities. Each thing builds on and re-enforces the activity before it. It also changes each week so it's not the exact same routine but I have to do what the outline says and how it says to do it. I throw a little of my own flavor here and there but I can't change the outline.

EDIT: We are not really qualified teachers we are just volunteers from the church community so we are expected not to freestyle but stick to the curriculum so as not to cheat them out of anything. They want the same message taught the same way throughout the diocese.

[bssage]

Cole was/ is a firecracker. In school all of his instructors had our e-mail with instructions to let us know there was a problem when it happened.

At sunday school we talked to them at the end of each class.

I would guess that the parents are aware thier son is a firecracker. I would aproach them for help. That would less likely to offend and could yield results that you use. What I told Cole's teachers was if they found something that worked good to let us know and that we would do the same.

Also as in my boy's case we were able to tie his lack of focus days directly back to his lack of a good nights sleep. If you stay in contact some patterns may appear.

Anyway dont let it gain any momentum ask for help from the parents and work together Its a lot better way than a confrontation about thier sons behavior.

IMO the last thing you want to happen is go to them 2 months or even a month into it and suprise tham with issues.

Bryan

ps what works with Cole? No warnings when he should know the behavour is inappropriate. Go right to the correction. Thats just is what works for him though.