Guiding Behavior in TeamKID

 Preschoolers and children are full of energy. TeamKID is designed to channel that energy into exciting, enthusiastic learning. Here are some tips for promoting positive behavior and an enjoyable experience for everyone.

Planning for Success

• Enlist enough coaches: one for every seven or eight children in grades 1-6 and one for every four or five preschoolers.
• Delegate duties. Let different coaches take the lead in different portions of the meeting.
• Choose coaches who work well together, are enthusiastic, will come prepared for their parts, and who love preschoolers and children.
• Be prepared. Planning helps prevent problems before they happen.

Building Relationships

• Greet children at the door with a smile. Let each child know you are glad to see him. Call each child by name.
• Model good manners. Be firm, fair, consistent, a good listener, and respectful.
• If a child arrives late, be sure he understands the rules to a game that has already begun.
• Become a mentor. Develop personal relationships with the children. 
• Use positive reinforcement to guide children. Point out and encourage appropriate behavior.

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Warm-up Tips

• Be ready to begin when the first child arrives.
• If a child arrives early, start with the early-arrival activity immediately. 

Workout Tips

• Begin Workout as soon as Warm-up ends. Make a poster that lists the activities for Workout. Post it on the wall behind the children and refer to it instead of your Leader's Guide.
• Let children know what you expect from them. Let them know how you want them to sit. Sit at the eye level of the children. If they are on the floor, sit on the floor with them.
• Let them know when it is the coach's turn to talk.
• Let other coaches handle disruptions that may occur while the head coach is telling the Bible story.
• Avoid reading the Bible story or Bible script. Know the material well enough that you can keep eye contact with the children.
• Avoid delays between activities. Move quickly from telling the Bible story to memorizing the Scripture verse. Delays invite children to discover their own activities.
• Keep the energy high. If you are excited about an activity, the children will be too.

Stretching Tips

• Tear activity pages out of books before the children arrive.
• Place all needed supplies on tables.
• Help children understand how to complete their activity pages. Work through the sheet with them keeping in mind children have varying degrees of small-muscle and eye-hand skills.
• Relax. Children don't have to sit very still to listen and learn. In fact, some people have to move a little in order to learn.
• If some children finish the activity page before others, enlist their help in assisting other children.

Tournament Tips

• Know your group. Be sensitive to their personalities and skill level.
• Know the game rules. Choose one coach to be the leader. This coach should determine the rules and make final calls.
• Prepare the room or playing field properly. Have all needed equipment ready and check the playing field for safety.
• Get everyone's attention before you begin. Explain the game rules clearly and concisely. Give the rules in a logical order and demonstrate the game. Ask if anyone has questions about the rules.
• Avoid mentioning winning. Use words such as, "the purpose of the game is to be the last one standing."
• Conclude a game while interest is high.

Cool Down Tips

• Explain that all children need to be seated before snacks are served.
• Enlist children to help with serving.
• Challenge children to apply the ideas they have learned throughout the meeting.
• End on a happy note.

For more information about TeamKID, e-mail your comments to Editor-in-Chief Mikey Oldham.

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